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Vintage

The Northern Lights: The True Story of the Man Who Unlocked the Secrets of the Aurora Borealis

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Format: Paperback


Description

Science, biography, and arctic exploration coverage in this extraordinary true story of the life and work of Norwegian scientist Kristian Birkeland, the troubled genius who solved the mysteries of one of nature’s most spectacular displays. Captivated by the otherworldly lights of the aurora borealis, Birkeland embarked on a lifelong quest to discover their cause. His pursuit took him to some of the most forbidding landscapes on earth, from the remote snowcapped mountains of Norway to the war-torn deserts of Africa. In the face of rebuke by the scientific establishment, sabotage by a jealous rival, and his own battles with depression and paranoia, Birkeland remained steadfast. Although ultimately vindicated, his theories were unheralded—and his hopes for the Nobel Prize scuttled—at the time of his suspicious death in 1917. The Northern Lights offers a brilliant account of the physics behind the aurora borealis and a rare look inside the mind of one of history's most visionary scientists. Read more


Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; Reprint edition (October 29, 2002)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0375708820


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 24


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 0.7 x 7.96 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #231,453 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #16 in Geophysics (Books) #532 in Scientist Biographies #685 in History & Philosophy of Science (Books)


#16 in Geophysics (Books):


#532 in Scientist Biographies:


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Amazing and underappreciated...
Written unlike a historical biography but more like an adventure of scientific discovery. Hard to put down. Birkeland's ideas are still not fully accepted, that being the extreme importance and power of electromagnetism in space plasma. To this day, astrophysicists overstress gravity as the dominant force in space when it is actually plasma and its very odd and strange set of rules of behavior, including double layers, plasmaspheres, z-pinches, Birkeland Currents, etc. One day in the future, the electrical nature of the cosmos will inevitably come to the forefront and gravity will take a backseat. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2023 by QuantumGreg
    • Off the Charts
Now I didn’t get to see the aurora borealis during me time in the land of the midnight sun but I very much enjoyed this book. It delves into the life of Kristian Birkeland and his exploration of the phenomena of the northern lights. This scientist did not really get the recognition he deserved during his lifetime because his understanding of scientific phenomenon was ahead of its time. Plus other silly academics just didn’t like him. I have to admit that I didn’t understand all the science data meself because physics is not me friend. But I found this book fascinating nonetheless. I won’t really try to reiterate the plot because I would fail but I thought instead I would share one of me favourite quotes. "Birkeland understood for the first time why the Lights had defied neat explanation: they appeared not to belong to Earth but to space. Seemingly beyond human comprehension, they reached straight into the souls of those who witnessed them as an appearance of the angelic host or the Holy Spirit might do. The glowing banners in the sky were so entrancing that the group forgot the cold and remained outside, entering the hut occasionally to eat or drink but re-emerging to watch the breathtaking display dancing over their heads." However there is a disclaimer about this read. Readers beware. This book is not an academic text and liberties were taken. As the author says in her introduction: “In an effort to prevent the book from becoming an academic text or a standard biography” “I have kept references to a minimum and there are no footnotes.” “I have telescoped events in order to avoid making the work too long and made assumptions that are not documented” There was initial alarm when I read these and I almost chose to not read it. But I did want to know more about the subject and had no other book at hand. So I chose to read this more as historical fiction for these reasons. I do think this was a fun, if potentially inaccurate, introduction to a scientist I had never heard of. It is also why I would maybe recommend additional research for those who want serious science and undisputed facts. I did view additional sources after finishing this book because of the author’s statements. But because of the author’s choices, I don’t know if I would recommend it and will not rate it highly because of this ambiguity. The author does have his own work called “The Norwegian Aurora Polaris Expedition 1902–1903.” In addition, a later book about the scientist was published in 2005 called “Kristian Birkeland, The First Space Scientist.” These might be better places to start, though I haven’t read either. Arrrr! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2019 by The Captain
    • Excellent Material for History of Science
Science is oftentimes taught today as if it has been a linear process, and students are rarely asked to consider putting themselves into the shoes of a particular time period or to think about the theories and experiments that actually did not go so well. The end result is that few science students understand the simple process of science, and increasingly believe that mainstream science is always correct. They fail to realize that it is a fact that certain fringe scientific concepts today will end up mainstream within a few decades. Kristian Birkeland was in fact one of the scientific heretics of his day (from the perspective of the British at least), and much of what he said in his time has turned out to be true. People studying the history or philosophy of science, electromagnetism or space plasmas will appreciate the background that this material provides. I've been told by an advocate of mainstream astrophysics that the book gets some details "wrong". I can only imagine now that they were referring to the epilogue, and specifically the disparaging statements regarding Sydney Chapman and Birkeland's treatment by establishment science. If I am right in this regard, I would have to take Lucy Jago's side on the debate. I would like to mention that Chapman had an opportunity to observe Kristian Birkeland's terrella experiment as recreated by Hannes Alfven. From what I understand, from other sources, Sydney Chapman refused to observe the terrella in operation when he was given the chance. This is a very important detail that I hope she decides to include in any future revisions as it perfectly replicates the way in which modern mainstream astrophysicists treat theories which they do not like. Rather than disproving them, they will refuse to read about them. I found no serious faults with the book other than that though. The book would especially make a great read for an aspiring electrical engineer. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2007 by Chris Reeve
    • A Single-Minded Pursuit of Truth
This book documents the life story of Kristian Birkeland, a Norwegian genius scientist at a time when Norwegian scientists were rarely taken seriously. Birkeland spared no cost and no risk to explore and document the phenomena known as Aurora or Nothern Lights. He was the first person to really understand and explain auroras. His theories of space which developed from studying auroras have been proven true long after his death�he was well ahead of his time. Birkeland was an inventor, often distracted from what he loved best to work on projects that might help him to fund his expensive study of space and northern lights, as well as zodiacal lights near the equator. He pursued his varied projects with such single-mindedness that all else in his life went on the chopping block, including ultimately, his life itself. The book is well-written and as readable as a scientific novel. Lucy Jago has previously worked on documentaries, and her research sometimes verges on the overly-detailed. Her hard work is obvious. The story in itself is a fascinating history of scientific study and the many obstacles that present along the way. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2003 by Heidi M. Hawkins

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