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Work #1092 · Late

A Journey into Gravity and Spacetime

John Archibald Wheeler
1990 · English
Popular-scientific exposition · Foundations of physics / Popular science

Wheeler's 1990 popular exposition — gravity as geometry, mass as curvature in the geometric universe

Attribute Fingerprint

Rows where works disagree are highlighted in gold. The full ontology grid is shown.

Attribute A Journey into Gravity and Spacetime (Late)
Time · Extent Infinite
Time · Ontological Status Substantival
Time · Grain Continuous
Time · Freedom Deterministic
Time · Traversability Linear
Time · Dimensionality One
Time · Direction Uni-directional
Space · Extent Infinite
Space · Ontological Status Substantival
Space · Curvature Curved
Space · Dimensionality Three
Space · Locality Local
Matter · Extent Infinite
Matter · Ontological Status Substantival
Matter · Conservation Conserved
Matter · Dimensionality Three
Matter · Locality Local
Observer · Time Instance Single
Observer · Space Instance Single
Observer · Knowledge Extent Partial
Observer · Knowledge Retainment Total
Observer · Physicality Embodied
Observer · Agency Passive
Observer · Number Plural
Observer · Metaphysical Agency None
Observer · Moral Authority Reason
Observer · Theological Method
Energy · Extent Infinite
Energy · Ontological Status Substantival
Energy · Conservation Conserved
Energy · Dispersibility Irreversible
Information · Ontological Status Substantival
Information · Cosmic Conservation Conserved
Information · Personal Conservation Conserved
Information · Granularity Continuous

Dimension-by-Dimension Evidence

What each work's passages reveal about its stance on each of the six dimensions.

Time

A Journey into Gravity and Spacetime

The 1990 popular-science moment of mature general-relativity exposition.

Space

A Journey into Gravity and Spacetime

The four-dimensional space-time manifold whose geometry is the book's topic.

Matter

A Journey into Gravity and Spacetime

The matter-energy that tells space-time how to curve.

Observer

A Journey into Gravity and Spacetime

The general-relativistic observer with their own four-dimensional path.

Energy

A Journey into Gravity and Spacetime

The energy-momentum tensor as source of curvature.

Information

A Journey into Gravity and Spacetime

The geometric-physical content of general-relativistic understanding.

Internal Tensions

Where each work's argument pulls against itself.

A Journey into Gravity and Spacetime

The geometrodynamic vision has been a fertile programme; rival approaches (quantum gravity, string theory, loop quantum gravity) continue.