The Edge of Infinity

When black holes began to become accepted, and Penrose and Hawking showed that singularities were inevitable, people began to wonder: Would singularities always be hidden behind an event horizon, or would it be possible to find a 'naked' singularity. This is the question Paul Davies considers in 'The edge of infinity'. The book is aimed at the non-technical reader, with the author explaining concepts such as mathematical infinites and the behaviour of black holes as necessary. Hence it is a useful book for those who want a gentle introduction to such subjects.

Davies shows what a peculiar object a naked singularity would be - a region of space-time where the laws of physics break down and so maybe 'anything could happen'. This leads to discussions of a philosophical and even theological nature. I would note that it is now a quarter of a century since the book was written, and so some people might want a more modern book on the subject. However, I didn't find the book particularly dated, with the exception of the chapter on the expansion of the universe, which was written before the acceleration of this expansion was discovered