Void: The Strange Physics of Nothing (Foundational Questions in Science)

James Owen Weatherall explores the concept of nothing in modern physics. While the physics of matter—protons, neutrons, electrons, quarks, and gluons—is relatively familiar, the physics of empty space presents a different challenge. Isaac Newton conceived of empty space as nothingness extending in all directions, a stage for physical phenomena. However, quantum theory and relativity reveal that Newton's view cannot be correct. Nothing, according to contemporary physics, possesses structure and properties as complex and mysterious as matter itself. Weatherall traces how leading theories about the void have been discovered, developed, and challenged through the work of figures including Einstein, Dirac, and Newton. He combines historical narrative with physics explanation to examine the nature of empty space and the quantum vacuum. The book was included on the 2017 Best Book List by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).