In 1950, near the end of his storied scientific career, Albert Einstein was still publishing groundbreaking works on the fundamental forces of the universe, on the chemical reactions that power the stars, as well as the force that causes an apple to fall to the ground. In response to another scholarly article exploring the nature of gravitational forces, the editors at Scientific American asked Einstein to write an article summarizing his latest achievements and placing them in a historical and philosophical context. What Einstein produced was one of the gems of his last years: a fascinating discussion of the most complicated and difficult problems facing physicists, explained in such a lucid and engaging fashion that a reader might forget just how advanced the material actually is. That story of exploration is now available for the first time in one volume, along with more than a dozen others from the greatest scientific minds of the past sixty years. This collection features articles exclusively written by Nobel Prize-winning physicists which, when combined, make a unique book that will inspire and educate anyone interested in the modern history of astrophysics. First published in Scientific American, these articles explain groundbreaking advances in our understanding of the universe. Original illustrations, charts, and graphs are reproduced as they first appeared in the magazine. You will find that Scientific American Presents Nobel Prize Winners on Physics and Astronomy is the essential collection for anyone looking for the most fascinating advances in physics as they are explained by the brilliant minds that discovered them. Inside, you'll also see original articles on the following: The possibility of a black hole forming at the center of our galaxy What we can learn about relativity from artificial satellites The Process of a supernova exploding The origins of the planet Earth The signals that we receive from radio galaxies, far off in space Scientific American, the country's premier general-interest science magazine, reports the most important developments in modern science, medicine, and technology. The oldest continuously published magazine in the United States, it has been bringing its readers unique insights about developments in science and technology for more than 150 years. Book jacket.