The Amazing Unity of the Universe (2nd Ed., 2nd ed. 2016) And Its Origin in the Big Bang Astronomers' Universe Series
In the first chapters the author describes how our knowledge of the position of Earth in space and time has developed, thanks to the work of many generations of astronomers and physicists. He discusses how our position in the Galaxy was discovered, and how in 1929, Hubble uncovered the fact that the Universe is expanding, leading to the picture of the Big Bang. He then explains how astronomers have found that the laws of physics that were discovered here on Earth and in the Solar System (the laws of mechanics, gravity, atomic physics, electromagnetism, etc.) are valid throughout the Universe. This is illustrated by the fact that all matter in the Universe consists of atoms of the same chemical elements that we know on Earth. This unity is all the more surprising when one realizes that in the original Big Bang theory, different parts of the Universe could never have communicated with each other. It then is a mystery how they could have shared the same physical laws. This problem was solved by the introduction of the idea of inflation, a phase of extremely rapid expansion of the Universe during the first fraction of a second following the Big Bang. The author explains how the unity of the Universe finds its origin in the Big Bang prior to inflation. The book addresses the many fundamental questions about the Universe and its contents from the perspective of the Big Bang: the formation of structure in the Universe, the questionsof the mysterious dark matter and dark energy, the possibilities of other Universes (the Multiverse) and of the existence of intelligent life elsewhere in the Universe.
Discusses the ways in which the laws of physics, which are valid throughout the Universe, find their origin in the Big Bang
Gives new historical details of 1917 predictions and the subsequent discovery that the Universe is expanding
Emphasizes the close interconnection between the Universe and the evolution of life on Earth throughout the book
Presents how Earth is placed in space and time in a novel way
Date de parution : 07-2016
Ouvrage de 315 p.
15.5x23.5 cm
Thème de The Amazing Unity of the Universe :
Mots-clés :
Anthropic Principle; Big Bang; Cosmic Evolution; Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation; Cosmological Constant; Dark Energy; Dark Matter; Evolution of the Universe; Inflation of the Universe; Life in the Universe; Origin of the Universe; Structure Formation; Unity of the Universe; Vaccuum Energy