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Ancient Light Alan P. Lightman

Ancient Light By Alan P. Lightman

Ancient Light by Alan P. Lightman


Condition - Well Read
Out of stock

Summary

The modern story of cosmology began with the big bang model, but recent observations of the location and motions of galaxies challenge this view. This book explores the history, theories, evidence, discoveries, questions and controversies concerning the origin and evolution of the universe.

Ancient Light Summary

Ancient Light: Our Changing View of the Universe by Alan P. Lightman

Cosmology - the study of the origin, structure, and continuing evolution of the universe - is the most speculative of all sciences and religion. In Ancient Light astrophysicist and science writer Alan Lightman takes the reader on a grand tour of cosmology, exploring its history, the theories and the evidence, the new discoveries, the outstanding questions, and the controversies that have revolutionized this field. Thoughout history, as far back as the early Babylonians and Greeks, each culture has crafted its own story of the beginning of the universe. The modern story of cosmology began with the big bang model, but recent observations of the location and motions of galaxies are challenging this conventional view. The Great Attractor, the Great Wall and other unexpected findings have thrown into chaos the previous assumption of a smooth and homogeneous cosmos so critical to the big bang model. Aided by the application of particle physics to cosmology, a new generation of scientists have launched a host of elaborate hypotheses to grapple with the inconsistencies that threaten the standard model. But current explanations - ranging from the inflationary universe model to the cold dark matter model to the anthropic principle - have run into difficulties of their own. In Ancient Light, the human story behind cosmology is enhanced with biographical sketches of the key figures, past and present, including Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Vera Rubin, Alan Guth, and Margaret Geller.

Table of Contents

Cosmic questions; early cosmologies; the birth of modern cosmology; the big bang model; other cosmological models; difficulties with the big bang model; large-scale structure and dark matter; instruments and technology; initial conditions and quantum cosmology; particle physics, the new cosmology, and the inflationary universe model; the anthropic principle; at home.

Additional information

CIN0674033620A
9780674033627
0674033620
Ancient Light: Our Changing View of the Universe by Alan P. Lightman
Used - Well Read
Hardback
Harvard University Press
19910901
184
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book. We do our best to provide good quality books for you to read, but there is no escaping the fact that it has been owned and read by someone else previously. Therefore it will show signs of wear and may be an ex library book

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