Bubbles, voids and bumps in time: the new cosmology
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993. First Paperback Edition [Stated], third printing [stated]. Trade paperback. The format is approximately 5.375 inches by 8.5 inches. xiii, [1],190, [4] pages. Figures. Footnotes. Formulae. Further Reading. Maps. Tabular Data. Contributors. Subject Index. Name Index. Inscribed by the author on the half-title page which reads To Julie May this fill a void in your life Jim 1994. In this volume, six leading cosmologists provide a current "state of the universe" report: what we have learned about its nature, but also what pieces are still missing from the cosmic puzzle. The roster of contributors reads like a Who's Who of modern cosmology: A. P. Lightman, Robert P. Kirshner, Margaret J. Geller, Vera C. Rubin, Alan Guth, and James Gunn. The book is an excellent overview of the big questions facing modern cosmology. It does not require a background in physics, so any lay reader who appreciates astronomy and the study of the cosmos will enjoy this lively discussion. James Cornell is affiliated with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics He is Member International Science Writers Association (former president) and the National Association Science Writers. Cosmology is the study of the nature of the universe, the cosmos. The term cosmology was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount's Glossographia, with the meaning of "a speaking of the world". In 1731, German philosopher Christian Wolff used the term cosmology in Latin (cosmologia) to denote a branch of metaphysics that deals with the general nature of the physical world. Cosmology is investigated by scientists, including astronomers and physicists, as well as philosophers, such as metaphysicians, philosophers of physics, and philosophers of space and time. Because of this shared scope with philosophy, theories in cosmology may include both scientific and non-scientific propositions and may depend upon assumptions that cannot be tested. Religious or mythological cosmology is a body of beliefs based on mythological, religious, and esoteric literature and traditions of creation myths and eschatology. In the science of astronomy, physical cosmology is concerned with the study of the chronology of the universe, the observable universe's origin, its large-scale structures and dynamics, and the ultimate fate of the universe, including the physical laws that govern these areas. Physical cosmology is a sub-branch of astronomy that is concerned with the universe as a whole. Modern physical cosmology is dominated by the Big Bang Theory which attempts to bring together observational astronomy and particle physics; more specifically, a standard parameterization of the Big Bang with dark matter and dark energy, known as the Lambda-CDM model. Theoretical astrophysicist David N. Spergel has described cosmology as a "historical science" because "when we look out in space, we look back in time" due to the finite nature of the speed of light. Condition: Very good.
Keywords: Cosmology, Void, Bubbles, Bumps, Time, Universe, Dark Matter, Big Bang, Space Telescope, Cosmic Inflation, Redshifts, Standard Candles
ISBN: 0521426731
[Book #91882]
Price: $125.00