Introducing the Universe

Introducing the Universe
Author: Felix Arnold Edward Pirani
Publisher: Totem Books
Total Pages: 184
Release: 1999
Genre: Science
ISBN:

From Aristotle to Newton, Einstein and quantum mechanics, this book recounts the revolutions in physics and astronomy that underlie the present-day scientific picture of the Universe.

Introducing Astronomy

Introducing Astronomy
Author: Iain Nicolson
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2014
Genre: Astronomy
ISBN: 9781780460253

Iain Nicolson explores the origin of the Universe and explains the nature of stars, planets and galaxies, what makes them shine and how they are born, evolve and eventually die.

Understanding the Universe

Understanding the Universe
Author: James B. Seaborn
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 324
Release: 1998
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9780387982953

Intended for undergraduate non-science majors, satisfying a general education requirement or seeking an elective in natural science, this is a physics text, but with the emphasis on topics and applications in astronomy. The perspective is thus different from most undergraduate astronomy courses: rather than discussing what is known about the heavens, this text develops the principles of physics so as to illuminate what we see in the heavens. The fundamental principles governing the behaviour of matter and energy are thus used to study the solar system, the structure and evolution of stars, and the early universe. The first part of the book develops Newtonian mechanics towards an understanding of celestial mechanics, while chapters on electromagnetism and elementary quantum theory lay the foundation of the modern theory of the structure of matter and the role of radiation in the constitution of stars. Kinetic theory and nuclear physics provide the basis for a discussion of stellar structure and evolution, and an examination of red shifts and other observational data provide a basis for discussions of cosmology and cosmogony.

Knots, Molecules, and the Universe

Knots, Molecules, and the Universe
Author: Erica Flapan
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
Total Pages: 406
Release: 2015-12-22
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 1470425351

This book is an elementary introduction to geometric topology and its applications to chemistry, molecular biology, and cosmology. It does not assume any mathematical or scientific background, sophistication, or even motivation to study mathematics. It is meant to be fun and engaging while drawing students in to learn about fundamental topological and geometric ideas. Though the book can be read and enjoyed by nonmathematicians, college students, or even eager high school students, it is intended to be used as an undergraduate textbook. The book is divided into three parts corresponding to the three areas referred to in the title. Part 1 develops techniques that enable two- and three-dimensional creatures to visualize possible shapes for their universe and to use topological and geometric properties to distinguish one such space from another. Part 2 is an introduction to knot theory with an emphasis on invariants. Part 3 presents applications of topology and geometry to molecular symmetries, DNA, and proteins. Each chapter ends with exercises that allow for better understanding of the material. The style of the book is informal and lively. Though all of the definitions and theorems are explicitly stated, they are given in an intuitive rather than a rigorous form, with several hundreds of figures illustrating the exposition. This allows students to develop intuition about topology and geometry without getting bogged down in technical details.

The Physical Universe

The Physical Universe
Author: Frank Shu
Publisher: University Science Books
Total Pages: 610
Release: 1982
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780935702057

"This is a truly astonishing book, invaluable for anyone with an interest in astronomy." Physics Bulletin "Just the thing for a first year university science course." Nature "This is a beautiful book in both concept and execution." Sky & Telescope

Galaxies in the Universe

Galaxies in the Universe
Author: Linda S. Sparke
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 442
Release: 2007-02-05
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780521855938

This extensively illustrated book presents the astrophysics of galaxies since their beginnings in the early Universe. It has been thoroughly revised to take into account the most recent observational data, and recent discoveries such as dark energy. There are new sections on galaxy clusters, gamma ray bursts and supermassive black holes. The authors explore the basic properties of stars and the Milky Way before working out towards nearby galaxies and the distant Universe. They discuss the structures of galaxies and how galaxies have developed, and relate this to the evolution of the Universe. The book also examines ways of observing galaxies across the whole electromagnetic spectrum, and explores dark matter and its gravitational pull on matter and light. This book is self-contained and includes several homework problems with hints. It is ideal for advanced undergraduate students in astronomy and astrophysics.

The Biggest Ideas in the Universe

The Biggest Ideas in the Universe
Author: Sean Carroll
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2022-09-20
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0593186583

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Most appealing... technical accuracy and lightness of tone... Impeccable.”—Wall Street Journal “A porthole into another world.”—Scientific American “Brings science dissemination to a new level.”—Science The most trusted explainer of the most mind-boggling concepts pulls back the veil of mystery that has too long cloaked the most valuable building blocks of modern science. Sean Carroll, with his genius for making complex notions entertaining, presents in his uniquely lucid voice the fundamental ideas informing the modern physics of reality. Physics offers deep insights into the workings of the universe but those insights come in the form of equations that often look like gobbledygook. Sean Carroll shows that they are really like meaningful poems that can help us fly over sierras to discover a miraculous multidimensional landscape alive with radiant giants, warped space-time, and bewilderingly powerful forces. High school calculus is itself a centuries-old marvel as worthy of our gaze as the Mona Lisa. And it may come as a surprise the extent to which all our most cutting-edge ideas about black holes are built on the math calculus enables. No one else could so smoothly guide readers toward grasping the very equation Einstein used to describe his theory of general relativity. In the tradition of the legendary Richard Feynman lectures presented sixty years ago, this book is an inspiring, dazzling introduction to a way of seeing that will resonate across cultural and generational boundaries for many years to come.

Our Undiscovered Universe

Our Undiscovered Universe
Author: Terence Witt
Publisher:
Total Pages: 457
Release: 2007
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780978593117

For quite some time now, anyone who wanted to understand the universe's inner workings had only two places in which to turn. The first is an eclectic cast of "scientific" paradigms, which includes, but is not limited to, string theory, the Big Bang, and quantum reality. While these make valiant attempts to describe the universe and come to grips with their own glaring incompleteness, in the final analysis they can't even begin to answer questions that any child might pose. Regardless of how many popularized versions of these theories find their way into bookstores, the important questions remain unsolved because the current scientific approach lacks any trace of an underlying natural philosophy. The other option available to the inquiring mind is a disorganized quagmire of "alternative" theories. These decry the reigning scientific models but provide absolutely nothing of substance in their stead. Alternative theories seldom identify their own premises unambiguously, let alone provide quantitative tests for them.At long last, a theory has emerged that addresses the foundation of reality logically, rationally, empirically, and completely - Null Physics. The universe it reveals doesn't rely on unknowable precursors in the ancient, untestable past. The universe it revels won't collapse or grow old and die. Null Physics tells us why the universe exists, how the universe exists, and why it is the way it is. The mystery of our existence has beaten scientists and philosophers for so long that they are utterly convinced that reality's underpinnings are beyond human comprehension. They are wrong. Anyone with a familiarity with high-school physics can, by reading this volume, understand the universe with greater depth and clarity than is currently believed possible.

The Labyrinth of Time

The Labyrinth of Time
Author: Michael Lockwood
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 416
Release: 2005-04-28
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0199249954

Michael Lockwood investigates philosophical questions about past, present, and future, experience of time, and the possibility of time travel. He provides an introduction to the physics of time and the structure of the universe. His aim is to lead the reader towards an understanding of the science and philosophy.

Introduction To The Theory Of The Early Universe: Hot Big Bang Theory (Second Edition)

Introduction To The Theory Of The Early Universe: Hot Big Bang Theory (Second Edition)
Author: Valery A Rubakov
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 594
Release: 2017-06-29
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9813220058

This book is written from the viewpoint that a deep connection exists between cosmology and particle physics. It presents the results and ideas on both the homogeneous and isotropic Universe at the hot stage of its evolution and in later stages. The main chapters describe in a systematic and pedagogical way established facts and concepts on the early and the present Universe. The comprehensive treatment, hence, serves as a modern introduction to this rapidly developing field of science. To help in reading the chapters without having to constantly consult other texts, essential materials from General Relativity and the theory of elementary particles are collected in the appendices. Various hypotheses dealing with unsolved problems of cosmology, and often alternative to each other, are discussed at a more advanced level. These concern dark matter, dark energy, matter-antimatter asymmetry, etc.Particle physics and cosmology underwent rapid development between the first and the second editions of this book. In the second edition, many chapters and sections have been revised, and numerical values of particle physics and cosmological parameters have been updated.