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Books > Science & Mathematics > Astronomy, space & time > Cosmology & the universe
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Cosmos
(Paperback)
Carl Sagan; Foreword by Neil De Grasse Tyson; Introduction by Ann Druyan
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RETURNING TO TELEVISION AS AN ALL-NEW MINISERIES ON FOX
"Cosmos" is one of the bestselling science books of all time. In
clear-eyed prose, Sagan reveals a jewel-like blue world inhabited
by a life form that is just beginning to discover its own identity
and to venture into the vast ocean of space. Featuring a new
Introduction by Sagan's collaborator, Ann Druyan, full color
illustrations, and a new Foreword by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse
Tyson, "Cosmos" retraces the fourteen billion years of cosmic
evolution that have transformed matter into consciousness,
exploring such topics as the origin of life, the human brain,
Egyptian hieroglyphics, spacecraft missions, the death of the Sun,
the evolution of galaxies, and the forces and individuals who
helped to shape modern science.
Praise for "Cosmos"
"Magnificent . . . With a lyrical literary style, and a range that
touches almost all aspects of human knowledge, "Cosmos" often seems
too good to be true."--"The Plain Dealer"
"Sagan is an astronomer with one eye on the stars, another on
history, and a third--his mind's--on the human
condition."--"Newsday"
"Brilliant in its scope and provocative in its suggestions . . .
shimmers with a sense of wonder."--"The Miami Herald"
"Sagan dazzles the mind with the miracle of our survival, framed
by the stately galaxies of space."--"Cosmopolitan"
"Enticing . . . iridescent . . . imaginatively illustrated."--"The
New York Times Book Review"
Is the universe fine-tuned for complexity, life, or something else?
This comprehensive overview of fine-tuning arguments in physics,
with contributions from leading researchers in their fields, sheds
light on this often used but seldom understood topic. Each chapter
reviews a specific subject in modern physics, such as dark energy,
inflation, or solar system formation, and discusses whether any
parameters in our current theories appear to be fine-tuned and, if
so, to what degree. Connections and differences between these
fine-tuning arguments are made clear, and detailed mathematical
derivations of various fine-tuned parameters are given. This
accessible yet precise introduction to fine-tuning in physics will
aid students and researchers across astrophysics, atomic and
particle physics and cosmology, as well as all those working at the
intersections of physics and philosophy.
Here is the essential companion to Welcome to the Universe, a New
York Times bestseller that was inspired by the enormously popular
introductory astronomy course for non-science majors that Neil
deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott taught
together at Princeton. This problem book features more than one
hundred problems and exercises used in the original course--ideal
for anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of the original
material and to learn to think like an astrophysicist. Whether
you're a student or teacher, citizen scientist or science
enthusiast, your guided tour of the cosmos just got even more
hands-on with Welcome to the Universe: The Problem Book. * The
essential companion book to the acclaimed bestseller* Features the
problems used in the original introductory astronomy course for
non-science majors at Princeton University* Organized according to
the structure of Welcome to the Universe, empowering readers to
explore real astrophysical problems that are conceptually
introduced in each chapter* Problems are designed to stimulate
physical insight into the frontier of astrophysics* Problems
develop quantitative skills, yet use math no more advanced than
high school algebra* Problems are often multipart, building
critical thinking and quantitative skills and developing readers'
insight into what astrophysicists do* Ideal for course use--either
in tandem with Welcome to the Universe or as a supplement to
courses using standard astronomy textbooks--or self-study* Tested
in the classroom over numerous semesters for more than a decade*
Prefaced with a review of relevant concepts and equations* Full
solutions and explanations are provided, allowing students and
other readers to check their own understanding
Brian Greene, one of the world's leading string theorists, peels
away layers of mystery to reveal a universe that consists of eleven
dimensions, where the fabric of space tears and repairs itself, and
all matter from the smallest quarks to the most gargantuan
supernovas is generated by the vibrations of microscopically tiny
loops of energy. The Elegant Universe makes some of the most
sophisticated concepts ever contemplated accessible and thoroughly
entertaining, bringing us closer than ever to understanding how the
universe works."
When on a summer evening, astrophysicist Hubert Reeves went for a
walk with his granddaughter, he was immediately assaulted by her
questions: 'How big is the Universe? How far are the stars? Are
there other universes like ours?'. This little book is the result
of their discussion - a very clear and fulfilling explanation on
where we come from and our place in the Universe. Here is a perfect
occasion for everybody, and not only children, to revise their
conceptions about the cosmos.
Following a long-term international collaboration between leaders
in cosmology and the philosophy of science, this volume addresses
foundational questions at the limit of science across these
disciplines, questions raised by observational and theoretical
progress in modern cosmology. Space missions have mapped the
Universe up to its early instants, opening up questions on what
came before the Big Bang, the nature of space and time, and the
quantum origin of the Universe. As the foundational volume of an
emerging academic discipline, experts from relevant fields lay out
the fundamental problems of contemporary cosmology and explore the
routes toward finding possible solutions. Written for graduates and
researchers in physics and philosophy, particular efforts are made
to inform academics from other fields, as well as the educated
public, who wish to understand our modern vision of the Universe,
related philosophical questions, and the significant impacts on
scientific methodology.
Heart of Darkness describes the incredible saga of humankind's
quest to unravel the deepest secrets of the universe. Over the past
thirty years, scientists have learned that two little-understood
components--dark matter and dark energy--comprise most of the known
cosmos, explain the growth of all cosmic structure, and hold the
key to the universe's fate. The story of how evidence for the
so-called "Lambda-Cold Dark Matter" model of cosmology has been
gathered by generations of scientists throughout the world is told
here by one of the pioneers of the field, Jeremiah Ostriker, and
his coauthor Simon Mitton. From humankind's early attempts to
comprehend Earth's place in the solar system, to astronomers'
exploration of the Milky Way galaxy and the realm of the nebulae
beyond, to the detection of the primordial fluctuations of energy
from which all subsequent structure developed, this book explains
the physics and the history of how the current model of our
universe arose and has passed every test hurled at it by the
skeptics. Throughout this rich story, an essential theme is
emphasized: how three aspects of rational inquiry--the application
of direct measurement and observation, the introduction of
mathematical modeling, and the requirement that hypotheses should
be testable and verifiable--guide scientific progress and underpin
our modern cosmological paradigm. This monumental puzzle is far
from complete, however, as scientists confront the mysteries of the
ultimate causes of cosmic structure formation and the real nature
and origin of dark matter and dark energy.
Venus draws a beautiful pentagram around Earth every eight years.
Jupiter's two largest moons draw a perfect four-fold flower. The
Planets grandly play out the slow Music of the Spheres. Is there a
secret structure hidden in the Solar System? Packed with great
illustrations and serious research from many sources, this
internationally bestselling little book by cosmologist John
Martineau will instantly retune your cosmological circuits to the
extraordinary and primary patterns behind Life, the Universe and
Everything. WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information.
"Fascinating" FINANCIAL TIMES. "Beautiful" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS.
"Rich and Artful" THE LANCET. "Genuinely mind-expanding" FORTEAN
TIMES. "Excellent" NEW SCIENTIST. "Stunning" NEW YORK TIMES. Small
books, big ideas.
In the sixth century BC, Anaximander of Miletus, an associate of
Thales, initiated Western philosophy and science with a theory of
how the world order arose, heavens and earth formed, and human
beings came into existence. This book makes available a work that
is of value for students in classics, philosophy, literature, and
the history of science.
Aimed at advanced undergraduates, this self-contained textbook
covers the key ideas of special and general relativity together
with their applications. The textbook introduces students to basic
geometric concepts, such as metrics, connections and curvature,
before examining general relativity in more detail. It shows the
observational evidence supporting the theory, and the description
general relativity provides of black holes and cosmological
space-times. The textbook is in full colour, with numerous worked
examples and exercises with solutions. Key points and equations are
highlighted for easy identification, and each chapter ends with a
summary list of important concepts and results. This textbook
provides the essential background for an up-to-date discussion of
modern observational cosmology. Each chapter builds on the previous
one as concepts are developed, making it ideal for self-study.
Accompanying resources to this textbook are available at: http:
//www.cambridge.org/features/astrophysics
Gravitational waves were predicted 100 years ago by Einstein as
part of his general theory of relativity. This volume contains the
exciting results presented at IAU Symposium 338, following the
announcement of the first results of the observation of the
collision of neutron stars by the LIGO and Virgo Advanced
detectors, and follow-up observations by many ground-based and
space telescopes. These observations provided an incredible context
for the talks, posters and discussions at the meeting, fostering
new interactions and collaborations between physicists and
astronomers in an exciting new era of multimessenger astrophysics.
For the first time, space-time messengers (gravitational waves) and
electromagnetic ones (visible, infrared and ultraviolet light,
x-rays, gamma-rays, radio waves) can be correlated, to increase our
understanding of binary systems of compact objects, rotating or
exploding stars and other astrophysical phenomena. A new window has
opened through which we can view the cosmos.
Hailed by The New York Times for writing "with wonderful clarity
about science . . . that effortlessly teaches as it zips along,"
nationally bestselling author Robert M. Hazen offers a radical new
approach to Earth history in this intertwined tale of the planet's
living and nonliving spheres. With an astrobiologist's imagination,
a historian's perspective, and a naturalist's eye, Hazen calls upon
twenty-first-century discoveries that have revolutionized geology
and enabled scientists to envision Earth's many iterations in vivid
detail-from the mile-high lava tides of its infancy to the early
organisms responsible for more than two-thirds of the mineral
varieties beneath our feet. Lucid, controversial, and on the
cutting edge of its field, The Story of Earth is popular science of
the highest order. "A sweeping rip-roaring yarn of immense scope,
from the birth of the elements in the stars to meditations on the
future habitability of our world." -Science "A fascinating story."
-Bill McKibben
This self-contained astrophysics textbook for advanced
undergraduates explores how stars form, what happens to them as
they age, and what becomes of them when they die. Students can
investigate the physical processes sustaining the energy output of
stars during each stage of their evolution and which drive the
progression from one stage to the next, and examine the
relationship between different stages of stellar evolution and the
production of the chemical elements. The textbook contains a wealth
of worked examples and exercises with full solutions. Summaries,
key facts and equations are clearly identified, and there are full
colour illustrations throughout. Drawing on decades of experience
in supported learning and independent study, this textbook is an
ideal bridging text for astrophysics and physics majors looking to
move on from the introductory texts. Accompanying resources to this
textbook are available at: http:
//www.cambridge.org/features/astrophysics
Astrobiology, the study of life and its existence in the universe,
is now one of the hottest areas of both popular science and serious
academic research, fusing biology, chemistry, astrophysics, and
geology. In this masterful introduction, Lewis Dartnell explores
its latest findings, and delves into some of the most fascinating
questions in science. What actually is 'life'? Could it exist on
other planets? Could alien cells be based on silicon rather than
carbon, or need ammonia instead of water? Introducing some of the
most extreme lifeforms on Earth - those thriving in boiling acid or
huddled around deep-sea volcanoes - Dartnell takes us on a tour of
the universe to reveal how deeply linked we are to our cosmic
environment, and shows why the Earth is so uniquely suited for the
development of life.
"It is said that fact is sometimes stranger than fiction, and
nowhere is that more true than in the case of black holes. Black
holes are stranger than anything dreamed up by science fiction
writers." In 2016 Professor Stephen Hawking delivered the BBC Reith
Lectures on a subject that fascinated him for decades - black
holes. In these flagship lectures the legendary physicist argued
that if we could only understand black holes and how they challenge
the very nature of space and time, we could unlock the secrets of
the universe.
'Great characters, fine writing, totally engrossing' STEPHEN KING
It might have been the end of days. Instead it was the beginning of
something shockingly new. They called the comet Cain, after the
astronomer who discovered it. It passed 500,000 miles from Earth.
We were spared planetary destruction and granted a light show like
no other. But, one year later, Earth span into the debris field
left by the comet and a meteor storm struck. Roads, buildings and
even a small town were annihilated. The meteors impacted heavily
around the dying mining town of Northfall, Minnesota. It was the
night of a mysterious double murder, the deed overshadowed by the
discovery that the burning remains of the rock contained an unknown
substance more precious than gold: the Ninth Metal. And with that
discovery, everything changed. Benjamin Percy is an award-winning
novelist, celebrated comic books writer and author of the Wolverine
podcast. The Ninth Metal is the first of a cycle of novels set in a
shared universe. Praise for The Ninth Metal: 'Whether you choose to
think of him as the Elmore Leonard of rural Minnesota or the
Stephen King of Science Fiction, Percy - with his extraordinary and
unrelenting eye - dishes up humanity like some kind of otherworldly
blue plate special, at once deeply familiar and wildly new'
Margaret Stohl, No. 1 New York Times Bestselling Author 'Take one
part dystopia, one part sci-fi, two parts apocalypse, then ride
them roughshod through a bleak and bloody western, and it still
wouldn't get close to what Ben Percy does here, which is blow open
the core of humanity's dark heart' Marlon James, Booker Prize
winning author of Black Leopard, Red Wolf 'The Ninth Metal
continues his streak of thrilling, incisive genre bending goodness.
It's a sci-fi novel, a crime novel and a super-hero novel, too.
Audacious and intelligent and exactly what I was dying to read'
Victor LaValle, author of The Changeling
Topological defects are an expected consequence of phase
transitions in the early Universe. As such these objects, if
detected, provide uneqivocal evidence of physics beyond the
Standard Model. This means they are prime targets for new
observational facilities. However, our understanding of defects is
heavily bottlenecked by computational limitations. In this book,
the author explores the use of accelerator hardware to alleviate
this problem, presenting the world's first (multiple-)GPU defect
simulations. Such simulations can evolve a network of line-like
cosmic strings at an unprecedented resolution. Then these are used
to obtain the most accurate to date calibrations of semi-analytical
modelling and to show the impact of accuracy on observational
consequences of strings. Lastly, a modified version of this
application is used to study interconnected networks of strings in
greater detail than ever before. This book benefits any student or
researcher who wishes to learn about field theory simulations in
the early Universe and about supercomputing with multiple
accelerators.
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