The book points out what has gone wrong with physics since Einstein's formulation of this theory of general relativity a century ago. It points out inconsistencies and fallacies in the standard model of the big bang and the inflationary scenario which was supposed to have overcome those shortcomings, the evolution of string theory from a theory of the strong interaction to a theory of gravitation and quantum mechanics which has not produced a single verifiable prediction, and what it has accomplished is reaffirming wrong results like the entropy of a black hole, which is not an entropy at all. There have even been attempts to demote gravity to an emergent phenomenon with catastrophic effects. We know exactly what happened at 10-34 seconds after the big bang, but do not know how fast gravity propagates, whether gravitational waves exist, and what are the limits of Newton's law. Attempts to rectify this are the prediction of dark energy/matter, which has never been observed nor ever will, and MOND. The latter is really not a modification of Newtonian mechanics, but a transformation of a dynamical law into a statistical one.

The life story of this book spans many stages of the life and scientific career of one of the foremost astrophysicists/astrobiologists of our times. Starting from his boyhood days, the book describes the author's scientific work over the past 50 years, the ground-breaking discoveries he had made, the controversies generated in the scientific community, and the gradual acceptance of his discoveries. Written in lucid non-technical language it captures the essence of the author's research at Cambridge, his lifelong collaborations with the legendary astronomer of the 20th century, Sir Fred Hoyle, the birth of the subject of astrobiology which they arguably 'invented' in 1980, and his continuing ground-breaking research carried out while he was a Professor at Cardiff and later at Buckingham. The book traces the various influences that guided the author through his career, including that of his father who was a Cambridge Wrangler, and the profound influence of Buddhism in his early life.The author has published over 25 books and close to 300 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals, over 60 of which were in the journal Nature.

The life story of this book spans many stages of the life and scientific career of one of the foremost astrophysicists/astrobiologists of our times. Starting from his boyhood days, the book describes the author's scientific work over the past 50 years, the ground-breaking discoveries he had made, the controversies generated in the scientific community, and the gradual acceptance of his discoveries. Written in lucid non-technical language it captures the essence of the author's research at Cambridge, his lifelong collaborations with the legendary astronomer of the 20th century, Sir Fred Hoyle, the birth of the subject of astrobiology which they arguably 'invented' in 1980, and his continuing ground-breaking research carried out while he was a Professor at Cardiff and later at Buckingham. The book traces the various influences that guided the author through his career, including that of his father who was a Cambridge Wrangler, and the profound influence of Buddhism in his early life.The author has published over 25 books and close to 300 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals, over 60 of which were in the journal Nature.

Eclipsing Variables - What They can Tell Us and What We can do with Them The aim of the present book will be to provide an introduction to the inter pretation of the observed light changes of eclipsing binary stars and their analysis for the elements of the respective systems. Whenever we study the properties of any celestial body - be it a planet or a star - all information we wish to gain can reach us through two different channels: their gravitational attraction, and their light. Gravitational interaction between our Earth and its celestial neighbours is, however, measurable only at distances of the order of the dimensions of our solar system; and the only means of communication with the realm of the stars are their nimble-footed photons reaching us - with appropriate time-lag - across the intervening gaps of space. As long as a star is single and emits constant light, it does not constitute a very revealing source of information. A spectrometry of its light can disclose, to be sure, the temperature (colour, or ionization) of the star's semi-transparent outer layers, their chemical composition, and prevalent pressure (through Stark effect) or magnetic field (Zeeman effect), it can disclose even some information about its absolute luminosity or rate of spin. It cannot, however, tell us anything about what we should like to know most - namely, the mass or size (i.e., density) of the respective configuration; its absolute dimensions, or its internal structure."

'Entertaining and engrossing' Sean Carroll Press the snooze button on your alarm once too often and you soon remember the importance of good timekeeping. That need to tell the time connects you to over five thousand years of human history, from the first solstice markers at Newgrange to quartz crystal oscillating in your watch today. Science underpins time: measuring the movement of Sun, Earth and Moon, and unlocking the mysteries of quantum mechanics and relativity theory - the key to ultra-precise atomic clocks. Yet time is also socially decided: the Gregorian calendar we use today came out of fraught politics, while the ancient Maya used sophisticated astronomical observations to produce a calendar system unlike any other. In his quirky and accessible style, Chad Orzel reveals the wondrous physics that makes time something we can set, measure and know.

Proceedings of IAU Symposium No. 41, held in Munchen, Germany, August 10-14, 1970"

The idea that life is a cosmic, rather than a purely terrestrial phenomenon, has progressed from scientific heresy to mainstream science within the short timespan of a few decades. The theory of cometary panspermia developed by Fred Hoyle and the present author in the 1970's has been vindicated by a spate of new discoveries in astronomy and biology, and also with startling new evidence of microbial fossils in meteorites and micrometeorites. The recent Kepler Telescope searches for exoplanets have indicated the presence of over 100 billion habitable planets separated by only a few light years, thus making panspermia and the transfer of microbial life between such planets an inevitable fact. The book presents a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the Hoyle-Wickramasinghe theory of cometary panspermia in a manner accessible to a wide general readership.

The idea that life is a cosmic, rather than a purely terrestrial phenomenon, has progressed from scientific heresy to mainstream science within the short timespan of a few decades. The theory of cometary panspermia developed by Fred Hoyle and the present author in the 1970's has been vindicated by a spate of new discoveries in astronomy and biology, and also with startling new evidence of microbial fossils in meteorites and micrometeorites. The recent Kepler Telescope searches for exoplanets have indicated the presence of over 100 billion habitable planets separated by only a few light years, thus making panspermia and the transfer of microbial life between such planets an inevitable fact. The book presents a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the Hoyle-Wickramasinghe theory of cometary panspermia in a manner accessible to a wide general readership.

With Astronomy Today, Eighth Edition, trusted authors Eric Chaisson and Steve McMillan communicate their excitement about astronomy, delivering current and thorough science with insightful pedagogy. The text emphasizes critical thinking and visualization, and it focuses on the process of scientific discovery, teaching students how we know what we know. Alternate Versions *Astronomy Today, Volume 1: The Solar System, Eighth Edition-Focuses primarily on planetary coverage for a 1-term course. Includes Chapters 1-16, 28. *Astronomy Today, Volume 2: Stars and Galaxies, Eighth Edition-Focuses primarily on stars and stellar evolution for a 1-term course. Includes Chapters 1-5 and 16-28.

First published in 1968. A reissue of the posthumous 1698 edition of Christian Huygen's The Celestial Worlds Discover'd or Conjecture concerning the Inhabitants, Plants and Productions of the Worlds in the Plants, including original figures and diagrams, with an index from 1968.

NASA Monographs in Aerospace History series, number 46.

This volume deals with the fundamental concepts of space, time and matter. It presents a novel reformulation of both the special and general theory of relativity, in which time does not constitute the fourth dimension in a conventional 4-dimensional space-time. Instead, the role of time is played by the flow of a vector field on a 3-dimensional space. The standard models of de Sitter, Schwarzschild and Kerr space-times are reformulated in a purely 3-dimensional manifold.The volume also presents a theory of matter in which the fundamental particles, such as baryons and leptons, appear as a result of an interaction between left-handed and right-handed 2-component Weyl neutrinos. The Appendices contain a comprehensive treatment of classical mechanics in terms of Hamiltonian vector fields on symplectic manifolds. Graduate students of mathematical physics or theoretical physics, as well as academics, will find this volume of interest.

In ancient Maya cities, "E Groups" are sets of buildings aligned with the movements of the sun. This volume presents new archaeological data to reveal that E Groups were constructed earlier than previously thought-in fact, they are the earliest identifiable architectural plan at many Maya settlements. More than just astronomical observatories or calendars, E Groups were gathering places for emerging communities and centers of ritual: the very first civic-religious public architecture in the Maya lowlands. Investigating a wide variety of E Group sites in different contexts, this volume pieces together the development of social and political complexity in the ancient Maya civilization. A volume in the series Maya Studies, edited by Diane Z. Chase and Arlen F. Chase.

A History of Astronomy, first published in 1907, offers a comprehensive introduction to the steady development of the science since its inception in the ancient world up to the momentous progress of the nineteenth century. It includes biographical material relating to the most famous names in the study of astronomy - Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Herschel - and their contributions, clear and accessible discussions of key discoveries, as well as detailing the incremental steps in technology with which many of the turning points in astronomy were intimately bound up.

This well-illustrated volume is the most comprehensive account of Australian astronomy to date. It is both an indispensable reference book on the history of astronomy in Australia, and a highly readable study of a scientific discipline in the context of emerging nationhood. It covers not only the science, but the individuals involved and the social and economic climate in which they worked. Starting from the ancient Aboriginal beliefs about the Sky World - the earliest known astronomy, anywhere in the world - we are led through to the most exciting high-tech current and projected research being carried out at Australia's world-class national astronomy facilities, and by groups in Australian universities. All branches of astronomy are covered - optical, infrared, X-ray, gamma-ray, microwave, gravitational wave and theoretical - including the contribution of amateur astronomers. The non-technical language, many illustrations, and explanatory figures, ensure that this guide will appeal to a wide range of readers - including professional astronomers, historians of science, students, amateur astronomers and general readers.

The Mythology of Venus is a collection of essays that summarizes the archaeoastronomy, calendar associations, religious and cultural icons, and myths identified with the planet Venus. The book concentrates on Western Europe, the Mediterranean, the Near East, and the East from the Paleolithic Age to the Iron Age. It reveals the archetype of a goddess associated with the planet Venus who is identified with transformation, spiritual resurrection, and enlightenment. The characteristics of the goddess are steeped in sexual metaphors which contain images of birth and re-birth, and they reveal a pattern of symbols that follows the journey of the planet Venus through its cycles in the night sky. Moreover, the journey of Venus and the corresponding icons associated with the goddess are part of an intricate pattern of symbolic language that is seen on ancient monuments and on the ancient calendars of several cultures. Temples from France and Ireland to Greece and Malta trace the journey of the planet Venus and the story of the goddess of Venus.

Between 1920 and 1960 astronomers began working with scientists in other fields to improve their understanding of the nature of the solar system. Well before the launch of Sputnik, researchers made wide-ranging attempts to solve such problems as the nature of lunar and terrestrial craters, the origin of comets and meteors, and the birth of the solar family. Their achievements included the Oort cloud and Kuiper belt concepts. Cooperation among specialists often dissolved in controversy - including the famous Kuiper-Urey conflict over the Moon's history - yet their work provided the foundation for planetary science in the space age. Exploiting previously unused archival material, Ronald E. Doel investigates the emergence of this interdisciplinary scientific community and its influence on research in astronomy, meteorology, geology, and geophysics. He examines how studies in planetary science were influenced by shifts in institutional mandates, new research techniques, and government-military funding during the cold war. One example analyzed is the challenge to the geological doctrine of uniformitarianism that emerged in light of cold-war weapons research. Above all, this book explores an important branch of earth science, central to what we now call the environmental sciences.

Are the phenomena of physics discovered or rather constructed? If physical phenomena are to be understood as constructions, then physics is nothing more than useful fiction, lacking relevance for the characterisation of such a thing as real nature. This book puts forward two theses: First, that astroparticle physics is a very appropriate field for examining this issue; and second, that scientific research would unfold differently, depending on whether such research follows a realistic or a constructivist dynamics. In addition to the presentation of the key elements of astroparticle physics and the summary of evidence for the evaluation of the realistic and social constructivist positions at the present state of this discipline, this book provides some specific examples of research developments that will evolve in different ways in the near future, depending on whether astroparticle physicists pursue their research in the sense of realism or in the sense of social constructivism.

The world's leading textbook on astrobiology-ideal for an introductory one-semester course and now fully revised and updated Are we alone in the cosmos? How are scientists seeking signs of life beyond our home planet? Could we colonize other planets, moons, or even other star systems? This introductory textbook, written by a team of four renowned science communicators, educators, and researchers, tells the amazing story of how modern science is seeking the answers to these and other fascinating questions. They are the questions that are at the heart of the highly interdisciplinary field of astrobiology, the study of life in the universe. Written in an accessible, conversational style for anyone intrigued by the possibilities of life in the solar system and beyond, Life in the Universe is an ideal place to start learning about the latest discoveries and unsolved mysteries in the field. From the most recent missions to Saturn's moons and our neighboring planet Mars to revolutionary discoveries of thousands of exoplanets, from the puzzle of life's beginning on Earth to the latest efforts in the search for intelligent life elsewhere, this book captures the imagination and enriches the reader's understanding of how astronomers, planetary scientists, biologists, and other scientists make progress at the cutting edge of this dynamic field. Enriched with a wealth of engaging features, this textbook brings any citizen of the cosmos up to speed with the scientific quest to discover whether we are alone or part of a universe full of life. An acclaimed text designed to inspire students of all backgrounds to explore foundational questions about life in the cosmos Completely revised and updated to include the latest developments in the field, including recent exploratory space missions to Mars, frontier exoplanet science, research on the origin of life on Earth, and more Enriched with helpful learning aids, including in-chapter Think about It questions, optional Do the Math and Special Topic boxes, Movie Madness boxes, end-of-chapter exercises and problems, quick quizzes, and much more Supported by instructor's resources, including an illustration package and test bank, available upon request

The book gathers articles that were exposed during the seventh edition of the Workshop "Data Analysis in Astronomy". It illustrates a current trend to search for common expressions or models transcending usual disciplines, possibly associated with some lack in the Mathematics required to model complex systems. In that, data analysis would be at the epicentre and a key facilitator of some current integrative phase of Science.It is all devoted to the question of "representation in Science", whence its name, IMAGe IN AcTION, and main thrustsSuch a classification makes concepts as "complexity" or "dynamics" appear like transverse notions: a measure among others or a dimensional feature among others.Part A broadly discusses a dialogue between experiments and information, be information extracted-from or brought-to experiments. The concept is fundamental in statistics and tailors to the emergence of collective behaviours. Communication then asks for uncertainty considerations - noise, indeterminacy or approximation - and its wider impact on the couple perception-action. Clustering being all about uncertainty handling, data set representation appears not to be the only solution: Introducing hierarchies with adapted metrics, a priori pre-improving the data resolution are other methods in need of evaluation. The technology together with increasing semantics enables to involve synthetic data as simulation results for the multiplication of sources.Part B plays with another couple important for complex systems: state vs. transition. State-first descriptions would characterize physics, while transition-first would fit biology. That could stem from life producing dynamical systems in essence. Uncertainty joining causality here, geometry can bring answers: stable patterns in the state space involve constraints from some dynamics consistency. Stable patterns of activity characterize biological systems too. In the living world, the complexity - i.e. a global measure on both states and transitions - increases with consciousness: this might be a principle of evolution. Beside geometry or measures, operators and topology have supporters for reporting on dynamical systems. Eventually targeting universality, the category theory of topological thermodynamics is proposed as a foundation of dynamical system understanding.Part C details examples of actual data-system relations in regards to explicit applications and experiments. It shows how pure computer display and animation techniques link models and representations to "reality" in some "concrete" virtual, manner. Such techniques are inspired from artificial life, with no connection to physical, biological or physiological phenomena! The Virtual Observatory is the second illustration of the evidence that simulation helps Science not only in giving access to more flexible parameter variability, but also due to the associated data and method storing-capabilities. It fosters interoperability, statistics on bulky corpuses, efficient data mining possibly through the web etc. in short a reuse of resources in general, including novel ideas and competencies. Other examples deal more classically with inverse modelling and reconstruction, involving Bayesian techniques or chaos but also fractal and symmetry.

This book focuses on the development and implementation of the longitudinal, angular and frequency controls of the Advanced Virgo detector, both from the simulation and experimental point of view, which contributed to Virgo reaching a sensitivity that enabled it to join the LIGO-Virgo O2 run in August 2017. This data taking was very successful, with the first direct detection of a binary black hole merger (GW170814) using the full network of three interferometers, and the first detection and localization of a binary neutron star merger (GW170817). The second generation of gravitational wave detector, Advanced Virgo, is capable of detecting differential displacements of the order of 10-21m. This means that it is highly sensitive to any disturbance, including the seismic movement of the Earth. For this reason an active control is necessary to keep the detector in place with sufficient accuracy.

The conference was aimed at promoting contacts between scientists involved in solar-terrestrial physics, space physics, astroparticle physics and cosmology both from the theoretical and the experimental approach. The conference was devoted to physics and physics requirements, survey of theoretical models and performances of detectors employed (or to be employed) in experiments for fundamental physics, astroparticle physics, astrophysics research and space environment - including Earth magnetosphere and heliosphere and solar-terrestrial physics. Furthermore, cosmic rays have been used to extent the scientific research experience to teachers and students with air shower arrays and other techniques. Presentations included the following subjects: advances in physics from present and next generation ground and space experiments, dark matter, double-beta decay, high-energy astrophysics, space environment, trapped particles, propagation of cosmic rays in the Earth atmosphere, Heliosphere, Galaxy and broader impact activities in cosmic rays science. The open and flexible format of the Conference was conducive to fruitful exchanges of points of view among participants and permitted the evaluation of the progresses made and indicated future research directions. The participants were experienced researchers but also graduate students (MSc and PhD) and recent postdoctoral fellows.

THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER One of TIME's Ten Best Nonfiction Books of the Decade 'Captivating, fascinating, profoundly beautiful. . . Rovelli is a wonderfully humane, gentle and witty guide for he is as much philosopher and poet as he is a scientist' John Banville 'We are time. We are this space, this clearing opened by the traces of memory inside the connections between our neurons. We are memory. We are nostalgia. We are longing for a future that will not come' Time is a mystery that does not cease to puzzle us. Philosophers, artists and poets have long explored its meaning while scientists have found that its structure is different from the simple intuition we have of it. From Boltzmann to quantum theory, from Einstein to loop quantum gravity, our understanding of time has been undergoing radical transformations. Time flows at a different speed in different places, the past and the future differ far less than we might think, and the very notion of the present evaporates in the vast universe. With his extraordinary charm and sense of wonder, bringing together science, philosophy and art, Carlo Rovelli unravels this mystery. Enlightening and consoling, The Order of Time shows that to understand ourselves we need to reflect on time -- and to understand time we need to reflect on ourselves. Translated by Simon Carnell and Erica Segre

Astrobiology is an exciting interdisciplinary field that seeks to answer one of the most important and profound questions: are we alone? In this volume, leading international experts explore the frontiers of astrobiology, investigating the latest research questions that will fascinate a wide interdisciplinary audience at all levels. What is the earliest evidence for life on Earth? Where are the most likely sites for life in the Solar System? Could life have evolved elsewhere in the Galaxy? What are the best strategies for detecting intelligent extraterrestrial life? How many habitable or Earth-like exoplanets are there? Progress in astrobiology over the past decade has been rapid and, with evidence accumulating that Mars once hosted standing bodies of liquid water, the discovery of over 500 exoplanets and new insights into how life began on Earth, the scientific search for our origins and place in the cosmos continues.