Cosmic Jackpot

Cosmic Jackpot PDF Author: Paul Davies
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 9780547415765
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 340

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Book Description
Cosmic Jackpot is Paul Davies’s eagerly awaited return to cosmology, the successor to his critically acclaimed bestseller The Mind of God. Here he tackles all the "big questions," including the biggest of them all: Why does the universe seem so well adapted for life? In his characteristically clear and elegant style, Davies shows how recent scientific discoveries point to a perplexing fact: many different aspects of the cosmos, from the properties of the humble carbon atom to the speed of light, seem tailor-made to produce life. A radical new theory says it’s because our universe is just one of an infinite number of universes, each one slightly different. Our universe is bio-friendly by accident -- we just happened to win the cosmic jackpot. While this "multiverse" theory is compelling, it has bizarre implications, such as the existence of infinite copies of each of us and Matrix-like simulated universes. And it still leaves a lot unexplained. Davies believes there’s a more satisfying solution to the problem of existence: the observations we make today could help shape the nature of reality in the remote past. If this is true, then life -- and, ultimately, consciousness -- aren’t just incidental byproducts of nature, but central players in the evolution of the universe. Whether he’s elucidating dark matter or dark energy, M-theory or the multiverse, Davies brings the leading edge of science into sharp focus, provoking us to think about the cosmos and our place within it in new and thrilling ways.

Cosmic Jackpot

Cosmic Jackpot PDF Author: Paul Davies
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 9780547415765
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 340

Get Book Here

Book Description
Cosmic Jackpot is Paul Davies’s eagerly awaited return to cosmology, the successor to his critically acclaimed bestseller The Mind of God. Here he tackles all the "big questions," including the biggest of them all: Why does the universe seem so well adapted for life? In his characteristically clear and elegant style, Davies shows how recent scientific discoveries point to a perplexing fact: many different aspects of the cosmos, from the properties of the humble carbon atom to the speed of light, seem tailor-made to produce life. A radical new theory says it’s because our universe is just one of an infinite number of universes, each one slightly different. Our universe is bio-friendly by accident -- we just happened to win the cosmic jackpot. While this "multiverse" theory is compelling, it has bizarre implications, such as the existence of infinite copies of each of us and Matrix-like simulated universes. And it still leaves a lot unexplained. Davies believes there’s a more satisfying solution to the problem of existence: the observations we make today could help shape the nature of reality in the remote past. If this is true, then life -- and, ultimately, consciousness -- aren’t just incidental byproducts of nature, but central players in the evolution of the universe. Whether he’s elucidating dark matter or dark energy, M-theory or the multiverse, Davies brings the leading edge of science into sharp focus, provoking us to think about the cosmos and our place within it in new and thrilling ways.

Cosmic Jackpot

Cosmic Jackpot PDF Author: P. C. W. Davies
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 9780618592265
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 315

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Book Description
The physicist-author of The Mind of God looks at cutting-edge scientific discoveries to explore why many of the fundamental features of the physical universe--from the speed of light to the carbon atom--seem tailor-made to produce life, offering a revealing study of the radical multiverse theory and its implications in terms of the nature of reality, time, life, and the cosmos. 35,000 first printing.

God, Science, and Religious Diversity

God, Science, and Religious Diversity PDF Author: Robert T. Lehe
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1498245943
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 199

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Book Description
Two major obstacles to belief in God in the twenty-first century are the idea that science is incompatible with religious faith, and the idea that the diversity of religions undermines the credibility of belief that any one religion could be truer than the others. This book addresses both of these challenges to belief in God and explores a connection between them. It argues that science and religion are not only compatible, but that some recent scientific discoveries actually support belief in the existence of the Creator God. The diversity of religions is widely believed to undermine the credibility of religious truth claims because of the assumed lack of any way to settle disagreements between different religions. This book argues that one rational way to adjudicate disagreements between the claims of diverse religions is to assess their consistency with contemporary science. The book considers how Christian theism and Buddhism fare in harmonizing their metaphysical frameworks with contemporary scientific cosmology. Although both theistic and Buddhist worldviews resonate with many recent scientific discoveries, the Big Bang theory and cosmic fine-tuning favor the Christian doctrine of creation.

Universal Secrets of Telecosmic Power

Universal Secrets of Telecosmic Power PDF Author: Norvell
Publisher: David De Angelis
ISBN:
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 253

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Book Description
There is a miracle-working power in the universe which you may tap, and it can bring you the fulfillment of your every dream. This Cosmic POWER is a universal intelligence that flows in invisible wavelengths among all the elements of creation. Just as wavelengths exist which bring us radio and television sounds and pictures, so too, this cosmic intelligence works throughout the universe, producing its miracles of creation. THE POWER OF COSMIC TELEPATHY can open your way to a successful future. Do you want to know the 11 vital essentials that can turn you into a winner every time? Would you like to be an artist, writer, composer, dancer, or own your own business? Do you long to travel but always find yourself short of time and money? Are you dissatisfied with your life and only wish you could find your perfect destiny? Then this is the book for you! Just memorize the appropriate Telecosmograms provided here, project your message every day, and before long your special dreams will be fulfilled through your new knowledge.

Three Big Bangs

Three Big Bangs PDF Author: Holmes Rolston III
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231526849
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
By dividing the creation of matter, energy, life, and mind into three big bangs, Holmes Rolston III brings into focus a history of the universe that respects both scientific discovery and the potential presence of an underlying intelligence. Matter-energy appears, initially in simpler forms but with a remarkable capacity for generating heavier elements. The size and expansion rate of the universe, the nature of electromagnetism, gravity, and nuclear forces enable the the explosion of life on Earth. DNA discovers, stores, and transfers information generating billions of species. Cognitive capacities escalate, and with neural sentience this results in human genius. A massive singularity, the human mind gives birth to language and culture, increasing the brain's complexity and promoting the spread of ideas. Ideas generate ideals, which lead life to take on spirit. The nature of matter-energy, genes, and their genesis therefore encourages humans to wonder where they are, who they are, and what they should do.

Reconstructing Sociology

Reconstructing Sociology PDF Author: Douglas V. Porpora
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 131639042X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 253

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Book Description
Critical realism is a philosophy of science that positions itself against the major alternative philosophies underlying contemporary sociology. This book offers a general critique of sociology, particularly sociology in the United States, from a critical realist perspective. It also acts as an introduction to critical realism for students and scholars of sociology. Written in a lively, accessible style, Douglas V. Porpora argues that sociology currently operates with deficient accounts of truth, culture, structure, agency, and causality that are all better served by a critical realist perspective. This approach argues against the alternative sociological perspectives, in particular the dominant positivism which privileges statistical techniques and experimental design over ethnographic and historical approaches. However, the book also compares critical realism favourably with a range of other approaches, including poststructuralism, pragmatism, interpretivism, practice theory, and relational sociology. Numerous sociological examples are included, and each chapter addresses well-known and current work in sociology.

Contemporary Arguments in Natural Theology

Contemporary Arguments in Natural Theology PDF Author: Colin Ruloff
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1350093874
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
In recent years there has been a bold revival in the field of natural theology, where “natural theology” can be understood as the attempt to demonstrate that God exists by way of reason, evidence, and argument without the appeal to divine revelation. Today's practitioners of natural theology have not only revived and recast all of the traditional arguments in the field, but, by drawing upon the findings of contemporary cosmology, chemistry, and biology, have also developed a range of fascinating new ones. Contemporary Arguments in Natural Theology brings together twenty experts working in the field today. Together, they practice natural theology from a wide range of perspectives, and show how the field of natural theology is practiced today with a degree of diversity and confidence not seen since the Middle Ages. Aimed primarily at advanced undergraduates and graduate students, the volume will also be of interest to researchers in philosophy, theology, biblical studies, and religious studies, as an indispensable resource on contemporary theistic proofs.

Space, Time, and Aliens

Space, Time, and Aliens PDF Author: Steven J. Dick
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030416143
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 795

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Book Description
In this comprehensive and interdisciplinary volume, former NASA Chief Historian Steven Dick reflects on the exploration of space, astrobiology and its implications, cosmic evolution, astronomical institutions, discovering and classifying the cosmos, and the philosophy of astronomy. The unifying theme of the book is the connection between cosmos and culture, or what Carl Sagan many years ago called the “cosmic connection.” As both an astronomer and historian of science, Dr. Dick has been both a witness to and a participant in many of the astronomical events of the last half century. This collection of papers presents his reflections over the last forty years in a way accessible to historians, philosophers, and scientists alike. From the search for alien life to ongoing space exploration efforts, readers will find this volume full of engaging topics relevant to science, society, and our collective future on planet Earth and beyond.

The Alcoholic: A Hero Contends for His Soul

The Alcoholic: A Hero Contends for His Soul PDF Author: T.S. Flanagan
Publisher: BookLocker.com, Inc.
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 733

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Book Description
Can a modern-day hero defeat addiction? Some people are born with seemingly limitless talent, be it in their intellectual capacities, athletic prowess, artistic abilities, or personal aplomb. Roland Hazzard is one of those rare individuals. Nothing should stand in his way. Yet he suffers from one glaring deficiency—he can’t control and enjoy alcohol. His addiction threatens to destroy the promise of his many gifts. Now fate throws Roland an opportunity that could change everything. A notorious serial killer is stalking a woman in his building and breaks into Roland’s apartment by mistake. Roland’s slaying of the monster makes him an instant celebrity and he cultivates an outrageous vigilante persona that, on the one hand, scorns the traditional news media and, on the other, spawns a huge internet following. His fame attracts more violence, and the violence more attention, until Roland is in constant demand and making a lot of easy money. Roland’s drunken behavior eventually gets him into serious trouble, and a secret crime from his past comes to light. Will he overcome his self-destructive nature? Or will the alcoholic sink into obscurity?

Worlds without End

Worlds without End PDF Author: Mary-Jane Rubenstein
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 023152742X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 358

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Book Description
A religion professor elucidates the theory of the multiverse, its history, and its reception in science, philosophy, religion, and literature. Multiverse cosmologies imagine our universe as just one of a vast number of others. Beginning with ancient Atomist and Stoic philosophies, Mary-Jane Rubenstein links contemporary models of the multiverse to their forerunners and explores the reasons for their recent appearance. One concerns the so-called fine-tuning of the universe: nature's constants are so delicately calibrated that it seems they have been set just right to allow life to emerge. For some thinkers, these "fine-tunings" are evidence of the existence of God; for others, however, and for most physicists, "God" is an insufficient scientific explanation. Hence the multiverse’s allure: if all possible worlds exist somewhere, then like monkeys hammering out Shakespeare, one universe is bound to be suitable for life. Of course, this hypothesis replaces God with an equally baffling article of faith: the existence of universes beyond, before, or after our own, eternally generated yet forever inaccessible to observation or experiment. In their very efforts to sidestep metaphysics, theoretical physicists propose multiverse scenarios that collide with it and even produce counter-theological narratives. Far from invalidating multiverse hypotheses, Rubenstein argues, this interdisciplinary collision actually secures their scientific viability. We may therefore be witnessing a radical reconfiguration of physics, philosophy, and religion in the modern turn to the multiverse. “Rubenstein’s witty, thought-provoking history of philosophy and physics leaves one in awe of just how close Thomas Aquinas and American physicist Steven Weinberg are in spirit as they seek ultimate answers.”—Publishers Weekly “A fun, mind-stretching read, clear and enlightening.”—San Francisco Book Review