Author: Barry Parker
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 9780738206318
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
From award-winning science writer Barry Parker, the only book to consider chaos theory in all areas of astronomy.
Chaos In The Cosmos
Author: Barry Parker
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 9780738206318
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
From award-winning science writer Barry Parker, the only book to consider chaos theory in all areas of astronomy.
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 9780738206318
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
From award-winning science writer Barry Parker, the only book to consider chaos theory in all areas of astronomy.
Probable Impossibilities
Author: Alan Lightman
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0593081323
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 209
Book Description
The acclaimed author of Einstein’s Dreams tackles "big questions like the origin of the universe and the nature of consciousness ... in an entertaining and easily digestible way” (Wall Street Journal) with a collection of meditative essays on the possibilities—and impossibilities—of nothingness and infinity, and how our place in the cosmos falls somewhere in between. Can space be divided into smaller and smaller units, ad infinitum? Does space extend to larger and larger regions, on and on to infinity? Is consciousness reducible to the material brain and its neurons? What was the origin of life, and can biologists create life from scratch in the lab? Physicist and novelist Alan Lightman, whom The Washington Post has called “the poet laureate of science writers,” explores these questions and more—from the anatomy of a smile to the capriciousness of memory to the specialness of life in the universe to what came before the Big Bang. Probable Impossibilities is a deeply engaged consideration of what we know of the universe, of life and the mind, and of things vastly larger and smaller than ourselves.
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0593081323
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 209
Book Description
The acclaimed author of Einstein’s Dreams tackles "big questions like the origin of the universe and the nature of consciousness ... in an entertaining and easily digestible way” (Wall Street Journal) with a collection of meditative essays on the possibilities—and impossibilities—of nothingness and infinity, and how our place in the cosmos falls somewhere in between. Can space be divided into smaller and smaller units, ad infinitum? Does space extend to larger and larger regions, on and on to infinity? Is consciousness reducible to the material brain and its neurons? What was the origin of life, and can biologists create life from scratch in the lab? Physicist and novelist Alan Lightman, whom The Washington Post has called “the poet laureate of science writers,” explores these questions and more—from the anatomy of a smile to the capriciousness of memory to the specialness of life in the universe to what came before the Big Bang. Probable Impossibilities is a deeply engaged consideration of what we know of the universe, of life and the mind, and of things vastly larger and smaller than ourselves.
Journey of the Universe
Author: Brian Thomas Swimme
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300171900
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 191
Book Description
The authors tell the epic story of the universe from an inspired new perspective, weaving the findings of modern science together with enduring wisdom found in the humanistic traditions of the West, China, India, and indigenous peoples. This book is part of a larger project that includes a documentary film, educational DVD series, and Web site.
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300171900
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 191
Book Description
The authors tell the epic story of the universe from an inspired new perspective, weaving the findings of modern science together with enduring wisdom found in the humanistic traditions of the West, China, India, and indigenous peoples. This book is part of a larger project that includes a documentary film, educational DVD series, and Web site.
Welcome to the Universe
Author: Neil deGrasse Tyson
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691177813
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Book Description
An essential companion to the New York Times bestseller Welcome to the Universe 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
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691177813
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Book Description
An essential companion to the New York Times bestseller Welcome to the Universe 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
Welcome to the Universe
Author: Neil deGrasse Tyson
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400883229
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 471
Book Description
The New York Times bestselling tour of the cosmos from three of today's leading astrophysicists Welcome to the Universe is a personal guided tour of the cosmos by three of today's leading astrophysicists. Inspired by the enormously popular introductory astronomy course that Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott taught together at Princeton, this book covers it all—from planets, stars, and galaxies to black holes, wormholes, and time travel. Describing the latest discoveries in astrophysics, the informative and entertaining narrative propels you from our home solar system to the outermost frontiers of space. How do stars live and die? Why did Pluto lose its planetary status? What are the prospects of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? How did the universe begin? Why is it expanding and why is its expansion accelerating? Is our universe alone or part of an infinite multiverse? Answering these and many other questions, the authors open your eyes to the wonders of the cosmos, sharing their knowledge of how the universe works. Breathtaking in scope and stunningly illustrated throughout, Welcome to the Universe is for those who hunger for insights into our evolving universe that only world-class astrophysicists can provide.
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400883229
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 471
Book Description
The New York Times bestselling tour of the cosmos from three of today's leading astrophysicists Welcome to the Universe is a personal guided tour of the cosmos by three of today's leading astrophysicists. Inspired by the enormously popular introductory astronomy course that Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott taught together at Princeton, this book covers it all—from planets, stars, and galaxies to black holes, wormholes, and time travel. Describing the latest discoveries in astrophysics, the informative and entertaining narrative propels you from our home solar system to the outermost frontiers of space. How do stars live and die? Why did Pluto lose its planetary status? What are the prospects of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? How did the universe begin? Why is it expanding and why is its expansion accelerating? Is our universe alone or part of an infinite multiverse? Answering these and many other questions, the authors open your eyes to the wonders of the cosmos, sharing their knowledge of how the universe works. Breathtaking in scope and stunningly illustrated throughout, Welcome to the Universe is for those who hunger for insights into our evolving universe that only world-class astrophysicists can provide.
You Can Ask the Universe Anything
Author: Michael Hetherington
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781537714165
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 82
Book Description
What if you could ask any question imaginable and receive an answer direct from the universe itself?Imagine if we could know in an instant whether something was true or not true. How much time and energy would we save by not having to "try and work it out"? What if we could just know and be done with it? How much more space, ease and fun could things be? When the right conditions are present and when the question being asked is without bias, yes, YOU CAN ASK THE UNIVERSE ANYTHING! By the end of this book you will know how to: 1. Ask good questions and develop a personal dialogue with the higher Self & higher consciousness, 2. Understand how to use the "sway" test as the primary questioning method, and 3. Know how deepen your relationship and become "friends" with the higher Self & higher consciousness What is outlined in this book is a simple method, a set of techniques that helps us to "switch on" and helps us to establish an open communication channel with the field of consciousness where we can confirm certain truths for ourselves. The confirmation of certain truths will help us navigate through the trials of life for the benefit of oneself and ultimately for the benefit of all beings.
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781537714165
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 82
Book Description
What if you could ask any question imaginable and receive an answer direct from the universe itself?Imagine if we could know in an instant whether something was true or not true. How much time and energy would we save by not having to "try and work it out"? What if we could just know and be done with it? How much more space, ease and fun could things be? When the right conditions are present and when the question being asked is without bias, yes, YOU CAN ASK THE UNIVERSE ANYTHING! By the end of this book you will know how to: 1. Ask good questions and develop a personal dialogue with the higher Self & higher consciousness, 2. Understand how to use the "sway" test as the primary questioning method, and 3. Know how deepen your relationship and become "friends" with the higher Self & higher consciousness What is outlined in this book is a simple method, a set of techniques that helps us to "switch on" and helps us to establish an open communication channel with the field of consciousness where we can confirm certain truths for ourselves. The confirmation of certain truths will help us navigate through the trials of life for the benefit of oneself and ultimately for the benefit of all beings.
Insights Into Existence - Essays On The Upanisads
Author: Raghunandan
Publisher: Readworthy
ISBN: 8189973533
Category : Ontology
Languages : en
Pages : 305
Book Description
It is generally opined though erroneously, that the Vedanta or Upanisads are beyond the reach of common lot of people, and are meant for only the recluses dedicated to the spiritual quest. Swami Vivekananda not only introduced them to the general public, but also tried to convince them that the Upanisads have solutions to our common problems. The essays presented in this book attempt to give a glimpse into the Upanisadic methodology or Vicara as it is called, which makes use of doubt and inquiry.
Publisher: Readworthy
ISBN: 8189973533
Category : Ontology
Languages : en
Pages : 305
Book Description
It is generally opined though erroneously, that the Vedanta or Upanisads are beyond the reach of common lot of people, and are meant for only the recluses dedicated to the spiritual quest. Swami Vivekananda not only introduced them to the general public, but also tried to convince them that the Upanisads have solutions to our common problems. The essays presented in this book attempt to give a glimpse into the Upanisadic methodology or Vicara as it is called, which makes use of doubt and inquiry.
The Universe Speaks in Numbers
Author: Graham Farmelo
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 1541673921
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 324
Book Description
How math helps us solve the universe's deepest mysteriesOne of the great insights of science is that the universe has an underlying order. The supreme goal of physicists is to understand this order through laws that describe the behavior of the most basic particles and the forces between them. For centuries, we have searched for these laws by studying the results of experiments. Since the 1970s, however, experiments at the world's most powerful atom-smashers have offered few new clues. So some of the world's leading physicists have looked to a different source of insight: modern mathematics. These physicists are sometimes accused of doing 'fairy-tale physics', unrelated to the real world. But in The Universe Speaks in Numbers, award-winning science writer and biographer Farmelo argues that the physics they are doing is based squarely on the well-established principles of quantum theory and relativity, and part of a tradition dating back to Isaac Newton. With unprecedented access to some of the world's greatest scientific minds, Farmelo offers a vivid, behind-the-scenes account of the blossoming relationship between mathematics and physics and the research that could revolutionize our understanding of reality.A masterful account of the some of the most groundbreaking ideas in physics in the past four decades. The Universe Speaks in Numbers is essential reading for anyone interested in the quest to discover the fundamental laws of nature.
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 1541673921
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 324
Book Description
How math helps us solve the universe's deepest mysteriesOne of the great insights of science is that the universe has an underlying order. The supreme goal of physicists is to understand this order through laws that describe the behavior of the most basic particles and the forces between them. For centuries, we have searched for these laws by studying the results of experiments. Since the 1970s, however, experiments at the world's most powerful atom-smashers have offered few new clues. So some of the world's leading physicists have looked to a different source of insight: modern mathematics. These physicists are sometimes accused of doing 'fairy-tale physics', unrelated to the real world. But in The Universe Speaks in Numbers, award-winning science writer and biographer Farmelo argues that the physics they are doing is based squarely on the well-established principles of quantum theory and relativity, and part of a tradition dating back to Isaac Newton. With unprecedented access to some of the world's greatest scientific minds, Farmelo offers a vivid, behind-the-scenes account of the blossoming relationship between mathematics and physics and the research that could revolutionize our understanding of reality.A masterful account of the some of the most groundbreaking ideas in physics in the past four decades. The Universe Speaks in Numbers is essential reading for anyone interested in the quest to discover the fundamental laws of nature.
The Whole Universe Book
Author: Richard Omura
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780615951959
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 276
Book Description
The Whole Universe Book takes patterns observable in nature and explains how the universe works, even venturing ambitiously into such concepts as how to achieve eternal life and the spiritual evolution of our civilization. Included are detailed methods on how to apply these ideas to make our lives better, exploring free will, health, positive thinking, meditation and balancing science with spirituality. Appropo to the title, this book achieves a sweeping wholistic view of the universe from both the scientific and spiritual viewpoints. Using the metaphor of the human being as a vehicle, the book discusses who and what we are, where we are going and how to get there. Along the way, many fascinating subjects are linked to observable natural patterns, from spiritual and extra-terrestrial intelligences, Eastern and Western religious thought, to a new perspective of God. Then we are propelled into transcendent insights of the importance of personal growth and evolution, the latest discoveries in neuro-science, and the Gaia theory which posits that the Earth is a living organism. The book is filled with graphics, original photos and verse in order to provide a framework that does not limit itself to being a scientific or spiritual work but rather an artistic one. *Note: This b&W 2nd Edition (2nd) includes 30 pages of new insights with black and white photos and charts, some new.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780615951959
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 276
Book Description
The Whole Universe Book takes patterns observable in nature and explains how the universe works, even venturing ambitiously into such concepts as how to achieve eternal life and the spiritual evolution of our civilization. Included are detailed methods on how to apply these ideas to make our lives better, exploring free will, health, positive thinking, meditation and balancing science with spirituality. Appropo to the title, this book achieves a sweeping wholistic view of the universe from both the scientific and spiritual viewpoints. Using the metaphor of the human being as a vehicle, the book discusses who and what we are, where we are going and how to get there. Along the way, many fascinating subjects are linked to observable natural patterns, from spiritual and extra-terrestrial intelligences, Eastern and Western religious thought, to a new perspective of God. Then we are propelled into transcendent insights of the importance of personal growth and evolution, the latest discoveries in neuro-science, and the Gaia theory which posits that the Earth is a living organism. The book is filled with graphics, original photos and verse in order to provide a framework that does not limit itself to being a scientific or spiritual work but rather an artistic one. *Note: This b&W 2nd Edition (2nd) includes 30 pages of new insights with black and white photos and charts, some new.
At Home in the Universe
Author: Stuart Kauffman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019984030X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 335
Book Description
A major scientific revolution has begun, a new paradigm that rivals Darwin's theory in importance. At its heart is the discovery of the order that lies deep within the most complex of systems, from the origin of life, to the workings of giant corporations, to the rise and fall of great civilizations. And more than anyone else, this revolution is the work of one man, Stuart Kauffman, a MacArthur Fellow and visionary pioneer of the new science of complexity. Now, in At Home in the Universe, Kauffman brilliantly weaves together the excitement of intellectual discovery and a fertile mix of insights to give the general reader a fascinating look at this new science--and at the forces for order that lie at the edge of chaos. We all know of instances of spontaneous order in nature--an oil droplet in water forms a sphere, snowflakes have a six-fold symmetry. What we are only now discovering, Kauffman says, is that the range of spontaneous order is enormously greater than we had supposed. Indeed, self-organization is a great undiscovered principle of nature. But how does this spontaneous order arise? Kauffman contends that complexity itself triggers self-organization, or what he calls "order for free," that if enough different molecules pass a certain threshold of complexity, they begin to self-organize into a new entity--a living cell. Kauffman uses the analogy of a thousand buttons on a rug--join two buttons randomly with thread, then another two, and so on. At first, you have isolated pairs; later, small clusters; but suddenly at around the 500th repetition, a remarkable transformation occurs--much like the phase transition when water abruptly turns to ice--and the buttons link up in one giant network. Likewise, life may have originated when the mix of different molecules in the primordial soup passed a certain level of complexity and self-organized into living entities (if so, then life is not a highly improbable chance event, but almost inevitable). Kauffman uses the basic insight of "order for free" to illuminate a staggering range of phenomena. We see how a single-celled embryo can grow to a highly complex organism with over two hundred different cell types. We learn how the science of complexity extends Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection: that self-organization, selection, and chance are the engines of the biosphere. And we gain insights into biotechnology, the stunning magic of the new frontier of genetic engineering--generating trillions of novel molecules to find new drugs, vaccines, enzymes, biosensors, and more. Indeed, Kauffman shows that ecosystems, economic systems, and even cultural systems may all evolve according to similar general laws, that tissues and terra cotta evolve in similar ways. And finally, there is a profoundly spiritual element to Kauffman's thought. If, as he argues, life were bound to arise, not as an incalculably improbable accident, but as an expected fulfillment of the natural order, then we truly are at home in the universe. Kauffman's earlier volume, The Origins of Order, written for specialists, received lavish praise. Stephen Jay Gould called it "a landmark and a classic." And Nobel Laureate Philip Anderson wrote that "there are few people in this world who ever ask the right questions of science, and they are the ones who affect its future most profoundly. Stuart Kauffman is one of these." In At Home in the Universe, this visionary thinker takes you along as he explores new insights into the nature of life.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019984030X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 335
Book Description
A major scientific revolution has begun, a new paradigm that rivals Darwin's theory in importance. At its heart is the discovery of the order that lies deep within the most complex of systems, from the origin of life, to the workings of giant corporations, to the rise and fall of great civilizations. And more than anyone else, this revolution is the work of one man, Stuart Kauffman, a MacArthur Fellow and visionary pioneer of the new science of complexity. Now, in At Home in the Universe, Kauffman brilliantly weaves together the excitement of intellectual discovery and a fertile mix of insights to give the general reader a fascinating look at this new science--and at the forces for order that lie at the edge of chaos. We all know of instances of spontaneous order in nature--an oil droplet in water forms a sphere, snowflakes have a six-fold symmetry. What we are only now discovering, Kauffman says, is that the range of spontaneous order is enormously greater than we had supposed. Indeed, self-organization is a great undiscovered principle of nature. But how does this spontaneous order arise? Kauffman contends that complexity itself triggers self-organization, or what he calls "order for free," that if enough different molecules pass a certain threshold of complexity, they begin to self-organize into a new entity--a living cell. Kauffman uses the analogy of a thousand buttons on a rug--join two buttons randomly with thread, then another two, and so on. At first, you have isolated pairs; later, small clusters; but suddenly at around the 500th repetition, a remarkable transformation occurs--much like the phase transition when water abruptly turns to ice--and the buttons link up in one giant network. Likewise, life may have originated when the mix of different molecules in the primordial soup passed a certain level of complexity and self-organized into living entities (if so, then life is not a highly improbable chance event, but almost inevitable). Kauffman uses the basic insight of "order for free" to illuminate a staggering range of phenomena. We see how a single-celled embryo can grow to a highly complex organism with over two hundred different cell types. We learn how the science of complexity extends Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection: that self-organization, selection, and chance are the engines of the biosphere. And we gain insights into biotechnology, the stunning magic of the new frontier of genetic engineering--generating trillions of novel molecules to find new drugs, vaccines, enzymes, biosensors, and more. Indeed, Kauffman shows that ecosystems, economic systems, and even cultural systems may all evolve according to similar general laws, that tissues and terra cotta evolve in similar ways. And finally, there is a profoundly spiritual element to Kauffman's thought. If, as he argues, life were bound to arise, not as an incalculably improbable accident, but as an expected fulfillment of the natural order, then we truly are at home in the universe. Kauffman's earlier volume, The Origins of Order, written for specialists, received lavish praise. Stephen Jay Gould called it "a landmark and a classic." And Nobel Laureate Philip Anderson wrote that "there are few people in this world who ever ask the right questions of science, and they are the ones who affect its future most profoundly. Stuart Kauffman is one of these." In At Home in the Universe, this visionary thinker takes you along as he explores new insights into the nature of life.