The Allure of the Multiverse

The Allure of the Multiverse PDF Author: Paul Halpern
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 1541602188
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 307

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Book Description
“A rich and rewarding history of one of the most astounding ideas in physics and astronomy” (Marcia Bartusiak) – that the universe we know isn’t the only one Our books, our movies—our imaginations—are obsessed with extra dimensions, alternate timelines, and the sense that all we see might not be all there is. In short, we can’t stop thinking about the multiverse. As it turns out, physicists are similarly captivated. In The Allure of the Multiverse, physicist Paul Halpern tells the epic story of how science became besotted with the multiverse, and the controversies that ensued. The questions that brought scientists to this point are big and deep: Is reality such that anything can happen, must happen? How does quantum mechanics “choose” the outcomes of its apparently random processes? And why is the universe habitable? Each question quickly leads to the multiverse. Drawing on centuries of disputation and deep vision, from luminaries like Nietzsche, Einstein, and the creators of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Halpern reveals the multiplicity of multiverses that scientists have imagined to make sense of our reality. Whether we live in one of many different possible universes, or simply the only one there is, might never be certain. But Halpern shows one thing for sure: how stimulating it can be to try to find out.

The Allure of the Multiverse

The Allure of the Multiverse PDF Author: Paul Halpern
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 1541602188
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 307

Get Book Here

Book Description
“A rich and rewarding history of one of the most astounding ideas in physics and astronomy” (Marcia Bartusiak) – that the universe we know isn’t the only one Our books, our movies—our imaginations—are obsessed with extra dimensions, alternate timelines, and the sense that all we see might not be all there is. In short, we can’t stop thinking about the multiverse. As it turns out, physicists are similarly captivated. In The Allure of the Multiverse, physicist Paul Halpern tells the epic story of how science became besotted with the multiverse, and the controversies that ensued. The questions that brought scientists to this point are big and deep: Is reality such that anything can happen, must happen? How does quantum mechanics “choose” the outcomes of its apparently random processes? And why is the universe habitable? Each question quickly leads to the multiverse. Drawing on centuries of disputation and deep vision, from luminaries like Nietzsche, Einstein, and the creators of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Halpern reveals the multiplicity of multiverses that scientists have imagined to make sense of our reality. Whether we live in one of many different possible universes, or simply the only one there is, might never be certain. But Halpern shows one thing for sure: how stimulating it can be to try to find out.

The Multiverse

The Multiverse PDF Author: Edited by Paul F. Kisak
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781519665829
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
The structure of the multiverse, the nature of each universe within it and the relationships among the various constituent universes, depend on the specific multiverse hypothesis considered. Multiple universes have been hypothesized in cosmology, physics, astronomy, religion, philosophy, transpersonal psychology, and fiction, particularly in science fiction and fantasy. In these contexts, parallel universes are also called "alternate universes," "quantum universes," "interpenetrating dimensions," "parallel dimensions," "parallel worlds," "alternate realities," "alternate timelines," and "dimensional planes," among other names. The physics community continues to fiercely debate the multiverse hypothesis. Prominent physicists disagree about whether the multiverse may exist, and whether it is even a legitimate topic of scientific inquiry. Serious concerns have been raised about whether attempts to exempt the multiverse from experimental verification may erode public confidence in science and ultimately damage the nature of fundamental physics. Some have argued that the multiverse question is philosophical rather than scientific because it lacks falsifiability; the ability to disprove a theory by means of scientific experiment has always been part of the accepted scientific method. Paul Steinhardt has famously argued that no experiment can rule out a theory if it provides for all possible outcomes. This book discusses the numerous concepts and theories concerning multiple universes.

Worlds Without End

Worlds Without End PDF Author: Mary-Jane Rubenstein
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231156626
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
“Multiverse” cosmologies imagine our universe as just one of a vast number of others. While this idea has captivated philosophy, religion, and literature for millennia, it is now being considered as a scientific hypothesis—with different models emerging from cosmology, quantum mechanics, and string theory. Beginning with ancient Atomist and Stoic philosophies, Mary-Jane Rubenstein links contemporary models of the multiverse to their forerunners and explores their current emergence. One reason is the so-called fine-tuning of the universe: nature’s constants are so delicately calibrated, it seems they have been set just right to allow life to emerge. For some theologians, these “fine-tunings” are proof of God; for others, “God” is an insufficient explanation. One compelling solution: if all possible worlds exist somewhere, then it is no surprise one of them happens to be suitable for life. Yet 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. In sidestepping metaphysics, multiverse scenarios collide with it, producing their own counter-theological narratives. Rubenstein argues, however, that this interdisciplinary collision provides the condition of its scientific viability, reconfiguring the boundaries among physics, philosophy, and religion.

The Structure of the Universe

The Structure of the Universe PDF Author: Paul Halpern
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
ISBN: 1466881682
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 167

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Book Description
The Structure of the Universe by Paul Halpern, Ph.D., originally published in 1996, is a tour of the knowledge of the deep reaches of space and predictions for its future. Technological marvels such as the Hubble Space Telescope are revealing a wealth of information about the deepest reaches of space. After decades of research, scientists now believe they are closer to discovering the 'missing matter,' the invisible stuff left over from the Big Bang that will determine the ultimate fate of the universe. With each discovery new light is shed on scores of old questions, and at the same time new questions arise.

Flashes of Creation

Flashes of Creation PDF Author: Paul Halpern
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 1541673611
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
A respected physics professor and author breaks down the great debate over the Big Bang and the continuing quest to understand the fate of the universe. Today, the Big Bang is so entrenched in our understanding of the cosmos that to doubt it would seem crazy. But as Paul Halpern shows in Flashes of Creation, just decades ago its mere mention caused sparks to fly. At the center of the debate were Russian American physicist George Gamow and British astrophysicist Fred Hoyle. Gamow insisted that a fiery explosion explained how the elements of the universe were created. Attacking the idea as half-baked, Hoyle countered that the universe was engaged in a never-ending process of creation. The battle was fierce. In the end, Gamow turned out to be right -- mostly -- and Hoyle, along with his many achievements, is remembered for giving the theory the silliest possible name: "The Big Bang." Halpern captures the brilliance of both thinkers and reminds us that even those proved wrong have much to teach us about boldness, imagination, and the universe itself.

Edge of the Universe

Edge of the Universe PDF Author: Paul Halpern
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
ISBN: 111823460X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
An accessible look at the mysteries that lurk at the edge of the known universe and beyond The observable universe, the part we can see with telescopes, is incredibly vast. Yet recent theories suggest that there is far more to the universe than what our instruments record—in fact, it could be infinite. Colossal flows of galaxies, large empty regions called voids, and other unexplained phenomena offer clues that our own "bubble universe" could be part of a greater realm called the multiverse. How big is the observable universe? What it is made of? What lies beyond it? Was there a time before the Big Bang? Could space have unseen dimensions? In this book, physicist and science writer Paul Halpern explains what we know?and what we hope to soon find out?about our extraordinary cosmos. Explains what we know about the Big Bang, the accelerating universe, dark energy, dark flow, and dark matter to examine some of the theories about the content of the universe and why its edge is getting farther away from us faster Explores the idea that the observable universe could be a hologram and that everything that happens within it might be written on its edge Written by physicist and popular science writer Paul Halpern, whose other books include Collider: The Search for the World's Smallest Particles, and What's Science Ever Done For Us: What the Simpsons Can Teach Us About Physics, Robots, Life, and the Universe

Time and the Multiverse

Time and the Multiverse PDF Author: Julian Von Abele
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781545464823
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 136

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Book Description
Quantum mechanics is the foundation of the universe. At the bedrock of quantum mechanics lies mathematics--the path-integral formulation. In this text, a variety of novel theories pertaining to quantum mechanics, and the mathematical foundations of theoretical physics, are surveyed. After the publication of his previous book, "Physics Reforged," concerning his multiverse theory, Julian von Abele has returned to expand on his multiverse hypothesis, and present his novel theory of time. Is time multidimensional? Is reality plural, or whole? How did the universe begin, and how will it end? Do alternate realities exist? All these questions, and more, are answered in this remarkable anthology of academic papers on quantum theory, cosmology, and novel theories of time. Intended primarily for physicists and mathematicians, this book offers an intriguing gateway into some of the most fundamental problems of physics.

This Way to the Universe

This Way to the Universe PDF Author: Michael Dine
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593184661
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
For readers of Sean Carroll, Brian Greene, Katie Mack, and anyone who wants to know what theoretical physicists actually do. This Way to the Universe is a celebration of the astounding, ongoing scientific investigations that have revealed the nature of reality at its smallest, at its largest, and at the scale of our daily lives. The enigmas that Professor Michael Dine discusses are like landmarks on a fantastic journey to the edge of the universe. Asked where to find out about the Big Bang, Dark Matter, the Higgs boson particle—the long cutting edge of physics right now—Dine had no single book he could recommend. This is his accessible, authoritative, and up-to-date answer. Comprehensible to anyone with a high-school level education, with almost no equations, there is no better author to take you on this amazing odyssey. Dine is widely recognized as having made profound contributions to our understanding of matter, time, the Big Bang, and even what might have come before it. This Way to the Universe touches on many emotional, critical points in his extraordinary carreer while presenting mind-bending physics like his answer to the Dark Matter and Dark Energy mysteries as well as the ideas that explain why our universe consists of something rather than nothing. People assume String Theory can never be tested, but Dine intrepidly explores exactly how the theory might be tested experimentally, as well as the pitfalls of falling in love with math. This book reflects a lifetime pursuing the deepest mysteries of reality, by one of the most humble and warmly engaging voices you will ever read.

In Search of the Multiverse

In Search of the Multiverse PDF Author: John Gribbin
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141036117
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 316

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Book Description
We once had to abandon the idea of earth being at the centre of the universe. Now, we need to confront an even more profound possibility: the universe itself might just be one universe among many. In Search of the Multiverse takes us on an extraordinary journey, examining the most fundamental questions in science. What are the boundaries of our universe? Can there be different physical laws from the ones we know? Are there in fact other universes? Do we really live in a multiverse? This book is a search – the ultimate search – exploring the frontiers of reality. Ideas that were once science fiction have now come to dominate modern physics. And, as John Gribbin shows, there is increasing evidence that there really is more to the universe than we can see. Gribbin guides us through the different competing theories (there is more than one multiverse!) revealing what they have in common and what we can come to expect. He gives a brilliant tour of the current state of cosmology. John Gribbin is our best, most accessible guide to the big questions of science. And there is no bigger question than our search for the multiverse.

Fear of a Black Universe

Fear of a Black Universe PDF Author: Stephon Alexander
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 1541699610
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 211

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Book Description
"The rabbit hole gets wrestled here. An old school saying applies: the more you know, the more you don’t know. Dance along this read into the unknown and find out that this book may be the best ever answer to ‘What is soul?'" —Chuck D, rapper and co-founder of Public Enemy *Starred Reviews* from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly! Named a Best Book of 2021 by Library Journal, Kirkus, and symmetry Magazine In this important guide to science and society, a cosmologist argues that physics must embrace the excluded, listen to the unheard, and be unafraid of being wrong. Years ago, cosmologist Stephon Alexander received life-changing advice: to discover real physics, he needed to stop memorizing and start taking risks. In Fear of a Black Universe, Alexander shows that great physics requires us to think outside the mainstream -- to improvise and rely on intuition. His approach leads him to three principles that shape all theories of the universe: the principle of invariance, the quantum principle, and the principle of emergence. Alexander uses them to explore some of physics' greatest mysteries, from what happened before the big bang to how the universe makes consciousness possible. Drawing on his experience as a Black physicist, he makes a powerful case for diversifying our scientific communities. Compelling and empowering, Fear of a Black Universe offers remarkable insight into the art of physics.