Voyage to the Great Attractor

Voyage to the Great Attractor PDF Author: Alan Michael Dressler
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 9780679732983
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 355

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Book Description
A cosmologist describes his decade-long study of the expansion of the universe following the Big Bang, detailing his team's observation and analysis of intergalactic space and the move of the Milky Way toward a distant continent of matter

Voyage to the Great Attractor

Voyage to the Great Attractor PDF Author: Alan Michael Dressler
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 9780679732983
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 355

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Book Description
A cosmologist describes his decade-long study of the expansion of the universe following the Big Bang, detailing his team's observation and analysis of intergalactic space and the move of the Milky Way toward a distant continent of matter

Astronomy's Limitless Journey

Astronomy's Limitless Journey PDF Author: Günther Hasinger
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN: 0824853636
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 249

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Book Description
When observing the sky on a very clear, dark night, the soft glow of the Milky Way with its thousands of stars can be seen with the naked eye. Over the centuries since Galileo Galilei first pointed a telescope at the galaxy in 1609, this awe-inspiring yet easily visible panorama was our cosmos, our celestial world. With each new scientific discovery, however, this cosmos has grown dramatically, increasing rapidly over the last several decades. As we look deeper into space, the earlier phases of the cosmos are unveiled to us, but we know that even with the largest telescopes, we will see only a tiny fraction of the vast expanse of the universe. In Astronomy’s Limitless Journey, astrophysicist Günther Hasinger takes the reader on a journey to the far reaches of the universe—an exciting time travel that begins with the incredibly hot fireball of the Big Bang roughly 13.8 billion years ago and ends in distant eons with its cold, dark demise. In between lie the times in which extensive structures, galaxies, stars, and planets form. As the field of astrophysics and cosmology experiences a “golden age” due to larger telescopes, faster computers, and more sophisticated algorithms, fundamental changes are taking place in our understanding of space and time and of the origin and future of our universe. Hasinger thoroughly explains these fascinating revelations and describes the methods utilized in modern astrophysics. He cautions, however, that the boundaries between knowledge and ignorance shift constantly; where our knowledge is so incomplete such that we can only speculate, the journey becomes shaky. Indeed, every new discovery opens a further door to the unknown and with every answered question, we discover more locked doors still to be opened.

The Accelerating Universe

The Accelerating Universe PDF Author: Mario Livio
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
ISBN: 0470356294
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 282

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Book Description
Advance Praise for The Accelerating Universe "The Accelerating Universe is not only an informative book about modern cosmology. It is rich storytelling and, above all, a celebration of the human mind in its quest for beauty in all things." —Alan Lightman, author of Einstein's Dreams "This is a wonderfully lucid account of the extraordinary discoveries that have made the last years a golden period for observational cosmology. But Mario Livio has not only given the reader one clear explanation after another of what astronomers are up to, he has used them to construct a provocative argument for the importance of aesthetics in the development of science and for the inseparability of science, art, and culture." —Lee Smolin, author of The Life of the Cosmos "What a pleasure to read! An exciting, simple account of the universe revealed by modern astronomy. Beautifully written, clearly presented, informed by scientific and philosophical insights." —John Bahcall, Institute for Advanced Study "A book with charm, beauty, elegance, and importance. As authoritative a journey as can be taken through modern cosmology." —Allan Sandage, Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington

The Way Out

The Way Out PDF Author: Peter T. Coleman
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231552157
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 453

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Book Description
The partisan divide in the United States has widened to a chasm. Legislators vote along party lines and rarely cross the aisle. Political polarization is personal, too—and it is making us miserable. Surveys show that Americans have become more fearful and hateful of supporters of the opposing political party and imagine that they hold much more extreme views than they actually do. We have cordoned ourselves off: we prefer to date and marry those with similar opinions and are less willing to spend time with people on the other side. How can we loosen the grip of this toxic polarization and start working on our most pressing problems? The Way Out offers an escape from this morass. The social psychologist Peter T. Coleman explores how conflict resolution and complexity science provide guidance for dealing with seemingly intractable political differences. Deploying the concept of attractors in dynamical systems, he explains why we are stuck in this rut as well as the unexpected ways that deeply rooted oppositions can and do change. Coleman meticulously details principles and practices for navigating and healing the difficult divides in our homes, workplaces, and communities, blending compelling personal accounts from his years of working on entrenched conflicts with lessons from leading-edge research. The Way Out is a vital and timely guide to breaking free from the cycle of mutual contempt in order to better our lives, relationships, and country.

Fiscal Year 2000 NASA Authorization, Parts I-V

Fiscal Year 2000 NASA Authorization, Parts I-V PDF Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science. Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 562

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Book Description


Hubble

Hubble PDF Author: Daniel Fischer
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461223903
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 169

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Book Description
At last, a book presenting the fantastic achievements of the first five years of the Hubble Space Telescope observations! While a number of books for the general public emphasise the technological accomplishments of this multi-billion dollar project or deal with the well-publicised flaw in the telescopes optics, this ground-breaking book concentrates on its astronomical success. The authors use results and spectacular images from Hubble itself to illustrate a wide range of astronomical topics, from the great questions about the universe as a whole, to quasars and black holes, and from the life and death of stars to our planetary neighbours in the solar system. The book is rounded off with an overview of the plans for the future of this fascinating telescope. The text contains a large number of spectacular images, as well as self-contained portraits of astronomers and explanations of astronomical topics and instruments. Written in a lively style, this compendium serves as a testament to the significant role the Hubble has played in astronomical accomplishment and discovery over the past five years.

The View From the Center of the Universe

The View From the Center of the Universe PDF Author: Joel R. Primack
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101126884
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 401

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Book Description
In this strikingly original book, a world-renowned cosmologist and an innovative writer of the history and philosophy of science uncover an astonishing truth: Humans actually are central to the universe. What does this mean for our culture and our personal lives? The answer is revolutionary: a science-based cosmology that allows us to understand the universe as a whole and our extraordinary place in it.

Modern Cosmological Observations and Problems

Modern Cosmological Observations and Problems PDF Author: Gregory Bothun
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000124029
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
In recent years an enormous amount of cosmological data has come from well known projects such as the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE). This book explains and makes sense of this vast array of new observational data in terms of its impact on current cosmological models. With new theories and a plethora of data feeding cosmology in the 1990s, Gregory Bothun sets about the task of re- assessing our cosmological models. He outlines exactly what the latest observations are, and how they should be seen as either consistent or in conflict with current cosmogenic scenarios. In this search for a reconciliation of current data with competing theory, he explains how Einstein's idea of a cosmological constant has now become a viable hypothesis. This authoritative text should be valuable to all those studying cosmological observations at advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate level. Bothun draws a path through cosmology by defining a trajectory that is based on the data. This should also provide a framework for professional cosmologists and related readers in physics as it presents a solid observational foundation which either supports or conflicts with present theory. The book is illustrated including many CCD images of galaxies. Given the rapidly changing nature of the field, this book is supported by a World Wide Web site of supplementary material that is designed to readily update the material in the book.

Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness PDF Author: Jeremiah P. Ostriker
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691258937
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 328

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Book Description
Humanity's ongoing quest to unlock the secrets of dark matter and dark energy Heart of Darkness describes the incredible saga of humankind's quest to unravel the deepest secrets of the universe. Over the past forty 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.

The Prophet and the Astronomer: Apocalyptic Science and the End of the World

The Prophet and the Astronomer: Apocalyptic Science and the End of the World PDF Author: Marcelo Gleiser
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393352064
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 372

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Book Description
"An intellectual accomplishment that illuminates the magic and the wisdom of the heavens above."—Kirkus Reviews "Tracing our contemplation of the cosmos from the big bang to the big crunch" (The New Yorker), Marcelo Gleiser explores the shared quest of ancient prophets and today's astronomers to explain the strange phenomena of our skies—from the apocalypse foretold in Revelations to modern science's ongoing identification of multiple cataclysmic threats, including the impact of comets and asteroids on earthly life, the likelihood of future collisions, the meaning of solar eclipses and the death of stars, the implications of black holes for time travel, and the ultimate fate of the universe and time. Presenting insights to cosmological science and apocalyptic philosophy in an "easily accessible" (Library Journal) style, Gleiser is "a rare astrophysicist as comfortable quoting Scripture as explaining formulas" (Booklist). K. C. Cole praises his ability to "[work] the entwined threads of science and religion into a vision of 'the end' that is strangely comforting and inspiring."