The Constants of Nature

The Constants of Nature PDF Author: John Barrow
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307555356
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 370

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Book Description
Reality as we know it is bound by a set of constants—numbers and values that dictate the strengths of forces like gravity, the speed of light, and the masses of elementary particles. In The Constants of Nature, Cambridge Professor and bestselling author John D.Barrow takes us on an exploration of these governing principles. Drawing on physicists such as Einstein and Planck, Barrow illustrates with stunning clarity our dependence on the steadfastness of these principles. But he also suggests that the basic forces may have been radically different during the universe’s infancy, and suggests that they may continue a deeply hidden evolution. Perhaps most tantalizingly, Barrow theorizes about the realities that might one day be found in a universe with different parameters than our own.

The Constants of Nature

The Constants of Nature PDF Author: John Barrow
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307555356
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 370

Get Book Here

Book Description
Reality as we know it is bound by a set of constants—numbers and values that dictate the strengths of forces like gravity, the speed of light, and the masses of elementary particles. In The Constants of Nature, Cambridge Professor and bestselling author John D.Barrow takes us on an exploration of these governing principles. Drawing on physicists such as Einstein and Planck, Barrow illustrates with stunning clarity our dependence on the steadfastness of these principles. But he also suggests that the basic forces may have been radically different during the universe’s infancy, and suggests that they may continue a deeply hidden evolution. Perhaps most tantalizingly, Barrow theorizes about the realities that might one day be found in a universe with different parameters than our own.

The Constants of Nature

The Constants of Nature PDF Author: Peter Johnson
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429790708
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 350

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Book Description
First published in 1997, this volume constitutes an attempt to resolve certain misunderstandings and ignorance concerning the constants of Nature. Its purpose is to look closely at the philosophical arguments made to support the customary conventional view of measurement, particularly with regard to constants. Peter Johnson argues that historic accounts provide only a partial understanding of the nature of constants, and that the conventionalism that rises relates only to the numerical representations used to quantify the measurement of quantities.

Euclidean Quantum Gravity

Euclidean Quantum Gravity PDF Author: G. W. Gibbons
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9789810205164
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 604

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Book Description
The Euclidean approach to Quantum Gravity was initiated almost 15 years ago in an attempt to understand the difficulties raised by the spacetime singularities of classical general relativity which arise in the gravitational collapse of stars to form black holes and the entire universe in the Big Bang. An important motivation was to develop an approach capable of dealing with the nonlinear, non-perturbative aspects of quantum gravity due to topologically non-trivial spacetimes. There are important links with a Riemannian geometry. Since its inception the theory has been applied to a number of important physical problems including the thermodynamic properties of black holes, quantum cosmology and the problem of the cosmological constant. It is currently at the centre of a great deal of interest.This is a collection of survey lectures and reprints of some important lectures on the Euclidean approach to quantum gravity in which one expresses the Feynman path integral as a sum over Riemannian metrics. As well as papers on the basic formalism there are sections on Black Holes, Quantum Cosmology, Wormholes and Gravitational Instantons.

Physico-chemical Constants of Pure Organic Compounds

Physico-chemical Constants of Pure Organic Compounds PDF Author: Jean Timmermans
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Chemistry
Languages : en
Pages : 712

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Book Description


A Fortunate Universe

A Fortunate Universe PDF Author: Geraint F. Lewis
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316715221
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 395

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Book Description
Over the last forty years, scientists have uncovered evidence that if the Universe had been forged with even slightly different properties, life as we know it - and life as we can imagine it - would be impossible. Join us on a journey through how we understand the Universe, from its most basic particles and forces, to planets, stars and galaxies, and back through cosmic history to the birth of the cosmos. Conflicting notions about our place in the Universe are defined, defended and critiqued from scientific, philosophical and religious viewpoints. The authors' engaging and witty style addresses what fine-tuning might mean for the future of physics and the search for the ultimate laws of nature. Tackling difficult questions and providing thought-provoking answers, this volumes challenges us to consider our place in the cosmos, regardless of our initial convictions.

Just Six Numbers

Just Six Numbers PDF Author: Martin Rees
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0786723580
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 140

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Book Description
How did a single "genesis event" create billions of galaxies, black holes, stars and planets? How did atoms assemble -- here on earth, and perhaps on other worlds -- into living beings intricate enough to ponder their origins? What fundamental laws govern our universe?This book describes new discoveries and offers remarkable insights into these fundamental questions. There are deep connections between stars and atoms, between the cosmos and the microworld. Just six numbers, imprinted in the "big bang," determine the essential features of our entire physical world. Moreover, cosmic evolution is astonishingly sensitive to the values of these numbers. If any one of them were "untuned," there could be no stars and no life. This realization offers a radically new perspective on our universe, our place in it, and the nature of physical laws.

Global Earth Physics

Global Earth Physics PDF Author: Thomas J. Ahrens
Publisher: American Geophysical Union
ISBN: 0875908519
Category : Electronic books
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
A standard reference that provides, in accessible form, selected critical data for professional and student solid Earth and planetary geophysicists. It represents the third version of the popular "Handbook of Physical Constants" (the first was published in 1942, the second in 1966). The present version reflects the enormous growth of scientific knowledge of the Earth and planets since 1966, spurred by the discovery and verification of plate tectonics and the systematic exploration of the solar system. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.

Nature's Numbers

Nature's Numbers PDF Author: Ian Stewart
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0786723920
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 179

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Book Description
"It appears to us that the universe is structured in a deeply mathematical way. Falling bodies fall with predictable accelerations. Eclipses can be accurately forecast centuries in advance. Nuclear power plants generate electricity according to well-known formulas. But those examples are the tip of the iceberg. In Nature's Numbers, Ian Stewart presents many more, each charming in its own way.. Stewart admirably captures compelling and accessible mathematical ideas along with the pleasure of thinking of them. He writes with clarity and precision. Those who enjoy this sort of thing will love this book."—Los Angeles Times

Our Mathematical Universe

Our Mathematical Universe PDF Author: Max Tegmark
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307744256
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 434

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Book Description
Max Tegmark leads us on an astonishing journey through past, present and future, and through the physics, astronomy and mathematics that are the foundation of his work, most particularly his hypothesis that our physical reality is a mathematical structure and his theory of the ultimate multiverse. In a dazzling combination of both popular and groundbreaking science, he not only helps us grasp his often mind-boggling theories, but he also shares with us some of the often surprising triumphs and disappointments that have shaped his life as a scientist. Fascinating from first to last—this is a book that has already prompted the attention and admiration of some of the most prominent scientists and mathematicians.

The Book of Nothing

The Book of Nothing PDF Author: John D. Barrow
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307554813
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 386

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Book Description
What conceptual blind spot kept the ancient Greeks (unlike the Indians and Maya) from developing a concept of zero? Why did St. Augustine equate nothingness with the Devil? What tortuous means did 17th-century scientists employ in their attempts to create a vacuum? And why do contemporary quantum physicists believe that the void is actually seething with subatomic activity? You’ll find the answers in this dizzyingly erudite and elegantly explained book by the English cosmologist John D. Barrow. Ranging through mathematics, theology, philosophy, literature, particle physics, and cosmology, The Book of Nothing explores the enduring hold that vacuity has exercised on the human imagination. Combining high-wire speculation with a wealth of reference that takes in Freddy Mercury and Shakespeare alongside Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking, the result is a fascinating excursion to the vanishing point of our knowledge.