The Life of the CosmosOxford University Press, 4 mar. 1999 - 368 pagini Lee Smolin offers a new theory of the universe that is at once elegant, comprehensive, and radically different from anything proposed before. Smolin posits that a process of self organization like that of biological evolution shapes the universe, as it develops and eventually reproduces through black holes, each of which may result in a new big bang and a new universe. Natural selection may guide the appearance of the laws of physics, favoring those universes which best reproduce. The result would be a cosmology according to which life is a natural consequence of the fundamental principles on which the universe has been built, and a science that would give us a picture of the universe in which, as the author writes, "the occurrence of novelty, indeed the perpetual birth of novelty, can be understood." Smolin is one of the leading cosmologists at work today, and he writes with an expertise and force of argument that will command attention throughout the world of physics. But it is the humanity and sharp clarity of his prose that offers access for the layperson to the mind bending space at the forefront of today's physics. |
Cuprins
The Logic of Atomism | |
The Miracle of the Stars | |
The Dream of Unification | |
The Lessons of String Theory | |
Are the Laws of Physics Universal? | |
Beyond the Anthropic Principle | |
Space and Time in the New Cosmology | |
The Road from Newton to Einstein | |
The Meaning of Einsteins Theory of Relativity | |
The Meaning of the Quantum | |
Einsteins Revenge | |
A Pluralistic Universe | |
The World as a Network of Relations | |
the Universe Evolve? | |
Detective Work | |
The Ecology of the Galaxy | |
10 | |
The Organization of the Cosmos | |
The Cosmology of an Interesting Universe | |
The Flower and the Dodecahedron | |
Philosophy Religion and Cosmology | |
The Evolution of Time | |
EpilogueEvolutions | |
Testing Cosmological Natural Selection | |
Notes and Acknowledgments | |
Selected Bibliography | |
Glossary | |
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Termeni și expresii frecvente
absolute space answer anthropic principle argument atoms basic beautiful biosphere black holes carbon century certainly chapter clock complete configuration construct cosmological constant cosmological natural selection cosmos density describe disk effects Einstein electron elementary particle physics energy equations equilibrium eternal existence explain fact forces fundamental theory giant molecular clouds happens Higgs particles hypothesis idea imagine interactions interstellar medium invented kind large number laws of nature laws of physics lead least Leibniz living things logic look mass massive stars mathematics matter means molecules motion neutrino neutron Newton nuclear nuclei number of black observer organization parameters perhaps philosophical physicists picture Planck Planck units planet possible predictions problem properties proton quantum gravity quantum mechanics quantum theory question reason regions relativity result rotating scale scientific seems simple species spiral galaxies standard model star formation string theory structure supernovas tell temperature true understand whole universe