Science Cosmology

Astronomers have successfully observed a great deal of the universe’s history, from recording the afterglow of the big bang to imaging thousands of galaxies, and even to visualising an actual black hole. There’s a lot for astronomers to be smug about. But when it comes to understanding how the universe began and grew up, we are literally in the dark ages. In effect, we are missing the first one billion years from the timeline of the universe.

In the vast expanse of the cosmos, where stars twinkle in the night sky and galaxies swirl in the abyss, a remarkable dance of light and matter unfolds—a dance that has captivated the human imagination for centuries. This dance, illuminated by the science of spectroscopy, is what this book seeks to explore and explain. Spectroscopy, the study of the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation, may sound complex and esoteric, but at its heart lies a simple and profound idea: The colors of light can reveal the secrets of the universe.

Brad Steiger, the world-renowned authority on unexplained phenomena, presents a collection of UFO encounters and abductions. His provocative theories provide answers to the most puzzling questions: Why are they here? What do they want? And how will they change the fate of the human race?

Impact argues that Earth would be a lifeless, inhospitable piece of rock without being fortuitously assaulted with meteorites throughout the history of the planet. These bombardments transformed Earth’s early atmosphere and delivered the complex organic molecules that allowed life to develop on our planet.

This is an indispensable guide to physics that offers readers an overview of the most popular physics topics written in an accessible, irreverent, and engaging manner while still maintaining a tone of wry skepticism. Even the novice will be able to follow along, as the topics are addressed using plain English and (almost) no equations. Veterans of popular physics will also find their nagging questions addressed, like whether the universe can expand faster than light.

The fascinating science behind the eventual end to everything - from the individual to all existence. Although we may try to keep it tucked at the back of our minds, most of us are aware of our own mortality. But few among us know what science, with the help of insights yielded from groundbreaking new research, has to say about death on a larger scale. Enter astronomer Chris Impey, who chronicles the death of the whole shebang.

For all those who wonder about this bizarre universe and those who want to overthrow the big bang, this handbook gives you "just the facts": the observations that have shaped these ideas and theories. While the big bang holds the attention of scientists, it isn't perfect. The authors pull back the curtains and show how cosmology really works.

The marvelous complexity of the universe emerges from several deep laws and a handful of fundamental constants that fix its shape, scale, and destiny. Where did these laws and these constants come from? And why are the laws so fruitful when written in the language of mathematics? Author Peter Atkins considers the minimum effort needed to equip the universe with its laws and its constants. He explores the origin of the conservation of energy, of electromagnetism, of classical and quantum mechanics, and of thermodynamics, showing how all these laws spring from deep symmetries.

The Beginning and the End of Everything is the whole story as we currently understand it - from nothing, to the birth of our universe, to its ultimate fate. Authoritative and engaging, Paul Parsons takes us on a roller-coaster ride through billions of light-years to tell the story of the big bang, from birth to death.

For centuries, it was assumed that our universe was static. In the late 1920s, astronomers defeated this assumption with a startling new discovery. From Earth, the light of distant galaxies appeared to be red, meaning that those galaxies were receding from us. This led to the revolutionary realization that the universe is expanding. The Red Limit is the tale of this discovery, its ramifications, and the passionately competitive astronomers who charted the past, present, and future of the cosmos.

"Imagine if a Martian showed up, all big ears and big nose like a child’s drawing, and he asked to be baptized. How would you react?" Pope Francis posed that question - without insisting on an answer! - to provoke deeper reflection about inclusiveness and diversity in the Church. But it's not the first time that question has been asked.

Big History, the field that studies the entire known past of our universe to give context to human existence, has so far been the domain of historians. Geologist Walter Alvarez - best known for his Impact Theory explaining dinosaur extinction - makes a compelling case for a new, science-first approach to Big History.

On April 10, 2019, award-winning astrophysicist Heino Falcke presented the first image ever captured of a black hole at an international press conference - a turning point in astronomy that Science magazine called the scientific breakthrough of the year. That photo was captured with the unthinkable commitment of an intercontinental team of astronomers who transformed the world into a global telescope. While this image achieved Falcke’s goal in making a black hole “visible” for the first time, he recognizes that the photo itself asks more questions for humanity than it answers.

The latest developments in physics have the potential to radically revise our understanding of the world: its makeup, its evolution, and the fundamental forces that drive its operation. Knocking on Heaven's Door is an exhilarating and accessible overview of these developments and an impassioned argument for the significance of science. There could be no better guide than Lisa Randall.

Mind Openers 2.0 is the second installment in a two-part set. It takes a fresh look at relativity, cosmology, and quantum theory by imagining a “sandbox universe”, in which space and time are treated as tangible and visualizable phenomena. In addition to providing an intuitive feel for the physics, the model makes a number of acutely unexpected predictions. The author is a geophysicist (MSc, fellow of geoscientists, Canada) and educator, who specializes in translating scientific material for the non-expert.

Do we really understand what gravity is? Taouil continues where Einstein left off, expanding on the theory of general relativity in a ground-breaking new concept about gravity and what it really is. His ideas are profound, and the implications can change the world of physics. The audiobook is easy to hear, and gives a step-by-step historical background to the science behind his observations that is both powerful and fascinating.

Trous noirs, exoplanètes, les nouvelles techniques d'observation en astronomie ont permis d'extraordinaires découvertes. Une résolution beaucoup plus fine des images. Durant les dernières décennies, de nouveaux instruments d'observation situés sur Terre et dans l'espace ont, grâce à des progrès dans la résolution des images, donné lieu à des découvertes extraordinaires. Trous noirs et exoplanètes : des découvertes extraordinaires. Pierre Léna décrit ici ces innovations instrumentales et s'attarde sur deux découvertes majeures récentes.

L'Univers a-t-il une forme ? En s'intéressant au contenu visible de l'univers, aux planètes, aux étoiles et aux galaxies, on oublie parfois le contenant invisible, l'espace lui même. Celui-ci est-il un simple réceptacle passif ? A-t-il une forme, une structure ? Est-il fini ou infini ? Est-il courbe, plat, lisse ou grumeleux ?Une présentation des différents modèles cosmologiques. Jean-Pierre Luminet présente les grandes lignes des démarches cosmologiques actuelles et des formes possibles de l'univers.

Jean Pierre Luminet nous invite à un voyage fascinant qui, de la Grèce antique à nos jours, explore les métamorphoses de l'infini. De manière toujours accessible, il aborde l'infini de l'espace avec la cosmologie, celui des nombres avec les mathématiques et les mystères de l'infiniment petit dans la matière avec la physique quantique.

Un Univers en expansion - La cosmologie est l'étude de l'Univers dans son ensemble. En expansion depuis 15 milliards d'années, son histoire est jalonnée d'événements cosmiques : fabrication de la matière, génération du rayonnement cosmologique, apparition des galaxies... La cosmologie est aujourd'hui devenue une science, relativiste depuis le début du XX° siècle.Une histoire de nos nos connaissances sur l'Univers. Marc Lachièze-Rey retrace ici les grandes lignes de l'évolution des idées et des principes qui fondent nos connaissances sur l'Univers.