Download or read book The Anthropic Cosmological Principle written by John D. Barrow and published by Oxford University Press on Demand. This book was released on 1988 with total page 706 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the concepts and many implications of the theory that the structure and operation of the universe is determined by the existence of intelligent observers

Download or read book Anthropic Bias written by Nick Bostrom and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-10-11 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Anthropic Bias explores how to reason when you suspect that your evidence is biased by "observation selection effects"--that is, evidence that has been filtered by the precondition that there be some suitably positioned observer to "have" the evidence. This conundrum--sometimes alluded to as "the anthropic principle," "self-locating belief," or "indexical information"--turns out to be a surprisingly perplexing and intellectually stimulating challenge, one abounding with important implications for many areas in science and philosophy. There are the philosophical thought experiments and paradoxes: the Doomsday Argument; Sleeping Beauty; the Presumptuous Philosopher; Adam & Eve; the Absent-Minded Driver; the Shooting Room. And there are the applications in contemporary science: cosmology ("How many universes are there?", "Why does the universe appear fine-tuned for life?"); evolutionary theory ("How improbable was the evolution of intelligent life on our planet?"); the problem of time's arrow ("Can it be given a thermodynamic explanation?"); quantum physics ("How can the many-worlds theory be tested?"); game-theory problems with imperfect recall ("How to model them?"); even traffic analysis ("Why is the 'next lane' faster?"). Anthropic Bias argues that the same principles are at work across all these domains. And it offers a synthesis: a mathematically explicit theory of observation selection effects that attempts to meet scientific needs while steering clear of philosophical paradox.

Download or read book Confrontation of Cosmological Theories with Observational Data written by Malcolm S. Longair and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-03-07 with total page 365 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Proceedings of IAU Symposium No. 63, held in Cracow, Poland, September 10-12, 1973

Download or read book The Anthropic Principle written by F. Bertola and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1993-07-30 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Long awaited proceedings of an important conference on the anthropic prininciple.

Download or read book A Fortunate Universe written by Geraint F. Lewis and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2016-10-06 with total page 395 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Universe Or Multiverse written by Bernard Carr and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2007-06-21 with total page 544 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Physicists argue from different perspectives for and against the idea of the existence of multiple universes.

Download or read book String Theory For Dummies written by Andrew Zimmerman Jones and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-11-16 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A clear, plain-English guide to this complex scientific theory String theory is the hottest topic in physics right now, with books on the subject (pro and con) flying out of the stores. String Theory For Dummies offers an accessible introduction to this highly mathematical "theory of everything," which posits ten or more dimensions in an attempt to explain the basic nature of matter and energy. Written for both students and people interested in science, this guide explains concepts, discusses the string theory's hypotheses and predictions, and presents the math in an approachable manner. It features in-depth examples and an easy-to-understand style so that readers can understand this controversial, cutting-edge theory.

Download or read book The Anthropic Cosmological Principle written by John D. Barrow and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1986 with total page 736 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Investigates the history of philosophic thought concerning the question of design and mankind's place in the universe. The modern collection of ideas known as the "anthropic cosmological principle" asserts that there is a deep connection between intelligent life and the physical universe.

Download or read book The Cosmic Landscape written by Leonard Susskind and published by Back Bay Books. This book was released on 2008-12-14 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In his first book ever, the father of string theory reinvents the world's concept of the known universe and man's unique place within it. Line drawings.

Download or read book Cosmic Jackpot written by Paul Davies and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2007-04-11 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cosmic Jackpot is Paul Davies’s eagerly awaited return to cosmology, the successor to his critically acclaimed bestseller The Mind of God. Here he tackles all the "big questions," including the biggest of them all: Why does the universe seem so well adapted for life? In his characteristically clear and elegant style, Davies shows how recent scientific discoveries point to a perplexing fact: many different aspects of the cosmos, from the properties of the humble carbon atom to the speed of light, seem tailor-made to produce life. A radical new theory says it’s because our universe is just one of an infinite number of universes, each one slightly different. Our universe is bio-friendly by accident -- we just happened to win the cosmic jackpot. While this "multiverse" theory is compelling, it has bizarre implications, such as the existence of infinite copies of each of us and Matrix-like simulated universes. And it still leaves a lot unexplained. Davies believes there’s a more satisfying solution to the problem of existence: the observations we make today could help shape the nature of reality in the remote past. If this is true, then life -- and, ultimately, consciousness -- aren’t just incidental byproducts of nature, but central players in the evolution of the universe. Whether he’s elucidating dark matter or dark energy, M-theory or the multiverse, Davies brings the leading edge of science into sharp focus, provoking us to think about the cosmos and our place within it in new and thrilling ways.

Download or read book Final Causality in Nature and Human Affairs written by Richard F. Hassing and published by CUA Press. This book was released on 2018-03-02 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teleology - the inquiry into the goals or goods at which nature, history, God, and human beings aim - is among the most fundamental yet controversial themes in the history of philosophy. Are there ends in nonhuman nature? Does human history have a goal? Do humanly unintended events of great significance express some sort of purpose? Do human beings have ends prior to choice? The essays in this volume address the abiding questions of final causality. The chapters are arranged in historical order from Aristotle through Hegel to contemporary anthropic-principle cosmology.

Download or read book Cosmology A Very Short Introduction written by Peter Coles and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2001-08-23 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a simple, non-technical introduction to cosmology, explaining what it is and what cosmologists do. Peter Coles discusses the history of the subject, the development of the Big Bang theory, and more speculative modern issues like quantum cosmology, superstrings, and dark matter. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Download or read book Farewell to Reality written by Jim Baggott and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2013-08-06 with total page 454 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From acclaimed science author Jim Baggot, a lively, provocative, and “intellectually gratifying” critique of modern theoretical physics (The Economist). Where does one draw the line between solid science and fairy-tale physics? Jim Baggott argues that there is no observational or experimental evidence for many of the ideas of modern theoretical physics: super-symmetric particles, super strings, the multiverse, the holographic principle, or the anthropic cosmological principle. Unafraid to challenge prominent theorists, Baggott offers engaging portraits of many central figures of modern physics, including Stephen Hawking, Paul Davies, John D. Barrow, Brian Greene, and Leonard Susskind. Informed, comprehensive, and balanced, Farewell to Reality discusses the latest ideas about the nature of physical reality while clearly distinguishing between fact and fantasy, providing essential and entertaining reading for everyone interested in what we know and don’t know about the nature of the universe and reality itself.

Download or read book The Neutrino Story One Tiny Particle s Grand Role in the Cosmos written by Rabindra N. Mohapatra and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-11-05 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every second of every day, we are exposed to billions of neutrinos emitted by the Sun, and yet they seem to pass straight through us with no apparent effect at all. Tiny and weakly interacting this subatomic particle may be, but this book will show you just how crucial a role it has played in the evolution of the elements in the universe, and eventually, ourselves. We first start with an introduction to the basics of subatomic physics, including brief backgrounds on the discoveries that set the stage for major 20th century advances. The author, a distinguished theoretical physicist who has researched neutrinos for over thirty years, next explains in nontechnical language how and why the neutrino fits into the wider story of elementary particles. Finally, the reader will learn about the latest discoveries in the past half century of neutrino studies. This semi-popular science book will appeal to any physics students or non-specialist physicists who wish to know more about the neutrino and its role in the evolution of our universe.

Download or read book Many Worlds in One written by Alex Vilenkin and published by Hill and Wang. This book was released on 2007-07-10 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Leading Figure in the Development of the New Cosmology Explains What It All Means Among his peers, Alex Vilenkin is regarded as one of the most imaginative and creative cosmologists of our time. His contributions to our current understanding of the universe include a number of novel ideas, two of which—eternal cosmic inflation and the quantum creation of the universe from nothing—have provided a scientific foundation for the possible existence of multiple universes. With this book—his first for the general reader—Vilenkin joins another select group: the handful of first-rank scientists who are equally adept at explaining their work to nonspecialists. With engaging, well-paced storytelling, a droll sense of humor, and a generous sprinkling of helpful cartoons, he conjures up a bizarre and fascinating new worldview that—to paraphrase Niels Bohr—just might be crazy enough to be true.

Download or read book The Accidental Universe written by Alan Lightman and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2014-01-14 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The bestselling author of Einsteins Dreams explores the emotional and philosophical questions raised by recent discoveries in science with passion and curiosity. He looks at the dialogue between science and religion; the conflict between our human desire for permanence and the impermanence of nature; the possibility that our universe is simply an accident; the manner in which modern technology has separated us from direct experience of the world; and our resistance to the view that our bodies and minds can be explained by scientific logic and laws. Behind all of these considerations is the suggestion--at once haunting and exhilarating--that what we see and understand of the world is only a tiny piece of the extraordinary, perhaps unfathomable whole.

Download or read book Universal written by Brian Cox and published by Da Capo Press. This book was released on 2017-03-28 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An awe-inspiring, unforgettable journey of scientific exploration from Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw, the international bestselling authors of Why Does E=MC2? and The Quantum Universe, with 55 black-&-white and 45 full-color pages featuring photographs, diagrams, maps, tables, and graphs We dare to imagine a time before the Big Bang, when the entire universe was compressed into a space smaller than an atom. And now, as Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw show, we can do more than imagine: we can understand. Universal takes us on an epic journey of scientific exploration. It reveals how we can all come to grips with some of the most fundamental questions about our Earth, Sun, and solar system--and the star-filled galaxies beyond. How big is our solar system? How quickly is space expanding? How big is the universe? What is it made of? Some of these questions can be answered on the basis of observations you can make in your own backyard. Other answers draw on the astonishing information now being gathered by teams of astronomers operating at the frontiers of the known universe. At the heart of all this lies the scientific method. Science reveals a deeper beauty and connects us to each other, to our world, and to our universe. Science reaches out into the unknown. As Universal demonstrates, if we dare to imagine, we can do the same.