The Life of the CosmosLee 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. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - Ma_Washigeri - LibraryThingAs usual I didn't manage to follow all of it - and as usual it didn't matter to my satisfaction with the book. I learned a lot here and there and although I'm not a convert yet, I love the ideas of ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - Ma_Washigeri - LibraryThingAs usual I didn't manage to follow all of it - and as usual it didn't matter to my satisfaction with the book. I learned a lot here and there and although I'm not a convert yet, I love the ideas of ... Read full review
Contents
| 3 | |
| 11 | |
| 21 | |
| 73 | |
PART 3 The Organization of the Cosmos | 139 |
PART 4 Einsteins Legacy | 211 |
PART 5 Einsteins Revenge | 255 |
EpilogueEvolutions | 294 |
Testing Cosmological Natural Selection | 301 |
Notes and Acknowledgments | 324 |
Selected Bibliography | 337 |
Glossary | 342 |
Index | 347 |
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Common terms and phrases
absolute space answer anthropic principle argument atoms basic beautiful biosphere black holes carbon century certainly chapter clock clouds complete construct cosmological constant cosmological natural selection density describe disk effects Einstein electron elementary particle physics energy equations equilibrium eternal exactly existence explain fact forces happens hypothesis idea imagine interactions interstellar medium invented kind large number laws of nature laws of physics lead least Leibniz logic look mass massive stars mathematics matter means molecules motion neutrinos neutron Newton Newtonian nuclear nuclei number of black observer organization parameters perhaps philosophical physicists picture Planck Planck length Planck units planet possible predictions problem processes properties proton quantum gravity quantum mechanics quantum theory question reason regions relativity result rotating scale seems self-organization simple species spiral galaxies standard model star formation string theory structure supernovas tell temperature tion true understand verse whole universe
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Life of the Cosmos |
| Author | Lee Smolin |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press, 1999 |
| ISBN | 019802679X, 9780198026792 |
| Length | 368 pages |
| Subjects | › › Science / General Science / Space Science / Astronomy Science / Space Science / Cosmology |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |