The Dancing Universe: From Creation Myths to the Big BangIn this provocative and engaging work, a brilliant young physicist argues that science and religion, far from being warring disciplines, may each offer valid, perhaps even complimentary, explanations for the origins of the universe. In this fertile territory lies the possibility for a greater understanding of the cosmos. Marcelo Gleiser begins by providing a broad, highly accessible outline of philosophical and scientific ideas about the universe through the past twenty-five centuries, from the universal creation myths of ancient societies to contemporary notions of an ever-expanding universe. He also explores the life and work of some of the greatest scientists, including Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton, and Einstein, focusing on the beliefs and inspirations (often religious) behind the scientific creative process. Newton, for example, said that he worked in the presence of the Creator. Einstein spoke of a cosmic religious feeling, and Stephen Hawking has claimed that to unravel the cosmos is to know the mind of God. By exploring how scientists have unlocked the secrets of such concepts as gravity, electromagnetism, time, and space, Gleiser offers fresh perspectives on the debate between science and faith. Finally, he illustrates on how the origin of the universe has nearly come full circle with some of the oldest creation myths. Throughout, Marcelo Gleiser writes from the personal perspective of a scientist who believes in multiple approaches to life |
Contents
Creation Myths | 3 |
The Greeks | 23 |
The Sun the Church and the New Astronomy | 63 |
Copyright | |
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acceleration answer Aristotelian Aristotle astronomer atomistic atoms beauty became believed big-bang bodies Bohr called caused century B.C. chemical elements Church constant Copernican Copernicus cosmic cosmological constant cosmology cosmos created creation myths describe discovery distance Earth Einstein electric charges electromagnetic electrons elements emitted energy epicycles equations existence experiment explain Faraday finite force galaxies Galileo geometry gravity Greek heat heavenly heavens Hubble hypothesis ideas infinite Kepler Lemaître magnetic mass mathematical matter measure Moon moving nature nebulae neutrons Newton Newtonian nucleus objects observer orbit origin particles phenomena Philolaus philosophers physicists planets Plato position possible predicted principle proposed protons Pythagorean quantum mechanics question radiation rays religion religious scientific scientists sense solar space spacetime special relativity spectrum speed of light sphere stars telescope theory of relativity things thought tion ture Tycho understand Universe velocity wave wave-particle duality wavelength wrote