Cosmic Paradoxes
From dark energy to the dark of night, our universe is rich with puzzling phenomena. In Cosmic Paradoxes, Julio Gonzalo tours these fascinating conundrums without using excessive mathematics.
Consider, for example, the fact that the night sky is dark. In an infinite universe, stars would be randomly situated everywhere, and the sky would be blindingly bright, because a star would lie along every line of sight. This puzzle—known as Olbers’ paradox—is resolvable once we realize the universe has a finite age and light has a finite speed. The light from most stars, it turns out, has not yet had time to reach us.
Einstein’s general theory of relativity provides a second example of paradox. After Einstein completed his theory, Georges Lemaitre and other scientists noted that the theory permitted an expanding universe. Einstein initially resisted this implication, since it clashed with the prevailing notions of a static universe. The paradox resolved itself following Edwin Hubble’s discovery that the cosmos was, in fact, expanding.
Further along, Gonzalo profiles three more recent, related cosmic puzzles: What is the identity of the majority of mass in the cosmos? Why is the universe’s expansion accelerating? And what accounts for the fact that there are a billion photons for every baryon in the cosmos? He offers perspectives on the possible scientific explanations of dark matter and dark energy, and offers some equally interesting perspectives on the value of the photon-baryon ratio. In his final section, Gonzalo spotlights the indeterminacy of physics at the moment of the Big Bang, rendering speculative all ideas as to what preceded it.
Cosmic Paradoxes showcases the wonderfully puzzling universe we call home.
Softcover : 156 pages
Publisher: World Scientific Publications ( August 05, 2011 )
Item #: 13-532842
ISBN: 9789814355117
Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 8.2 inches
Product Weight: 10.0 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
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