Big bang : the origins of the universe / Simon Singh.
Material type:
TextPublication details: New York : Fourth Estate, c2004.Edition: 1st U.S. edDescription: 532 p. : ill. ; 24 cmISBN: - 0007162200 (acidfree paper)
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
|
Main Library | NonFiction | 523.18 S617 | Available | 33111004370496 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
We've all heard of the Big Bang, and yet few of us truly know what it is.
Renowned for making difficult ideas much less difficult than they might first appear, Simon Singh is our perfect guide to explaining why cosmologists believe that the Big Bang is an accurate description of the origin and evolution of the universe.
This highly readable and entertaining book tells the story of the many brilliant, often eccentric scientists who fought against the establishment idea of an eternal and unchanging cosmos. From such early Greek cosmologists as Anaximander to recent satellite measurements taken deep in space, Big Bang is a narrative full of anecdotes and personal histories. With characteristic clarity, Simon Singh tells the centuries-long story of mankind's attempt to understand how the universe came to be, a story which itself begins some 14 billion years ago (give or take a billion years). Simon Singh shows us that it is within the capability of all of us -- in his expert hands -- to understand the Big Bang: the fundamental theory in all of science, and a high point -- perhaps the high point -- of human achievement.
Includes bibliographical references (p. [509]-516) and index.
In the beginning: From mythology to cosmology, from prehistory to 1900 -- Theories of the universe: How Einstein's theory of gravity hinted at a moment of creation -- Great debate: How observations of the universe implied a cosmic expansion -- Mavericks of the cosmos: How theory and observation came together to form the big bang model -- Paradigm shift: Battle between rival cosmological theories is finally resolved -- Epilogue: What are the outstanding questions for the big bang model? -- What is science? -- Glossary -- Further reading -- Acknowledgements -- Picture credits -- Index.