Cosmology 101 (Science 101)

What should the average person know about science? Because science is so central to life in the 21st century, science educators and other leaders of the scientific community believe that it is essential that everyone understand the basic concepts of the most vital and far-reaching disciplines. Cosmology 101 does exactly that. This accessible volume provides readers - whether students new to the field or just interested members of the lay public - with the essential ideas of evolution using a minimum of jargon and mathematics. Concepts are introduced in a progressive order so that more complicated ideas build on simpler ones, and each is discussed in small, bite-sized segments so that they can be more easily understood. Cosmology 101 introduces readers to all the aspects that make cosmology such a vibrant and dynamic field: BLThe debate over whether the the Milky Way was the only "island universe", or only one of many "galaxies. The solution to this question set into motion a new revolution in cosmology. BLAlbert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, which has completely altered how scientists model the universe. BLThe debates over the Steady-State versus the Big Bang model of the universe, and the recent theories, such as the inflationary model of the universe. This volume in the Science 101 series provides readers with a solid understanding of how scientist know what they know about the universe.

what Should The Average Person Know About Science? Because Science Is So Central To Life In The 21st Century, Science Educators And Other Leaders Of The Scientific Community Believe That It Is Essential That Everyone Understand The Basic Concepts Of The Most Vital And Far-reaching Disciplines. cosmology 101 Does Exactly That. This Accessible Volume Provides Readers - Whether Students New To The Field Or Just Interested Members Of The Lay Public - With The Essential Ideas Of Evolution Using A Minimum Of Jargon And Mathematics. Concepts Are Introduced In A Progressive Order So That More Complicated Ideas Build On Simpler Ones, And Each Is Discussed In Small, Bite-sized Segments So That They Can Be More Easily Understood.

this Volume In The science 101 Series Provides Readers With A Solid Understanding Of How Scientist Know What They Know About The Universe.

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these Two Volumes Follow The Same Template, But Have Very Different Styles. The Author Of cosmology 101 Interweaves Details Of The Nature Of The Universe With Interesting Narratives Including The Women Computers Who Measured Spectral Lines Of Stars, The Copernican Revolution, The Impact Of Space-time, And The Current Status Of Pluto. Topics Include The Tools And Techniques Of Study, Theories Past And Present, And Speculations About Multiverses And Extraterrestrial Intelligence. The Authors Of evolution 101 Offer Superb Illustrations To Clarify Discussion Of The Dynamics Of The Evolutionary Process, Including The Use Of Simple Figures With Wafflesmoozers (nonexistent Whimsical Animals). One Chapter Focuses On The Evidence For Evolution, And Another Applies Evolution To Daily Life. Appendixes Include A Time Clock Showing Humans Appearing Just Before Midnight, A Time Line Of Evolutionary Thought, And The Products Of Evolution. The Nature Of Science And Its Impact On Culture Are Addressed In Both Books. They Have Carefully Selected Bibliographies That Include A Brief Statement Qualifying Each Choice. These Books Are Not For Casual Reading, But Even Younger, Motivated Students Should Be Able To Gain Some Understanding Of These Topics Without Assistance Or Prior Knowledge. Teachers Will Appreciate The Depth And Clarity Of These Two Valuable Additions To The Library. Reviewer: Marilyn Brien

Contents 8 Series Foreword 12 Preface 14 Introduction 16 Where Did It All Come From? 16 What Is Science? 18 Science and Religion 20 1. Luminous Matters: Light and Stars 24 Cosmology as a Unique Practice 24 The Electromagnetic Spectrum 26 Magnitudes 31 Telescopes 32 Spectroscopy 37 The Classification of Stars 41 The HR Diagram 44 The Interstellar Medium 46 The Lives of Stars 47 Star Formation 47 Stellar Evolution 50 Cepheids and the Period-Luminosity Relationship 54 Stellar Corpses 57 2. The History of Cosmology 60 The Rise of the Geocentric Universe 60 The Copernican Revolution 64 Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion 66 Galileo, Newton, and the Telescopic Revolution 68 Why Is the Night Sky Dark? 71 The Problem of the Nebulae 72 The Great Debate 76 The Development of Hubble’s Law 78 3. Warped Space-time: General Relativity and Modern Cosmology 82 General Relativity 82 Cosmological Models 85 The Big Bang and Steady-State Theories 91 Lemâitre and the Primeval Atom 91 Gamow’s Evolutionary Model and the Steady-State 92 The Rise of the Big Bang 93 4. Measuring and Mapping the Universe 98 Normal Galaxies 98 The Milky Way 102 The Local Group 105 Active Galactic Nuclei 107 Dark Matter 111 Large-Scale Structure 114 The Cosmic Distance Ladder 116 Standard Candles 120 The Age of the Universe 124 Measuring the Hubble Constant 127 5. The Evolution of the Universe 132 The Standard Model of Particle Physics 132 The Fundamental Forces and Particles 132 Unifying the Forces 135 The First Fifteen Minutes 139 The Dark Age 141 The Fate of the Universe 144 Inflationary Cosmology 145 Problems with the Big Bang 145 Old Inflation 147 New Inflation 149 Eternal Inflation 150 Dark Matter Redux 152 Dark Energy 154 The Accelerating Universe 154 Candidates for Dark Energy 155 The Concordance Model 157 Acoustic Waves and the Early Universe 157 Results from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) 159 Other Observations 162 6. The Road Goes Ever On: Continuing Speculations 164 Multiple Dimensions 164 String Theory 164 M-theory and Braneworlds 166 Cosmic Strings 169 The Fine-Tuned Universe 170 The Anthropic Principle 171 Multiverses 173 The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence 174 Life as We Know It (LAWKI) 175 Talking to Aliens 177 Conclusion 180 Glossary 184 Selected Bibliography 196 Index 206 A Comprehensive View Of Cosmology That Covers Light And Stars, Its History, General Relativity, Measuring And Mapping The Universe, Evolution Of The Universe, And Continuing Speculations.