Cycles of Time : An Extraordinary New View of the Universe

From the best-selling author of The Emperor’s New Mind and The Road to Reality, a groundbreaking book that provides new views on three of cosmology’s most profound questions: What, if anything, came before the Big Bang? What is the source of order in our universe? What is its ultimate future? Current understanding of our universe dictates that all matter will eventually thin out to zero density, with huge black holes finally evaporating away into massless energy. Roger Penrose—one of the most innovative mathematicians of our time—turns around this predominant picture of the universe’s “heat death,” arguing how the expected ultimate fate of our accelerating, expanding universe can actually be reinterpreted as the “Big Bang” of a new one. Along the way to this remarkable cosmological picture, Penrose sheds new light on basic principles that underlie the behavior of our universe, describing various standard and nonstandard cosmological models, the fundamental role of the cosmic microwave background, and the key status of black holes. Ideal for both the amateur astronomer and the advanced physicist—with plenty of exciting insights for each— Cycles of Time is certain to provoke and challenge. Intellectually thrilling and accessible, this is another essential guide to the universe from one of our preeminent thinkers. A Groundbreaking Book Providing A New Take On Three Of Cosmology's Most Profound Questions: What, If Anything, Came Before The Big Bang? What Is The Source Of Order In Our Universe? What Is The Universe's Ultimate Future? Current Understanding Of Our Universe Dictates That All Matter Will Eventually Thin Out To Zero Density, With Huge Black Holes Finally Evaporating Away Into Massless Energy. Roger Penrose--one Of The Most Innovative Mathematicians Of Our Time--turns Around This Predominant Picture Of The Universe's Heat Death, Arguing How The Expected Ultimate Fate Of Our Accelerating, Expanding Universe Can Actually Be Reinterpreted As The Big Bang Of A New One. Along The Way To This Remarkable Cosmological Picture, Penrose Sheds New Light On Basic Principles That Underlie The Behavior Of Our Universe, Describing Various Standard And Nonstandard Cosmological Models, The Fundamental Role Of The Cosmic Microwave Background, And The Key Status Of Black Holes. Intellectually Thrilling And Accessible, Cycles Of Time Is Another Essential Guide To The Universe From One Of Our Preeminent Thinkers--provided By Publisher. The Second Law And Its Underlying Mystery -- The Oddly Special Nature Of The Big Bang -- Conformal Cyclic Cosmology. Roger Penrose. Includes Index. From Nobel prize-winner Roger Penrose, this groundbreaking book is for anyone'who is interested in the world, how it works, and how it got here'(New York Journal of Books). Penrose presents a new perspective on three of cosmology's essential questions: What came before the Big Bang? What is the source of order in our universe? And what cosmic future awaits us? He shows how the expected fate of our ever-accelerating and expanding universe—heat death or ultimate entropy—can actually be reinterpreted as the conditions that will begin a new “Big Bang.” He details the basic principles beneath our universe, explaining various standard and non-standard cosmological models, the fundamental role of the cosmic microwave background, the paramount significance of black holes, and other basic building blocks of contemporary physics. Intellectually thrilling and widely accessible, Cycles of Time is a welcome new contribution to our understanding of the universe from one of our greatest mathematicians and thinkers. Roger Penrose's groundbreaking and bestselling The Road To Reality (2005) provided a comprehensive yet readable guide to our present understanding of the laws that are currently believed to govern our universe. In Cycles of Time, he moves far beyond this to develop a completely new perspective on cosmology, providing a quite unexpected answer to the often-asked question, 'What came before the Big Bang?'