The first three minutes : a modern view of the origin of the universe

A Nobel Prize-winning physicist explains what happened at the very beginning of the universe, and how we know, in this popular science classic. Our universe has been growing for nearly 14 billion years. But almost everything about it, from the elements that forged stars, planets, and lifeforms, to the fundamental forces of physics, can be traced back to what happened in just the first three minutes of its existence.In this book, Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg describes in wonderful detail what happened in these first three minutes. It is an exhilarating journey that begins with the Planck Epoch - the earliest period of time in the history of the universe - and goes through Einstein's Theory of Relativity, the Hubble Red Shift, and the detection of the Cosmic Microwave Background. These incredible discoveries all form the foundation for what we now understand as the "standard model" of the origin of the universe. The First Three Minutes examines not only what this model looks like, but also tells the exciting story of the bold thinkers who put it together. Clearly and accessibly written, The First Three Minutes is a modern-day classic, an unsurpassed explanation of where it is that everything really comes from. A Nobel Prize-winning physicist explains what happened at the very beginning of the universe, and how we know, in this popular science classic. Our universe has been growing for nearly 14 billion years. But almost everything about it, from the elements that forged stars, planets, and lifeforms, to the fundamental forces of physics, can be traced back to what happened in just the first three minutes of its life. In this book, Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg describes in wonderful detail what happened in these first three minutes. It is an exhilarating journey that begins with the Planck Epoch - the earliest period of time in the history of the universe - and goes through Einstein's Theory of Relativity, the Hubble Red Shift, and the detection of the Cosmic Microwave Background. These incredible discoveries all form the foundation for what we now understand as the "standard model" of the origin of the universe. The First Three Minutes examines not only what this model looks like, but also tells the exciting story of the bold thinkers who put it together. Clearly and accessibly written, The First Three Minutes is a modern-day classic, an unsurpassed explanation of where it is we really come from. Cover ......Page 1 Title ......Page 3 Copyright ......Page 4 Contents ......Page 5 Preface ......Page 7 Preface to the Second Paper Edition ......Page 11 I INTRODUCTION: THE GIANT AND THE COW ......Page 15 II THE EXPANSION OF THE UNIVERSE ......Page 23 III THE COSMIC MICROWAVE RADIATION BACKGROUND ......Page 62 IV RECIPE FOR A HOT UNIVERSE ......Page 99 V THE FIRST THREE MINUTES ......Page 123 VI A HISTORICAL DIVERSION ......Page 144 VII THE FIRST ONE-HUNDREDTH SECOND ......Page 155 VIII EPILOGUE: THE PROSPECT AHEAD ......Page 172 Tables: ......Page 178 Glossary ......Page 181 A Mathematical Supplement ......Page 190 Afterword: Cosmology Since 1977 ......Page 201 Suggestions for Further Reading ......Page 214 Index ......Page 218 Introduction: The Giant And The Cow -- The Expansion Of The Universe -- The Cosmic Microwave Radiation Background -- Recipe For A Hot Universe -- The First Three Minutes -- A Historical Diversion -- The First One-hundredth-second -- Epilogue: The Prospect Ahead -- Tables -- Glossary -- A Mathematical Supplement -- Afterword: Cosmology Since 1977. Steven Weinberg. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 192-195) And Index. This classic of contemporary science writing by a Nobel Prize-winning physicist explains to general readers what happened when the universe began, and how we know A classic of contemporary science written by a Nobel Prize-winning physicist to explain what happened when the universe began, and how we know A little technical, but a brilliant account of how and why the universe is moving away from a centre, and the implications thereof.