Galaxy: Mapping the Cosmos Kindle Edition

The numbers involved when it comes to discussing stars, galaxies and the inconceivably vast tracts of empty space between them are staggering. With hundreds of billions of galaxies in the observable universe, all of varying shapes, sizes and ages – each containing hundreds of billions of suns – at first glance our universe appears frustratingly unknowable, and yet it is captivating to explore. As a species we have only recently come to appreciate that our Milky Way is just one of myriad galaxies spread throughout the universe, with modern scientific breakthroughs forcing dramatic re-evaluations of our place in the immense cosmos. Our knowledge is growing daily and the pace of research continues to accelerate but we are still far away from from a complete understanding of how the galaxies came to be, and the processes that shaped them. Written by an active researcher in the field, Galaxy: Mapping the Infinite tells the rich scientific story of galaxy evolution and observation – discoveries of ‘spiral nebulae’, the nature of galaxies and the current ‘World Model’. Astronomer James Geach takes us on a tour of what is currently known and unknown, discussing why the ancient science of astronomy continues to fascinate humanity. Appealing to all readers interested in astronomy and cosmology, and featuring 100 colour illustrations, Galaxy explores the enigma of our cosmic habitat, chronicling how our home in the universe came to be.

Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature Is Almost Certainly False Kindle Edition

The modern materialist approach to life has conspicuously failed to explain such central mind-related features of our world as consciousness, intentionality, meaning, and value. This failure to account for something so integral to nature as mind, argues philosopher Thomas Nagel, is a major problem, threatening to unravel the entire naturalistic world picture, extending to biology, evolutionary theory, and cosmology. Since minds are features of biological systems that have developed through evolution, the standard materialist version of evolutionary biology is fundamentally incomplete. And the cosmological history that led to the origin of life and the coming into existence of the conditions for evolution cannot be a merely materialist history, either. An adequate conception of nature would have to explain the appearance in the universe of materially irreducible conscious minds, as such. Nagel's skepticism is not based on religious belief or on a belief in any definite alternative. In Mind and Cosmos, he does suggest that if the materialist account is wrong, then principles of a different kind may also be at work in the history of nature, principles of the growth of order that are in their logical form teleological rather than mechanistic. In spite of the great achievements of the physical sciences, reductive materialism is a world view ripe for displacement. Nagel shows that to recognize its limits is the first step in looking for alternatives, or at least in being open to their possibility.

The Intelligent Universe: AI, ET, and the Emerging Mind of the Cosmos

What is the ultimate destiny of our universe? That is the striking question addressed by James Gardner in THE INTELLIGENT UNIVERSE. Traditionally scientists (and Robert Frost) have offered two bleak answers to this profound issue: fire or ice. The cosmos might end in fire - a cataclysmic Big Crunch in which galaxies planets and life forms are consumed in a raging inferno as the universe contracts in a kind of Big Bang in reverse. Or the universe might end in ice - a ceaseless expansion of the fabric of space-time in which matter and energy are eternally diluted and cooled stars wither and die and the cosmos simply fades into quiet and endless oblivion. In THE INTELLIGENT UNIVERSE James Gardner envisions a third dramatic Alternative - a final state of the cosmos in which a highly evolved form of group intelligence engineers a cosmic renewal the birth of a new universe. Gardner's vision is that life and intelligence are at the very heart of the elegant machinery of the universe. It is a viewpoint that has won outspoken praise from an array of leading scientists including Britain's Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Rees and Templeton Prize winner Paul Davies. THE INTELLIGENT UNIVERSE is both a look into the past and a road map for the future of the universe. It explores the mysteries of the universe and of consciousness and provides a frank and fascinating look at where our minds are taking us.

The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos

There was a time when 'universe' meant all there is. Everything. Yet, as physicist Brian Greene's extraordinary book shows, ours may be just one universe among many, like endless reflections in a mirror. He takes us on a captivating exploration of parallel worlds - from a multiverse where an infinite number of your doppelgangers are reading this sentence, to vast oceans of bubble universes and even multiverses made of mathematics - showing just how much of reality's true nature may be hidden within them. 'If extraterrestrials land tomorrow and demand to know what the human mind is capable of accomplishing ... hand them a copy of this book' The New York Times Book Review 'A writer of exceptional clarity and charm ... every chapter opens level after level of previously unimaginable, mind-expanding realities' Oliver Sacks 'The book serves well as an introduction to the multiverse and will open up many people's eyes' John Gribbin Brian Greene is well known to many fans as a populariser of theoretical physics. He is the author of the bestselling books about string theory, The Elegant Universe, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction, The Fabric of the Cosmos, and The Hidden Reality. Educated at Harvard and Oxford, he has taught at both Harvard and Cornell and has been Professor of Physics and Mathematics at Columbia University since 1996.

The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time and the Texture of Reality Paperback

What is reality? Could we exist without space and time? Can we travel to the past? What are the limits of the universe? Brian Greene has made the mysteries of space and time accessible to millions with his acclaimed writings and award-winning TV series. Now he reveals a world more beautiful and bizarre than we could have imagined, where 'dark matter' reigns, space warps and wiggles through eleven dimensions, minute particles dance, fizz and teleport across vast distances, everything is made of vibrating strings and, like an ant on a lily-pad, we may be floating on a sliver of spacetime. Revealing new layers of reality that lie just beneath the surface of our everyday lives, this grand tour of the universe will make you look at the world in a completely new way. 'A must-read' Sunday Times 'Greene takes us to the limits of space and time' Guardian 'Sends the reader's imagination hurtling through the universe on an astonishing ride' The New York Times Brian Greene is well known to many fans as a populariser of theoretical physics. He is the author of the bestselling books about string theory, The Elegant Universe, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction, The Fabric of the Cosmos, and The Hidden Reality. Educated at Harvard and Oxford, he has taught at both Harvard and Cornell and has been Professor of Physics and Mathematics at Columbia University since 1996.

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The Universe

Using the stunning Illustrations and clear cut diagrams, The universe takes you on a fascinating journey through space and explores how the universe was formed, the evolution of stars, our solar system and beyond! This magnificently illustrated edition also examines the spirit of space exploration and how thanks to scientific and technological advances there have been remarkable discoveries - but there is still so much more to uncover. The cut away illustrations examine the solar system in detail and transports you into space to these vast and your own space mission, to discover the inspiring phenomena that the universe has to offer. Explore the beauty of the stars and nebulae, mysterious black holes and dark matter. Features planets, asteroids and galaxies. Discover the technology and spacecraft behind the extraordinary missions and discoveries.

Cosmos: The Story of Cosmic Evolution, Science and Civilisation

* Spacecraft missions to nearby planets
* The Library of ancient Alexandria
* The human brain
* Egyptian hieroglyphics
* The origin of life
* The death of the sun
* The evolution of galaxies
* The origins of matter, suns and worlds

The story of fifteen billion years of cosmic evolution transforming matter and life into consciousness, of how science and civilisation grew up together, and of the forces and individuals who helped shape modern science. A story told with Carl Sagan's remarkable ability to make scientific ideas both comprehensible and exciting.