The Evolving Universe and the Origin of Life: The Search for Our Cosmic Roots

Description

Regarding his discoveries, Sir Isaac Newton famously said, "If I have seen further it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants." The Evolving Universe and the Origin of Life describes, complete with fascinating biographical details of the thinkers involved, a history of the universe as interpreted by the expanding body of knowledge of humankind. From subatomic particles to the protein chains that form life, and expanding in scale to the entire universe, this book covers the science that explains how we came to be. This book contains a great breadth of knowledge, from astronomy and physics to chemistry and biology. The second edition brings this story up to date, chronicling scientific achievements in recent years in such fields of research as cosmology, the large-scale architecture of the universe, black holes, exoplanets, and the search for extraterrestrial life. With over 250 figures, this is a non-technical, easy-to-read textbook at an introductory college level that is ideal for anyone interested in science as well as its history. Front Matter ....Pages i-xix Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 When Science Was Born (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 3-13 Science in Athens (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 15-23 Planetary Spheres and the Size of the Universe (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 25-37 Medieval Cosmology (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 39-48 The Roots of the Copernican Revolution (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 49-59 The True Laws of Planetary Motion Revealed (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 61-72 Galileo Galilei and His Successors (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 73-88 How Far Away Are the Stars? (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 89-102 The Scale of the Solar System (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 103-110 Front Matter ....Pages 111-111 Newton (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 113-120 Celestial Mechanics (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 121-138 Nature of Light (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 139-148 Electricity and Magnetism (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 149-160 Time and Space (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 161-171 Curved Space and Gravity (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 173-189 Atoms and Nuclei (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 191-205 Strange Microworld (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 207-219 Elementary Particles (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 221-238 Front Matter ....Pages 239-239 Stars: Cosmic Fusion Reactors (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 241-261 The Riddle of the Milky Way (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 263-284 Entering the Galaxy Universe (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 285-315 Large-Scale Structure of the Universe (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 317-328 Finite or Infinite Universe: Cosmological Models (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 329-350 When It All Began: Big Bang (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 351-370 The Dark Side of the Universe (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 371-381 Active Galaxies: Messages Through Radio Waves (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 383-402 Origin of Galaxies (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 403-415 Front Matter ....Pages 417-417 The Nature of Life (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 419-446 Origin of Earth and Its Moon (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 447-465 Emergence and Evolution of Life (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 467-489 Life and Our Solar System (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 491-526 Extrasolar Planetary Systems and Life in Other Solar Systems (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 527-546 Human’s Role in the Universe (Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, Kirsi Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, Arthur Chernin)....Pages 547-557 Back Matter ....Pages 559-584