A landmark volume in science writing by one of the great minds of our time, Stephen Hawking’s book explores such profound questions as: How did the universe begin—and what made its start possible? Does time always flow forward? Is the universe unending—or are there boundaries? Are there other dimensions in space? What will happen when it all ends? Told in language we all can understand…
Integrating concepts from philosophical, anthropological, and astrobiological disciplines, Cosmos and Culture begins to explore the interdisciplinary questions of cosmic evolution.
Written in simple and accessible language, this nontechnical introduction to cosmology, or the creation and development of the universe, explains the discipline, covers its history, details the latest developments, and explains what is known, what is believed, and what is purely speculative. In addition, the author discusses the development of the Big Bang theory, and more speculative modern is…
China, literature, digital media, and art.
At early times, the universe was hot and dense. Interactions between particles were frequent and energetic. Matter was in the form of free electrons and atomic nuclei with light bouncing between them. As the primordial plasma cooled, the light elements—hydrogen, helium and lithium—formed. At some point, the energy had dropped enough for the first stable atoms to exist. At that moment, photo…