Increasingly astronomers recognize that if the cosmos had not unfolded exactly as it did, humanity would not, could not, exist. Yet these researchers--along with countless ordinary folks--resist belief in the biblical Creator. Why? They say a loving God would have made a better home for us, one without trouble and tragedy. In Why the Universe Is the Way It Is, Hugh Ross draws from his depth of study in both science and Scripture to explain how the universe's design fulfills several distinct purposes. He also reveals God's surpassing love and ultimate purposes for each individual. Why the Universe Is the Way It Is will interest anyone who wonders where and how the universe came to be, what or who is responsible for it, why we are here, or how and when the universe ends. Far from leaving the reader at this philosophical jumping-off point, Ross builds toward answering the big question of human destiny and the specific question of each reader's personal destiny.
The whole universe is full of miracles. The Massive Black holes are massive objects collections of mass, with gravity so strong that nothing can escape, not even light. Black holes are among the strangest things in the universe. The most common types of black holes are the stellar-mass and super massive black holes. Stellar, mass black holes, are created when massive stars explode, leaving behind a black hole with the mass of just a few suns. "These are incredibly fast-moving objects that are actually gravitationally unbound to the Milky Way." Though these speed demons may be close to the black hole, they are not shrouded by dust and can be detected with telescopes. A stellar black hole can be seen when it rips a companion star to pieces. When a massive star explodes, not all the material is ejected into space. Some of it collapses into an extremely compact object known as a neutron star, inside which gravitational forces crush protons and electrons together, turning them into particles known as neutrons. A neutron star contains a few solar masses of material squeezed into a radius of only 20 km. This means the matter is so compressed that a thimble full of it would weigh millions of tonnes on Earth. Fast-spinning neutron stars, whose radio emissions seem to pulse on and off, are called pulsars. Quasars is the brightest objects in the universe, they shine anywhere from 10 to 100,000 times brighter than the Milky Way. Shining so brightly that they eclipse the ancient galaxies that contain them, quasars are distant objects powered by black holes a billion times as massive as our sun. These powerful dynamos have fascinated astronomers since their discovery half a century ago. Light-speed jets, the tiny point-like glimmers, are actually signals from galactic nuclei outshining their host galaxies. Quasars live only in galaxies with super massive black holes, black holes that contain billions of times the mass of the sun. Although light cannot escape from the black hole itself, some signals can break free around its edges. While some dust and gas fall into the black hole, other particles are accelerated away from it at near the speed of light. The particles stream away from the black hole in jets above and below it, transported by one of the most powerful partiparticle accelerators in the universe.
This text is about the central role of evolution in shaping the nature and diversity of the living world. It describes the processes of natural selection, how adaptations arise, and how new species form, as well as summarizing the evidence for evolution
The Andromeda galaxy is our closest galactic neighbour, roughly 2.5 million light-years away. Though it is 140,000 light-years across, it isn't bright enough to be seen in the night sky by our eyes. Black holes are formed when some very large stars collapse and condense all of their mass into a very small area, known as the Schwarzschild radius. Earth's Schwarzschild radius is just below nine mm (1/3 inch), and if it were to be compressed below that size, our planet would become a black hole. Though the birth and death of stars don't happen instantaneously, the process happens fairly frequently. By using observed star formation and supernova events within the Milky Way, astronomers have estimated that 275 million stars are born and die throughout the observable universe each day. This totals more than 100 billion over the course of a year. There are anywhere between 200-400 billion stars in the Milky Way and an estimated 100 billion planets. Around one in five stars are like our sun, and astronomers have estimated that about 22% of them have planets the size of Earth in their habitable zone, where water can exist as a liquid. This means there could be 8.8 billion planets within the galaxy capable of supporting life (not accounting for composition of the planet or its atmosphere). Quasars occur when gas swirls around a black hole very quickly, and friction causes it to heat up, emitting light. Astronomers have a discovered a group of 73 quasars that are over 6.5 times larger than the average quasar group. This structure is over four billion light-years wide, and actually cannot be explained by the Theory of General Relativity. Pulsars are magnetized neutron stars that spin incredibly fast and blast out a beam of radiation, kind of like a lighthouse beacon. The fastest known pulsar is PSR J1748-2446ad, located around 18,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius. Though it is of average size for a neutron star, it spins an astonishing 716 times per second. This is nearly a quarter of the speed of light, and exceeds what theories say is possible. The whole universe is full of miracles. The Massive Black holes are massive objects collections of mass, with gravity so strong that nothing can escape, not even light. Black holes are among the strangest things in the universe. The most common types of black holes are the stellar-mass and super massive black holes. Stellar, mass black holes, are created when massive stars explode, leaving behind a black hole with the mass of just a few suns. "These are incredibly fast-moving objects that are actually gravitationally unbound to the Milky Way." Though these speed demons may be close to the black hole, they are not shrouded by dust and can be detected with telescopes. A stellar black hole can be seen when it rips a companion star to pieces. When a massive star explodes, not all the material is ejected into space.
“In a unique take on the cosmos, Gould makes the case that the emergence of a great many things are not only pre-ordained, but predictable.” (Forbes) We know the universe has a history, but does it also have a story of self-creation to tell? Yes, in Roy R. Gould’s account. He offers a compelling narrative of how the universe?with no instruction other than its own laws?evolved into billions of galaxies and gave rise to life. Far from being a random accident, the universe is hard at work, extracting order from chaos. Making use of the best current science, Gould turns what many assume to be true about the universe on its head. The cosmos expands inward, not outward. Gravity can drive things apart, not merely together. And the universe seems to defy entropy as it becomes more ordered, rather than the other way around. Strangest of all, the universe is exquisitely hospitable to life, despite its being constructed from undistinguished atoms and a few unexceptional rules of behavior. Universe in Creation explores whether the emergence of life, rather than being a mere cosmic afterthought, may be written into the most basic laws of nature. “A must-have for all avid popular science fans.” —Astronomy Now “Gould . . . proposes a fascinating thesis about life’s emergence in this eloquent debut” —Publishers Weekly “A joyous romp through a cosmos full of wonders.” —Roald Hoffmann, Nobel Laureate and author of Beyond the Finite “Exciting, original, and extremely well written.” —Avi Loeb, Harvard University, New York Times bestselling author of Extraterrestrial “Fascinating. . . . Gould artfully describes various . . . highlights in universal history, like the formation of stars and planets. Many of these moments are majestic.” —New Republic
For millennia, shamans and philosophers, believers and nonbelievers, artists and scientists have tried to make sense of our existence by suggesting that everything is connected, that a mysterious Oneness binds us to everything else. People go to temples, churches, mosques, and synagogues to pray to their divine incarnation of Oneness. Following a surprisingly similar notion, scientists have long asserted that under Nature’s apparent complexity there is a simpler underlying reality. In its modern incarnation, this Theory of Everything would unite the physical laws governing very large bodies (Einstein’s theory of relativity) and those governing tiny ones (quantum mechanics) into a single framework. But despite the brave efforts of many powerful minds, the Theory of Everything remains elusive. It turns out that the universe is not elegant. It is gloriously messy. Overturning more than twenty-five centuries of scientific thought, award-winning physicist Marcelo Gleiser argues that this quest for a Theory of Everything is fundamentally misguided, and he explains the volcanic implications this ideological shift has for humankind. All the evidence points to a scenario in which everything emerges from fundamental imperfections, primordial asymmetries in matter and time, cataclysmic accidents in Earth’s early life, and duplication errors in the genetic code. Imbalance spurs creation. Without asymmetries and imperfections, the universe would be filled with nothing but smooth radiation. A Tear at the Edge of Creation calls for nothing less than a new "humancentrism" to reflect our position in the universal order. All life, but intelligent life in particular, is a rare and precious accident. Our presence here has no meaning outside of itself, but it does have meaning. The unplanned complexity of humankind is all the more beautiful for its improbability. It’s time for science to let go of the old aesthetic that labels perfection beautiful and holds that "beauty is truth." It’s time to look at the evidence without centuries of monotheistic baggage. In this lucid, down-to-earth narrative, Gleiser walks us through the basic and cutting-edge science that fueled his own transformation from unifier to doubter—a fascinating scientific quest that led him to a new understanding of what it is to be human.
From the publishers of the award-winning Knowledge Encyclopedia comes Space! Truly encyclopedic in scope and fully up-to-date covering the stars and planets, space exploration, and the night sky, Space! is packed with amazing facts and NASA images revealing the wonders of the cosmos -- from black holes to the big bang to the planets. Using computer-generated 3D models to explore and open up the most amazing objects in the universe, showing each object in incredible detail, Space! is bursting with facts, infographics, and data boxes. Every topic is covered in depth and detail while remaining easy to understand at a glance. With fresh content, up-to-date images, and crystal-clear, hi-tech design, Space! is a bold new approach to family reference.
An astrophysicist presents an in-depth yet accessible tour of the universe for lay readers, while conveying the excitement of astronomy.How is a galaxy billions of lightyears away connected to us? Is our home nothing more than a tiny speck of blue in an ocean of night? In this exciting tour of a universe far larger than we can imagine, cosmologist Paul M. Sutter emphasizes how amazing it is that we are part of such a huge, complex, and mysterious place. Through metaphors and uncomplicated language, Sutter breathes life into the science of astrophysics, unveiling how particles, forces, and fields interplay to create the greatest of cosmic dramas. Touched with the author's characteristic breezy, conversational style--which has made him a breakout hit on venues such as The Weather Channel, the Science Channel, and his own popular Ask a Spaceman! podcast--he conveys the fun and wonder of delving deeply into the physical processes of the natural universe. He weaves together the past and future histories of our universe with grounded descriptions of essential modern-day physics as well as speculations based on the latest research in cosmology. Topics include our place in the Milky Way galaxy; the cosmic web--a vast web-like pattern in which galaxies are arranged; the origins of our universe in the big bang; the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy; how science has dramatically changed our relationship to the cosmos; conjectures about the future of reality as we know it; and more.For anyone who has ever stared at the starry night sky and wondered how we humans on Earth fit into the big picture, this book is an essential roadmap.
The Beginning and the End of Everything is the whole story as we currently understand it - from nothing, to the birth of our universe, to its ultimate fate. Authoritative and engaging, Paul Parsons takes us on a rollercoaster ride through billions of light years to tell the story of the Big Bang, from birth to death.
Travel to the furthest reaches of the Universe and visit 100 remarkable objects along the way with this stunning space book for curious kids aged 6-8. Space is so much bigger than young minds can fathom and there is always more to learn. The Mysteries of the Universe is a stunning space encyclopedia for young readers to explore, with reference pages packed with fascinating information, little learners will be captivated as they journey through the vastness of the Universe. From planets and asteroids to black holes and galaxies, every page of this enthralling space book reveals the secrets behind more than 100 celestial objects, and will inspire youngsters as they journey through the vastness of the Universe. Each celestial body is shown both photographically and illustrated, and children will love poring over the detailed close-up images. Get ready to explore fun facts and exciting new scientific discoveries as this best-selling picture book will illuminate imaginations and spark curious minds to explore the vastness of space. The engaging storybook-style descriptions and simple text shed a light on facts, myths, and key discoveries about the universe, perfect for children aged 6-8 to explore the wonders of our solar system and beyond. Celebrate your child’s curiosity as they: - Explore Beautiful illustrations and incredible photography that showcase the mysteries of space. - Reveal Engaging storybook-style descriptions that explain key discoveries about the universe - Uncover 100 remarkable objects in the cosmos. This space encyclopedia for children is the perfect blend of storybook style text with out of this world illustrations which makes it a fantastic space book for children who can't get enough of the solar system. Encourage early learners to go on a journey to explore a world of information, making this the ideal first reference book for kids aged 6-8 to enjoy for hours on end, whether reading with the family or reading alone, this fun fact book also doubles up as the perfect gift for curious kids who love to learn. Explore the vastness of space whilst uncovering: -Stunning Jacket Detail: gold foil, holographic foil & metallic gold edges -Striking photography & illustrations inside -A beautiful book for the whole family to treasure -A quality gift to be passed down through the generations More in the Series Mysteries of the Universe is part of the beautiful and informative Anthology series. Complete the series and nurture your child's curiosity as they explore the natural world with The Wonders of Nature or let them walk with the dinosaurs who ruled the earth before them in Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Life.
