Alpha & Omega (book)
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 Hardcover edition | |
| Author | Charles Seife |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Cosmology |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Viking/Penguin Group |
Publication date | 2003 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print, e-book |
| Pages | 294 pp. |
| ISBN | 978-0670031795 |
| Preceded by | Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea (2000) |
| Followed by | Decoding the Universe (2007) |
Alpha & Omega: The Search for the Beginning and End of the Universe is the second non-fiction book by Charles Seife, published by Viking, a division of Penguin Putnam, in 2003.
Background
[edit]It is a survey of historic and contemporary efforts at cosmology: to describe the universe, trace the universe back to its origins, including the Big Bang Theory, and to determine the universe's eventual end-state. The books title refers to the Alpha and Omega appellation for Christ, as found in the Book of Revelation. A paperback reprint was published in 2004, also from Penguin.
Table of contents
[edit]- Preface
- "The First Cosmology: The Golden Age of the Gods"
- "The First Cosmological Revolution: The Copernican Theory"
- "The Second Cosmological Revolution: Hubble and the Big Bang"
- "The Third Revolution Begins: The Universe Amok"
- "The Music of the Spheres: The Cosmic Microwave Background"
- "The Dark Universe: What's the Matter with Matter?"
- "Darker Still: The Enigma of Exotic Dark Matter"
- "The Big Bang in Our Backyard: The Birth of Baryons"
- "The Good Nus: The Exotic Neutrino"
- "Supersymmetry: Fearlessly Framing the Laws of Matter"
- "Seeing the Invisible: MACHOs, WIMPs, and Illuminating the Darkest Regions of the Universe"
- "The Deepest Mystery in Physics: Λ, the Vacuum, and Inflation", Λ being the symbol for the Cosmological constant
- "Wrinkles in Spacetime: Gravitational Waves and the Early Universe"
- "Beyond the Third Revolution: Voyage to the Ends of Time"
- "Appendix A: Tired Light Retired"
- "Appendix B: Where Does Matter Come From?"
- "Appendix C: Nobel Prizes in Physics—Past and Future" Seife predicts which scientists are likely to win a Nobel Prize for their work in cosmology.
- "Appendix D: Some Experiments to Watch"
- Glossary, Select Bibliography, Acknowledgements, Index
Reception
[edit]The New York Times praised the book, describing it as "A primer on the history and state of cosmology that is easy to read and understand… Seife's book shines."[1] The Los Angeles Times described it as "provid(ing) a wonderfully clear and concise introduction to terms often too loosely bandied about, and to their interrelationships in the ongoing attempt of physicists to erect a unified theory of the universe."[2]
References
[edit]- Alpha & Omega: The Search for the Beginning and End of the Universe, Charles Seife. Penguin Putnam, 2003. ISBN 978-0-670-03179-5
