UNIVERSE (Best of Edge Series)

I have always been interested in anything to do with astronomy and cosmology. This 379 page soft cover volume (The Universe edited by John Brockman) has some of the greatest physicists in the world writing about various aspects of cosmology. Each chapter is written by a different scientist. Even though some of the material is difficult to grasp; nevertheless, even a non-scientist will be able to grasp some of the basic principles explained in this text. I have no doubt that this book is probably required reading in many college level course.This book has 21 thought provoking essays. Some of these include the following: A golden age of cosmology. The cyclic universe, the inflationary universe, a balloon producing more balloons, theories of the brane, why does the universe look the way it does? In the matrix, think about nature, science is not about certainty, Einstein: an edge symposium, Quantum monkeys, and a theory of roughness.This is a book that is not always an easy read but if you are fascinated with the many mysteries about the cosmos these essays will be of interest to you. It touches about numerous scientific principles as it explores the origin and future of the cosmos. I found this book to be an interesting educational lesson in cosmology.Rating: 4 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Tactical Principles of the most effective combative systems).

It's said (several times in this book) that Cosmology is living a golden time. Indeed this collection of texts mentions huge ideas and changes that came out in the last 10 or 5 years. All this progresses do not point in the same direction though. On the contrary, there are many different theories and interpretations that describe all sorts of 'realities'. It might be that we live in the only universe it exists and had existed… or that multiple universes exist in parallel, or in cycles one after the other, or forming a sort of fractal, with bubbles inside bubbles (pockets) that astonishingly follow a type of evolution by selection akin to life on Earth. These descriptions are based on consequences from different theories, specially different variants of string theory, that is intensively debated in this book. with some of the authors pointing that it's the best and only possible path to continue doing physics in a deeper level, and other rejecting it completely. Two major sub-debates are important: 1.Will string theory someday contact experimental physics?, are string theory hypothesis, and some of their views, such as the 'landscape', verifiable and falsifiable? 2. Is the anthropic principle serious science? Not only theories are debated in this book but the very essence of science, of what constitutes a (valid) theory, and, very interestingly, how much philosophy can help on its progress (some authors here actually suggest that unless new philosophical ideas arrive, deep physics will get stuck).I particularly enjoyed the chapter 14 in which Brian Greene and Paul Steinhardt have an intense discussion about the anthropic principle, string theory and the future of cosmology. They have opposite views in all these subjects, and the conversation feels like a chess game played by masters in which the lay person can only feel the intensity and grasp the boldest movements.

I ask myself for whom this book is written? I think the best answer is a high-school or undergraduate student interested in math, physics, cosmology (or all three) looking for a direction to proceed into one or more of those fields. The first half of the book is heavily biased towards string theory and one or another variation of inflation scenarios that continue to create universes. The value of "the anthropic principle" (things are the way they are because that is the only way we can be here to observe them) to science is hotly debated. In later essays other more general and philosophical issues are discussed. I've been reading about all of this for years so the earlier essays here seem more repetitive to me, a few cosmologists summarizing their positions with respect to one another. But as the book moves along the essays stop addressing one another and begin to raise broadly interesting questions, unsolved riddles, that present day physics and cosmology, even philosophy, wrestle with today.All in all a decent read for anyone wanting some introduction to what this modern cosmology business is all about. Mostly this is about the theoretical side of the field, but the experimental side is addressed frequently as well as it should.

So much has changed in the last 30 years. Physics does not hold to the truths once touted in textbooks. Every year or so I read a newish work on physics. Having said that. I found this book hard going. With a number of different authors, the writing is sometimes clearer than at other times. The editor should have kept everyone down to 20 pages, after that. They seem to wander.I had to read a number of hardcore science fiction books to get another sense of what as being said.

I am enjoying this book. Cosmology and physics are "hobbies" of mine. I have learned a lot from a lot of books on these topics, some of the articles in this book are still over my head. But others are clear, informative and have helped resolve questions I had from the numerous other books I have read on cosmology, classical physics and quantum theory/mechanics. So while I cannot give the book a 5, it is clearly a high 4 given my level and worth reading for anyone who wants to get at least a flavor of the various current theories and debates about the origin of the universe and its ultimate end.

This is part of the series, edited by John Brockman, in which leading scientists in their areas of expertise provide essays on the selected scientific issue. This one is on the universe, its origin, development and ultimate destiny.As the subject is arcane and complex, so most of the essays are quite complex for the non-specialist, dealing with esoteric subjects such as quantum gravity and string theory. Because such theories are based on complex mathematical calculations, the lay reader has to take it as given that the arguments formulated by these astrophysicists and cosmology experts are valid, and try to understand as much as possible on a rather superficial level without going into a deep understanding. It is not ideal that so much of current cutting edge cosmology is entirely theoretical and conceptual – string theory, for example, which has profound implications for our view of life and the universe(s), yet it is currently beyond testing and remains a disputed concept.Nonetheless, it is an absorbing read, providing much deep food for thought about the dazzling and extraordinary nature of the universe (or rather, multiverse as is now generally accepted).

The articles are from world famous physicists but some of them are difficult to understand and takes time. Reread many chapters. Otherwise the book is a treat of theoretical physics.

Unfortunately, most contributions to this collection are way past their prime: it would have been preferable to read something more current.

while the ideas and people in this book are very interesting, most of the autors don't get to the point and some themes repetition. def found some good food for thought in here, but did a quick read for reasons mentioned above

Recomendable para tener una visión completa del estado de nuestro conocimiento sobre el cosmos. El formato (por temas/autores) lo hace muy cómodo de leer.