The Nine Numbers of the Cosmos

by Michael Rowan-Robinson (Other)

Overview

How old is the universe? How far away are the galaxies and how fast are they travelling away from us? What do the atoms in our bodies, our very existence, tell us about the history of the universe? Are we in a special place in the universe? What is dark matter and why do astronomers think it pervades the universe? How heavy is the vacuum? How do galaxies form? Michael Rowan-Robinson answers these questions and encapsulates all that modern astronomy has learnt about the universe around nine numbers. Some, like the age of the universe are natural choices. Others are less obvious. His motto is Montaigne's 'What do I know' and the reader emerges with a genuine feel for what we really know about the universe and also what we do not know. Only one of the nine numbers is known with real precision and four of them are extremely poorly known. Difficult ideas like the origin of the elements, the General Theory of Relativity, quantum theory, and the standard model of particle physics, ideas which underpin modern cosmology, are explained in a simple way. Speculative ideas like inflation, 'Theories of Everything', strings and superstrings, are here but they are treated with a refreshing scepticism. Although most of what we know has been learnt during the twentieth century, Rowan- Robinson gives a historical perspective and pays homage to the achievements of the Greeks, renaissance astronomers and the age of Newton. He ends the book with a look forward in time, predicting that with the advent of the MAP and PLANCK- Surveyor space missions, the Large Hadron Collider and other planned experiments, all the nine numbers will be accurately known by 2015. But many questions and mysteries will remain and the book ends with the prediction that the origin of the Big Bang itself will remain a mystery in 2100 and perhaps even in the year 3000.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780191509179
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	03/15/2001
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Michael Rowan-Robinson is Professor of Astrophysics, and Head of the Astrophysics Group, at Imperial College, London. He is an internationally recognized expert on observational cosmology and his book. The Cosmological Distance Scale is generally regarded as a classic. He leads several major international collaborations in infrared and submillimetre astronomy, including a European Commission Training and Mobility Network. He has served on numerous advisory bodies for ground-based and space astronomy both in the UK and abroad. He received a NASA Public Service award for his work on the IRAS mission.

Table of Contents

Prologue: Que sais-je?1. We exist 2. We are not in a special place 3. An expanding universe 4. A universe of finite age 5. The Hot Big Bang 6. Cold dark matter 7. The missing ingredient—tilt, strings, or hot dark matter 8. How heavy is the vacuum? 9. How do galaxies form? 10. The nine numbers of the cosmos Further reading Glossary Index

Editorial Reviews

Drawing upon Descartes's saying, "What do I know?" Rowan-Robinson asks what we know about the universe. In answer, he has come up with nine numbers that summarize our current understanding of the cosmos. The practice of using numerology and mystical numbers to understand reality dates back through the astrologers and alchemists to antiquity, but the numbers Rowan-Robinson presents are grounded in scientific research, although more than a little speculation was used in deriving a couple of them. Rowan-Robinson, a physics professor at Imperial College, London, and author of two other books on cosmology (Ripples in the Cosmos; Cosmology), wants to keep readers in suspense and so unveils his numbers chapter by chapter, instead of summarizing them at the beginning, which would give readers a better overview and help them to see how each number relates to the others instead of having to wait until the conclusion. His nine numbers relate to the density of baryonic matter, the anisotropy of the universe, the Hubble constant, the age of the universe, the temperature of the microwave background, the densities of cold dark matter and hot dark matter, the cosmological constant and the star formation history of the universe. Rowan-Robinson's writing is a bit dry and some of his explanations are too condensed, but readers should gain an excellent understanding of what we currently know about the universe and the techniques through which we have acquired that knowledge. Much of this may not be new to dedicated science buffs, but the book is a good summary and will make a useful addition to general science collections. (Dec.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

The science of cosmology asks the big questions: How old and how large is the universe? How did it start? How did stars and galaxies come into being? What will the future bring? As such, it is a mixture of astronomy, physics, and philosophy with religious implications. Since no one can go backward or forward in time and actually observe the process, there is a lot of room for debate. However, a general consensus is emerging among scientists based upon the best available evidence. Physics professor Rowan-Robinson describes our state-of-the-art answers to these questions. More importantly, he indicates the direction in which further research is heading in an attempt to pin down the important parameters (the nine numbers) that will resolve most of the open questions. Although not easy going, this book is recommended to informed lay readers who have been following recent developments and would like to know where we stand. For larger science collections.--Harold D. Shane, Baruch Coll., CUNY Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

"Drawing upon Descartes's saying, 'What do I know?' Rowan-Robinson asks what we know about the universe. In answer, he has come up with nine numbers that summarize our current understanding of the cosmos. . . . [T]he numbers Rowan-Robinson presents are grounded in scientific research, although more than a little speculation was used in deriving a couple of them. . . . His nine numbers relate to the density of baryonic matter, the anisotropy of the universe, the Hubble constant, the age of the universe, the temperature of the microwave background, the densities of cold dark matter and hot dark matter, the cosmological constant and the star formation history of the universe. . . . [R]eaders should gain an excellent understanding of what we currently know about the universe and the techniques through which we have acquired that knowledge. . . . [T]he book is a good summary and will make a useful addition to general science collections."—Publishers Weekly

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