Cosmogony And Evolution

1907 the seven lessons in philosophy contained in this book were prepared for more advanced students. This book is recommended only form those who are advanced spiritually. Contents: the Seven Cosmic Periods of Evolution; the Seven Planets of Evoluti.

As its title suggests, ""Origins: cosmology, evolution and creation"" presents the reader with a critical analysis of the subject of ""Origins"" and assesses the current state of the evolution-versus-creation debate. It should appeal to anyone interested in the issue of origins but assumes the reader has a basic scientific background. The book is written in four parts. Part I undertakes a critical appraisal of current cosmologies and argues that, despite their popularity, the big-bang and inflation models are inconsistent with a number of key observations including those pertaining to quasar and stellar red-shifts. Alternative ideas based on Quasi steadystate, inertia and plasma cosmologies are considered and it is concluded that our current ideas about the true nature of mass, space and time are still woefully inadequate. A similar systematic approach is taken to the origin of galaxies, stars and planetary systems, basing the analysis on a comparison of the latest theories with observational data. Part II progresses to the Earth itself and considers theories for the origin of the Earths internal structure, the atmosphere and oceans. Part III considers the various theories about the origin of life and it is concluded that our current evolutionary ideas about the origin of living cells are highly improbable. Recent results from the rapidly developing field of molecular phylogenetics are discussed. Part IV addresses the controversial issue of human origins. The analysis begins with the key fossil evidence for the evolution of Homo sapiens from Australopithecus and proceeds to the more recent molecular data from mitochondrial DNA analysis. The discussion then broadens to include archaeologicaland historical data pertaining to the spread of Homo sapiens throughout the world and it is concluded that, once again, current evolutionary ideas fail to provide a consistent explanation of the data.

Bridging astronomy and physics, cosmology seeks to examine the nature of the universe as a whole. Scientific investigation of cosmology began in ancient times and progressed rapidly after the Scientific Revolution, which produced the discovery of gravity and the heliocentric model of Copernicus. This volume examines the historical developments in the field of cosmology, the evidence supporting the Big Bang theory, and the future implications of dark matter and an expanding universe. Readers will also be introduced to the various thinkers who helped advance study of this endlessly fascinating field.

This volumes in the Greenwood Guides to the Universe series covers the current scientific understanding of the creation and evolution of the universe. Cosmology and the Evolution of the Universe provides readers with an up-to-date survey of the current scientific understanding of how the universe has evolved in the almost 14 billion years since the Big Bang. Scientifically sound and written with the student in mind, it is an excellent first step for students researching the science of cosmology and a resource for all who wish to know more about the evolution of the universe. Cosmology and the Evolution of the Universe discusses all areas of what is known about the subject. Topics include: the large-scale structure of the universe; the discovery and importance of cosmic microwave background radiation; and the forces and particles involved in the evolution of the universe. The book even tackles that most provocative of questions: How will the universe end?

From the reviews: "It survives the pitfalls of this fashion-conscious era by pursuing a rigorously independent-minded attitude to contemporary ideas. The level is introductory undergraduate, with rather little mathematics but a strong physical basis. ...The second part, on general relativity and cosmology, provides a good account of modern theoretical ideas, from rotating black holes to Grand Unified Theories and inflation. The third part is an excellent and profound discussion of the fundamental problems of cosmology. For anyone with a philosophical turn of mind this section alone makes the book essential reading." Nature

This collection of essays exmaines cosmology, biology and evolutionary theory.

Does the universe have the character it has because of design? In this collection of essays first presented at a symposium sponsored by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and the Royal Society of Canada, seventeen scientists and philosophers re-examine the "Argument by Design" in light of current scientific theories. Scientists in such diverse fields as cosmology, physics, geology, biology, and psychology provide syntheses of the state of their respective disciplines with regard to questions such as the origin or evolution of the universe and of life, the interaction of life and terrestrial environment, and verbal communication in prehumans. Contributions by philosophers cover such areas as arguments for a designer and the question of whether nature's laws and initial conditions could be viewed as "fine tuned" for the production of life. Many of the chapters demonstrate the awe-inspiring success of modern science in explaining the universe in terms of fairly straightforward natural laws, countering those versions of the design argument which try to find evidence of God's activities in the supposed failures of scientific laws to cover various phenomena.