The Anthropic Principle states that the Universe has the conditions we observe because we are here. Out of all possible universes we can only experience the restricted class that this permits observers. The realisation that this is so has profound implications for cosmology, philosophy and theology, which are explored in this book. The sixteen contributors joined to discuss and share their theories within the context of science. The result is a unique collection of papers of great value to professional astronomers and philosophers interested in the role of observers in the Universe.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
'I would certainly recommend anyone interested in these questions to read at least the paper by Carter ...' The Observatory
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Verlagsort
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Maße
Höhe: 255 mm
Breite: 178 mm
Dicke: 15 mm
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ISBN-13
978-0-521-38203-8 (9780521382038)
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Schweitzer Klassifikation
Herausgeber*in
Universita degli Studi di Padova, Italy
Universita degli Studi di Padova, Italy
Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Patterns of explanation in cosmology John D. Barrow; 2. Anthropic principle and ancient science Oddone Longo; 3. The anthropic principle: laws and environment G. F. R. Ellis; 4. The anthropic selection principle and the ultra-Darwinian synthesis Brandon Carter; 5. The growth of complexity in an expanding Universe Hubert Reeves; 6. The anthropic and perfect cosmological principles: similarities and differences Fred Hoyle; 7. From the anthropic principle to the subject principle Michel Bitbol; 8. The anthropic principle: a critical view Livio Gratton; 9. The anthropic principle and the non-uniqueness of the Universe Dennis W. Sciama; 10. The anthropic principle and the SETI perspective Jean Heidmann; 11. The entropic versus the anthropic principle - on the self-organization of life Freidrich Cramer; 12. Anthropic biology Mario Zatti; 13. Metaphysical outlooks in physics and the anthropic principle Nicola Dallaporta; 14. Galaxy creation - implication for the development of life Halton C. Arp; 15. Some theological reflections on the anthropic principle George Coyne, Sr.; 16. Anthropic arguments - are they really explanations? Bernulf Kanitscheider.