The Prophet and the Astronomer
Apocalyptic Science and the End of the World
Published on 13. April 2015
370 pages
978-0-393-35206-1 (ISBN)
Description
"An intellectual accomplishment that illuminates the magic and the wisdom of the heavens above."—Kirkus Reviews
"Tracing our contemplation of the cosmos from the big bang to the big crunch" (The New Yorker), Marcelo Gleiser explores the shared quest of ancient prophets and today's astronomers to explain the strange phenomena of our skies—from the apocalypse foretold in Revelations to modern science's ongoing identification of multiple cataclysmic threats, including the impact of comets and asteroids on earthly life, the likelihood of future collisions, the meaning of solar eclipses and the death of stars, the implications of black holes for time travel, and the ultimate fate of the universe and time. Presenting insights to cosmological science and apocalyptic philosophy in an "easily accessible" (Library Journal) style, Gleiser is "a rare astrophysicist as comfortable quoting Scripture as explaining formulas" (Booklist). K. C. Cole praises his ability to "[work] the entwined threads of science and religion into a vision of 'the end' that is strangely comforting and inspiring."More details
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08/2004
WW Norton & Co
€20.10
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Person
Marcelo Gleiser is the Appleton Professor of Natural Philosophy and professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth College and the author of The Dancing Universe: From Creation Myths to the Big Bang.
Content
- Intro
- Title
- Contents
- Prologue
- Part I "The End Is Near!"
- Chapter 1 The Skies are Falling
- Celestial Messages
- The Bridge to Eternity
- Dreams of Perfection
- Visions of Doom and Redemption
- Revelations of the End
- Chapter 2 Heaven's Alarm to the World
- The Importance of Being Vague
- Wars of Redemption
- The Masque of the Red Death
- Re-creating Heaven and Hell
- Apocalypse Now!
- Thus Spoke the Science Apologist
- Part II Cosmic Collisions
- Chapter 3 Making Worlds
- The Stone of Aegospotami
- Evil Also Rises
- Cosmic Boils
- The Rationalization of Doom
- The Genesis of Worlds
- The Genesis of Worlds, circa A.D. 2001
- Chapter 4 Impact!
- Geology Turns Catastrophic
- Dinosaur Doom
- Apocalypse Now?
- Searching for Killers
- Fighting Doom in Outer Space
- Prepare or Else!
- Part III The Rise and Fall of Stars
- Chapter 5 Fire in the Sky
- Sun Worshipers
- Solar Chemistry
- Solar Alchemy
- Red Giants
- The Shedding of the Veil
- Chapter 6 Cosmic Maelstroms
- The Unbearable Heaviness of Being
- New Stars That Are Old
- An Absurd Idea
- The Last Bastions of Normalcy
- Gravity Redefined
- Descent into the Maelstrom: Prologue
- Descent into the Maelstrom: A Fantasy
- Descent into the Maelstrom: Postscript
- Part IV To the End of Time
- Chapter 7 Fire and Ice
- The Cosmos, circa 1945
- The Cosmos, circa 1980
- A Short Discourse on Time: Part 1
- Chapter 8 Time Regained
- The Cosmos, circa 1998: Building Blocks
- The Cosmos, circa 1998: The Quartet of Fundamental Forces
- The Quest for Unification: The Inner-Space/Outer-Space Connection
- The Quest for Unification: Toward the Beginning
- The Cosmos, circa 1998: Cosmic Challenges
- The Cosmos, circa 1998: Inflating the Big Bang
- The Cosmos, circa 1998: The Quest for New Cosmic Origins
- The Cosmos, circa 2002: Remembrance of Fluctuations Past
- The Cosmos, circa 2002: The Return of the Ether?
- A Short Discourse on Time: Part 2
- Epilogue: Celestial Wisdom
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Acknowledgments
- Illustrations
- Index
- Praise for THE PROPHET AND THE ASTRONOMER
- Copyright
