What we still don't
know
Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Rees investigates ...
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Contents:
1. Cosmology
2. Life on other planets
3. Parallel Universes
4. The Big Bang
5. Our Fate
6. Credits
1. Cosmology
Books
Dark Matter, Missing Planets and New Comets: Paradoxes resolved, origins
illuminated by Tom Van Flandern (North Atlantic Books, 1994)
The author, an astronomer for over 25 years, challenges the underlying assumptions
of current theories of cosmology and astronomy. Get
this book
The Extravagant Universe: Exploding stars, dark energy, and the accelerating
cosmos by Robert P Kirshner (Princeton University Press, 2004)
One of the world's leading astronomers tells the story of unlocking an astonishing
cosmic secret – the expansion of the universe is accelerating under the
influence of a dark energy that makes space itself expand. Get
this book
The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, time and the texture of reality by
Brian Greene (Allen Lane, 2004)
Greene questions the limits of space and time and the texture of reality in
this excellent follow-up to his The Elegant Universe. The subject matter is
perhaps the greatest intellectual challenge we face. Get
this book
How Dark Matter Created Dark Energy and the Sun: An astrophysics detective
story by Jerome Drexler (Upublish, 2003)
This E-book, through use of a lecture-slide format, presents an astrophysics
detective story that chronicles Drexler's literature search for astronomical
clues and evidence to unveil the nature of dark matter. Get
this book
The Life of the Cosmos by Lee Smolin (Oxford University Press, 1999)
Smolin offers a theory of the universe that is radically different from anything
proposed before. He departs from contemporary physicists to explore the idea
that the laws of nature we observe may be the partial result of a process of
natural selection that occurred before the Big Bang. Get
this book
Websites
Astronomy cafe
www.astronomycafe.net
Website of a Nasa astronomer who leads us through the complex world of astronomy
with humour and enthusiasm.
Astronomy Magazine
www.astronomy.com
Online magazine for astronomy enthusiasts.
Earth & Sky
www.earthsky.com
US site that accompanies a popular radio series. Lots of articles and FAQs are
available on many subjects such as space, climate, physics, the environment,
Earth and more. There is also a kids’ section.
Nick Bostrom
www.nickbostrom.com/
The mind-bending world of a cosmological philosopher laid bare. Offers a choice
of academic or popular information.
Space
www.space.com/scienceastronomy
News, features, a library, interviews with astronomers and much more on this
comprehensive site.
2.
Life on other planets
Books
Cosmic Company: The search for life in the universe by Seth Shostak
and Alexandra Barnett (Oxford University Press, 2003)
The authors ponder the possibility of aliens visiting Earth, as well as what
it would mean if we were to pick up a signal from the cosmos that would prove
we're neither alone, nor the smartest creatures in creation. They explain why
scientists think life might be plentiful on other worlds, and how we might get
in touch. Get
this book
Life's Solution: Inevitable humans in a lonely universe by Simon Conway
Morris (Cambridge University Press, 2004)
The author explores the evidence demonstrating life's almost eerie ability to
navigate to a single solution, repeatedly. Eyes, brains, tools, even culture,
all are very much on the cards. So if these are all evolutionary inevitabilities,
where are our counterparts across the galaxy? The tape of life can only run
on a suitable planet, and it seems that such Earth-like planets may be much
rarer than hoped. Get
this book
SETI 2020: A roadmap for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence
by Ronald D Ekers, Kent Cullers and John Billingham (SETI, 2003)
If you are interested in how researchers plan to search the heavens for signs
of intelligent life, you should have this book. It’s a comprehensive study
of how scientists busy with the organisation SETI (Institute for the Search
for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) should direct their efforts between now
and the year 2020. Get
this book
The War of the Worlds by HG Wells (Phoenix, 2004)
Written in 1898, Wells portrays a classic vision of interplanetary warfare and
a Martian invasion of Earth. Get
this book
What Does a Martian Look Like? The science of extraterrestrial life
by Jack Cohen and Ian Stewart (Ebury Press, 2004)
The authors conclude that humans are not alone as intelligent entities, and
that many others have appeared, and will appear, on other planets. They also
argue that we can even surmise what they will look like and why. Get
this book
Websites
The Planetary Society
www.planetary.org
Lots of information from the largest non-profit, non-government space advocacy
group, which funds the work of SETI. There is a large news archive section.
John Conway’s Game of Life
www.bitstorm.org/gameoflife/
See Professor John Conway’s Game of Life for yourself.
SETI@Home
http://setiweb.ssl.berkeley.edu/
A scientific experiment that uses internet-connected computers in the search
for extraterrestrial intelligence. You can participate by running a free program
that downloads and analyses radio telescope data
British UFO Research Association
www.bufora.org.uk
Founded in 1962 for those who have an interest in UFOs. It is also involved
in research
3. Parallel Universes
Books
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, hidden dimensions, and the quest for the
ultimate theory by Brian Greene (Random House, 2000)
A popular guide to string theory that tackles incredibly difficult concepts
with stunning clarity, without over-simplifying. String theorist Brian Greene
has the expertise, the wit and the flair to compose a compelling and highly
readable account of theoretical physics. Get
this book
The Great Beyond: Higher dimensions, parallel universes and the extraordinary
search for a theory of everything by Paul Halpern (John Wiley and Sons,
2004)
The concept of multiple unperceived dimensions in the universe is one of the
hottest topics in contemporary physics. It’s essential to current attempts
to explain gravity and the underlying structure of the universe. The history
of how such an unfathomable concept has risen to prominence takes centre stage
in this book. Get
this book
Hyperspace: A scientific odyssey through parallel universes, time warps
and the tenth dimension by Michio Kaku (Oxford Paperbacks, 1995)
Bestseller from one of the world's leading theoretical physicists. Are there
other dimensions beyond our own? Is time travel possible? Kaku takes us on a
tour of the most exciting work in modern physics, including research into the
10th dimension, time warps, and multiple universes, to outline what may be the
leading candidate for the theory of everything. Get
this book
Films
The Matrix (1999)
Directed by Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski
Life on Earth is just a facade created by super-intelligent beings. While humans
exist in this simulation, their powers are being drained by their creators.
Websites
The Theory of Everything www.channel4.com/science/microsites/S/science/space/stringtheory.html
This series of three Channel 4 programmes, first screened in November 2003,
unravels one of the most ambitious and perplexing scientific theories ever proposed
– string theory.
Parallel Universes
www.hep.upenn.edu/~max/multiverse.html
Website of Professor Max Tegmark with articles and information on his theories
of parallel universes.
The Elegant Universe
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/
Online articles, interviews and slide shows from a US television network and
the makers of the Channel 4 series The Elegant Universe. Includes an interview
with the series presenter and author Brian Greene.
4.
The Big Bang
Books
The First Three Minutes: A modern view of the origin of the universe
by Steven Weinberg (Basic Books, 1993)
This classic of contemporary science writing by a Nobel Prize-winning physicist
explains to general readers what happened when the universe began. The Big Bang
is presented as a three-minute film, which is repeatedly paused to allow readers
to see what’s going on. Get
this book
The Inflationary Universe: Quest for a new theory of cosmic origins by
Alan Guth (Vintage, 1998)
Most of the scientific community accepts the theory that our universe began
in a Big Bang. But physicist Guth recounts his and others' struggle to accept
this view. The outcome is a theory of ‘inflation’ that postulates
that the universe underwent an incomprehensibly large expansion in the first
fraction of a microsecond of its existence. His book sheds light on a leading
theory in humankind's continuing quest to understand the universe we live in.
Get
this book
The Life of the Cosmos by Lee Smolin (Oxford University Press, 1999)
Smolin offers a theory of the universe that is radically different from anything
proposed before. He departs from contemporary physicists to explore the idea
that the laws of nature we observe may be the partial result of a process of
natural selection that occurred before the Big Bang. Get
this book
Websites
Big Bang cosmology primer
http://cosmology.berkeley.edu/Education/IUP/Big_Bang_Primer.html
Clear explanations of the current Big Bang view of the universe with some good
graphics. The site content comes from Berkeley University in California.
Big Bang theory under fire
http://nowscape.com/big-ban2.htm
William C Mitchell looks at the Big Bang and ‘Inflation’ theories
in this article, published in Physics Essays in 1997. He concludes that both
theories are problematic and contain logical inconsistencies.
The hot Big Bang theory
http://zebu.uoregon.edu/1997/ph410/l1.html
Straight-talking description of the Big Bang theory with background information
and charts.
The Official String Theory Web Site
www.superstringtheory.com/
Superb site by physicist Patricia Schwarz who includes audio interviews with
string theorists, gives a tour of the Big Bang, a timeline, a history of string
theory and black holes and runs a forum. The information is presented as either
basic or advanced to cater for different levels of knowledge.
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5.
Our Fate
Books
Our Final Century? Will the human race survive the twenty-first century?
by Martin Rees (Allen Lane, 2004)
This well-respected astronomer spells out doomsday scenarios for cosmic collisions,
high-energy experiments gone wrong, and self-replicating machines that steadily
devour the biosphere. If we can avoid driving ourselves to extinction, he writes,
a glorious future awaits; if not, our devices may very well destroy the universe.
Get
this book
The Life and Death of Planet Earth: How the new science of astrobiology
charts the ultimate fate of our world by Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee
(Time Books, 2003)
A fascinating and in-depth account of the mechanisms currently in place that
will ultimately lead to the doom of planet earth. Get
this book
Evolution on Planet Earth: Impact of the physical environment edited by
Lynn Rothschild and Adrian Lister (Academic Press, 2003)
Driving evolution forward, Earth's physical environment has challenged the very
survival of organisms and ecosystems throughout the ages. The book covers drifting
continents, extinction events and climate change – important topics that
continue to shape Earth's inhabitants to this very day. Get
this book
The Science of Discworld by Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen
(Ebury Press, 2002)
When a wizardly experiment goes adrift, the wizards of Unseen University find
themselves with a pocket universe on their hands: Roundworld, where neither
magic nor common sense seems to stand a chance against logic. The Universe,
of course, is our own. And Roundworld is Earth. As the wizards watch their accidental
creation grow, we follow the story of our universe from the primal singularity
of the Big Bang to the Internet and beyond. Get
this book
The Science of Discworld II – The Globe by Terry Pratchett, Ian
Stewart and Jack Cohen (Ebury Press, 2003)
Weaves together a fast-paced novelette with cutting edge scientific commentary
on the evolution and development of the human mind, culture, language, art,
and science, The Globe presents a fascinating and brilliantly original view
of the world we live in. Get
this book
Websites
Sciforums
www.sciforums.com
Huge community forum with opportunity to post your views on a wide range of
subjects including astronomy and cosmology.
Sir Martin Rees: prophet of doom?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk/2000/newsmakers/2976279.stm
Looks at the Astronomer Royal and his belief that the human race has only a
50/50 chance of surviving another century.
The future of planet Earth: scientific challenges
in the coming century
www.usgs.gov/public/press/public_affairs/press_releases/pr1160m.html
As the global population continues to grow, people will place greater and greater
demands on the resources of our planet, including mineral and energy resources,
open space, water, and plant and animal resources. The US Geological Survey
lists the top ten scientific challenges for the next century.
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6.
Credits
Produced to accompany What We Still Don’t Know, a three-part series by
Darlow Smithson
Productions for Channel 4, first shown in December 2004.
Managing editor: Katie Streten
Project manager: Red
Cinnamon
Editorial consultant: Kate Roach
Designers: Nick Christoforou
and Toby Cotton
Writers: Kate Roach and Duncan Graham-Rowe
Editor: Andy Reynolds
Resources: Nicole Carman
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Are we alone? |
Why are we here? | Are
we real?
Find out more | Home page | Graphical
Version