A few years ago I had an email exchange with Weinberg in which I asked him if he planned to write a second edition of the "The First Three Minutes" where he might address some of the new observational data that has been published since the first edition was released, such as the sudden (cosmologically speaking) apparent acceleration in the rate of expansion of the universe, dark matter, dark energy, Smoot's COBE findings, etc.
Unfortunately, Weinberg said that he had no such plans. I did greatly enjoy talking with Smoot on these topics last year, though. --Doug On Mon, Nov 10, 2008 at 11:09 AM, Owen Densmore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Nov 10, 2008, at 10:46 AM, Douglas Roberts wrote: > > Owen, two suggestions: >> >> 1) Stephen Weinberg's "The First Three Minutes", and >> 2) George Smoot's "Wrinkles in Time" >> >> --Doug >> > > Oddly enough, I've read both! I didn't connect Smoot with the Nobel, > thanks! I was amazed at his tenacity, patiently overcoming constant, huge > problems. > > And Weinberg's book is an absolute gem as well; beautifully crafted and > wonderfully mature. I only wish it had been written after the expansionary > universe discoveries. > > But as far as I can recall, neither book wrestled with the problem of > "time" in the early universe. We know both velocity and gravity/mass > distorts time. The description of time to the beginning of the universe > uses linear extrapolation as far as I can tell. This seems at odds with > relativity. > > Possibly it is not an issue within cosmology because it is, after all, the > entire universe that is expanding, thus observational problems cancel out, > so to speak? > > -- Owen > > On Mon, Nov 10, 2008 at 10:22 AM, Owen Densmore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> wrote: >> >> Oops -- I miss-edited -- should read: >>> One question I've always had with cosmology is that the time calculated >>> to >>> the big bang (via backwards extrapolation) does not seem to take >>> relativistic effects into account. Certainly its been done but not >>> mentioned in the popular books. >>> >>> -- Owen >>> >>> > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > -- Doug Roberts, RTI International [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] 505-455-7333 - Office 505-670-8195 - Cell
============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
