The New Universe and the Human Future; How a Shared Cosmology Could Transform the World

by Nancy Ellen Abrams and Joel R. Primack

• ISBN13: 9780300165081
• ISBN10: 0300165080
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2011-04-19
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

After a four-century rupture between science and the questions of value and meaning, this groundbreaking book presents an explosive and potentially life-altering idea: if the world could agree on a shared creation story based on modern cosmology and biologya story that has just become availableit would redefine our relationship with Planet Earth and benefit all of humanity, now and into the distant future. Written in eloquent, accessible prose and illustrated in magnificent color throughout, including images from innovative simulations of the evolving universe, this book brings the new scientific picture of the universe to life. It interprets what our human place in the cosmos may mean for us and our descendants. It offers unique insights into the potential use of this newfound knowledge to find solutions to seemingly intractable global problems such as climate change and unsustainable growth. And it explains why we need to "think cosmically, act globally" if we're going to have a long-term, prosperous future on Earth.

Author Biography

Nancy Ellen Abrams, an attorney, cultural philosopher, and lecturer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has worked for the Ford Foundation and the Office of Technology Assessment of the U.S. Congress. Joel R. Primack, Distinguished Professor of Physics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is one of the principal creators of the modern theory of the universe on the grand scale. The New Universe and the Human Future is based on the Terry Lectures that the authors gave at Yale University in October 2009. They live in Santa Cruz, CA.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. xi
The New Universe	p. 1
Size Is Destiny	p. 27
We Are Stardust	p. 39
Our Place in Time	p. 67
This Cosmically Pivotal Moment	p. 79
Bringing the Universe Down to Earth	p. 99
A New Origin Story	p. 119
Cosmic Society Now	p. 143
Frequently Asked Questions	p. 167
Notes	p. 207
Recommendations for Further Reading	p. 213
About the Illustrations	p. 223
Index	p. 233
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