The Three Big Bangs Comet Crashes, Exploding Stars, And The Creation Of The Universe

by Dauber, Philip M; Muller, Richard A.

• ISBN13: 9780201154955
• ISBN10: 0201154951
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-04-14
• Publisher: Basic Books

Summary

Scientists believe that we would not be here it were not for three great cataclysms in the early history of Earth and of the universe. This is the first book to explore the deep connection between the events that shaped life on Earth: the "Big Bang" that spawned an entire universe; the explosion of a supernova, which seeded the solar system with heavy elements; and the crash of a comet or asteroid that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs and cleared the way for the evolution of mammals.

Author Biography

Philip M. Dauber’s research includes work on time reversal and antimatter. Richard A. Muller’s previous book, Nemesis: The Death Star, dealt with the theory that there is a companion star orbiting the sun light-years away, which periodically causes comets to strike the earth. He is the recipient of a MacArthur “genius” award. Philip M. Dauber’s research includes work on time reversal and antimatter. Richard A. Muller’s previous book, Nemesis: The Death Star, dealt with the theory that there is a companion star orbiting the sun light-years away, which periodically causes comets to strike the earth. He is the recipient of a MacArthur “genius” award.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
The Three Big Bangs	p. 1
Jupiter Crash	p. 7
Target Earth	p. 13
Controversy	p. 26
The Smoking Gun	p. 32
Asteroids	p. 38
Comets	p. 46
Nemesis and Mass Extirictions	p. 56
Spaceguard	p. 67
Impacts and Evolution	p. 77
New Star	p. 85
Stars Are Us	p. 91
Secret Lives and Violent Deaths of Stars	p. 99
The Peculiar Progeny of a Supernova	p. 107
The Supernova Hunters	p. 113
Creation	p. 125
The Fleeing Galaxies	p. 132
Microwaves in the Sky	p. 142
A Snapshot of Creation	p. 151
Of Matter and Antimatter	p. 159
Universes Finite and Infinite	p. 168
Cosmological Candles	p. 178
Three Big Bangs Revisited	p. 185
Further Reading	p. 193
Index	p. 197
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