SETI public: Alpha and Omega: Mysteries of the Cosmos

• Previous message: LARRY KLAES: "SETI public: BOINC to improve SETI@Home"

'Alpha and Omega': Mysteries of the Cosmos

September 28, 2003
By LAWRENCE M. KRAUSS

On June 25, 2001, Time magazine devoted its cover to the
end of the universe, claiming ''scientists have just solved
the biggest mystery in the cosmos.'' Charles Seife, a
deeply competent and clear science writer, was apparently
motivated by this headline to write his book ''Alpha and
Omega.''

Alas, not only was the central claim of the Time article
basically wrong; the magazine's writers missed the point
about what makes the current revolutions in cosmology so
exciting: scientists have discovered the biggest mystery in
the cosmos, but we don't have the slightest idea what it is
all about. I was thus dismayed that Seife, who understands
the field as well as any science journalist, chose to open
his brief volume with this inexplicable claim, and
reinforced it by stating, immediately afterward, ''This is
no overstatement.''

After such a beginning, there is no way to go but up, and
Seife rises to that challenge. He gives a primer on the
history and state of cosmology that is easy to read and
understand. Thankfully, as far as I could find, he doesn't
try to validate his inaccurate original claim.

The past decade has been a golden era for observational
cosmology. After a century of trying, we have finally
pinned down many of the fundamental dimensions of cosmology
that seemed impenetrable even 20 years ago. We have
determined, with reasonable precision, the age of the
universe, and even its geometry. We have discovered that
space, which Einstein's general relativity theory tells us
can be curved into interesting geometries in the presence
of matter, is flat on the largest scales we can observe. In
the midst of these significant developments, one discovery
is truly revolutionary: the expansion of the universe
appears to be speeding up, not slowing down, as gravity
should cause a universe full of stars and galaxies to do.

Seife attempts to follow the developments that lay the
basis for our current understanding. Given all the
excitement, it is also not surprising that this area has
been well-trodden ground for science writers. Twenty books
must have been published on this subject in the past five
years. While much of Seife's presentation is thus
relatively standard by now, and he does confuse a few
details, he provides several nuggets that may enlighten
even readers well versed in the popular literature.

Seife's book shines in four major areas. First, in his
history of cosmology, he presents an incisive perspective
on the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and
science's evolving picture of the cosmos. Next, the most
important new tool aiding our cosmological understanding of
the universe involves careful measurements of the cosmic
background radiation, first discovered in 1965, that
represents the afterglow of the Big Bang. Seife's
discussion of the physics of this background radiation is
as clear and up-to-date as any found in popular literature.
He also very nicely brings in the inner space-outer space
connection by describing accurately how investigations at
large particle accelerators may directly affect our
understanding of cosmology. Finally, he touches on the area
the Time writers were so confused about: the future. The
recent discovery about the acceleration of the universe has
completely changed our picture of what its ultimate fate
might be, even if we don't know what the answer is.

Also, a current and carefully selected bibliography is
presented (along with a useful glossary of terms, and
several technical appendixes; one appendix on the Nobel
Prize is ill advised). Seife does get mixed up in his
attributions on some occasions, but mistakes like that
matter primarily to those involved in the research and are
not likely to interfere with the general reader's
understanding.

By the end, readers of this short volume should feel that
their time, and money, have been well spent.

Lawrence M. Krauss is the chairman of the physics
department at Case Western Reserve University. His new
book, ''Hiding in the Mirror,'' will be published next
year.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/28/books/review/28KRAUSST.html?ex=1065926168&ei=1&en=a858786be09dfddb

• Previous message: LARRY KLAES: "SETI public: BOINC to improve SETI@Home"

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.6 : Tue Sep 30 2003 - 10:26:29 PDT