vol 2: Synopsis
part III: Modern physics
page 24: Cosmology
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Cosmology
The general theory of relativity embraces the whole of the physical universe. The union of the relativistic picture of the whole with the field theory picture of the microscopic details gives us cosmology, our picture of the universe as a whole. In the context of this work, modern cosmology may be considered the study of God's body.
The special theory of relativity shows us how we see physics in one frame of reference from another in uniform motion relative to the first. Newton's first law tells us that a body continues in its state of rest or of uniform motion unless it is acted upon by a force. How, asked Einstein, do we extend the ideas of special relativity to introduce forces like gravitation into the picture? In other words, how do we transform between frames of references that are accelerating with respect to one another? The answer is Einstein's theory of gravitation, the general theory of relativity.
The seed of the general theory was for Einstein 'the happiest thought of my life': 'if a person falls freely he will not feel his own weight. I was startled. This simple thought made a deep impression on me. It impelled me toward a theory of gravitation'. In 1907, Einstein realized that all natural phenomena could be discussed in terms of special relativity except gravitation.
So he was led to ask 'Is it conceivable that the principle of relativity also holds for systems which are accelerated relative to each other?' Contemplation of this question led to the 'equivalence principle': the exact physical equivalence of the gravitational field and the corresponding acceleration of a reference frame. Eventually, from such local considerations, Einstein was able to produce a field equation whose solutions represented potential global pictures of the universe. Modern cosmology was born.
To the limits of current instrumental precision, Einstein's field equation appears to be an exact description of the large scale structure of the spacetime in which we live. The expansion of the universe and the existence of black holes predicted by the field equation have been found to be true. Observations of the cosmic background radiation, coupled with quantum field theory, produce quite a consistent picture of the universe from its earliest moments until the present. Recent results suggest that it has been expanding for about 13 billion years, but place no upper limit on its size and envisage that it will go on expanding forever.
Gravitation also explains the formation of structure in the universe, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, stars, and planets have all formed as a result of gravitational interaction, establishing the environment for life as we know it. Gravitation also plays an intimate part in the structure of our planetary environment, governing the segregation of sediments, the structure of plants and animals and playing a part in almost every aspect of our daily life and work.
All is not perfect however: there are persistent problems at the interface of general relativity and quantum theory. We might hope that the transfinite network model of the universe proposed here may throw some light on these problems.
Books
| Hawking, Steven W, and G F R Ellis, The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time , Cambridge UP 1975 Preface: Einstein's General Theory of Relativity ... leads to two remarkable predictions about the universe: first that the final fate of massive stars is to collapse behind an event horizon to form a 'black hole' which will contain a singularity; and secondly that there is a singularity in our past which constitutes, in some sense, a beginning to our universe. Our discussion is principally aimed at developing these two results.' Amazon back |
| Misner, Charles W, and Kip S Thorne, John Archibald Wheeler, Gravitation, Freeman 1973 Jacket: 'Einstein's description of gravitation as curvature of spacetime led directly to that greatest of all predictions of his theory, that the universe itself is dynamic. Physics still has far to go to come to terms with this amazing fact and what it means for man and his relation to the universe. John Archibald Wheeler. ... this is a book on Einstein's theory of gravity (general relativity).' Amazon back |
| Pais, Abraham, 'Subtle is the Lord...': The Science and Life of Albert Einstein, Oxford UP 1982 Jacket: In this ... major work Abraham Pais, himself an eminent physicist who worked alongside Einstein in the post-war years, traces the development of Einstein's entire ouvre. ... Running through the book is a completely non-scientific biography ... including many letters which appear in English for the first time, as well as other information not published before.' Amazon back |
| Silk, Joseph, The Big Bang: The Creation and Evolution of the Universe, Freeman 1988 Jacket: 'Written for the non-specialist, The Big Bang describes the greatest contemporary puzzles and achievements in astronomy, cosmology and astrophysics, clearly recounting the history of the universe and examining current controversies from several points of view. The book concludes with a self contained appendix providing the basic mathematical framework for understanding modern cosmology." http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0716719975/tnrp">Amazon back |
| Smolin, Lee, The Life of the Cosmos, Oxford University Pres 1997 Jacket: 'Smolin posits that a process of self-organisation like that of biological evolution shapes the universe, as it developes and eventually reproduces through black holes, each of which may result in a big bang and a new universe. Natural selection may guide the appearance of the laws of physics, favouring those universes which best reproduce. ... Smolin is one of the leading cosmologists at work today, and he writes with an expertise and a force of argument that will command attention throughout the world of physics.' Amazon back |
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