Cosmic Perspectives [Paperback]

Modern cosmology and its relationship to the development of human civilization is the subject of this book.Modern cosmology and its relationship to the development of human civilization is the subject of this book. Astronomers, cosmologists and historians have contributed fourteen essays covering a wide range of subjects. These include the place of astronomy in China by Joseph Needham, frontiers in cosmology by Fred Hoyle, the dark matter problem by Bernard Carr and the origin of life by Cyril Ponnamperuma. There are also contributions on astrology, science fiction and science.Modern cosmology and its relationship to the development of human civilization is the subject of this book. Astronomers, cosmologists and historians have contributed fourteen essays covering a wide range of subjects. These include the place of astronomy in China by Joseph Needham, frontiers in cosmology by Fred Hoyle, the dark matter problem by Bernard Carr and the origin of life by Cyril Ponnamperuma. There are also contributions on astrology, science fiction and science.Cosmic Perspectives is a collection of essays that details modern cosmology and its relationship to the development of human civilization. Written by leading astronomers, cosmologists and historians, these fourteen essays cover a wide range of subjects. These include the place of astronomy in China, frontiers in cosmology, the dark matter problem and the origin of life. This is an engaging collection of facts, written in nontechnical language, which encourages the reader to explore the scientific heritage of various cultures, the current problems of observational astronomy, the unsolved mysteries of evolution and the use of astronomy in fiction.1. Astronomy in ancient and medieval China Joseph Needham; 2. Indian astronomy: an historical perspective B. V. Subbarayappa; 3. Making of astronomy in ancient India Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya; 4. The impact of astronomy on the development of western science Jean-Claude Pecker; 5. Malc¶