A Different Approach to Cosmology: From a Static Universe through the Big Bang towards Reality

by F. Hoyle, G. Burbidge, J. V. Narlikar

Overview

The astronomical community is wrongly interpreting cosmological data by using the standard Big Bang Model. In this highly controversial volume, three distinguished cosmologists argue this premise with persuasion and conviction. Starting with the beginnings of modern cosmology, they conduct a deep and wide review of the observations made from 1945 to the present, explaining what they regard as the defects and inconsistencies that exist within the interpretation of cosmological data. This is followed by an extensive presentation of the authors' own alternative view of the status of observations and how they should be explained. Along the way, the book touches on the most fundamental questions, including the origin, age, structure, and properties of the Universe. Writing from the heart, with passion and punch, Hoyle, Burbidge, and Narlikar, make a powerful case for viewing the universe in a different light, which will be of great interest to graduate students, researchers, and professionals in astronomy, cosmology, and physics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521019262
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	09/08/2005
Pages:	372
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 9.61(h) x 0.79(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Early relativistic cosmology; 3. The observational revolution; 4. The observational trail 1931, the determination of H0 and the age dilemma; 5. Changing times 1945–1965: New techniques and new people; 6. The extension of the redshift apparent magnitude diagram to faint galaxies 1956–1995; 7. The classical steady state cosmological model and its observational tests; 8. The cosmic microwave background, an historical account; 9. The origin of the light elements; 10. A new primordial calculation of Y and D/H; 11. The new observational evidence and its interpretation: (a) quasi-stellar objects and redshifts; 12. The new observational evidence and its interpretation: (b) ejection phenomena and energetics; 13. Modern Friedmann cosmology; 14. Standard cosmology; 15. New cosmological models; 16. The observational evidence explained in terms of the quasi-steady state model; 17. The intrinsic redshift problem; 18. Creation centers and black holes; 19. Modern observations of faint galaxies and related objects; 20. Large scale distribution of matter; 21. A brief account of the radiation fields in the universe: the observations and their interpretation; 22. Summary; 23. Some unsolved problems.

Editorial Reviews

"Professor Sir Fred Hoyle, Britain's greatest living astrophysicist...launches his most comprehensive attack against the Big Bang theory, in a book with the archly subversive title A Different Approach to Cosmology...when Hoyle makes a cosmic pronouncement, it is invariably worth hearing...Together with two other respected astrophysicists, Hoyle systematically reviews the evidence for the Big Bang theory, and gives it a good kicking...it's hard not to be impressed with the audacity of the demolition job...I can only hope that I possess one-thousandth of Hoyles' fighting spirit when I, like him, have reached my 85th year." The Sunday Telegraph

"The writing style is lively and personal, and the scientific arguments are written in such a way as to be accessible to upper-division undergraduate students in physics and astrophysics. The book is very well referenced and illustrated with suitable and approproate illustrations. Recommended for upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and two-year technical program students." Choice

"This is a fascinating book, expressing the views of three scientists who choose to go against the conventional cosmological wisdom. It is extremely important for such skepticism to exist and for such books to be written." Physics Today

"The book is a serious and professional contribution to scientific cosmology." Sky & Telescope

"Throughout the last few decades, Fred Hoyle, Geoffrey Burbidge, and Jayant Narlikar have done the cosmology community a great service by developing and defending a serious alternative to Big Bang models of cosmic origins. A Different Approach to Cosmology is a summary of their work...by elucidating one of the hot Big Bang's competitors, the authors provide a good educational exercise for any graduate student interested in fundamental cosmology." Science

From the Publisher

Venerable British astronomer Fred Hoyle is jointed by Geoffrey Burbidge (astrophysics and space sciences, U. of California-San Diego) and Jayant Narlikar (Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune, India) to dissent from the prevailing view of the origin of the universe. They contend that dependency of the hot big bang model has led to an unwarranted rejection of alternative cosmological models. They trace the field of cosmology since 1914 and offer new interpretations for observations. They assume a fairly high degree of mathematical sophistication and knowledge about astronomy. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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