Cosmos
Connecting Ultrasmall and Ultralarge
Cosmic questions find answers in fundamental physics. The structure of the Universe was imprinted in its earliest moments, when the Big Bang created conditions so extreme that they challenge our understanding and imagination.
Powerful ideas from the Core, and unification beyond, help us rise to the challenge.
Why is there something rather than nothing? What is the dark matter? Does the Universe undergo violent upheavals, which change its basic character? Is everything we've seen only a small part of a vastly larger Multiverse? These are some of the questions we're wrestling with.
Five Easy Pieces
Just a few of my (non-technical) thoughts on cosmology. You can also find most, but not all of these, in Fantastic Realities.
- Archaeopteryx Looks Up
- My ideas about the far future, the meaning of life, and all that.
- The Cosmic Asymmetry Between Matter and Antimatter
- Why is there something rather than nothing? Physics begins to answer.
- Review of "Inflationary Universe"
- The new cosmological paradigm, inspired by fundamental physics.
- Enlightenment, Knowledge, Ignorance, Temptation
- My take on issues around the anthropic principle. A fully rational discussion!
- The Universe is a Strange Place
- You probably suspected that, and here's some objective evidence.
More About This
The internet is an amazing source of information (and misinformation) about almost any topic. Here are a few URLs if you want to learn more about the connections between particle physics and cosmology.
- "Cosmic Journey" into history of cosmology
- The American Institute of Physics offers several paths through this fascinating story, covering theories, methods, and the people behind them.
- MIT physics courses available online
- MIT's OpenCourseWare project makes MIT courses available for free public access.