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| Epic of Evolution: Seven Ages of the Cosmos
ISBN: 9780231509602
Platform/Publisher: JSTOR / Columbia University Press
Digital rights: Users: unlimited; Printing: chapter; Download: chapter
Subjects: Cosmology; Life -- Origin; Matter -- Constitution;
Chaisson attempts to explain the origin of the universe and the evolution of everything in it, in nontechnical terms. With such a huge topic, it's hardly surprising that he paints with broad strokes and glosses over specifics. Nonetheless, his writing is clear and his overview will both educate and entertain the average reader. Chaisson (The Hubble Wars), head of the Wright Center for Science Education at Tufts, structures his book by following the chronology of change and development in the universe, beginning with the creation of atomic particles 15 billion years ago at the time of the Big Bang. Subsequent chapters describe the evolution of galaxies, stars, planets, chemical interactions, life and human culture. Chaisson does a good job of explaining two overarching concepts. First, "all ordered systems seen in nature differ not in kind but only in degree, namely, the degree of complexity." Second, he repeatedly and articulately describes the nature of the scientific method, demonstrating how science differs from other ways of understanding the world. Given the never-ending public controversy over evolution, this point is particularly appropriate for the generalist audience. Photos and illus. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Eric Chaisson holds research professorships in the departments of physics, astronomy, and education at Tufts University, where he directs the Wright Center for Science Education. He is the author of several books, including Cosmic Dawn: The Origins of Matter and Life and Cosmic Evolution: The Rise of Complexity in Nature .
Eric Chaisson holds research professorships in the departments of physics, astronomy, and education at Tufts University, where he directs the Wright Center for Science Education. He is the author of Cosmic Dawn: The Origins of Matter and Life; Cosmic Evolution: The Rise of Complexity in Nature; and several other titles. He lives in Concord, Massachusetts. |
