Origins: The Lives and Worlds of Modern Cosmologists [Paperback]

Alan Lightman (Author), Roberta Brawer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1992

Origins reveals the human being within the scientist in a study of the philosophical, personal, and social factors that enter into the scientific process. Twenty-seven active cosmologists--including Stephen Hawking, Roger Penrose, Steven Weinberg, Vera Rubin, Allan Sandage, Margaret Geller, and Alan Guth--talk candidly about their childhoods and early influences, their motivations, prejudices, and worldviews. The book's lucid introduction traces the explosion of new ideas that has recently shaken cosmological thinking. Origins explores not just the origin of the universe but also the origins of scientific thought.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In these interviews with 27 leading figures in contemporary cosmology, the authors--themselves physicists--reveal a diverse and colorful group. Most interesting are revelations about the scientists' backgrounds: several came from families of modest means and were attracted to science by reading popularizations such as this one. Some interview questions elicit responses that might be too technical for general readers (although the authors provide a concise survey of current cosmology in the book's introduction), and philosophical questions such as, "If you could design the universe any way that you wanted to, how would you do it?", are often tedious. Avid readers of science popularizations, science students, and educators, as well as those attracted by the celebrity status of interviewees Stephen Hawking, Roger Penrose, and others will create demand for this book.
- Gregg Sapp, Montana State Univ. Lib., Bozeman
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

It's the very messiness of life in the trenches of cosmology that makes Origins so useful. Forced to face the limits of science, many of [the authors'] interview subjects speak revealingly about the prejudices, the beliefs, and the aesthetic preferences that help shape their views of the universe...When asked: What kind of universe would you design, if you could have any kind at all? Most of the cosmologists suddenly sparkle. (James Gleick The Atlantic )

There is no better way to understand the current confusions of the world's top cosmologists than by reading this timely and admirable anthology. (Martin Gardner Washington Post Book World )

A fascinating, surprisingly accessible and altogether human collection of conversations with today's leading cosmologists...Origins is composed of a lucid 49-page introduction to the field of cosmology, followed by question and answer interviews with 27 prominent cosmologists...Concepts...may stagger the average reader on first impact. Lightman is perfectly at ease with them. Arcane cosmic phenomena...are meat and drink to him. Readers lucky enough to sit near him at this intellectual banquet table will share the physicist's exquisite pleasure in the feast. (John Wilkes Los Angeles Times )

Origins...consists mainly of interviews with 27 of the world's leading cosmologists, who talk about their childhoods, early influences, their college careers, and their discoveries. They also give their opinions on recent developments in cosmology, such as inflation theory and quantum gravity. These interviews are...colorful and give considerable insight into the lives of the cosmologists...A charming a delightful book to read. (Choice )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Harvard University Press (September 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0674644719
• ISBN-13: 978-0674644717
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,700,800 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alan Lightman, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences since 1996, is adjunct professor of humanities at MIT. He is the author of several books on science, including "Ancient Light: Our Changing View of the Universe" (1991) and "Origins: The Lives and Worlds of Modern Cosmologists" (with R. Brawer, 1990). His works of fiction include "Einstein's Dreams" (1993), "The Diagnosis" (2000), which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and, most recently, "Reunion" (2003).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating viewpoints on current cosmological questions., December 14, 1998

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This review is from: Origins: The Lives and Worlds of Modern Cosmologists (Paperback)

I received this book as a gift. I wish I had bought it years ago! I'm an amateur astronomer. This book gives the reader the opportunity to hear the world's most reknowned professional astronomers address the universal questions which we all share: Whence came the universe? Whither goes it? The book opens with a brief overview of current cosmological theories and observations. It then poses the same set of fascinating questions to each of 27 working astronomers; both observational and theoretical. They give the reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with the current models. If the "great questions" interest you, I promise you will learn a lot and gain much to ponder for a long time!