The Three Big Bangs: Comet Crashes, Exploding Stars, And The Creation Of The Universe (Helix Books) (Paperback)

by Philip M. Dauber (Author), Richard A. Muller (Author) "In this book we are going to ask you to imagine a series of events so violent, they dwarf the most vicious crimes that humans..." (more)
Key Phrases: three big bangs, supernova hunters, glassy spherules, Milky Way, Luis Alvarez, Walter Alvarez (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The universe was created in the first Big Bang, but according to Philip Dauber and Richard Muller that alone couldn't have been sufficient to set the stage for life on Earth today. Two more big bangs were needed: one in the form of a supernova that seeded the solar system with heavy elements; the second a devastating asteroid or comet impact 65 million years ago that exterminated the dinosaurs and permitted the evolution of mammals and ultimately humans. The Three Big Bangs describes the science behind each of these events in a colorful manner. It provides an easily accessible survey of key theories in cosmology, but readers more familiar with these principles may yearn for greater detail and rigor. Still, as an overview of three classes of cosmological cataclysms and their role in shaping the world as we know it, The Three Big Bangs succeeds.

From Library Journal
How did the universe begin? The Big Bang. How did our solar system start and where were the elements formed that make up our planet, not to mention our own species? From a supernova explosion. What force drives the pattern of punctuated equilibrium evolution that pervades the geologic record and includes the demise of the dinosaurs, which opened the way for mammals and eventually humans? A comet or asteroid that collided with the earth. In addition to the well-written descriptions of the phenomena mentioned above, we get a cogent synopsis of the pros and cons of developing a detection-and-destruction system to try to protect the earth from another cosmic collision and a defense of Muller's "death star" theory. That, in a nutshell, is the content of the book, but it is worth reading to see the whole story. Recommended for larger public libraries.?Harold D. Shane, Baruch Coll., CUNY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (April 13, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201154951
• ISBN-13: 978-0201154955
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #583,543 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent popular science about evolution of the universe., December 18, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: The Three Big Bangs: Comet Crashes, Exploding Stars, and the Creation of the Universe (Helix Books) (Hardcover)

The authors' three big bangs are 1) THE Big Bang thought to have given birth to the known universe, 2) the later explosions of supernovas which produced the heavy elements not originally present in the early universe, which was dominated by the light elements hydrogen and helium, and 3) the crash of a comet or asteroid near the Yucatan peninsula 65 million years ago, which destroyed the dinosaurs and gave fresh opportunities to mammals and, eventually, to us humans. For the authors, these diverse events are linked because they have each played an enormous role in determining the nature of the world we now live in. These three big bangs give us a strong sense of physical evolution, comparable to the modern view of biological evolution. This is a new perception. When I was a child in the 1940's I read everything about popular astronomy I could get my hands on. The view I got at the time was of a completely static universe, in which nothing much ever happened. The universe was magnificent and awesome but certainly not dynamic. Now the universe is a place of explosive evolution and is vastly more magnificent and awesome. "The Three Big Bangs" tells this story well. This is a book that openly panders to our fascination with violence, but in a way that is socially acceptable!

1 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dauber is the Man, April 4, 2006

By	B. Mahon (Alameda) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Haven't read the book, but Dauber was my high school physics teacher and he is the man. Dude has a boat

0 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars saf, May 29, 2004

By	Denny Nadolleck (alameda) - See all my reviews

okay...i admit it, i thought he would be nice...but that has changed. i don't like him anymore, he is too stuffy. he is still brilliant, tho.