Front cover image for Cosmology and controversy : the historical development of two theories of the universe

Cosmology and controversy : the historical development of two theories of the universe

Presents the development of scientific cosmology as a historical event, one that embroiled many scientists in a controversy over the very notion of an evolving universe with a beginning in time. This work examines how the big-bang theory drew inspiration from and eventually triumphed over rival views.
Print Book, English, 1999
Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1999
History
xiii, 500 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.
9780691005461, 069100546X
1170732857
PrefaceCh. 1Background: From Einstein to Hubble3Ch. 2Lemaitre's Fireworks Universe22Ch. 3Gamow's Big Bang80Ch. 4The Steady-State Alternative142Ch. 5Creation and Controversy202Ch. 6The Universe Observed269Ch. 7From Controversy to Marginalization318Ch. 8Epilogue: Dynamics of a Controversy389Appendix IA Cosmological Chronology, 1917-1971397Appendix IITechnical Glossary400Notes403Bibliography447Index487