"The greatest obstacle to advancement in the sciences of origins and evolution is the illusion of knowledge."
 |
Origins of Universal Systems:
A Brief History of the Right Answers... Simple and Beautiful by Alexander Alan Scarborough Trafford Publishing
book review by Cynthia Collins
For the past 2,500 years, many theories have evolved about the origins of the Universe. How do we know which one is correct? From the time of Copernicus and Galileo to that of Einstein and Stephen Hawking, each theory can be justified based on the information available at that time in history. When new discoveries are made and additional information becomes available, then new theories take shape.
Scarborough states that the subtitle of the book is taken from a quote by Albert Einstein: "The right answers will be simple and beautiful." His degree in chemistry and his lifelong interests in astronomy and geology have led him on a pursuit of the right answers. He backs up every twist and turn with letters, memos, essays, and reports from scientists, professors, teachers, program directors, and brigadier generals. He has included charts and graphs about planets, galaxies, and comets, and covers everything in his writing from fossil fuels to black holes.
This book is a very thorough source for researching the formation of our solar system and the universe beyond it. It is not light reading. There are a lot of abbreviations in the text, but it is not always clear what the abbreviations mean. From the vast amount of information this reference and research book contains, it is best suited for scientists, scholars, and university students at the undergraduate and graduate levels specializing in astronomy, and will lead them to find their own right answers that are simple and beautiful.