An Infinity of Worlds

Cosmic Inflation and the Beginning of the Universe

Will Kinney

$55

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

MIT Press
07 November 2023

Astronomy, space & time; Cosmology & the universe; Physics

What happened before the primordial fire of the Big Bang- a theory about the ultimate origin of the universe.

What happened before the primordial fire of the Big Bang- a theory about the ultimate origin of the universe.

In the beginning was the Big Bang- an unimaginably hot fire almost fourteen billion years ago in which the first elements were forged. The physical theory of the hot nascent universe-the Big Bang-was one of the most consequential developments in twentieth-century science. And yet it leaves many questions unanswered- Why is the universe so big? Why is it so old? What is the origin of structure in the cosmos? In An Infinity of Worlds, physicist Will Kinney explains a more recent theory that may hold the answers to these questions and even explain the ultimate origins of the universe- cosmic inflation, before the primordial fire of the Big Bang.

Kinney argues that cosmic inflation is a transformational idea in cosmology, changing our picture of the basic structure of the cosmos and raising unavoidable questions about what we mean by a scientific theory. He explains that inflation is a remarkable unification of inner space and outer space, in which the physics of the very large (the cosmos) meets the physics of the very small (elementary particles and fields), closing in a full circle at the first moment of time. With quantum uncertainty its fundamental feature, this new picture of cosmic origins introduces the possibility that the origin of the universe was of a quantum nature.

Kinney considers the consequences of eternal cosmic inflation. Can we come to terms with the possibility that our entire observable universe is one of infinitely many, forever hidden from our view?

By: Will Kinney
Imprint: MIT Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 203mm, Width: 132mm, Spine: 17mm
Weight: 232g
ISBN: 9780262547222
ISBN 10: 0262547228
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 07 November 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Will Kinney is Professor in the Department of Physics at the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York.