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Author Stenger, Victor J., 1935-2014.

Title The fallacy of fine-tuning : why the universe is not designed for us / by Victor J. Stenger.

Imprint Amherst, N.Y. : Prometheus Books, c2011.

Copies

Location Call No. OPAC Message Status
 Axe 3rd Floor Stacks  215 St42F 2011    ---  Available
Description 345 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents Science and God. NOMA ; Natural theology ; Darwinism ; Intelligent design -- The anthropic principles. Fine-tuning ; History ; Hoyles' prediction ; The anthropic principles ; Fine-tuning today -- The four dimensions. Models ; Observations ; Space, time, and reality ; Parameters ; Definitions ; Trivial and arbitrary parameters ; Space-time and four-momentum ; Criteria for fine-tuning ; Geological and biological parameters -- Point-of-view invariance. The conservation principles ; Lorentz invariance ; Classical mechanics ; General relativity and gravity ; Quantum mechanics ; Gauge theory ; The standard model ; Atoms and the void -- Cosmos. Some basic cosmology ; A semi-Newtonian model ; Inflation, past and present ; Phase space ; Entropy -- The eternal universe. Did the universe begin? ; The missing singularity ; Quantum tunneling ; Imaginary time ; A scenario for a natural origin of the universe ; The biverse -- Gravity is fiction. Gravity and electromagnetism ; Not universal ; Why are masses so small? ; How to get mass ; Another way to get mass -- Chemistry. The hydrogen atom ; The quantum theory of atoms ; The many-electron atom ; The scaling of the Schrodinger equation ; Range of allowed parameters -- The Hoyle resonance. Manufacturing heavier elements in stars ; The Hoyle prediction -- Physics parameters. Are the relative masses of particles fine-tuned? ; Mass of electron ; Masses of neutrinos ; Strength of weak nuclear force ; Strength of the strong interaction ; The relative strengths of the forces ; Proton decay ; Baryogenesis --Cosmic parameters. Mass density of the universe ; Deuterium ; The expansion rate of the universe ; Protons and electrons in the universe ; Big bang ripples ; Parameters of the concordance model ; The cold big bang -- The cosmological constant. Vacuum energy ; Holographic cosmology ; Ghost particles ; Is the cosmological constant zero by definition? ; Acceleration with zero cosmological constant ; The multiverse and the principle of mediocrity -- Monkeygod. Principles and parameters ; Simulating universes -- Probability. Probability arguments ; Bayesian arguments ; Another Bayesian argument -- Quantum and consciousness. The new spirituality ; Making your own reality ; Waves and particles ; Human inventions ; A single reality ; The statistical interpretation ; Deriving the uncertainty principle -- Summary and review. The parameters ; Probability arguments ; Status of the strong anthropic principle ; A final conclusion.
Subject Causality (Physics)
Cosmology.
Equilibrium.
Religion and science.
God -- Proof.
Atheism.
ISBN 9781616144432 (alk. paper)
1616144432 (alk. paper)
9781616144449 (e-book)
1616144440 (e-book)

 
    
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