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The fallacy of fine-tuning : why the universe is not designed for us / Victor J. Stenger. |
| Authors: | Stenger, Victor J., 1935- |
| Call number: | 530.1 STE |
| Publisher: | Amherst, N.Y. : Prometheus Books, c2011. |
| Publication date: | c2011. |
| Subject: |
Causality (Physics)
Cosmology. Equilibrium. Religion and science. God -- Proof. Atheism. |
| Title: | The fallacy of fine-tuning : why the universe is not designed for us / Victor J. Stenger. |
| Physical description: | 345 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. |
| Contents note: | 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 Schrödinger 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. |
| Biography note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9781616144432 (alk. paper) 1616144432 (alk. paper) |
| LCCN: | 2010049901 |
| Url for this record: | http://sherloc.imcpl.org/?itemid=|library/marc/dynix|1343336 |
| Bib No.: | 1343336 |
Show Available
| Item availability |
| Location | Collection | Call No. | Status |
| Central Library | Nonfiction, Adult - Non-Floating | 530.1 STE | Checked In |
| Pike Library | Nonfiction, Adult | 530.1 STE | Checked In |