The concept of chaos has brought a revolution to modern science. In place of their once confident pretensions to complete knowledge of the universe--at least theoretically--scientists have been forced by chaos to admit that there are situations that do not admit of complete predictability, even above the quantum scale of events, where uncertainty is so powerful. Parker begins with a lucid explanation of chaos and its roots in past science and mathematics, then proceeds to how chaos affects modern astronomy. The structure of the rings of Saturn, the orbits of the asteroids, even the gross configuration of the galaxies and the universe itself are all cryptic and enigmatic, but chaos helps to explain them. Parker illuminates these developments in all their exquisite details. Highly recommended Dennis Winters
Product Description
As this remarkable book shows, we live in a universe beset with chaos. Highly acclaimed popular science writer Barry Parker shows - for the first time in a popular work - the amazing impact chaos theory is having on our understanding of the cosmos. Through vivid metaphors and imagery, Parker indoctrinates the reader into the fantastic realm of chaos theory, from the exquisitely detailed structure of fractals to strange attractors to stretching and folding space. He interviews the world's premier astronomers to discuss firsthand the challenge of applying these powerful concepts to the most intriguing paradoxes in astronomy; the workings of chaos in the bizarre tumbling orbit of one of Saturn's moons, the swirling migration of the great red spot of Jupiter, the explosive mechanics of pulsating stars, and the intricate dance of stars orbiting black holes. He also explains the exciting cutting-edge technology scientists employ as they learn - via computer images - to model accurately the movements of planets, suns, and even superclusters of galaxies millions of years into the past and future to explore the role of chaos in the mysterious genesis and fate of the universe. This burgeoning new science, like all brilliant theories, raises nearly as many questions as it answers. Is the universe a puzzle we will one day be able to solve? Chaos theory reminds us that unpredictability goes part and parcel with our dynamic universe. It also offers testimony to the elegantly complex structure of the universe. As Parker eloquently shows, this remarkable science, though still in its infancy, is destined to rank among the most potent and compelling forces that will shape the future of astronomy.
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