The Unity of the Universe

by Dennis W. Sciama

Does the universe consist of independent objects, or is it a single unit? Are some of its features accidental, or can they all be explained in theoretical terms? This accessible book on cosmology addresses profound questions about the universe, and it offers elegant answers in simple, straightforward terms. Written by a distinguished cosmologist, it assumes no knowledge of physics or astronomy and illustrates its explanations with figures and compelling photos. 
The first part ventures back to the early Greek astronomers, who were the first to measure the Earth's size and the distance to the sun and the moon. It also examines the latter-day discoveries of distant galaxies, achieved with giant telescopes and mathematical calculations. The second part explores modern theories, including the author's own conviction that the universe is a single unit and that the behavior of nearby matter is strongly influenced by distant regions of the universe. A student of Fred Hoyle and Paul Dirac and a teacher of Stephen Hawking, D. W. Sciama is best known for his work on general relativity and black holes. Scientific American acclaimed his survey as "an engrossing book" and "an invigorating intellectual exercise that any mature reader can enjoy."

Genres: Science, Philosophy

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1959

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great intro to cosmology despite being over 50 years old. The structure of the book is impressive - concepts are introduced clearly and carefully to build upon each other. Each chapter ends at exactly the right place.

Random notes:

Newton's concept of inertia doesn't work until you bring in the gravitational influence of distant matter - basically, the galaxies furthest away from Earth exert the greatest influence on its motion.

Steady state model vs. evolutionary model was a live issue when this was written. Sciama leans towards steady state but presents both theories fairly. (He later accepted the evolutionary model.)

The steady state model assumes that new matter is continually created. Sciama never explains how this happens.

Sciama was Stephen Hawking's doctoral advisor.

Started reading this after watching "Beyond the Big Bang" episode of The Universe with the kids.

[Bria · Rating 3 out of 5]

It felt like he was on the verge of revealing how everything comes together in an amazing, revelatory way at just about every moment throughout the book. I'm not sure that ever happened, but I have a suspicion that the information was actually there, just cut up and scattered underneath everything, obscured by his rejection of the evolving universe, for me to piece together.

[Kadri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good. Starting from measuring distances to the Moon and planets and all the way up to theories about the Universe.

[Fred Kohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating old science book written for a general audience which seems surprisingly up to date. I read it because of my interest in the local effects of the distant matter of the universe on our local neighborhood, a topic not often covered. It was fun reading a book written before the Big Bang became standard cosmology, because the author leans towards the steady state theory.

[Thomas Ray]

QB981 S392 Memorial Library