History of the universe is interesting, too!

[Erica]

Origins Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution
I picked up this book after seeing something on the History channel - it's crazy interesting, makes you realize that history reaches much further than the various monarchies, wars, etc of our recent past.

[Old-Barbarossa]

Erica wrote: "Origins Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution
I picked up this book after seeing something on the History channel - it's crazy interesting, makes you realize that history reache..."

Saw a thing recently about the whole "earth is 6000 years old" controversy that is bubbling along in the US, how it's tied to the notion of creationism etc. Frightening stuff. Shows how these ideas influence current affairs and education policy by encouraging self censorship of ideas and actions in the teaching community.

[Erica]

That video was great - he explained the elements very clearly. I'd not thought to go on youtube, thanks for sending me there!

I've just plowed through a section on supernovae and the white dwarf stars. I'm guessing that our own sun is going to be one of those one day.

There's also an interesting section on the changing chemical composition of the cosmos, with our gradual phasing from a universe composed primarily of matter/ energy to one of primarily dark energy. It's likely that our ability to exist right now is only possible because of the phase that the universe is in.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads, Crazy Cat Lady]

Probably a white dwarf.

[Dan]

I have always wanted to learn about the evolution of the earth. I will keep that in mind.

[Pete]

White dwarf. Our sun hasn't the mass to go supernovae. I'm into a Carl Sagan phase. May I recommend Cosmos, the book and dvd series, probably the best tv ever made.

[Old-Barbarossa]

Pete wrote: "White dwarf. Our sun hasn't the mass to go supernovae. I'm into a Carl Sagan phase. May I recommend Cosmos, the book and dvd series, probably the best tv ever made."

Cosmos is very good, if slightly dated in bits. All the tv version can be seen on youtube too.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads, Crazy Cat Lady]

Still a really good read or watch, too. I've seen the series pop up on regular TV occasionally, too. (Discovery channel? Discovery Science? Something like that.)

[Old-Barbarossa]

Susanna wrote: "Still a really good read or watch, too. I've seen the series pop up on regular TV occasionally, too. (Discovery channel? Discovery Science? Something like that.)"

Aye, Sagan has some great lines. I like the whole bit about needing to create the universe to make an apple pie...and obviously the fact that we're made of star stuff.

[Pete]

Sure, we are star dust, we are golden.
It's large mass stars going supernovae explosions that produce all the heavier elements than lead in the periodic table. So the gold on the ring on your finger, or in the fillings in your teeth was produced by a supernovae!
I think the world still misses Sagan.