The First Three Minutes: A Modern View of the Origin of the Universe

by Steven Weinberg

Hardcover, 1977

Status

Available

Call number

QB981 .W48

Publication

Basic Books (1977), Edition: 1st, 188 pages

Description

A Nobel Prize-winning physicist explains what happened at the very beginning of the universe, and how we know, in this popular science classic. Our universe has been growing for nearly 14 billion years. But almost everything about it, from the elements that forged stars, planets, and lifeforms, to the fundamental forces of physics, can be traced back to what happened in just the first three minutes of its life. In this book, Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg describes in wonderful detail what happened in these first three minutes. It is an exhilarating journey that begins with the Planck Epoch - the earliest period of time in the history of the universe - and goes through Einstein's Theory of Relativity, the Hubble Red Shift, and the detection of the Cosmic Microwave Background. These incredible discoveries all form the foundation for what we now understand as the "standard model" of the origin of the universe. The First Three Minutes examines not only what this model looks like, but also tells the exciting story of the bold thinkers who put it together. Clearly and accessibly written, The First Three Minutes is a modern-day classic, an unsurpassed explanation of where it is we really come from.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member ashishg
Very dense and highly technical details of what happened in the first three minutes of origination of the Universe, alongside how were those details discovered. Fascinating yet not easy to understand at all.
LibraryThing member gilbs
One of the finest works of popular cosmology. It is challenging reading, not least because, perhaps, you'll question whether your life means anything whatsoever. Thumbs up!
LibraryThing member dickmanikowski
I first tried reading this book probably 20 years ago, and abandoned it when it got too damned technical.
When I picked it up again, I think I may have gotten further than I did the first time. But that may have just been my ego to plod through more pages that were beyond my comprehension than I did
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last time. Maybe I should just wait for THE FIRST THREE MINUTES FOR DUMMIES to come out.
To be fair, the author tries to write as clearly as possible. But it's just some really complicated stuff.
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LibraryThing member JBarringer
This stuff is interesting, and I love thinking about cosmology. But reading this book reminded me of just how lousy scientists are at communicating beautiful ideas from their work to people outside their own field. I have several years of college physics and several astrophysics/cosmology courses
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as background, and I still found parts of this book nearly unreadable. I think a lot more people would understand the math and science bits of this book if they were supported by better writing for pleasure-reading. After all, a small paperback like this is not a textbook.
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Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

1977

Physical description

188 p.

ISBN

0465024351 / 9780465024353

Barcode

580
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