Cosmogenesis: The Growth of Order in the Universe

by David Layzer

Overview

Eminent Harvard astrophysicist David Layzer offers readers a unified theory of natural order and its origins, from the permanence, stability, and orderliness of sub-atomic particles to the evolution of the human mind. Cosmogenesis provides the first extended account of a controversial theory that connects quantum mechanics with the second law of thermodynamics, and presents novel resolutions of longstanding paradoxes in these theories, such as those of Schroedinger's cat and the arrow of time. Layzer's main concerns in the second half of the book are with the philosophical issues surrounding science. He develops a highly original reconciliation of the conflict between traditional scientific determinism and the intuitive notion of individual freedom. He argues that although the elementary processes underlying biological evolution and human development are governed by physical laws, they are nevertheless genuinely creative and unpredictable.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195069082
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	03/21/1991
Series:	Growth of Order in the Universe
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	1,101,291
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.22(h) x 0.86(d)
Lexile:	1310L (what's this?)

About the Author

David Layzer is the Donald H. Menzel Professor of Astrophysics at Harvard University. He is the author of Constructing the Universe.