What is Cosmology: Definition and 925 Discussions

Cosmology (from Greek κόσμος, kosmos "world" and -λογία, -logia "study of") is a branch of astronomy concerned with the studies of the origin and evolution of the universe, from the Big Bang to today and on into the future. It is the scientific study of the origin, evolution, and eventual fate of the universe. Physical cosmology is the scientific study of the universe's origin, its large-scale structures and dynamics, and its ultimate fate, as well as the laws of science that govern these areas.The term cosmology was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount's Glossographia, and in 1731 taken up in Latin by German philosopher Christian Wolff, in Cosmologia Generalis.Religious or mythological cosmology is a body of beliefs based on mythological, religious, and esoteric literature and traditions of creation myths and eschatology.
Physical cosmology is studied by scientists, such as astronomers and physicists, as well as philosophers, such as metaphysicians, philosophers of physics, and philosophers of space and time. Because of this shared scope with philosophy, theories in physical cosmology may include both scientific and non-scientific propositions, and may depend upon assumptions that cannot be tested. Cosmology differs from astronomy in that the former is concerned with the Universe as a whole while the latter deals with individual celestial objects. Modern physical cosmology is dominated by the Big Bang theory, which attempts to bring together observational astronomy and particle physics; more specifically, a standard parameterization of the Big Bang with dark matter and dark energy, known as the Lambda-CDM model.
Theoretical astrophysicist David N. Spergel has described cosmology as a "historical science" because "when we look out in space, we look back in time" due to the finite nature of the speed of light.

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  1. wolram

    Popular Cosmology Books - Which to Buy or Not?

    This link is to (popular) cosmology books, http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/cosmobib.html Which would you buy/not ?
  2. P

    Exploring the Definition of "Proper Distance" in Cosmology

    http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/astro-ph/pdf/0310/0310808.pdf uses the term "proper distance", but doesn't define it. Presumably this must be a standard defintion. So far, though, I have not been able to track down a definitive defintion (I'm still looking). My guess is that this distance is...
  3. R

    Barbara Ryden's Cosmology Book: Reviews & Opinions

    I want to buy Barbara Ryden's Cosmology book. Has someone read it already and could say a few things about it? On amazon it gets nice reviews but what do you think? thanks
  4. O

    Entropy, information and Omphalos cosmology

    Entropy, information and Omphalos cosmology Roger Penrose, in The Road to Reality, discusses the Second Law of Thermodynamics and the Universe’s entropy. He floats (section 27.13) an order-of-order-of magnitude argument that the entropy of our Universe has increased from mighty big (10^10^88)...
  5. D

    What Did Ancient Civilizations Discover About the Universe Before 3000 BC?

    Gday, I'm currently doing a major yr 11 assignment on cosmology for physics. One of the questions in this assignment was about the historical developments of various models of the universe over time. I've mentioned the geocentric and heliocentric models but the question also asks about the...
  6. S

    What do I Need for a Successful Career in Cosmology?

    Hi I'm new here, I found this forum while trying to plan my career in cosmology. So far to have a good career in this field you must have a Bachelor, a Masters, and a PhD. So far I know what college I'm going to go for my Bachelors, which is Angelo State University. I already have a four-year...
  7. O

    The Virial theorem and Cosmology

    Whenever a diffuse gravitating system condenses into a stable and more compact object, energy must be removed from it. This is a consequence of the Virial theorem, which mandates that in a stable system of gravitating particles there must be a proportional balance between the magnitudes of...
  8. E

    Relativity, Gravitation, and Cosmology

    Hi all, I'm going to spend my summer doing some self-study in the subjects which I'll be covering in the future and I think it'd be a great time to dive into relativity. I've had some education in special relativity but I've never dealt with general relativity. I'd like a good, thorough...
  9. K

    Is the Hubble Constant Constant?

    -> = implies Dark Energy -> Repulsion Inflation -> Repulsion Gravitation -> Attraction (Repulsion = Attraction -> Steady Region) & Euclidean Universe -> Light can travel on parallel lines that remain the same distance from each other :: matter, light, and energy maintaining present...
  10. wolram

    NASA Is NASA doing anything to advance the science of cosmology?

    Is NASA doing anything to advance the science of cosmology? my personal veiw is that this agency is a total waste of money, money that could be spent, doing robust scientific cosmological related experiments, what do you think?
  11. wolram

    Cosmology: Exploring Mainstream Theories & Problems

    What are the (basic) problems with main stream theories of cosmology ? i do not want crackpotery, just what the people who work in or around the field think. I am unqualified to comment and will not, i hope moderators will keep this thead to the point.
  12. J

    Cosmology: a good career choice?

    i find the study of cosmology very fascinating and now contemplating to study it. But is it a wise choice? I mean, how practical is cosmology in everyday life? not that i really need it to be, I'm more than satisfied to have answers I've always been pondering about. and is employment hard...
  13. Y

    Loop Quantum Cosmology dual to Randall-Sundrum Model

    Specifically LGC is dual to RS theory with an extra (large) time-like dimension, as reported by Parampreet Singh today in: http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/gr-qc/pdf/0603/0603043.pdf This is the first connection between loop quantum gravity and string theory that I am aware of. The need for an...
  14. H

    Highschool student interested in cosmology

    I am a high school student interested in cosmology and gr, qm, and mtheory. I find it fascinating to think about the origins of the universe. I need clarification on a 'simple' aspect of the gr theory. *Time is warped and slowed down (relative to another location) around greater masses *As...
  15. wolram

    Plasma-Redshift Cosmology: Fits to SNLS Data & Implications

    http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0602500 Authors: Ari Brynjolfsson Comments: 8 pages, 4 figures, presented at APS April 2006 meeting We have previously shown that the type Ia supernovae data by Riess et al. match the prediction of the magnitude-redshift relation in the plasma-redshift...
  16. Chronos

    Loop Quantum Cosmology: Martin Bojowald's Awe-Inspiring Work

    Check this out Loop Quantum Cosmology http://www.arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0601085 Authors: Martin Bojowald A terrific paper. Frankly, I am awed by this work.
  17. marcus

    Bojowald with movies (Loop Cosmology paper)

    today Martin Bojowald posted a paper on Loop Quantum Cosmology http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0601085 it is over 100 pages long and has movies to illustrate more info on the "Rovelli's program" REFERENCE LINK THREAD here: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=888994#post888994 the...
  18. K

    A question related to cosmology( or perhaps philosophy)

    If the universe is expanding/stretching, what is it expanding/stretching into? Is it nothingness? Or rather is it is 'nothingness' only in the sense that we cannot give it a word or a definition? Where did all the mass-energy in the universe came from? Did it came from nothing? Of course...
  19. N

    Cosmology Problem, Friedman equation

    I am asked in a question to show that the friedman with k<0 equation can be solved by substituing a= b(1-cos(theta)) and t = c(theta- sin(theta). a is scale factor, t is time b,c are constants Can anyone outline the general procedure to go about solving this. I've tried...
  20. vincentm

    Will cosmology ever confirm the Big Bang theory?

    confirm the Big Bang theory? I know that we currently have a lot of evidence to support it. But what I'm not sure of is why can't we see beyond the Planck Epoch 10^-43 or confirm that yes the universe did exist as a singularity beyond this point? And did this "singularity exist as some kind of...
  21. Y

    Can Inflation and Compactification Shed Light on Dark Energy?

    This might be posted on the Cosmology Forum. But I think it's more likely to get answers here: 1. Is inflation as in the Big Bang coincident with compactification? 2. Is the compactification of 6 dimensions most likely or could other numbers of dimensions be just as likely? 3. I read that...
  22. N

    Cosmology, Philosophy, and Physics. What should I take first?

    I sort of see philosophy as standing by itself in comparison to the other two subjects in question. I've found physics and cosmology to be inextricably linked in many ways. I was wondering if anybody had a recommendation regarding what to study first (even though I've technically already studied...
  23. C

    Programs What to major in for cosmology?

    i was wondering what you guys thought would be the best think to major in for someone who wanted to go into cosmology. Especially in regard to relativity or quantum mechanics. Also, where do you guys think the best place to go for my undergrad is for the major you suggest
  24. C

    Programs Astrophysics Major for Cosmology Career - Junior in HS

    I would like to eventually like to pursue a career in cosmology. However, there is no specific undergrad that I have found that is specifily "Cosmology" the closest I seem to be is Astrophysics. My question, is Astrophysics the best major for someone how is interested in pursuing...
  25. Y

    What resources are available for studying higher dimensional quantum cosmology?

    I going to to study the quantum cosmology. who can give me some advice and supply some papers and books? Thanks.
  26. SpaceTiger

    Classic Papers in Astronomy and Cosmology

    Hellfire requested that I post a list of classic papers that one could use for reference when trying to understand the current state of astronomy and cosmology. I'll do so here, but if I could politely ask the following: - Please do not debate the veracity of the papers in this thread. In...
  27. MathematicalPhysicist

    Cosmology Simulations' softwares

    I have always read about simulations being done by computer softwares concerning cosmology and astrophysics, do you know if any of the simulations softwares are offered (hopefully, free :approve: ) on the web? thanks in advance. p.s do these softwares work on assembly environment...
  28. Garth

    Is Self Creation Cosmology a Viable Alternative to the Standard Model?

    After an abortive start in the new IR Forum I am beginning a new thread on the published theory of Self Creation Cosmology. There has already been many posts on the subject in PF and I apologise for any repetition, but having been asked to post it here in A&C I here make a clean start! The...
  29. turbo

    Burbidge's Cosmology: Overcoming Inertia in Science

    I do not subscribe to all of his ideas, nor Arp's, but I wholeheartedly encourage the epistemology that is sorely lacking in today's physics. We had to wait a LONG time before Einstein's model of gravitation overtook Newton's (and still NASA can do a pretty nice job using Newtonian...
  30. C

    Cosmology: the scinece on the universe.

    Hi, everybody, I am planning to write an article titled "cosmology: the scinece on the universe". So far I have written about 40 pages. I want to share/check my ideas with you. Abstract of the article looks as follows: Every object in the universe, living or non living, changes with time...
  31. ohwilleke

    Recent Astronomy & Cosmology Research Topics

    What are the hot topics in astronomy and cosmology as measured by production of recent academic papers? I'm not looking for an exact number, just a relative ranking with some sense of order of magnitude. My motive is to get at the whole mainstream v. non-mainstream issue in a way that...
  32. SpaceTiger

    Review of Mainstream Cosmology

    With all the crazy ideas that get thrown around in this forum, I thought it would be good to step back and review the mainstream view on cosmology in 2005. The field is advancing very rapidly, so it's possible that even the most reliable websites will be woefully out of date, both in terms of...
  33. turbo

    A nice reality check on cosmology.

    Ned Wright lecture at KITP: http://online.itp.ucsb.edu/online/colloq/wright1/
  34. B

    So confused: Tensors and reletivistic cosmology

    I'm on the verge of ripping my hair out :mad: I understand the basics of tensors but I just can't get my head around the need have having contra and covariant vectors.. what is the point??! A vector is a vector right? why have a sub and superscripts why can't they just stick to one or the...
  35. Chronos

    Armchair Cosmology: Djorgovski & Williams Examine Virtual Observatories

    I thought this was pretty interesting: http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0504006 Title: Virtual Observatory: From Concept to Implementation Authors: S.G. Djorgovski, R. Williams Is this the beginning of an era of armchair cosmology?
  36. K

    Is Science Limited in Explaining the Universe's Origins?

    HA! To believe that the universe was created and "runs" via some infinite intellegence if you would prefer to call it need not be just dismissed by saying it can not be discussed here because it is "religious!". FACTS are FACTS, for every x questions the so-called scientists answer with some...
  37. Chronos

    Can We Really Understand the Universe? A Look at the Current State of Cosmology

    Being lazy by nature, I am always on the lookout for new papers that dip far enough below the technosphere to be comprehended by mere mortals - without descending to the tabloid level. This recent entry makes my 'must read' list: http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0503107 Understanding Our Universe...
  38. marcus

    New overview of cosmology for Ashtekar's book

    A worldclass cosmologist, Thanu Padmanabhhan, has come out with one of these surveys of cosmology for general audience, that a senior cosmologist may do every now and then. It is going to be a 30 page chapter in Abhay Ashtekar's Einstein Centennial book "A Hundred Years of Relativity"...
  39. K

    New cosmology - dark energy unnecessary

    Hello Marcus, selfAdjoint, nightcleaner, Chronos, setAI and others I think the following speaks for itself Viable exact model universe without dark energy from primordial inflation David L. Wiltshire http://www.arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0503099 Regards Kea :wink:
  40. marcus

    SciAm Lineweaver cosmology article, March issue

    http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&colID=1&articleID=0009F0CA-C523-1213-852383414B7F0147 we've referenced the clear and useful journal articles of Charles Lineweaver and Tamara Davis a lot at PF over the past couple of years Glad to see that they now have a feature article in...
  41. B

    Crisis in Cosmology: CCC-I Conference Challenges Observations

    The cosmology is in crisis. You may see this 1st Crisis In Cosmology Conference (CCC-I): Challenging Observations and the Quest for a New Picture of the Universe http://www.cosmology.info What do you think?
  42. wolram

    Cosmology: Sales Pitch or Science?

    Is cosmology a sales pitch or science? i am baffled by the conflicting observations, you all know, without explanation what i mean, yes or no, is good in between not so good. an honest appraisal would be welcome
  43. D

    Astronomy & Cosmology: What's the Difference?

    What is the difference?
  44. Garth

    CCC-I: Challenging Observations & New Picture of the Universe

    There will be a conference entitled 1st Crisis In Cosmology Conference (CCC-I) Any takers? Garth
  45. S

    CMB, Sky Surveys, & Computational Cosmology

    Recently, several groups have endeavored to experimentally map the large-scale structure of the Universe with the Sloan Survey being the most ambitious. At the same time, we've been able to map the cosmic microwave background to 10^-6 degrees. I believe these two maps agree but I'm confused...
  46. N

    Testing cosmology, without assuming GR?

    Regular readers to GA&C here in PF will know only too well that some of our prolific posters feel the mainstream work is rather too heavily model-laden for their taste ... and others that this characterisation quite unfair. Wrt those who are comfortable with the redshifts of galaxies (and SN)...
  47. turbo

    ZPE energy levels and cosmology.

    In a post below relating to Hawking radiation, Chronos linked to a page that expressed the existence of virtual pairs as a product of energy and time limited by the Heisenbug uncertainty principle: \Delta E\Delta t\geq\frac{\hbar}{2} This simplified view neatly illustrates one of the...
  48. kneemo

    Brane Gas Cosmology: Calculations & Analysis in 11D Supergravity

    Greetings everyone I recently attended a lecture discussing brane gas cosmology, where it was mentioned that a recent calculation showed 3-dimensional branes were the most likely type of brane to form. Can someone please refer me to the paper which includes this calculation? Also, is...
  49. marcus

    What is Sean Carroll's Cosmology Primer?

    Sean Carroll has posted a Cosmology Primer explaining contemporary cosmology for general audience It could be very handy for us to have at PF to refer to. Here, for example, is the FAQ http://pancake.uchicago.edu/~carroll/cfcp/primer/faq.html for other sections, go to the TOC and click on...
  50. N

    Europe's long term plans for cutting edge astronomy and cosmology research

    "Review of Cosmic Vision 2015-2025" begins: "The Cosmic Vision workshop at UNESCO on 15-16 September 2004 showed that Europe is richer than ever in ideas for what should be done in space science in the coming years. This workshop brought us a major step forward in developing the vision of the...
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