Origins of the Universe

The Cosmic Microwave Background and the Search for Quantum Gravity

By Keith Cooper

Whilst many are aware of the 'Big Bang' theory few are aware of the quest to find a theory of 'quantum gravity' that could potentially explain everything.

Nearly 60 years ago, Nobel Prize-winners Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson stumbled across a mysterious hiss of faint radio static that was interfering with their observations. At that time Radio Astronomy, observing the Universe in the Radio wavelengths was in its infancy. Yet, they had found the key to unravelling the story of the Big Bang and the origin of our universe. That signal was the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the earliest light in the universe, released 379,000 years after the Big Bang. It contains secrets about what happened during the very first tiny increments of time, which had consequences that have rippled throughout cosmic history, leading to the universe of stars and galaxies that we live in today.

Origins of the Universe provides in an accessible way the enthralling story of the quest to understand the CMB radiation and what it can tell us of the origins of time and space. From bubble universes to a cyclical cosmos and possibly leading to the elusive theory of 'quantum gravity' itself, this book provides a great insight into what may 'explain everything'.

Size 128x196mm, 176 pages
ISBN: 9781785786426