Before the Big Bang now a topic for wider audience

[marcus]

In another thread (Cosmic Darwinism) I mentioned a scholarly book (600 pages) with a chapter on the cosmological natural selection hypothesis. This idea seems to be getting more notice. I just ran across another book---this time a popular-written one called Before the Big Bang which talks about it.

I don't especially like the way the author handles the topic. He seems interested but unreliable on details. I guess the significance depends on how well the book sells.
At noon today it was selling about on par with Brian Green Elegant Universe. That could be just because it came out this month and the early sales will slack off. Could even just be a temporary random spike. We'll see.

If you go to the amazon page, they let you browse the book several pages at a time by doing keyword searches. Plus they let you look at the ToC and the index at the end.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312385471/?tag=pfamazon01-20

To me, this particular book is not the subject of interest. What interests me is that in among its 300-odd pages it has some pages discussing the idea that the big bang could have been a bounce resulting from a prior collapse. This is an idea associated with an empirically testable hypothesis. It is bizarre but apparently testable--so that it could conceivably be falsified by certain observations.

If I notice other ways this idea is getting out into public discussion, i'll post links.
So far to my knowledge there is very little in the media about it---print or otherwise.
If you know of links to add, please post them here!

Video lectures (aimed at specialist audience, but hey they're video.)
http://pirsa.org/08070015/
http://pirsa.org/08090050/
http://pirsa.org/08100049/

First book on darwinian cosmology written for general audience
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195126645/?tag=pfamazon01-20

Middle-level book with a chapter on darwinian cosmology. Table of contents (+ who wrote which chapter) shown here:
http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521848411
(largely nonmathematical, chapters by Nobel laureates, the UK astronomer royal etc etc, but not written for general readership.)

Anybody know other media that get this idea out to wider audience?

 

[AndyW]

I am excited to see that the cosmological natural selection hypothesis is gaining more attention and interest. It is always encouraging to see scientific ideas being discussed and explored in popular media and books.

I agree with the original post that the accuracy and reliability of information in popular science books can vary, and it is important for readers to critically evaluate and fact-check the information presented. However, I also believe that these books serve an important role in introducing complex scientific concepts to a wider audience and sparking interest and curiosity in these topics.

In addition to the links provided in the forum post, I would also like to share some other resources for those interested in learning more about the cosmological natural selection hypothesis:

- Scientific articles and papers published on the topic, such as "Cosmological Natural Selection and the Purpose of the Universe" by Lee Smolin (https://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0407213) and "The Cosmological Natural Selection Hypothesis" by Martin Bojowald (https://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0609034).

- Podcasts and interviews with scientists discussing the idea, such as "The Multiverse, Cosmological Natural Selection, and the Meaning of Life" (https://www.preposterousuniverse.co...al-natural-selection-and-the-meaning-of-life/) and "Lee Smolin on the Nature of Time and the Reality of the Multiverse" (https://www.preposterousuniverse.co...re-of-time-and-the-reality-of-the-multiverse/).

- Online forums and discussion boards where scientists and non-scientists can engage in conversations and debates about the hypothesis, such as the Physics Forums thread on "Cosmological Natural Selection" (https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/cosmological-natural-selection.411293/).

As with any scientific idea, it is important to continue discussing, debating, and testing the cosmological natural selection hypothesis to fully understand its implications and potential implications for our understanding of the universe. I am glad to see that it is gaining more attention and look forward to seeing where this research will lead.