The Secret Melody: And Man Created the Universe
In this math-free introduction to the universe, Thuan adopts as his theme the gradual replacement, from ancient myths to the present Big Bang model, of an anthropocentric cosmos with a scientific one. His writing style is welcoming and conversational, as if anticipating questions from the freshmen in the class he teaches at the University of Virginia, and he expands his general narrative with condensed topics to which fellow physicists qua authors have devoted popular books (e.g., Kip Thorne on black holes; Steve Weinberg on the infinitesimal moments after creation). Thuan's score, to conform with his metaphor, arranges all the instruments by which science "hears" the cosmic symphony, with solos for measurements of distance, and Dr. Doppler's effect holds center stage. The finale will come when science breaks back through "Planck time" to discover what initiated the Big Bang and peers forward to whether the universe will infinitely expand or collapse on itself. Readers new to these open issues or to the history of the Big Bang interpretation should devour Thuan's gateway presentation.Gilbert Taylor