The Cosmos : A Historical Perspective

Abstract

The volumes in this series are devoted to concepts that are fundamental to different branches of the natural sciences—the gene, the quantum, geological cycles, planetary motion, evolution, the cosmos, and forces in nature, to name just a few. Although these volumes focus on the historical development of scientific ideas, the underlying hope of this series is that the reader will gain a deeper understanding of the process and spirit of scientific practice. In particular, in an age in which students and the public have been caught up in debates about controversial scientific ideas, it is hoped that readers of these volumes will better appreciate the provisional character of scientific truths by discovering the manner in which these truths were established.