1.1. Single and Multiple Origins
- Multiple origins hypothesis (egalitarian view) - science is an activity that came into existence as result of large and small contribution of multitude of unknown individuals covering very long span of time (pre-historical record)
- Single origin hypothesis (elitist view) - science is an invented activity having been invented by one or so individuals at one and only one time in the past
1.2. Consequences of Two Different Views
- Under multiple origin, science's image is more that of a doing activity rather than thinking activity; while under single origin, science's image is converse - more of a thinking activity than a doing activity.
- Under multiple origin, distinction between science activities and technological activities not entirely clear; while under single origin, reasonable distinction exists between science activities and technological activities.
- Science is how and what we think about the world, while technology is what we do to survive.
- Under multiple origin, science continues to grow by many individual contributions; while under single origin, science grows primarily through thinking activities of a few spread over history.
- Great scientists are like fountains spewing forth many (hundreds) ideas on which lesser scientists work over time (hundreds of years) to validate.
1.3. Cosmic Mindstep
Cosmic mindstep is a concept by Gerald S. Hawkins. He defines cosmic mindstep as a new revolutionary change in the perspective of human place in the universe.
Cosmic Mindsteps Mindstep Date Beginning of the Related Invention Cosmos-Human Perspective Size of Cosmos 0 35,000 BC Age of Chaos Drawing, painting, carving Universe centered on person; flat earth; celestial objects merged with earthly objects Local environment 1 3,000 BC Age of Myth and Legend Writing Universe centered on an underworld; Earth a flat disk beneath a celestial dome; earth and sky separated; cosmic objects explained as gods Contained under celestial dome 2 150 AD Age of Order Mathematics Universe centered on Earth as a fixed, nonrotating globe; planets moved in ordered circles/epicycles; a space existed between earth and celestial sphere Contained in celestial sphere 3 1543 AD Age of Revolution Printing, telescope Universe centered on Sun; Earth a planet, spinning sphere moving in orbit Boundless 4 1926 AD Age of Space Rocket, radio, computer, video Universe has no center or edge; Earth moving with Sun and Solar System around galactic center; humans travel in space Limited by red shift horizon, 18 billion ly 5 2021? AD Age of Cosmic Connection? New break-through technology Communication with extraterrestrial civilizations? ?
1.4. What is Cosmology?
Definition: Cosmology is that part of science in which we are trying to understand the physical aspects of the whole world - the Universe - on its largest scales.
1.5. Cosmological Periods in History
- Horizon-Stonehenge Cosmology (???-ca. 1000 B.C.)
- Characterization: A mystic-mythical cosmology
- Basis: Horizon astronomy as seen in Neolithic monuments
- Basic Materials for Study: Astronomically significant monuments exist in both the old and new worlds
- Other Examples: Babylonian-Egyptian astronomy
- Technology, survival
- Greek Cosmology (ca. 1000 B.C.-ca. 1500 A.D.)
- Characterization: A geometric-logical cosmology
- Basis: Theology, philosophy, art, music, science, and mathematics
- Thematic concepts: preconceptions or presuppositions - unity, mathematical representation, transformation, phenomena representation, inevitability
- Significant Individuals: Thales (1) (2), Pythagoras (1), Plato (1), Aristotle, Aristarchus, Hipparchus, Ptolemy
- Galilean-Newtonian Cosmology (ca. 1500-ca. 1900)
- Characterization: A mechanistic-clockwork cosmology
- Basis: Based on thematic concepts of Greek cosmology
- Predecessor: Arabic-medieval European science
- Significant Individuals: Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Descartes, Leibniz, Newton
- 17th century experimental science
- Einstein-Friedmann Cosmology (ca. 1900-ca. 1960)
- Characterization: A mechanistic-mathematical cosmology
- Basis: Based on thematic concepts of Greek cosmology
- Relativity and quantum revolution
- Explosion in experimental science
- Modern observational astronomy; black holes
- Significant Individuals: Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Friedmann, Lemaitre, Hubble
- Modern Cosmology (ca. 1960-present)
- Characterization: A mathematical cosmology
- Basis: Based on thematic concepts of Greek cosmology
- Additional Conceptual Foundations: Incompleteness theorem of Gödel
- Extension of ideas in relativity and quantum theory; unified theory - theory of all
- Missing mass; dark matter universe
- Inflationary theory; flatness and homogeneity problem
- Particle theories
- Bell's theorem and string theory
- Significant Individuals: Hawking, Sandage, Guth
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