The random universe how models and probability help us make sense of the cosmos / Andrew H. Jaffe.
| Author/creator | Jaffe, Andrew H. |
| Format | Electronic |
| Publication Info | New Haven : Yale University Press, [2025] |
| Description | xi, 272 pages illustrations 25 cm |
| Supplemental Content | Full text available from eBooks on EBSCOhost |
| Subjects |
| Physical medium | illustrations |
| Contents | Part I. How We Learn About the World. We Are Scientists -- The Problem and the Promise of Induction -- What We Talk About When We Talk About Probability -- "Our Deceased Friend Mr. Bayes" -- Models and Measurements -- Physicists and Philosophers -- Part II. The Randomness of the Universe. Entropy and Information -- Entropy and Matter -- Quantum Randomness -- Part III. Cosmology in a Random Universe. The Oldest Light -- The Inflationary Universe -- Tension or Concordance? -- The Limits of Knowledge. |
| Abstract | An award-winning astrophysicist looks at how the understanding of uncertainty and randomness has led to breakthroughs in our knowledge of the cosmos. All of us understand the world around us by constructing models, comparing them to observations, and drawing conclusions. Scientists create, test, and replace these models by applying the twinned concepts of probability and randomness. Exploring how this process has refined our knowledge of quantum mechanics and the birth of the universe, Andrew H. Jaffe offers a unique synthesis of the philosophy of epistemology, the mathematics of probability, and the science of cosmology. As Jaffe puts Enlightenment thinkers like David Hume in conversation with contemporary philosophers such as Karl Popper and Imre Lakatos and engages with scientists ranging from Isaac Newton and Galileo to Albert Einstein and Arthur Eddington, he uses Thomas Bayes's seminal studies of statistics and probability to make sense of conflicting currents of thought. This is a deep look into how we have learned to account for uncertainty in our search for knowledge--and a reminder that science is not about facts and data as such but about creating models that correctly account for those facts and data. -- Publisher website 20260108 |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Access restriction | Available only to authorized users. |
| Technical details | Mode of access: World Wide Web |
| Genre/form | Electronic books. |
| LCCN | 2025933303 |
| ISBN | 9780300250503 hardcover |
| ISBN | 0300250509 hardcover |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic Resources | Access Content Online | ✔ Available |