question for the cosmology types that read this forum....

[mike_c]

I'm interested in learning more about cosmology-- given my nearly exclusive education in life sciences, I should perhaps amend that and say simply that I'm curious to BEGIN learning about cosmology. I'm an inquisitive sort, and lately I've been pondering questions about the nature of matter in the universe, especially about the organization and distribution of matter. I'm sure most of that is a rehash of stuff that others have already explored-- I'm just not aware of them.

So I'm asking for recommendations for places to begin. My math skills are decent, although rusty outside of statistics and data analysis. A nontechnical introduction would probably be good, and then maybe a university cosmology text if anyone can recommend one. I'm certainly not ready for current journal papers. I'll brush up my math background as necessary-- I'm used to that, although I suspect I'll need to begin at a much lower conceptual level than I'm used to in order to get my quantitative vocabulary improving along a very different trajectory than I'm accustomed to.

Any recommendations from the physical scientists here on DU?

[silverweb]

1. I'm no scientist, but...

... I'd start with the BBC series in the link below. It's not going to teach you the technical stuff or the math, but it will grab you, fascinate you, and give you a jumping-in place. I just watched all 3 parts myself over the past few days and loved it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=228x59830

The DU scientists can guided you from there (and I'll be paying attention, too). :hi:

[mike_c]

7. thanks-- it looks fascinating!

:hi:

[tekisui]

2. An accessible entry point could be "The Universe in a Nutshell"

by Stephen Hawking. It really does a good job of giving a useful overview and covers a lot of ground.

[mike_c]

8. I should have thought of Hawking first....

Thanks much!

[panader0]

3. I'm no scientist either, but I think the late Carl Sagan has a great book........

Or Richard Dawkins...

[bananas]

4. The WMAP site

The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe is a satellite measuring the cosmic microwave background radiation,
they have a tutorial there: http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/universe/

[mike_c]

9. thanks-- added to my bookmarks....

[StarfarerBill]

5. "Our Cosmic Habitat" by the British Astronomer Royal, Martin Rees, gives a good introduction...

...to cosmology.

Good luck with your search! :)

[mike_c]

10. I'll look for it....

Thanks!

[denbot]

6. An interesting read would be Elegant Universe by Brian Greene

Cool book, even without an advanced degree in math.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elegant_Universe

[mike_c]

11. nice-- thanks!

[Hosnon]

15. I second that. But if I recall correctly, it got a bit heavy for me toward the end.

I think the discussion had progressed to branes, etc.

Also, Greene hosted a PBS type special about his book (I think - it may not have been specifically about his book). I highly recommend watching the special after you read the book. The visuals helped me quite a bit.

[Sancho]

12. This may not be what you are interested in, but I like the Great Courses...

http://www.teach12.com/teach12.aspx

These folks charge for recording of the "best college courses". I've bought a few on sale, and some are pretty good. You'd have to make a purchase and take the time to really watch them. They have several on Cosmology, physics, and similar subjects.

[Posteritatis]

13. Ahh, those are actually good?

I only ever saw advertisements for them in magazines, and since magazines are the last refuge of the really powerfully BS-laden educational material ads out there the medium made me immediately skeptical.

The TOCs often looked interesting though, so it's a case of something where I'd be all too happy to have been wrong about.

[Sancho]

17. I've bought a few...some are pretty good, but it's like books, read the reviews.

The courses that cost hundreds are too much for me, but I've found them on sale in their catalogs and on line as low as $30-$40 dollars. Some are pretty good. I haven't tied the cosmology courses. There are some buyer reviews that are helpful to see if it's something you may want...the audio and video are good, but each course depends on the quality of the professor - nothing new there.

[jgraz]

19. The cosmology course is *excellent*

As is Dark Matter, Dark Energy.

The only course I wouldn't recommend from them is String Theory. The professor is terrible. Otherwise, I've never been disappointed in one of their courses.

[caraher]

14. This talk was also recently posted

Lawrence Krauss holds forth on cosmology at an atheists' convention. I'd never quite figured out why the WMAP results mean what they do before I saw this.

[pokerfan]

16. A couple of books and a video

Modern Cosmology
by Scott Dodelson (Academic Press)

An Introduction to Mathematical Cosmology
by Jamal Nazrul Islam (Cambridge University Press)

'A Universe From Nothing' by Lawrence Krauss, AAI 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ImvlS8PLIo

(Watch the video first to whet your appetite.)

[jgraz]

18. Here's a great place to start

http://www.teach12.com/ttcx/coursedesclong2.aspx?cid=1830

The course is expensive to buy, but it's often on sale for $60 or less. It's a great introduction to the big concepts in cosmology. If you can find the DVDs at your local library, they're well worth the time.

The Teaching Company has a bunch of great courses on cosmology and related topics. Hopefully, you can find a way to watch the course without dropping the $375 to buy it outright.