The Unknown Universe: A New Exploration of Time, Space, and Modern Cosmology

A groundbreaking guide to the universe and how our latest deep-space discoveries are forcing us to revisit what we know―and what we don't.

On March 21, 2013, the European Space Agency released a map of the afterglow of the Big Bang. Taking in 440 sextillion kilometres of space and 13.8 billion years of time, it is physically impossible to make a better map: we will never see the early universe in more detail. On the one hand, such a view is the apotheosis of modern cosmology, on the other, it threatens to undermine almost everything we hold cosmologically sacrosanct.

The map contains anomalies that challenge our understanding of the universe. It will force us to revisit what is known and what is unknown, to construct a new model of our universe. This is the first book to address what will be an epoch-defining scientific paradigm shift. Stuart Clark will ask if Newton's famous laws of gravity need to be rewritten; if dark matter and dark energy are just celestial phantoms? Can we ever know what happened before the Big Bang? What’s at the bottom of a black hole? Are there universes beyond our own? Does time exist? Are the once immutable laws of physics changing?

About the Author

Stuart Clark, Ph.D., is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and is the astrology correspondent for The New Scientist. Stuart holds a first-class honors degree and a Ph.D. in astrophysics. The Sun Kings, which established him as a popular science writer of the highest level, was shortlisted for the Royal Society science book prize and won the Association of American Publishers 2007 Professional and Scholarly Publishing Award for Excellence in the Cosmology and Astronomy category. Stuart lives in England.

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Pegasus Books; 1 edition (July 5, 2016)

Cosmology on Trial: Cracking the Cosmic Code

What if you knew the anomalies that cosmologists don't discuss in public?

Cosmology on Trial – a remarkable study of unexplained and unsolved mysteries of the universe. New discoveries challenge the Big Bang model, General Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, String Theory, Gravity, Black Holes, & Redshift interpretation. Bestselling author, Pierre St. Clair, examines the latest theories like an attorney in a court of law. The author speaks without complex jargon. "Just the facts, please. Show me the evidence."

Scientific journals cite major disagreements with current models of the universe

The discovery of a ring of nine cataclysmic gamma ray bursts (GRBs) five billion light years across was published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society:

On August 4, 2015, Professor Lajos Balasz announced at a press conference, “This structure contradicts the current models of the universe.” Investigating teams of physicists are trying to verify if known processes of galaxy formation created the ring structure. If not, present theories of the evolution of the universe will need a radical revision.

The May/2014 issue of Scientific American highlighted another serious calamity. "The negative results are beginning to produce if not a full-blown crisis in particle physics, then at least a widespread panic.” Theorists working in particle physics admit they’re in a state of confusion.

Science periodicals, forums, and papers suggest fundamental principles of physics need revising. “Theoretical physics is at a crossroads right now…In a sense we’ve entered a very deep crisis.” Dr. Neil Turok – Director of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

We find yet another major problem in the Standard Model of physics. Gravity, dark matter, dark energy, and consciousness comprise over 96% of the universe yet they are completely absent in the Standard Model.

Cosmology on Trial explains why Newtonian Physics, General Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, & String Theory acknowledge inconsistencies in explaining gravitation, redshift interpretation, black holes, particles that exceed light speed, and more. Renowned physicists are clamoring for a new paradigm in cosmology. “We need to make a clean break and embark on a search for a new kind of theory that can be applied to the whole universe – a theory that avoids the confusions and paradoxes, answers the unanswerable questions, and generates genuine physical predictions for cosmological observations.” Dr. Lee Smolin – Bestselling author of The Trouble With Physics

This book digs behind the headlines to reveal the present state of cosmology

• anomalies and inconsistencies are spreading unchecked
• three important initiatives that are routinely ignored
• five cosmological theories not supported by observations nor data

Pierre St. Clair discloses what other authors brush aside. He pursues the big question: Is Big Bang cosmology a true account, or simply a lash-up of unsettled anomalies to preserve the status quo? The author also discusses disparities in published mainstream science reports such as: “Fraud in the Scientific Literature,” “Ripples from the Big Bang,” and "The Higgs Boson."

NASA physicists readily admit 96% of the matter and energy in the universe is unknown. Science only understands 4% of the universe?

“As a scientist and as an educator, I like the idea that we believe things because there’s evidence.” Dr. Richard Dawkins – Oxford University Professor & Bestselling Author

“This book simply makes the very strong point that our cosmology of yesteryear was not based on solid evidence, and our cosmology of today isn't either.” V. DiCara – US author based in Japan

About the Author

Bestselling author Pierre St. Clair focuses on anomalies in cosmological theories. Recently he won the prestigious Sir J. C. Bose Award for Investigative Journalism in the field of Science and Technology for his book Cosmology on Trial. Although born in London, at five years of age his family emigrated to Canada. His mother was a cultured lady who sent him for violin and music theory lessons when he was only six. As a teenager his interest in classical violin dwindled. He bought his first guitar, taught himself how to play, formed a band, and began performing locally. Within a few short years he was touring throughout Canada and the US. Music was always his first love, and remains so. His journalism career began as a result of a college girlfriend's mother predicting his success as a writer. The daughter of a missionary in Shanghai, she had grown up in China and pursued an interest in the occult sciences, including palmistry. One Saturday afternoon she asked to see his hand. After a few minutes study she predicted, "One day you'll become an accomplished writer." QUOTES FROM THE AUTHOR "I enjoy digging behind the scenes to find out what is really happening beneath the headlines. That's why I became an investigative journalist." "Current theories about the origin of the universe lack verifiable data. In spite of this, many ideas masquerade as relevant theories and compete for greater elegance just like beauty pageant contestants." "COSMOLOGY ON TRIAL" An overview of cosmology that introduces the reader to unexplained and unsolved mysteries of the universe which are rarely discussed in Academia. The author reveals that Newtonian physics, General Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, and String Theory have still not proven whether Gravity is a wave, a graviton particle, or even a fabric of spacetime. Gravity, the most common force in nature, is not even included in the Standard Model of Physics. NASA physicists admit that 96% of the matter and energy in the universe is a mystery. REVIEWS "Scientific progress and complacency go ill together, and St Clair has done a superb job in actually advancing the cause of real science." M. Lyons - USA "In the course of his dissertation, St. Clair takes on much of modern science and its concomitant contemporary philosophy, showing where they are right, but, more importantly, where they are wrong. His approach is balanced, enabling the attentive reader to walk away with a true education." S. J. Rosen – New York

Paperback: 246 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; second edition (February 12, 2017)

Introduction to Cosmology

This second edition of Introduction to Cosmology is an exciting update of an award-winning textbook. It is aimed primarily at advanced undergraduate students in physics and astronomy, but is also useful as a supplementary text at higher levels. It explains modern cosmological concepts, such as dark energy, in the context of the Big Bang theory. Its clear, lucid writing style, with a wealth of useful everyday analogies, makes it exceptionally engaging. Emphasis is placed on the links between theoretical concepts of cosmology and the observable properties of the universe, building deeper physical insights in the reader. The second edition includes recent observational results, fuller descriptions of special and general relativity, expanded discussions of dark energy, and a new chapter on baryonic matter that makes up stars and galaxies. It is an ideal textbook for the era of precision cosmology in the accelerating universe.

Hardcover: 276 pages
Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (November 24, 2016)

The Urantia Book

Love

Love is truly contagious and eternally creative. (p. 2018) “Devote your life to proving that love is the greatest thing in the world.” (p. 2047) “Love is the ancestor of all spiritual goodness, the essence of the true and the beautiful.” (p. 2047) The Father’s love can become real to mortal man only by passing through that man’s personality as he in turn bestows this love upon his fellows. (p. 1289) The secret of a better civilization is bound up in the Master’s teachings of the brotherhood of man, the good will of love and mutual trust. (p. 2065)

Prayer

Prayer is not a technique of escape from conflict but rather a stimulus to growth in the very face of conflict. (p. 1002) The sincerity of any prayer is the assurance of its being heard. … (p. 1639) God answers man’s prayer by giving him an increased revelation of truth, an enhanced appreciation of beauty, and an augmented concept of goodness. (p. 1002) …Never forget that the sincere prayer of faith is a mighty force for the promotion of personal happiness, individual self-control, social harmony, moral progress, and spiritual attainment. (p. 999)

Suffering

There is a great and glorious purpose in the march of the universes through space. All of your mortal struggling is not in vain. (p. 364) Mortals only learn wisdom by experiencing tribulation. (p. 556)

Angels

The angels of all orders are distinct personalities and are highly individualized. (p. 285) Angels....are fully cognizant of your moral struggles and spiritual difficulties. They love human beings, and only good can result from your efforts to understand and love them. (p. 419)

Our Divine Destiny

If you are a willing learner, if you want to attain spirit levels and reach divine heights, if you sincerely desire to reach the eternal goal, then the divine Spirit will gently and lovingly lead you along the pathway of sonship and spiritual progress. (p. 381) …They who know that God is enthroned in the human heart are destined to become like him—immortal. (p. 1449) God is not only the determiner of destiny; he is man’s eternal destination. (p. 67)

Family

Almost everything of lasting value in civilization has its roots in the family. (p. 765) The family is man’s greatest purely human achievement. ... (p. 939)

Faith

…Faith will expand the mind, ennoble the soul, reinforce the personality, augment the happiness, deepen the spirit perception, and enhance the power to love and be loved. (p. 1766) “Now, mistake not, my Father will ever respond to the faintest flicker of faith.” (p. 1733)

History/Science

The story of man’s ascent from seaweed to the lordship of earthly creation is indeed a romance of biologic struggle and mind survival. (p. 731) 2,500,000,000 years ago… Urantia was a well developed sphere about one tenth its present mass. … (p. 658) 1,000,000,000 years ago is the date of the actual beginning of Urantia [Earth] history. (p. 660) 450,000,000 years ago the transition from vegetable to animal life occurred. (p. 669) From the year A.D. 1934 back to the birth of the first two human beings is just 993,419 years. (p. 707) About five hundred thousand years ago…there were almost one-half billion primitive human beings on earth. … (p. 741) Adam and Eve arrived on Urantia, from the year A.D. 1934, 37,848 years ago. (p. 828)

From the Inside Flap

What’s Inside?

Parts I and II

God, the inhabited universes, life after death, angels and other beings, the war in heaven.

Part III

The history of the world, science and evolution, Adam and Eve, development of civilization, marriage and family, personal spiritual growth.

Part IV

The life and teachings of Jesus including the missing years. AND MUCH MORE…

Excerpts

God, …God is the source and destiny of all that is good and beautiful and true. (p. 1431) If you truly want to find God, that desire is in itself evidence that you have already found him. (p. 1440) When man goes in partnership with God, great things may, and do, happen. (p. 1467)

The Origin of Human Life, The universe is not an accident... (p. 53) The universe of universes is the work of God and the dwelling place of his diverse creatures. (p. 21) The evolutionary planets are the spheres of human origin…Urantia [Earth] is your starting point. … (p. 1225) In God, man lives, moves, and has his being. (p. 22)

The Purpose of Life, There is in the mind of God a plan which embraces every creature of all his vast domains, and this plan is an eternal purpose of boundless opportunity, unlimited progress, and endless life. (p. 365) This new gospel of the kingdom… presents a new and exalted goal of destiny, a supreme life purpose. (p. 1778)

Jesus, The religion of Jesus is the most dynamic influence ever to activate the human race. (p. 1091) What an awakening the world would experience if it could only see Jesus as he really lived on earth and know, firsthand, his life-giving teachings! (p. 2083)

Science, Science, guided by wisdom, may become man’s great social liberator. (p. 909) Mortal man is not an evolutionary accident. There is a precise system, a universal law, which determines the unfolding of the planetary life plan on the spheres of space. (p. 560)

Life after Death, God’s love is universal… He is “not willing that any should perish.” (p. 39) Your short sojourn on Urantia [Earth]…is only a single link, the very first in the long chain that is to stretch across universes and through the eternal ages. (p. 435) …Death is only the beginning of an endless career of adventure, an everlasting life of anticipation, an eternal voyage of discovery. (p. 159)

About the Author

The text of The Urantia Book was provided by one or more anonymous contributors working with a small staff which provided editorial and administrative support during the book's creation. The book bears no particular credentials (from a human viewpoint), relying instead on the power and beauty of the writing itself to persuade the reader of its authenticity.

Leather Bound: 2097 pages
Publisher: Urantia Foundation; Box Lea edition (August 25, 2015)

An Introduction to Modern Cosmology

An Introduction to Modern Cosmology Third Edition is an accessible account of modern cosmological ideas. The Big Bang Cosmology is explored, looking at its observational successes in explaining the expansion of the Universe, the existence and properties of the cosmic microwave background, and the origin of light elements in the universe. Properties of the very early Universe are also covered, including the motivation for a rapid period of expansion known as cosmological inflation. The third edition brings this established undergraduate textbook up-to-date with the rapidly evolving observational situation.

This fully revised edition of a bestseller takes an approach which is grounded in physics with a logical flow of chapters leading the reader from basic ideas of the expansion described by the Friedman equations to some of the more advanced ideas about the early universe. It also incorporates up-to-date results from the Planck mission, which imaged the anisotropies of the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation over the whole sky. The Advanced Topic sections present subjects with more detailed mathematical approaches to give greater depth to discussions. Student problems with hints for solving them and numerical answers are embedded in the chapters to facilitate the reader’s understanding and learning.

Cosmology is now part of the core in many degree programs. This current, clear and concise introductory text is relevant to a wide range of astronomy programs worldwide and is essential reading for undergraduates and Masters students, as well as anyone starting research in cosmology. Supplementary material, including full-colour images, updates and links for students and instructors, is available on the author’s website: https://www.roe.ac.uk/~arl/.

Paperback: 198 pages
Publisher: Wiley; 3 edition (July 7, 2015)

Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution

“Who can ask for better cosmic tour guides to the universe than Drs. Tyson and Goldsmith?” ―Michio Kaku, author of Hyperspace and Parallel Worlds

Our true origins are not just human, or even terrestrial, but in fact cosmic. Drawing on recent scientific breakthroughs and the current cross-pollination among geology, biology, astrophysics, and cosmology, ?Origins? explains the soul-stirring leaps in our understanding of the cosmos. From the first image of a galaxy birth to Spirit Rover's exploration of Mars, to the discovery of water on one of Jupiter's moons, coauthors Neil deGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith conduct a galvanizing tour of the cosmos with clarity and exuberance. 32 pages of color illustrations

About the Author

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist with the American Museum of Natural History, director of its world-famous Hayden Planetarium, host of the hit radio and TV show StarTalk, and the New York Times best-selling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. He lives in New York City.

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1 edition (September 2, 2014)