Modern cosmogonies

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Clerke, Agnes M. (Agnes Mary), 1842-1907.

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Modern Cosmogonies" by Agnes M. Clerke is a scientific publication written in the early 20th century. The work delves into the development of modern theories concerning the origin of the universe and the processes that have shaped cosmic structures over time. Clerke aims to elucidate the complexities and evolving nature of these theories, examining historical perspectives and integrating contemporary scientific understanding. At the start of the book, the author sets the stage by discussing humanity's intrinsic curiosity about the cosmos, tracing the evolution of cosmogonies from ancient philosophy to modern science. Clerke introduces various thinkers, from the Ionian philosophers to Kant, illustrating how their ideas laid the groundwork for contemporary cosmic theories. She emphasizes the challenges faced in comprehensively understanding the origins of the universe, hinting at the intricate interplay between philosophical speculation and scientific inquiry that characterizes the field of cosmology. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

From Thales to Kant

The nebular hypothesis

Criticisms of the nebular hypothesis

The nebular hypothesis varied and improved

Tidal friction as an agent in cosmogony

The fission of rotating globes

World-building out of meteorites

Cosmogony in the twentieth century

Protyle: what is it?

Universal forces

The inevitable ether

The forms of nebulæ

The procession of suns

Our own system

Remnants and survivals

Life as the outcome.

Credits:

Fay Dunn, Graeme Mackreth and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 49.0 (College-level). Difficult to read.

Release date is 2021-02-13