The random universe : how models and probability help us make sense of the cosmos / Andrew H. Jaffe.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jaffe, Andrew H., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Cosmology--Mathematics.

Cosmology.

Science--Mathematical models.

Science.

Knowledge, Theory of.

Probabilities.

cosmology.

epistemology.

probability.

Genre:

Informational works.

Physical Description:

xi, 272 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

New Haven : Yale University Press, [2025]

Summary:

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

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.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780300250503

0300250509

OCLC:

1499668715