Sequel of previous post : Dynamical solutions In this series of posts about the history of relativistic cosmology, I provide an epistemological analysis of the developments of the field from 1917 to 2006, based on the seminal articles by Einstein, de Sitter, Friedmann, Lemaître, Hubble, Gamow and other main historical figures of the field. It […]
In October 2017, an object from interstellar space was spotted by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawaii: it crossed our solar system, passing relatively close to Earth (30 million kilometers away). It was the first of its kind to be detected. Named Oumuamua (“scout” in Hawaiian), it immediately aroused the interest of astronomers. Where did […]
Sequel of the previous post Geometry and the Cosmos (1): Kepler, from polyedra to ellipses The Pre-Socratic Universe Since He [Zeus] himself hath fixed in heaven these signs, The Stars dividing; and throughout the year Stars he provides to indicate to men The seasons’ course, that all things may duly grow. Aratus, Phaenomena, I, 18. […]
There, where worlds seem, with slow steps, Like an immense and well-behaved herd, To calmly graze on the ether’s flower. Giovanni Pascoli, Il Ciocco A question often asked by the general public interested in cosmology about the expansion of the Universe is the distance scales on which it effectively acts. Before commenting on this, let […]
This post is an adaptation of a chapter of my book “The Wraparound Universe” with many more illustrations. Galaxies in Flight The spawning galaxy in flight is a rainbow trout which goes back against the flow of time towards the lowest waters, towards the dark retreats of duration. Charles Dobzynski (1963) Since the […]
This post is an adaptation of a chapter of my book “The Wraparound Universe” with many more illustrations. Expansion and the Infinite Space alike to itself that it grows or denies itself Stéphane Mallarmé The Universe is expanding. What does this really mean? Most people imagine an original huge explosion, as the term “big bang” […]
Sequel of the preceding post A Brief History of Space (3/4) : From Descartes to Schwarzschild Cosmology developed rapidly after the completion of general relativity by Albert Einstein, in 1915. In this theory, the Universe does not reduce to a space and a time which are absolute and separate; it is made up of the union […]
Until now I published as an author 30 books in my native language (French), including 14 science essays, 7 historical novels and 9 poetry collections (for the interested reader, visit my French blog here. Although my various books have been translated in 14 languages (including Chinese, Korean, Bengali…), only 4 of my essays have been […]
Sequel of the preceding post Cosmogenesis (8) : The Nebular Hypothesis In the first quarter of the 20th century cosmology became a distinct scientific discipline, thanks in part to the theoretical advance made in 1915 by Einstein with his theory of general relativity and in part to the revolution in observational techniques which revealed the […]
Introduction Every society has a story, rooted in its most ancient traditions, of how the earth and sky originated. Most of these stories attribute the origin of all things to a Creator -whether god, element or idea. In the Western world all discussions of the origin of the world were dominated until the 18th century […]
Sequel of previous post : Lemaître In this series of posts about the history of relativistic cosmology, I provide an epistemological analysis of the developments of the field from 1917 to 2006, based on the seminal articles by Einstein, de Sitter, Friedmann, Lemaître, Hubble, Gamow and other main historical figures of the field. It appears […]
Sequel of previous post : Static Solutions In this series of posts about the history of relativistic cosmology, I provide an epistemological analysis of the developments of the field from 1917 to 2006, based on the seminal articles by Einstein, de Sitter, Friedmann, Lemaître, Hubble, Gamow and other main historical figures of the field. It […]
Sequel of previous post : From Myth to Science In this series of posts about the history of relativistic cosmology, I provide an epistemological analysis of the developments of the field from 1917 to 2006, based on the seminal articles by Einstein, de Sitter, Friedmann, Lemaître, Hubble, Gamow and other main historical figures of the […]
In this series of posts about the history of relativistic cosmology, I’ll provide an epistemological analysis of the developments of the field from 1917 to 2006, based on the seminal articles by Einstein, de Sitter, Friedmann, Lemaitre, Hubble, Gamow and other main historical figures of the field. It appears that most of the ingredients of […]
I was born in the South of France, where I spent a contemplative childhood, practicing music, fine arts and writing. As I was also keen on mathematics I followed scientific studies, while continuing in parallel artistic activities. I got my degrees in mathematics and astronomy in Marseille and Montpellier, then my PhD in theoretical astrophysics […]