THE CAUSE AND EVOLUTION OF THE UNIVERSE

The work of Dr John Auping seeks to assist readers to differentiate observationally verified aspects of cosmology from ideas whose verification is distant or perhaps impossible Such a task is performed by using a careful application of the orthodox scientific method   This English edition is a part of Auping’s original work especially devoted to the description of the dynamics of stars and the analysis of the Big Bang steady state and multiverse models from a critical point of view The author approaches different aspects of the evolution of the Universe using different branches of astrophysics Newtonian mechanics nuclear physics thermodynamics quantum physics and general relativity with a clear and concise narrative Mathematical boxes support the deeper study of mathematicalphysical relations which can be omitted by readers who are not specialised   The mix of science science fiction and metaphysics in modern cosmology is analysed with strict hard core scientific arguments The history of cosmology reveals ideas many times antagonistic both at the level of the interpretation of astrophysical observations and at the level of the speculations about the origin of the Universe and the finetuning of its physical constants that made it possible that we are here to discuss it   The search for the truth about the origin of the Universe necessarily touches on philosophical issues Firstly starting from Popper39s philosophy of science the author clarifies where exactly the frontier lies between science science fiction and metaphysics It then appears that in the final analysis of the scientific fact of finetuning present in the Big Bang we are left with only two rational options to explain it a multiverse which the author shows to be science fiction sometimes with atheological intentions or an intelligent cause which is part of the discourse in the frontier of physics and metaphysics with obvious theological implications The dialogue between faith and science is express