Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution

Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution is a scientifically accurate account of the most exciting aspects of modern cosmology. Written for the nonspecialist, the reader is lifted onto the shoulders of the top theoretical physicists for a tour of the outer limits of our capacity to comprehend the nature of matter and energy. Surveying the latest research in particle physics and astronomy, Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution gives a credible set of explanations for the basis of our existence and that of everything around us.

The first section the book, "Deconstructing Physics" surveys modern concepts in physics and astronomy. This section helps make quarks, baryons, and bosons understandable, and in doing so makes modern science accessible to non-physicists. The second section of the book, "The Nature of Space" introduces a group of cosmological concepts. The author uses a series of analogies to help explain interesting, but often opaque, subjects, such as dark matter, dark energy, and entropy. The third section, "Ideas and Theories" describes the modern physical theories of the cosmos. It is emphasized that some ideas are speculative, such as the theory that space has eleven dimensions. Some are highly confirmed, such as quantum electrodynamics and the theories of relativity. The fourth section, "The Nature of Time" is an exploration of Western attitudes toward time. Topics discussed include the effects of relativity, biological time, the age of the cosmos, and the direction of time. The fifth section of the book, "Big Questions" gives answers to questions we have all asked ourselves: What is life? Why do we exist? How did we get here? Surveying the latest scientific ideas, it makes quantum mechanics and the big bang theory accessible to everyone.

Wayne Douglas Smith studied physics and psychology at the College of William and Mary in Virginia. He received a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and was employed as a psychologist for forty years. The book is dedicated to Wayne's beloved mother, Zula Smith, who was happily married for 71 years to Wayne's father, Dr. Norman Smith. Wayne lives in Virginia Beach with his talented wife, Kale Warren.