{"product_id":"the-extravagant-universe-robert-p-kirshner-9780691173184","title":"The Extravagant Universe: Exploding Stars, Dark Energy, and the Accelerating Cosmos","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Extravagant Universe\u003c\/i\u003e tells the story of a remarkable adventure of scientific discovery. One of the world's leading astronomers, Robert Kirshner, takes readers inside a lively research team on the quest that led them to an extraordinary cosmological discovery: the expansion of the universe is accelerating under the influence of a dark energy that makes space itself expand. In addition to sharing the story of this exciting discovery, Kirshner also brings the science up-to-date in a new epilogue. He explains how the idea of an accelerating universe--once a daring interpretation of sketchy data--is now the standard assumption in cosmology today. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e This measurement of dark energy--a quality of space itself that causes cosmic acceleration--points to a gaping hole in our understanding of fundamental physics. In 1917, Einstein proposed the \"cosmological constant\" to explain a static universe. When observations proved that the universe was expanding, he cast this early form of dark energy aside. But recent observations described first-hand in this book show that the cosmological constant--or something just like it--dominates the universe's mass and energy budget and determines its fate and shape. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Warned by Einstein's blunder, and contradicted by the initial results of a competing research team, Kirshner and his colleagues were reluctant to accept their own result. But, convinced by evidence built on their hard-earned understanding of exploding stars, they announced their conclusion that the universe is accelerating in February 1998. Other lines of inquiry and parallel supernova research now support a new synthesis of a cosmos dominated by dark energy but also containing several forms of dark matter. We live in an extravagant universe with a surprising number of essential ingredients: the real universe we measure is not the simplest one we could imagine.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Robert P. Kirshner\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0691173184\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780691173184\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Princeton University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/04\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 304\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.70lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.40h x 5.50w x 1.00d","brand":"Robert P. Kirshner","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43946955014399,"sku":"9780691173184","price":20.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/products\/img_a4fd1117-634f-4645-962c-4c32ce236d98.jpg?v=1681515891","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-extravagant-universe-robert-p-kirshner-9780691173184","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}