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Starting with the universe when it was but a few seconds old,
Lloyd Motz, Professor of Astronomy at Columbia University in New York, first traces
the evolution of matter from its initial inchoate, homogeneous state consisting
of neutrons and protons only to its present highly differentiated state consisting
of galaxies, stars, plants, some 96 different kinds of atoms, a vast array of
complex molecules, and intelligent beings. He then describes the various catastrophes
that, in time, can befall the world and lead to its destruction, the ultimate
catastrophe being the gravitational collapse of the universe itself, which will
destroy all existing structures. In his description of the evolution of the various
kinds of matter that now fill the universe, Dr. Motz shows how all the existing
structures -- from galaxies down to atomic nuclei -- can be understood in terms
of the four basic forces in nature. The first part of
the book deals with the formation of galaxies and stars from the primordial material
that stemmed from the "big bang," showing how all the heavy elements
such as iron, gold, and uranium were built up from hydrogen and helium in the
hot cores of the very oldest stars as these stars evolved over billions of years.
These chapters also describe how stars that are massive enough can become neutron
stars (pulsars) or black holes after they have exhausted all their nuclear fuel
and blown off their outer zones in vast explosions. Later
chapters concern the formation of planets and the origin of life on earth. According
to Dr. Motz, life will emerge in the neighborhood of all stars like the sun, so
there are billions of potentially life-supporting planets in the universe and
some hundreds of millions in our own galaxy. The last two chapters deal with the
hierarchy of endings which may occur and consider the question of how the earth
can escape destruction. Various provocative possibilities, such as taking the
earth entirely out of the solar system and attaching it to another star, are suggested.
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