What is the origin of the universe? Are we alone in the Universe? This book explores these two interesting scientific-philosophical themes with a broad range of studies, including astronomy, cosmology, chemistry, biology, geology and planet science.

This volume tells the tale of cosmology as seen by some of the finest cosmologists in the world. It starts with "Galaxy Formation from Start to Finish" and ends with "Understanding Dark Energy," having a rich variety of themes in between. Designed for non-cosmological scientists, this up-to-date collection of review articles offers a general introduction to cosmology. If you are at all curious about where we came from and where we are going, this is the book for you.

Written by distinguished physics educator David Goodstein, this fresh introduction to thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and the study of matter is ideal for undergraduate courses. The textbook looks at the behavior of thermodynamic variables and examines partial derivatives - the essential language of thermodynamics. It also explores states of matter and the phase transitions between them, the ideal gas equation, and the behavior of the atmosphere. The origin and meaning of the laws of thermodynamics are then discussed, together with Carnot engines and refrigerators, and the notion of...