Overview
- A comprehensive, engaging foray into how beliefs in the plurality of worlds have shifted over time
- Extends its analysis to the broader development of science, cosmology, and religion
- Chronicles famous supporters and opponents of the theory, along with its most controversial and significant events
Part of the book series: Historical & Cultural Astronomy (HCA)
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Table of contents (13 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Keywords
- history of plurality of worlds
- history of cosmic pluralism
- beliefs in extraterrestrial life
- extraterrestrial life debate
- aliens debate
- belief in aliens history
- history of SETI
- history of Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
- patristic cosmology
- virtual plurality
- multiple worlds vortex
- Plutarch De Facie
About this book
This book analyzes the many ways that humans have argued for and depicted extraterrestrial life over the centuries. The first known texts about the subject date from as early as the 6th century BC. Since that time, countless well-known historical characters like Lucretius, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Cusanus, Bruno, Kepler, Descartes, and Huygens contributed to the debate; here, their lesser known opinions on the subject are studied in detail.
It is often difficult for the modern mind to follow the thinking of our ancestors, which can only be understood when placed in the relevant context. The book thus extends its scope to the evolution of ideas about cosmology in general, as well as the culture in which these great thinkers wrote. The research is presented with the author's insights and humor, making this an easy and enjoyable read.
Reviews
“The book is well written, solidly produced, and infused with numerous color … . All things considered, this book is a good contribution to the literature and a fitting historical capstone to a stellar astronomical career.” (Steven J. Dick Ashburn, Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, Vol. 23 (2), 2020)
Authors, Editors and Affiliations
About the editor
Dr. Pierre Connes joined the laboratory at CNRS after his university studies in Dijon. There, he helped revolutionize the techniques of analyzing the light of the stars and was a pioneer in Fourier transformation spectroscopy. Connes was a long-time beloved friend of the Astronomical Society of Burgundy. He passed away on February 22, 2019 at the age of 90.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: History of the Plurality of Worlds
Book Subtitle: The Myths of Extraterrestrials Through the Ages
Authors: Pierre Connes
Editors: James Lequeux
Series Title: Historical & Cultural Astronomy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41448-1
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-41447-4Published: 25 June 2020
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-41450-4Published: 25 June 2021
eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-41448-1Published: 24 June 2020
Series ISSN: 2509-310X
Series E-ISSN: 2509-3118
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIII, 406
Number of Illustrations: 28 b/w illustrations, 27 illustrations in colour
Topics: Astrobiology, History of Science, Cosmology