Ebook: The Cyclic Universe : A Conversation with Roger Penrose

This book is based on an in-depth conversation with Roger Penrose, co-recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics and Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics at the Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford. From astoundingly precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background to the ongoing mysteries of dark energy and dark matter, modern cosmology is unquestionably in the midst of its Golden Age. However, Roger Penrose is convinced that there is one fundamental problem that is consistently being overlooked: why did our universe begin in such a particular state of extremely low entropy? His Conformal Cyclic Cosmology (CCC) is an attempt to directly address that question. This comprehensive conversation provides a detailed exploration of Penrose's groundbreaking theory, accompanied by a wide range of explanatory drawings by Penrose. This carefully-edited book includes a detailed introduction, questions for discussion at the end of each chapter and connections with other books in the Ideas Roadshow Conversations series.CHAPTERS:I. Inadvertent Success - An inside look at a mysterious publishing phenomenonII. Considering Entropy - Minimum, maximum and both at the same timeIII. Mysteries and False Explanations - Dark issues and inflationary hyperbole IV. Conformal Geometry - Reinterpreting the end and the beginningV. CCC: The Basic Idea - Matching beginnings and ends, conformally VI. Light Cones - Photons vs. massive particlesVII. Massive Headaches - And how we might make them disappearVIII. Necessary Conditions - Dark energy, dark matter and information loss in black holesIX. Cosmic Imprints? - Searching for evidence of past aeonsX. Battling Onwards - Challenges of an irrepressibly independent thinkerABOUT IDEAS ROADSHOW CONVERSATIONS:Ideas Roadshow Conversations present a wealth of candid insights from leading experts through a focused yet informal setting. Presented in an engaging conversational format, these books not only explore cutting-edge academic research, but also reveal the inspirations and personal journeys behind the research. They are explicitly designed to provide a unique window into frontline research and scholarship that wouldn't otherwise be experienced through standard lectures and textbooks. Howard Burton holds a PhD in theoretical physics and an MA in philosophy and was the Founding Director of Canada's Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.