|
|
Re: Big Bang: How widely accepted?
Robert Roosen (roosen@crash.cts.com)
Wed, 23 Aug 1995 07:07:38 GMT
Geoffrey Burbidge and Fred Hoyle, two of the "old guard"
astronomical cosmologists do not accept the Big Bang hypothesis.
Anthropologists
study cosmology as the creation myths of each of the various cultures
inhaviting planet earth. The Big Bang is in the curious position of
being promoted as "the" cosmology by a group of physicists who have
wandered into astronomy. They claim it is a cosmology that is
independent of culture.
This theory is so tenaciously held and promoted by the physicists
that Hoyle and Burbidge are excluded from conferences on the subject.
Burbidge recently presented the John Schopp Memorial Lecture at San Diego
State U in which he presented the above view. He said further that he
and Hoyle have been reduced to cashing the lectures and heckling during
the question period.
So the Big Bang is generally accepted as a nice description of events.
As a cosmology, it is accepted by only a relative handful of scientists
living primarily in Western society and working primarily in the field of
high energy physics. It is also widely promoted as "the final answer" by
the media, and hence most people are only familiar with it and with no
other competing theories or with the cosmologies accepted by societies
other than Western society.
The Hindus, for instance, would call it the "Great Flowering".
Robert
: Joel Duman <joeld@superstudio.co.il> wrote:
: >I'm writing a short article on the Big Bang theory, including
: >simulations. Much of the literature seems to imply that the theory is
: >almost universally accepted. Is this just Hawking's influence? I'd
: >like to hear from professionals who can talk to an amateur or amateurs
: >who are serious.
|