Cosmology 1 - The Basics of the Universe

A primer on cosmology . . . KEY POINTS Matter - Atoms -- electrons, protons, neutrons - Protons and neutrons made of quarks - Things get crazy: antimatter, quark varieties, neutrinos Four Fundamental Forces - Gravity - Electromagnetic force - Strong nuclear force - Weak nuclear force REFERENCES The material for the cosmology lectures was drawn from the following books: - Paul Davies, Cosmic Jackpot (Houghton Mifflin, 2007). - Owen Gingerich, God's Universe (Harvard University Press, 2006). - Francis Collins, The Language of God (Free Press, 2006). - Darrel Falk, Coming to Peace with Science: Bridging the Worlds between Faith and Biology (InterVarsity Press, 2004). The idea of God's cosmic fireworks show was drawn from a conversation with my insightful friend Will.