Questions About Cosmos

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Answered Questions (3)

Is it still relevant/correct/upto date in 2015? I believe much more would have been found, many theories would have been disproved etc since the time this book was written. So wondering if it is still worth reading. Don't want to end up knowing the wrong/outdated facts. :-)

Maurice Frank Quite a bit is not up to date, and shows that just like folks he criticised, Sagan was pushing some of his agenda of wishes that have not been borne o…moreQuite a bit is not up to date, and shows that just like folks he criticised, Sagan was pushing some of his agenda of wishes that have not been borne out:
- Understanding about the prevalence of gamma ray bursts and of high mass stars producing supernovas, has led to understanding that galaxies have habitable zones: large parts of galaxies are not compatible with life. this greatly reduces from Sagan's wishful estimates the chances of prevalent alien civilisations in the Milky Way.
- Milky Way now reckoned to be a barred spiral, rather than plain spiral.
- Density of matter in the universe now clearly favours an open universe (infinite). Sagan showed in chapter 10 he preferred and was hoping for a closed back on itself universe. So there is not a hierarchy of universes nested within each other as subatomic particles.
- The Kuiper Belt, outer asteroidal zone, wasn' t known at Cosmos's time. This includes the planetary demotion of Pluto, and affects the description of how planetary systems form.
- Also affecting that and affecting the estimate for alien life: we now know that gas giants' orbits often don't stay stable at outer distances like Jupiter, but they drag on the early star's nebula and decay their orbits inwards to very close to the star, disrupting in the process any inner zone of terrestrial planets. More gas giants now known with orbits very close to their stars, than orbits like Jupiter.
- Even that evolution of advanced life has needed the moon to keep the Earth's axis stable and hence our zones of climate stable, and you contrast that with how chancy it is that the Moon exists: even that has been worked out since Cosmos as does not feature as known at that time.(less)

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who is aristocrat

Michael Tito "Aristocrats is a broad term that usually refers to people that a particular social order considers the highest social class of that society. " - wiki…more"Aristocrats is a broad term that usually refers to people that a particular social order considers the highest social class of that society. " - wikipedia(less)

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For someone like me, who's native language isn't English and is completely new to physics, is “Cosmos” an appropriate choice or should I continue looking for other (simpler) books covering the same material? // P.S. I'm open to suggestions.

Inderjeet This book is not difficult to read and I think basic grip on English would be sufficient. As to the content, a person from non physics background woul…moreThis book is not difficult to read and I think basic grip on English would be sufficient. As to the content, a person from non physics background would have no problems understanding the subject matter. The author did not make any assumptions as to the technical background of the reader and he does an excellent job to explaining.

Good luck!(less)

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