The astronomers

In early 1998, at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society, two rival groups of astronomers simultaneously announced a discovery that shook the science of cosmology to its very foundations: Not only is the universe expanding, but the expansion is accelerating, implying a new force that opposes gravity. The holy grail of this startling new picture of the cosmos is a crucial cosmic parameter whose true value will determine the rate of that expansion, and thus both the age and the ultimate fate of the universe. Here acclaimed science popularizer Donald W. Goldsmith puts this remarkable discovery in perspective, taking us from that fateful January 1998 scientific congress in Washington, D.C., where the rivals battled over each other's conclusions, right up to their latest findings. The Runaway Universe paints a vivid, unexpected picture of science in the making, and presents the startling new discovery that is revolutionizing our view of the cosmos.… (more)