Chapter 1: One with the Universe

In chapter one G. Wald (GW) discusses the role of Science in building and understanding human Society, the Universe and Life itself. The main ideas for each topic are presented in a point format. I have also included in few cases a question related to the topic.

Science role

* Science offers the surest path to answer the age old questions humans have been asking: 'whence we came what kind of things we are whither' are we going

* Science is attempting to understand reality. Doing Science is deep seated attempt to extract wisdom from things.

* What is the base from which a scientist forms political and moral judgment?

* Science is offering a unified view of the kind of universe we live in, place of life in it and place of humans in life.

Hmm, what does GW means by that? Perhaps 'things' are the data, and wisdom derived from the data is the understanding of our world , how does it actually work??

Society

* Humans need to become a community, we need common goals and common needs.

* Technology should be pursued and developed in accordance to society needs and society goals. It should not be developed solely by technology producers. Technology should be constantly reviewed to ensure that it serves society needs and goals.

* 'Know all you can but do only what seems socially useful and beneficial.'

* Production as opposed to creation needs to be reviewed in terms of human needs and goals.

* One can gain knowledge from words but wisdom only from things.

And who is going to do the reviewing and decide which technology should be used?The last statement on gaining knowledge and wisdom ; what does it mean??

Our Universe

*Universe is historical, stars and life are born , evolve and die. It is built from electron, protons, neutrons and photons. It may have started from photons or neutrons, these can transform into the remaining particles. Small fluctuations in particle spatial distribution let to the formation of clusters that grew larger by gravitational pull until stars were formed. Inside the stars core gravity continued to pull and condense until high temperature was achieved and transformation of H to He begun releasing energy that countered further gravitational condensation. When Hydrogen is depleted the gravitational condensation of the stars renews until temperature rises high enough to allow He to C transformation which again counters the gravitational condensation with the release of energy. This cycle of transformation and gravitational condensation continues to form oxygen, nitrogen and other elements up to Iron.

(I think the size of the star dictates how far the star advances in the path from Hydrogen to Iron.)

Life

* All living organisms are made of four elements Carbon, Nitrogen. Oxygen and Hydrogen.

* Stars have to die for life to come to existence. Both the stars and the life involve the four elements: Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen and Carbon.

* All life on earth runs ultimately on sun energy