The Grand Contraption: The World as Myth, Number, and Chance.THE GRAND CONTRAPTION: The World as Myth, Number, and Chance DAVID PARK
David Park (1911–September 20, 1960) was part of the post-WWII alumnae of the San Francisco Art Institute which was called the California School of Fine Arts People have sought to define the cosmos by many methods. In this comprehensive and fascinating book, Park reviews how theologians, philosophers, and mathematicians have attempted to explain subjects ranging from the creation of life to the nature of matter and the structure of the universe. In the beginning, the heavens were viewed as the inscrutable in·scru·ta·ble adj. Difficult to fathom or understand; impenetrable. See Synonyms at mysterious. [Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin domain of the gods and therefore unknowable un·know·a·ble adj. Impossible to know, especially being beyond the range of human experience or understanding: the unknowable mysteries of life. to human beings. Then came the discovery that the planets move in regular patterns, implying a discernible order to the universe. Park examines the evolution of cosmology cosmology, area of science that aims at a comprehensive theory of the structure and evolution of the entire physical universe. Modern Cosmological Theories from that point through the rise of astrology astrology, form of divination based on the theory that the movements of the celestial bodies—the stars, the planets, the sun, and the moon—influence human affairs and determine the course of events. , then philosophy, and finally science. Calling on the observations and theories of Plato, Aristotle, Kepler, Newton, and Darwin, among others, Park gives a comprehensive and readable overview of the "grand contraption" that is the universe. Despite the different premises and methods of scholars and scientists over time, Park notes, the fundamental question has remained the same: How and why did we get here? Princeton, 2005. 336 p., b&w illus, hardcover, $29.95. |
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