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Table of Contents

Preface

1. Scientific Theories and Laws

2. The First Decade (1936-1946)

3. Relativity

4. The Second Decade (1946-1956)

5. Quantum Mechanics

6. The Third Decade (1956-1966)

7. The Big Bang

8. The Fourth Decade (1966-1976)

9. The Non-Bang

10. The Fifth Decade (1976-1986)

11. The Never-Bang

12. The Sixth Decade (1986-1996)

13. Evolution

14. The Seventh Decade (1996-2006)

15. The Theory of More than Everything

16. The Eighth Decade (2006-2016)

17. Now What?

18. The Ninth Decade (2016-2026)

Appendix A Paintings

Appendix B Caps and Bunnies

Appendix C Musical Compositions

Appendix E A Googolplex Universe

Appendix F Acknowledgements

Bibliography

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Chapter One


Scientific Theories and Laws


WHAT'S A THEORY

A scientific theory is a clear and simple statement or set of statements describing and explaining observations. We must be able to test it; otherwise, the statement's only a piece of philosophy. "The sky is blue because I said so" is not a theory. It's not even good philosophy. We have no way to test the sentence unless the speaker can actually turn the sky into some other color and then back to blue. This theory was probably first proposed when some kid asked, "Why?" one too many times. Poor kid.

A theory should explain one or more riddles, the more the better. A good theory can make predictions. A really good theory has some practical use like landing a man on the sun. (Of course we'd have to land him at night when it's not so hot.)

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Sections

WHAT'S A THEORY

WHAT'S A LAW

ONE MORE THEORY/LAW

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