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Cosmology

Cosmology is the study of the nature and properties of the universe as a whole, as formalized by science, philosophy and religion. Physical cosmology refers specifically to the disciplines (physics, astrophysics) involved in the scientific study of large scale structural properties of the universe, and includes theoretical models such as Big Bang cosmology, String theories, Brane theories, etc. The physics of the very small - quantum and sub-quantum - and the very large - star formation, galactic dynamics, expansion, etc. - are "unified" in many of these cosmological models.

Metaphysical cosmology includes the origin mythologies (cosmogony) and beliefs about the nature of reality as held in various religious and esoteric traditions. The philosophy deals with "the world" as a totality of space and time and all phenomena inhabiting space-time. The more esoteric traditions include mystical systems that can be highly complex and focused on the nature of consciousness, the meaning of existence, and the place of humanity in the universe.

Web Resources On Cosmology

Cambridge Cosmology
Cosmology: The Study of the Universe

Book Resources On Cosmology

Foundations of Modern Cosmology by John F. Hawley and Katherine A. Holcomb
The State of the Universe: A Primer in Modern Cosmology by Pedro Ferreira
The Nature of Space and Time by Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose

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