Birth of the Method
Isaac Newton, as he himself remarked, was able to see further than others because he was standing on the shoulders of giants. The giants, like Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo, did invaluable work, but it was Newton who not only laid the foundations but als
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G e orge V. C oy ne Mi chael Hel l er
A Comprehensible Universe The Interplay of Science and Theology
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George V. Coyne Vatican Observatory 2017 E. Lee St. Tucson AZ 85719 USA [email protected]
Michael Heller ul. Powstancow Warszawy 13/94 33-110 Tarnow Poland [email protected]
ISBN 978-3-540-77624-6 e-ISBN 978-3-540-77626-0 SPIN 12161362 DOI 10.1007/978-3-540-77626-0 Library of Congress Control Number: 2008922391 © 2008 Springer-Verlag New York This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in it current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Violations are liable to prosecution under the German Copyright Law. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The photographs on pp. 116–119 were taken with the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope at the Mt. Graham International Observatory, Arizona, USA and are printed here with the kind permission of the Vatican Observatory Foundation. Cover Image: Photo-composition of the William Herschel Telescope’s dome and the star Sirius. By Nik Szymanek and Ian King, courtesy of the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, La Palma. Typesetting and production: le-tex publishing services oHG, Leipzig, Germany Cover design: eStudioCalamar S. L., F. Steinen-Broo, Girona, Spain Printed on acid-free paper 987654321 springer.com
PREFACE
Every book has two lives: one before it is published and the other afterwards. In its life after publication, if the book is a success, it is studied by literary critics and finds its place in the history of literature. But its life before publication usually remains unknown; yet it is this part of the book’s history that either leads it to success or consigns it to oblivion. The present book had its beginnings in a course of lectures delivered by one of the authors (M. H.) to students in the science departments at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow. The students played a vital role in shaping the structure of the course. Their questions and the lecturer’s discussions with them helped to determine what topics would be treated in future sessions. Later on both authors met at the Vatican Astronomical Observatory in the Pontifical Palace amidst the bucolic surroundings of Castel Gandolfo where the papal summer residence is located. During long evenings, when the autumn winds went howling through the labyrinth of corridors and staircases in the palace, having completed their usual day of scientific researc
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