''It seems that astrophysics is too important to be left in the hands of theoretical astrophysicists who have got their education from the listed textbooks. The space data from astronomical telescopes should be treated by scientists who are familiar with laboratory and magnetospheric physics, circuit theory, and of course modern plasma physics [e.g. double layers, pinch effect, filamentary structure]. More than 99% of the universe consists of plasma, and the ratio between electromagnetic forces and gravitational forces is 10 to the power of 39.'' Hannes Alfven ''Three or four millenia of cosmological speculation have yielded essentially three different types of approach to the central questions of this science: (1) the scientific approach, which stresses experimentation and observation; (2) the agnostic attitude, which rejects the possibility and the value of caring about problems so far removed from ordinary experience; and (3) the mythological approach, which emphasizes a priori speculation to the exclusion of experimentation and observation and finds its contemporary expression in the virtually Pythagorean importance of mathematics in general relativity and Bing Bang cosmology. It is noted that while the scientific approach leads to basically infinite models, myths can more often be seen to result in finite universe models involving creation at a certain instant.'' Hannes Alfven ''The Big Bang expanding-universe model is challenged as not empirically confirmed (with respect to nucleogenesis, predicted isotropy and homogeneity of the universe, mean density of matter in the universe, redshift data, isothermal background radiation), as a dogma paralleling Christian mythology, and as analogous to the Ptolemaic system in the response of its supporters to disconfirming evidence.'' Hannes Alfven Our copy of ''Cosmical Electrodynamics'' is signed in pencil on end page by Donald Arthur Glasser, the Nobel Prize in Physics 1960, for his invention of the Bubble Chamber. Rupert Cole explains how beer was used for cutting-edge particle physics research: ''Late one night in 1953, Donald Glasser smuggled a case of beer into his University lab. He wanted to test out the limitations of his revolutionary invention: the bubble chamber. Previously, Glaser had only tried exotic chemical liquids in his device. But now his sense of experimental adventure had been galvanised by a recent victory over the great and famously infallible physicist Enrico Fermi. Fermi, who had invited Glaser to Chicago to find out more about his invention, had already seemingly proved that a bubble chamber could not work. But when Glaser found a mistake in Fermi’s authoritative textbook, he dedicated himself to redoing the calculations. Glaser found that, if he was correct, that the bubble chamber should work with water. To make absolutely certain he wasn’t being stupid, Glaser conducted this curious nocturnal experiment at his Michigan laboratory. He also discovered that the bubble chamber worked just as well when using lager as it had with other chemicals. There was one practical issue however, the beer caused the whole physics department to smell like a brewery. And this was a problem for two reasons, Glaser recalled. One is that it was illegal to have any alcoholic beverage within 500 yards of the university. The other problem was that the chairman was a very devout teetotaler, and he was furious. He almost fired me on the spot.'' Rupert Cole, Science Museum, July 29, 2013 See also: http://www.fractaluniverse.eclipse.co.uk/ElectroFractalUniverseWebVersion.pdf Cosmical Electrodynamics, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1950, p. 237, figs., 8vo, fine condition Signed in pencil on end page D[onald] A[rthur] Glaser. Price: USD 1,000,000.00 (a million dollars)
''It seems that astrophysics is too important to be left in the hands of theoretical astrophysicists who have got their education from the listed textbooks. The space data from astronomical telescopes should be treated by scientists who are familiar with laboratory and magnetospheric physics, circuit theory, and of course modern plasma physics [e.g. double layers, pinch effect, filamentary structure]. More than 99% of the universe consists of plasma, and the ratio between electromagnetic forces and gravitational forces is 10 to the power of 39.'' Hannes Alfven ''Three or four millenia of cosmological speculation have yielded essentially three different types of approach to the central questions of this science: (1) the scientific approach, which stresses experimentation and observation; (2) the agnostic attitude, which rejects the possibility and the value of caring about problems so far removed from ordinary experience; and (3) the mythological approach, which emphasizes a priori speculation to the exclusion of experimentation and observation and finds its contemporary expression in the virtually Pythagorean importance of mathematics in general relativity and Bing Bang cosmology. It is noted that while the scientific approach leads to basically infinite models, myths can more often be seen to result in finite universe models involving creation at a certain instant.'' Hannes Alfven ''The Big Bang expanding-universe model is challenged as not empirically confirmed (with respect to nucleogenesis, predicted isotropy and homogeneity of the universe, mean density of matter in the universe, redshift data, isothermal background radiation), as a dogma paralleling Christian mythology, and as analogous to the Ptolemaic system in the response of its supporters to disconfirming evidence.'' Hannes Alfven Our copy of ''Cosmical Electrodynamics'' is signed in pencil on end page by Donald Arthur Glasser, the Nobel Prize in Physics 1960, for his invention of the Bubble Chamber. Rupert Cole explains how beer was used for cutting-edge particle physics research:
''Late one night in 1953, Donald Glasser smuggled a case of beer into his University lab. He wanted to test out the limitations of his revolutionary invention: the bubble chamber.
Fermi, who had invited Glaser to Chicago to find out more about his invention, had already seemingly proved that a bubble chamber could not work. But when Glaser found a mistake in Fermi’s authoritative textbook, he dedicated himself to redoing the calculations.
Glaser found that, if he was correct, that the bubble chamber should work with water. To make absolutely certain he wasn’t being stupid, Glaser conducted this curious nocturnal experiment at his Michigan laboratory. He also discovered that the bubble chamber worked just as well when using lager as it had with other chemicals.
There was one practical issue however, the beer caused the whole physics department to smell like a brewery. And this was a problem for two reasons, Glaser recalled. One is that it was illegal to have any alcoholic beverage within 500 yards of the university. The other problem was that the chairman was a very devout teetotaler, and he was furious. He almost fired me on the spot.'' Rupert Cole, Science Museum, July 29, 2013 See also: http://www.fractaluniverse.eclipse.co.uk/ElectroFractalUniverseWebVersion.pdf