Student 1:
An alternative cosmology to the standard Big Bang scenario is the
Steady State model which is still taken very seriously by some
scientists. Find out what the major principles of this model are and
how it differs from the Big Bang model. Who were the scientists who
proposed it and what was their main reason for developing this
alternative theory? Where has the Steady State model run into
difficulties in terms of being contradicted by observation?
Student 2:
Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955) made enormous contributions to modern 20th century cosmology - some of which will be covered in the next part of the course. As an introduction and background to this, find out as much as you can about Einstein as a person and the colourful life he lead. Insights into how he struggled with his theories (e.g., the cosmological constant) and his brush with the politics of nuclear power/weapons in the latter part of his life would be of much interest.
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