Published with assistance from the foundation established in memory of
Philip Hamilton McMillan of the Class of 1894, Yale College.

Copyright © 2011 by Abrams & Primack, Inc.
All rights reserved.
This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in any form
(beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the US Copyright Law and except
by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers.

Yale University Press books may be purchased in quantity for educational, business,
or promotional use. For information, please e-mail sales.press@yale.edu
(US office) or sales@yaleup.co.uk (UK office).

Designed by James J. Johnson.
Set in Linotype Centennial by Tseng Information Systems, Inc.
Printed in the United States of America.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Abrams, Nancy Ellen, 1948–
The new universe and the human future : how a shared cosmology could
transform the world / Nancy Ellen Abrams, Joel R. Primack.
p. cm. — (The Terry lectures series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-300-16508-1 (hardback)
1. Cosmology—Philosophy. 2. Life—Origin—Philosophy. I. Primack, J. R. (Joel R.) II. Title.
QB981.A343 2011
523.101—dc22
2010044895

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48–1992
(Permanence of Paper).

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1