Eric Lerner: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia
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His work challenging the Big Bang theory has been reported in popular science magazines, including a cover article of New Scientist (July 2, 2005) and in television and film documentaries [http://www.universe-film.com/]. His views on cosmology have been published in periodicals ranging from Sky and Telescope to The New York Times. He is co-editor of the Proceedings of the First Crisis in Cosmology Conference (American Institute of Physics Proceeding Series.) In 2006, he was a Visiting Astronomer at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Santiago, Chile. He has been invited to present his theories at many leading institutions, including ESO, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Princeton University, the University of Pavia (Italy), The University of Buenos Aires, Argentina and the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
==DebateCriticism onof Lerner's Book, The Big Bang Never Happenedideas==
Univ. of Hawaii Professor Emeritus of Physics and Astronomy, Victor J. Stenger, and author of "God: The Failed Hypothesis", criticised Lerner's book, ''The Big Bang Never Happened'', in a 1992 edition of the popular magazine, [[Skeptical Inquirer]]. Stenger writes[http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger/Cosmo/bang.txt]:▼
:"Lerner uses the kinds of arguments one often hears in public discourse on science, but rarely among professional scientists themselves. For example, he argues that plasma cosmology is in closer agreement with everyday observation than big-bang cosmology, and hence is the more sensible. A look through a telescope reveals spirals and other structures similar to those observed in the plasma laboratory (and, as cosmologist Rocky Kolb has remarked, in your bathroom toilet as well). Following Lerner's line of reasoning, we would conclude, as people once did, that the earth is flat, that the sun goes around the earth, and that species are immutable."<ref>Victor J. Stenger, "Is the Big Bang a Bust?" ''Skeptical Inquirer'', 16, 412, Summer 1992.</ref>▼
UCLA [[astrophysicist]] Edward L.(Ned) Wright maintains a web page titled "Errors in [Eric Lerner's book] the 'The Big Bang Never Happened'" in which argueshe thatchronicles therepoint areby point, errors in Lerner's cosmological proposals.<ref>Edward L.(Ned) Wright, [http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/lerner_errors.html "Errors in the 'The Big Bang Never Happened'"]</ref>. Lerner later posted a response to some of Wright's critiques.<ref>[http://www.bigbangneverhappened.org/wrightreply.html Dr. Wright is Wrong -- a reply to Ned Wright's "Errors in The 'Big Bang Never Happened'"]</ref>
Björn Feuerbacher physicist at the [[University of Heidelberg]] and Ryan Scranton, physicist at the [[University of Pittsburgh]] wrote of Eric Lerner's analysis:
[[Arno A. Penzias]], winner of the [[Nobel Prize for Physics]], wrote to the [[New York Times]]:▼
:"Lerner's arguments against the BBT fall well short of convincing.... At the same time, Lerner's claims about the ability of the plasma cosmology model to describe the observations correctly are simply wrong.... Lerner also has a bad habit of citing scientific articles in support of his case when, in fact, they actually run contrary to his claims." <ref>[http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/astronomy/bigbang.html Evidence for the Big Bang]</ref>
:"The sizes of the vast ribbons of galaxies that Eric J. Lerner refers to come straight out of the Big Bang model itself.... Contrary to Mr. Lerner's claim, therefore, the "simple mathematics" he cites rests upon, rather than contradicts the Big Bang model."<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE5DD1F39F93BA25755C0A967958260 Letter to the Editor June 18, 1991]</ref>▼
Gregg Sapp, (current Head of the Science Library, University Albany), in the ''Library Journal'' wrote that:▼
[[James Van Allen]], discover of the [[Van Allen belts]], wrote, on the back cover of The Big Bang Never Happened :
:"Lerner, a plasma physicist, points out flaws in the Big Bang model and proposes an alternative theory: an eternal, self-sustaining "plasma" universe where electromagnetic fields within conducting gases provide other, simpler explanations for observed phenomena. His contention that the Big Bang is merely a repackaged creation myth is presumptuous, but well argued."<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/067974049X/104-8800062-5851141?redirect=true Quoted at Amazon.com]</ref>▼
:"Eric J. Lerner gives both a provocative critique of the Big Bang and a stimulating account of the insightful and creative, although controversial, cosmology of Nobel Laureate Hannes Alfven."
British physicist and writer Alec MacAndrew wrote that:
:"The Lerner book, at least, is quirky and badly flawed. Anyone who is really interested in understanding the science needs to read much more widely than that."<ref>[http://www.evolutionpages.com/big_bang_no_myth.htm The Big Bang is not a Myth]</ref>
[[Sean Carroll]], assistant professor in the Physics Department, Enrico Fermi Institute, and Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics at the [[University of Chicago]] writes about Lerner's understanding of [[general relativity]] (GR):
▲Gregg Sapp, (current Head of the Science Library, University Albany), in the ''Library Journal'' wrote that:
:"But if your professional activity consists of combating a cosmological model that is based on GR, you shouldn't open your mouth without understanding at least the basics. So if I get to decide whether to allocate money or jobs to one of the bright graduate students working on some of the many fruitful issues raised by the Big Bang cosmology, or divert it to a crackpot who claims that the Big Bang has no empirical successes, it's an easy choice. Not censorship, just sensible allocation of resources in a finite world."<ref>http://preposterousuniverse.blogspot.com/2004/05/doubt-and-dissent-are-not-tolerated.html Preposterous Universe</ref>
▲:"Lerner, a plasma physicist, points out flaws in the Big Bang model and proposes an alternative theory: an eternal, self-sustaining "plasma" universe where electromagnetic fields within conducting gases provide other, simpler explanations for observed phenomena. His contention that the Big Bang is merely a repackaged creation myth is presumptuous, but well argued."<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/067974049X/104-8800062-5851141?redirect=true Quoted at Amazon.com]</ref>
▲Univ. of Hawaii Professor Emeritus of Physics and Astronomy, Victor J. Stenger, and author of "God: The Failed Hypothesis", criticised Lerner's book, ''The Big Bang Never Happened'', in a 1992 edition of the popular magazine, [[Skeptical Inquirer]]. Stenger writes[http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger/Cosmo/bang.txt]:
▲:"Lerner uses the kinds of arguments one often hears in public discourse on science, but rarely among professional scientists themselves. For example, he argues that plasma cosmology is in closer agreement with everyday observation than big-bang cosmology, and hence is the more sensible. A look through a telescope reveals spirals and other structures similar to those observed in the plasma laboratory (and, as cosmologist Rocky Kolb has remarked, in your bathroom toilet as well). Following Lerner's line of reasoning, we would conclude, as people once did, that the earth is flat, that the sun goes around the earth, and that species are immutable."<ref>Victor J. Stenger, "Is the Big Bang a Bust?" ''Skeptical Inquirer'', 16, 412, Summer 1992.</ref>
The Chicago Tribune reviewing The Big Bang Never Happened, noted that:
:"Lerner does a fine job poking holes in Big Bang thinking and provides a historical perspective as well, linking scientific theories to trends in philosophy, politics, religion and even economics...a most readable book."[9]
▲[[Arno A. Penzias]], winner of the [[Nobel Prize for Physics]], wrote to the [[New York Times]]:
▲:"The sizes of the vast ribbons of galaxies that Eric J. Lerner refers to come straight out of the Big Bang model itself.... Contrary to Mr. Lerner's claim, therefore, the "simple mathematics" he cites rests upon, rather than contradicts the Big Bang model."<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE5DD1F39F93BA25755C0A967958260 Letter to the Editor June 18, 1991]</ref>
In 1992, [[David Spergel]] had a public debate with Eric Lerner at [[Princeton University]] over the Big Bang. Lerner was not able to respond to most of Spergel's arguments and had trouble with simple [[error analysis]].
==Partial list of papers and articles ==