Gamow Explains Rise of Cosmos

Noting that he would have to talk very fast to cover the subject, the eminent physicist George Gamow discussed the origin and development of the Universe last night in Burr B.

A shift in frequency of light coming from a great distance indicates that the Universe is continuously expanding, according to Gamow. This phenomenon, the so-called "red shift," is analogous to the change in frequency of a locomotive whistle, as one listens to a train rushing by.

Astronomers have proposed two cosmogonic theories which are wholly consistent with the spectral observations. The older one assumes a constant diffusion over space of what was originally an exceptionally dense blob of matter. By computing the extent of the red shift at various distances, proponents of this theory have obtained a figure of five billion years as the probable age of the Universe.

Seven years ago, though, a group of British astronomers proposed a theory of continuous creation to maintain a uniformly dense Universe. This theory implies a Universe with neither a beginning nor an end.

Astronomy has been more successful in predicting the probable origin of plants, Gamow said. Working independently, Kant and Laplace formulated a "nebular hypothesis." According to this theory, matter with very high angular momentum formed into a ring around the sun. Subsequently, it condensed into the planets.

Later, Clerk Maxwell demonstrated that the shearing force which would act on a solar ring would prevent condensation of satellites--assuming that terrestrial matter is similar in constitution to that of the stars.

The Maxwell demonsration led to the "colliding stars" hypothesis, which makes the creataion of planets an unlikely coincidence. Recent observations, however, have shown that Maxwell's theory was incorrect.