ISBN:
058515337X
,
9780585153377
Language:
English
Pages:
x, 274 p
,
ill. (some col.)
,
25 cm
Edition:
Boulder, Colo NetLibrary 2000 Online-Ressource E-Books von NetLibrary
Series Statement:
EBSCOhost eBook Collection
Keywords:
Nature (Aesthetics)
;
Philosophy of nature.
;
Nature (Aesthetics)
;
Philosophy of nature
;
Nature (Aesthetics)
;
Philosophy of nature.
;
Kosmologie
;
Natur
;
Ästhetik
;
Electronic books.
;
Electronic books.
;
Electronic books
;
Ästhetik
;
Natur
;
Kosmologie
;
Ästhetik
;
Natur
;
Kosmologie
Abstract:
Tales of the unexpected -- The impact of evolution -- Size, life, and landscape -- The heavens and the Earth -- The natural history of noise -- All's well that ends well
Abstract:
In the Art Universe, Barrow explores the close ties between our aesthetic appreciation and the basic nature of the Universe, challenging the commonly held view that our sense of beauty is entirely free and unfettered. Barrow argues that the laws of the Universe, its environments and its astronomical appearance, have imprinted themselves upon our thoughts and actions in subtle and unexpected ways. Why do we like certain types of art or music? What games and puzzles do we find challenging? Why do so many myths and legends have common elements? Who created the cornucopia of constellations in the night sky? And why? In this eclectic and entertaining survey, Barrow answers these questions and more as he explains how the landscape of the Universe has influenced the development of philosophy and mythology, and how millions of years of evolutionary history have fashioned our attraction to certain patterns of sound and color. Barrow casts the story of human creativity and thought in a fascinating light, considering such diverse topics as our instinct for language, the origins and uses of color in Nature, why we divide time into intervals as we do, the sources of our appreciation of landscape painting, and whether computer-generated fractal art is really art. Barrow reconsiders the question of whether intelligent extraterrestrial life exists, showing that the benefits (and even the likelihood) that might follow from the discovery of life on other worlds could be very different from what we might have been led to expect. Remarkably, we find that some of the properties of the Universe that are essential for the existence of any form of life play a key role in determining psychological and religious responses to the Cosmos
Note:
Includes bibliographical references (p.[247]-261) and index
,
Electronic reproduction, Boulder, Colo : NetLibrary, 2000
,
Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002.
URL:
Volltext
(Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
URL:
Volltext
(Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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