Eric Lerner

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Lerner at a Google TechTalks presentation in 2007
Lerner at a Google TechTalks presentation in 2007

Eric J. Lerner is a popular science writer, independent plasma researcher,[1] and an advocate of plasma cosmology,[2] a nonstandard cosmology. He authored the 1991 book, The Big Bang Never Happened, which advocated his alternative to the dominant Big Bang theory. It received unfavorable reviews from professional cosmologists.[3][4][5][6]

Lerner is an independent researcher active in the field of plasma physics and is currently the executive director of the Focus Fusion Society and president of Lawrenceville Plasma Physics, Inc. in West Orange, New Jersey,[7] which describes itself as a technology research, consulting and communications firm.

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[edit] Personal history

Lerner was born in 1947 in Brookline, Massachusetts. He received a BA in physics from Columbia University[8] and did graduate work in physics at the University of Maryland, College Park without completing a degree.[9] He has studied plasma phenomena and laboratory fusion devices, performing experimental work on the dense plasma focus funded by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in collaboration with the University of Illinois in 1994[10] and with Texas A&M University in 2001.[11] He believes he has demonstrated that the production of useful energy from aneutronic fusion can be made more feasible.[12][13] He has stated that for $300,000, such a reactor could be constructed. [14]

Lerner is a critic of the Big Bang theory and advocates an infinitely old Universe.[15] In 2006 he accepted an invitation to be a Visiting Astronomer at the European Southern Observatory in Chile, offered at the initiative of fellow Big Bang critic and MOND enthusiast Riccardo Scarpa.[16]

Lerner is also an active general science writer, estimating that he has had about 600 articles published. He has received journalism awards between 1984 and 1993 from the Aviation Space Writers Association.[17]

[edit] The Big Bang Never Happened

Lerner's 1991 book, The Big Bang Never Happened
Lerner's 1991 book, The Big Bang Never Happened

The Big Bang Never Happened (1991) is Lerner's controversial book repudiating mainstream Big Bang cosmology and advancing instead a non-standard plasma cosmology proposed by Hannes Alfven in the 1960s.

Lerner's thesis is that:

The phenomena that the Big Bang seeks to explain with a mysterious ancient catacylsm, plasma theories attribute to electrical and magnetic processes occurring in the universe today.[18]

He states that his major problem with the Big Bang is that "enormous ribbons of matter... refute a basic premise of the Big Bang."[19]

The response of professional cosmologists to Lerner's ideas set out in the book has been negative; Paul Davies reviewed the book for the New York Times and found it to be unsatisfactory. The newspaper published a rebuttal by Lerner which was itself criticized by Arno A. Penzias, winner of the 1978 Nobel Prize for Physics:

"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."[4]

Subsequent to this, Davies himself responded to Lerner's criticism[5] of his review:

'"It seems to me that the theory proposed by Mr. Lerner has serious problems in relation to thermodynamics. This is merely my professional opinion, for what it is worth. Others can judge for themselves.... I accept that Mr. Lerner's book reports work that is largely due to Hannes Alfven, but this does not render it immune from criticism."[5]

Victor J. Stenger, Professor Emeritus of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Hawaii, criticized Lerner's book in a 1992 edition of the popular magazine, Skeptical Inquirer.[6] Professor Edward L. Wright of UCLA says that there are several errors of fact in the book,[3] and Sean M. Carroll has also written a critique of Lerner's advocacy.[20]

[edit] References

  1. ^ John Wilford, "Novel Theory Challenges The Big Bang", New York Times, February 28, 1989
  2. ^ H. Ratcliffe, "The First Crisis in Cosmology Conference" (PDF), Progress in Physics (Oct 2005)
  3. ^ a b Wright, Edward L. "Errors in "The Big Bang Never Happened"
  4. ^ a b "Big Bang Theory Makes Sense of Cosmic Facts; No Contradiction", New York Times, June 18, 1991
  5. ^ a b c "Did the Big Bang Happen?", New York Times, Sep 1, 1991
  6. ^ a b Stenger, Victor J. (Summer 1992). "Is the Big Bang a Bust?". Skeptical Inquirer 16 (412). 
  7. ^ See Personnel listed on the Web site for Lawrenceville Plasma Physics, Inc.
  8. ^ Columbia Alumni Directory, 1988 edition, p.211.
  9. ^ Biography at the Space Show
  10. ^ JPL Contract 959962, pg 8.
  11. ^ JPL Contract 960283
  12. ^ Advances Toward pB11 Fusion with the Dense Plasma Focus, 5th Symposium, "Current Trends in International Fusion Research: A Review", March 7, 2005, Washington, D.C. arXiv
  13. ^ Kenneth Chang, "Practical Fusion, or Just a Bubble?", New York Times, February 27, 2007
  14. ^ http://discovermagazine.com/2008/jun/29-3-ideas-that-are-pushing-the-edge-of-science
  15. ^ Marcus Chown, "Did the Big Bang Really Happen?", New Scientist, 2 July 2005
  16. ^ ESO Senior Visits in 2006 and activities
  17. ^ Lerner estimates he has had about 600 articles published, in article such as Discover,[1] and Industrial Physicist.[2]
  18. ^ Eric Lerner, "The Big Bang Never Happened", page 14
  19. ^ Eric Lerner, "The Big Bang Never Happened", page 13
  20. ^ Sean Carroll offers a direct critique of these alternatives on his blog Preposterous Universe

[edit] External links and references