In astrophysics and cosmology, the anthropic principle is the philosophical consideration that observations of the physical Universe must be compatible with the conscious life that observes it.

: For an annotated list of textbooks and monographs, see physical cosmology.

In physical cosmology, cosmic inflation, cosmological inflation or just inflation is the theorized extremely rapid exponential expansion of the early universe by a factor of at least 10 < sup > 78 </ sup > in volume, driven by a negative-pressure vacuum energy density.

In physical cosmology, the Copernican principle, named after Nicolaus Copernicus, states that the Earth is not in a central, specially favored position.

Kepler described his new astronomy as " celestial physics ", as " an excursion into Aristotle's Metaphysics ", and as " a supplement to Aristotle's On the Heavens ", transforming the ancient tradition of physical cosmology by treating astronomy as part of a universal mathematical physics.

In astrophysics and physical cosmology, Olbers ' paradox, named after the German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers and also called the " dark night sky paradox ", is the argument that the darkness of the night sky conflicts with the assumption of an infinite and eternal static universe.

Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made ( particle physics ) to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole ( cosmology ).

One proposed timeline of the origin of space, from physical cosmology.

The modern era of physical cosmology began in 1917, when Albert Einstein first applied his general theory of relativity to model the structure and dynamics of the universe.

Also included are the predictions of cosmology, the results of the interpretation of quantum mechanics, the foundations of statistical mechanics, causality, determinism, and the nature of physical laws.

In physical cosmology, the term cosmos is often used in a technical way, referring to a particular space-time continuum within the ( postulated ) multiverse.

In physical cosmology, the cosmological constant ( usually denoted by the Greek capital letter lambda: Λ ) is equivalent to an energy density in otherwise empty space.

Hubble's law or Lemaître's law is the name for the astronomical observation in physical cosmology that: ( 1 ) all objects observed in deep space ( intergalactic space ) are found to have a doppler shift observable relative velocity to Earth, and to each other ; and ( 2 ) that this doppler-shift-measured velocity, of various galaxies receding from the Earth, is proportional to their distance from the Earth and all other interstellar bodies.

In physical cosmology, Big Bang nucleosynthesis ( or primordial nucleosynthesis, abbreviated BBN ) refers to the production of nuclei other than those of H-1 ( i. e. the normal, light isotope of hydrogen, whose nuclei consist of a single proton each ) during the early phases of the universe.

Modern cosmological ideas follow the development of the scientific discipline of physical cosmology.

The shape of the universe is a matter of debate in physical cosmology over the local and global geometry of the universe which considers both curvature and topology, though, strictly speaking, it goes beyond both.

Cosmologists normally work with a given space-like slice of spacetime called the comoving coordinates, the existence of a preferred set of which is possible and widely accepted in present-day physical cosmology.

Mount Meru (), also called Sumeru i. e. the " Excellent Meru " and Mahameru i. e. " Great Meru ", is a sacred mountain in Jain cosmology, Hindu as well as Buddhist cosmology and is considered to be the center of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes.

It also forms the basis for the rigorous path integral formulation of quantum mechanics ( by the Feynman – Kac formula, a solution to the Schrödinger equation can be represented in terms of the Wiener process ) and the study of eternal inflation in physical cosmology.

In particle physics and physical cosmology, the Planck scale is an energy scale around 1. 22 × 10 < sup > 19 </ sup > GeV ( which corresponds by the mass – energy equivalence to the Planck mass 2. 17645 × 10 < sup >− 8 </ sup > kg ) at which quantum effects of gravity become strong.

In modern physical cosmology, the cosmological principle is the working assumption that observers on Earth do not occupy an unusual or privileged location within the universe as a whole, judged as observers of the physical phenomena produced by uniform and universal laws of physics.

In physical cosmology, first light refers to the light emitted from the first generation of hyperstars, formed less than a billion years after the big bang, which brought to an end cosmological dark ages.

The ultimate fate of the universe is a topic in physical cosmology.

He must construct transitions so that a dancer who is told to lie prone one second and to leap wildly the next will have some physical preparation for the leap.

For Plato, `` imitation '' is twice removed from reality, being a poor copy of physical appearance, which in itself is a poor copy of ideal essence.

With Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe, alienation is represented on a purely physical plane.

And ( D ) all action of a physical kind pertinent to the mission is relegated to the line of men on the lower rank.

It is filled with the usual personal abuse of Steele, especially of his physical appearance ; ;

Let us quote once more from R. G. Collingwood: `` History is properly concerned with the actions of human beings Regarded from the outside, an action is an event or series of events occurring in the physical world ; ;

His father was a professor at Hartford Theological Seminary, and from him he acquired a conviction, which he passed along to me, that there is in the universe of persons a moral law, the law of love, which is a natural law in the same sense as is the physical law.

An uncompromising belief in the moral law has the advantage of making religion natural, even as physical law is natural.

The other reason ( and the one with which I am here concerned ) is that one thus becomes inclined to inquire of any opinion, or change of opinion, whether it represents the wisdom of experience or is only the result of the difference between youth and age which is as inevitable as the all too obvious physical differences.

This is that autistic people don't enjoy physical contact with others -- for instance, my children and I.

They think, perforce, of physical survival: everything else is secondary.

The purpose of the organization is to further the interest of women students in recreational activities as a means of promoting physical efficiency, sportsmanship, and `` play for play's sake ''.

Look at the physical features of the land to determine how desirable it is for use, what can be done to correct the faults, and what it will cost to make the area meet your needs in comparison to other sites.

When painting, Mason's physical eyes are half-closed, while his mind's eye is wide open, and this circumstance accounts in part for the impression he wishes to convey.

If you have an annual or regular physical examination program, is it worth what it is costing you??

Although there is no question but that the process of washing fabrics involves a number of phenomena which are related together in an extremely complicated way and that these phenomena and their interrelations are not well understood at the present, this section attempts to present briefly an up-to-date picture of the physical chemistry of washing either fabrics or hard surfaces.

They do not destroy physical structures as is true of high explosives.

It is conceived that one of the means to attain this social distance is that of physical and social isolation.