THE FUTURE OF THE UNIVERSE AND THE FUTURE OF OUR CIVILIZATION

WORLD SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHING Co. Pte. Ltd., Singapore 2000

Contents and Contributors

Preface. Symposium Organization. THE NEW CONCEPTS AND IDEAS: The Quest for Immortality on an Unsustainable Planet; J. Cairns, Jr. Civilization as a Selforganizing System and its Future; L. Ve'gh. Systemic Crisis of Civilization: In Search for Adequate Solution; G. Khozin. Science as a (Transitory) Phase in Human Evolution; E. Leibowitz. Eternal Inflation, Black Holes, and the Future of Civilizations; J. Garriga, V.F. Mukhanov, K.D. Olum, and A. Vilenkin. On Possible Limits to Understanding the Universe; R. Albrecht. The Future of Astronomy: Exploration of the Gravitational Wave Spectrum; D. Blair. THE UNIVERSE: Future and Origin of Our Universe: Modern View; A. Starobinsky. The Topology of the Universe; M. Lachieze-Rey. Cold Dark Matter and Massive Neutrinos in the Universe and in the Lab; L. Maiani. The Evolution of Massive Dark Halos and Their Tracers; Li-Zhi Fang. Is our Vacuum Stable?; E. Guendelman and J. Portnoy. The Future Phase Transition in Dark Matter; V. Burdyuzha, O. Lalakulich, Yu. Ponomarev, and G. Vereshkov. GALAXY, STARS AND SOLAR SYSTEM: Long-Term Evolution of the Galaxy; B.M. Shustov, A.V. Tutukov, and D.S. Wiebe. Black Holes and Gamma Ray Burst: From the Death of Stars to the Birth of Quasars; R. Ruffini. The Future of Our Sun and Stars, N. Mowlavi. Evolution of Solar System Bodies and Their Comparison with Exoplanetary Systems; L. Ksanfomality. THE LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE AND ON THE EARTH: Carl Sagan and Joseph Shklovsky: Intelligent Life in the Universe; V. Kurt. SETI and the Galactic Belt of Life; B. Balazs. Fine-Tuning Carbon-Based Life in the Universe by Triple-Alpha Process in Red Giants; H. Oberhummer, A. Csoto, and H. Schlattl. The Future of Life on the Earth Ecosystems as Topological Spaces; M. Bounias and A. Bonaly. TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE CIVILIZATION: Global Population Growth and the Future of Humankind; S. Kapitza. The Future of Biological Diversity: A Lament or Hungarian Rhapsody?; R. Martin. Quo Vadis, Medical Genetics?; A.E. Czeizel. World Economy Today and Tomorrow; V. Kuznetsov. Global Aspects of Agriculture Sustainability; C. Edwards and D. Pimentel. Can Science Effectively Communicate to Politics?; P. Hardi. Space Jurisdiction; D. O'Donnell. THE CIVILIZATION: WARNING AND PROGNOSES: Mankind at Watershed; Challenges and Possibilities, J. Ladik. Globalization and Civilization: Renaissance or Decline?; E. Hankiss. The Future of the Planet Earth and the Life Span of the Biosphere; S. Franck, W. von Bloh, C. Bounama, and H.-J. Schelihuber. Sources of Danger and Defense Systems in Our Space Environment; P. Kiraly and A. Wolfendale. Collisions with Asteroids and the Comets: The Spaceguard Programme; A. Carusi. THE IMPORTANCE OF SCIENCE AND SCIENCE EDUCATION: The Importance of Science Literacy; L. Lederman. New Moral Duties of Science Education for All; G. Marx. International Cooperation in Science; J. Marton-Lefevre. A Challenge for International Cooperation in Astronomy and Basic Space Science; H.J. Haubold. On Responsibility of Scientists; V. Burdyuzha. List of Participants. Program of the Symposium.