Yale University’s Terry Lectures began in 1905 with a grant from Dwight H. Terry. Intended to bridge ideas of religion with developing modern science and philosophy, the deed of gift declares that

“the object of this foundation is not the promotion of scientific investigation and discovery, but rather the assimilation and interpretation of that which has been or shall be hereafter discovered, and its application to human welfare, especially by the building of the truths of science and philosophy into the structure of a broadened and purified religion.”

Today, we publish the newest addition to the series: The New Universe and the Human Future, by Nancy Ellen Abrams and Joel R. Primack. When the authors delivered their lectures in October 2009, they explored the fascinating idea that we can now build a creation story from modern discoveries in cosmology and biology. Sharing and understanding that story across human civilization would transform our mentality, creating what the authors call a Cosmic Society, like the one they are building on Facebook. This new society embraces a vision of the universe that calls upon humans to better understand their place in the cosmos and act progressively to affect problems here on Earth, such as climate change and sustainable growth. Armed with the proper knowledge, we can more consciously and effectively participate in caring for the world in which we live.

Many of the pictures in the illustrated book are frames taken from videos that are based on supercomputer simulations of key aspects of the evolving universe. If you’re reading on a web-connected device that supports video, you can watch these videos on the book’s website, http://new-universe.org, whenever you see the symbol to the right. The website also includes additional videos, information about the illustrations, and links to their sources.

To start our coverage of this book, here is a simulation of Aquarius, showing the formation of a single Milky Way-sized dark matter halo. Stay tuned for more updates and interviews with the authors as our Cosmic Society grows.

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/22082732 w=400&h=225]

Aquarius Simulation Visualization from New-Universe.org on Vimeo.