Jerrold Thacker: Difference between revisions
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'''Jerrold Thacker''' is an American independent researcher, author, and amateur astronomer known for his critiques of mainstream [[Cosmology]], including the [[Big Bang]] theory and the notion of an expanding universe. He advocates a "tired light" interpretation of the cosmological redshift. | |||
==Biography== | |||
Thacker completed master's-level studies in mathematics and statistics at the University of Minnesota. Rather than pursuing astronomy or physics professionally, he built a career as a systems engineer and software professional, working on large-scale command and control systems before moving into computer consulting and software development. He describes himself as a self-taught student of astronomy and astrophysics, an interest he traces to his late teens, and states that he has followed the subject for more than sixty-five years. He has resided in Texas. | |||
Thacker has said that working outside academic institutions allowed him to pursue independent lines of reasoning without adhering to prevailing consensus in the astronomical community. | |||
==Work== | |||
Thacker questions several elements of standard cosmology, including the interpretation of quasar distances, the expansion of the universe, and the Big Bang. In place of a Doppler interpretation of galactic [[redshift]], he argues for a "tired light" mechanism in which gravitational fields slow or shift the light emitted by distant objects, an idea he relates to the Shapiro effect and to [[Einstein]]'s general theory of relativity. On this basis he concludes that the universe is not expanding and that there was no Big Bang. | |||
He presented his first book on the subject, ''The Deceptive Universe'' (1982), which proposed that many astronomical observations arise from optical effects caused by the bending of light by gravity. He later published ''Reinventing the Universe'' and ''The Path Less Traveled: A Comparison of "Tired Light" and the "Expanding Universe"'' (2015). He has also written a book on sailing, ''Bumbling Through Paradise''. | |||
==External links== | |||
* [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2002535.Jerrold_Thacker Jerrold Thacker at Goodreads] | |||
* [https://www.ourcivilisation.com/thacker/about.htm Author biography, ''Reinventing the Universe''] | |||
[[Category:Scientist|Thacker Jerrold]] | [[Category:Scientist|Thacker Jerrold]] | ||
[[Category:Worldwide List of Dissident Scientists]] | [[Category:Worldwide List of Dissident Scientists]] | ||
[[Category:Astronomy]] | |||
Latest revision as of 09:39, 20 July 2026
Jerrold Thacker | |
|---|---|
| Residence | Richardson, TX, United States |
| Known for | Astronomy, Cosmology |
Jerrold Thacker is an American independent researcher, author, and amateur astronomer known for his critiques of mainstream Cosmology, including the Big Bang theory and the notion of an expanding universe. He advocates a "tired light" interpretation of the cosmological redshift.
Biography
Thacker completed master's-level studies in mathematics and statistics at the University of Minnesota. Rather than pursuing astronomy or physics professionally, he built a career as a systems engineer and software professional, working on large-scale command and control systems before moving into computer consulting and software development. He describes himself as a self-taught student of astronomy and astrophysics, an interest he traces to his late teens, and states that he has followed the subject for more than sixty-five years. He has resided in Texas.
Thacker has said that working outside academic institutions allowed him to pursue independent lines of reasoning without adhering to prevailing consensus in the astronomical community.
Work
Thacker questions several elements of standard cosmology, including the interpretation of quasar distances, the expansion of the universe, and the Big Bang. In place of a Doppler interpretation of galactic redshift, he argues for a "tired light" mechanism in which gravitational fields slow or shift the light emitted by distant objects, an idea he relates to the Shapiro effect and to Einstein's general theory of relativity. On this basis he concludes that the universe is not expanding and that there was no Big Bang.
He presented his first book on the subject, The Deceptive Universe (1982), which proposed that many astronomical observations arise from optical effects caused by the bending of light by gravity. He later published Reinventing the Universe and The Path Less Traveled: A Comparison of "Tired Light" and the "Expanding Universe" (2015). He has also written a book on sailing, Bumbling Through Paradise.