On Sat, 31 Jul 2004 15:26:08 -0600, "C.R. Osterwald" wrote:

cosmologist

http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/m_uni.html

Cosmology: The Study of the Universe

Cosmology is the scientific study of the large scale properties of the
Universe as a whole. It endeavors to use the scientific method to understand
the origin, evolution and ultimate fate of the entire Universe. Like any
field of science, cosmology involves the formation of theories or hypotheses
about the universe which make specific predictions for phenomena that can be
tested with observations. Depending on the outcome of the observations, the
theories will need to be abandoned, revised or extended to accommodate the
data. The prevailing theory about the origin and evolution of our Universe
is the so-called Big Bang theory discussed at length in the pages linked
below. This primer in cosmological concepts is organized as follows:
The main concepts of the Big Bang theory are introduced in the first section
with scant regard to actual observations.
The second section discusses the classic tests of the Big Bang theory that
make it so compelling as an apparently valid description of our universe.
The third section discusses observations that highlight limitations of the
Big Bang theory and point to a more detailed model of cosmology than the Big
Bang theory alone provides. As discussed in the first section, the Big Bang
theory predicts a range of possibilities for the structure and evolution of
the universe.
The final section discusses what constraints we can place on the nature of
our universe based on current data, and indicates how WMAP furthers our
understanding of cosmology.
In addition, a few related topics are discussed based on commonly asked
questions.