'A gripping exploration of one of the most fundamental, but also perplexing aspects of existence.' PROF. LEWIS DARTNELL, author of Origins'Such an enjoyable read...full of delightful nuggets that you will want to impress your friends and family with.' PROF. JIM AL-KHALILI, NYT bestselling author of The World According to Physics'This is a lovely, fascinating book. It blends history, geology, chemistry, philosophy and, of course, physics in a way that's del...

'A gripping exploration of one of the most fundamental, but also perplexing aspects of existence.' PROF. LEWIS DARTNELL, author of Origins'Such an enjoyable read...full of delightful nuggets that you will want to impress your friends and family with.' PROF. JIM AL-KHALILI, NYT bestselling author of The World According to Physics'This is a lovely, fascinating book. It blends history, geology, chemistry, philosophy and, of course, physics in a way that's del...

Since the earliest humans walked the earth, the vast mysteries and wonders of the night sky have fascinated and beguiled us, as we’ve struggled to understand our place in the cosmos.Even after the last century, which saw important and startling discoveries about our own planet, our solar system and the stars and galaxies beyond, there remain more questions than answers. But those questions – What is dark matter? Are we alone in the universe? Is time travel possible...

Uncover the language of our universe - numbers - in this wide-ranging whistle-stop tour of the history and majesty of mathematics.Our world simply wouldn't function if we didn't have numbers. But where do they come from? Why do we cut cake the wrong way? How can there be different sizes of infinity?All these questions and more are answered in this engaging romp through the history of numbers by acclaimed science writer, Colin Stuart. From the mathematicians...

An exploration of space and time and a journey of discovery, through thirteen of the most fascinating Christmas Lectures given at the Royal Institution of Great Britain over the last 200 years. With a foreword by ESA astronaut Tim Peake.Started at the Royal Institution (RI) in 1825 by Michael Faraday, the Christmas Lectures have been broadcast on television since the 1960s and have formed part of the British Christmas tradition for generations. First devised to att...

A fascinating and comprehensive guide to the sun – our home star – which remains the greatest mystery in the solar system, and why understanding it is pivotal to our future existence here on Earth.In 1869, a great mystery was born. As astronomers observed a total solar eclipse, for the first time they saw the faint glow of the solar corona, the sun’s outer atmosphere. Measurements of a previously unknown wavelength that made up this solar light sparked hot debate a...

Uncover the language of our universe - numbers - in this wide-ranging whistle-stop tour of the history and majesty of mathematics.Our world simply wouldn't function if we didn't have numbers. But where do they come from? Why do we cut cake the wrong way? How can there be different sizes of infinity?All these questions and more are answered in this engaging romp through the history of numbers by acclaimed science writer, Colin Stuart. From the mathematicians...

A fascinating and comprehensive guide to the sun—our home star—and why understanding it is pivotal to our future existence here on Earth.In 1869, a great mystery was born. As astronomers observed a total solar eclipse, for the first time they saw the faint glow of the solar corona, the sun's outer atmosphere. Measurements of a previously unknown wavelength that made up this solar light sparked hot debate among scientists, but it was another sixty years before they ...

A thought-provoking and humorous collection on NASA and the future of space travel.Neil deGrasse Tyson is a rare breed of astrophysicist, one who can speak as easily and brilliantly with popular audiences as with professional scientists. Now that NASA has put human space flight effectively on hold—with a five- or possibly ten-year delay until the next launch of astronauts from U.S. soil—Tyson’s views on the future of space travel and America’s role in that future are especially tim...

Top ten Sunday Times Bestseller‘Engaging, ambitious and creative’ GuardianWhere are we? Are we alone? Who are we? Why are we here? What is our future?Human Universe tackles some of the greatest questions that humans have asked to try and understand the very nature of ourselves and the Universe in which we live.Through the endless leaps of human minds, it explores the extraordinary ...

Drawing on the current cross-pollination of geology, biology, and astrophysics, Origins makes "the astonishing astronomical discoveries of recent years come alive (Michael D. Lemonick).Origin's explores cosmic science's stunning new insights into the formation and evolution of our universe— of the cosmos, of galaxies and galaxy clusters, of stars within galaxies, of orbiting planets, and of different forms of life. "Distill[s] complex science in clear and lively p...

The New York Times bestseller: “You gotta read this. It is the most exciting book about Pluto you will ever read in your life.”—Jon StewartWhen the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History reclassified Pluto as an icy comet, the New York Times proclaimed on page one, “Pluto Not a Planet? Only in New York.” Immediately, the public, professionals, and press were choosing sides over Pluto’s planethood. Pluto is entrenched in our cultu...