"When Newton discovered the laws of motion and gravity, he unified the rules of heaven and earth. From then on, physicists have been discovering new forces and incorporating them into ever-greater theories. But the major breakthroughs of the 20th century--relativity and quantum mechanics--are incompatible, and so since then, physicists have been endeavoring to combine these two theories. This would ultimately tie all the forces in the universe together into one beautiful equation that can unlock the deepest mysteries of space and time. That epic journey is the story of this book."--

"In distant realms far beyond the familiar solar system, an epic drama is playing out, with a cast list featuring rogue planets, colliding galaxies, and black holes more massive than a billion suns, and each character has its own extraordinary story to tell."

"An exploration of some of the deepest questions about our place in the universe"--

"From the world-renowned physicist, co-founder of the World Science Festival, and best-selling author of The Elegant Universe comes this utterly captivating exploration of deep time and humanity's search for purpose. Brian Greene takes readers on a breathtaking journey from the big bang to the end of time and invites us to ponder meaning in the face of this unimaginable expanse. He shows us how, from its original orderly state the universe has been moving inexorably toward chaos, and, still, remarkable structures have continually formed: the planets, stars, and galaxies that provide islands in a sea of disorder; biochemical mechanisms, including mutation and selection, animate life; neurons, information, and thought developed into complex consciousness which in turn gave rise to cultures and their timeless myths and creativity. And he describes, as well, how, in the deep reaches of the future, the nature of the universe will threaten the existence of matter itself. Through a series of nested stories Greene provides us with a clearer sense of how we came to be, a finer picture of where we are now, and a firmer understanding of where we are headed. Taken together, it is a completely new perspective on our place in the universe and on what it means to be human"--

The world's first and only guide to the Universe explores in detail the planets within our solar system and informs readers of their distance from Earth, temperature and atmosphere, before featuring recently discovered stars, galaxies and planets millions of light years away. Fascinating and engaging, with content provided by NASA, the world's foremost space authority.

An exploration of the basic principles of cosmology and astronomy, as explained by scientist Carl Sagan.

An exploration of the basic principles of cosmology and astronomy, as explained by scientist Carl Sagan.