The Origins of the Universe for Dummies
Description
The Origins of the Universe For Dummies covers:
- Early ideas about our universe
- Modern cosmology
- Big Bang theory
- Dark matter and gravity
- Galaxies and solar systems
- Life on earth
- Finding life elsewhere
- The Universe’s forecast
Introduction 1
Part I: In the Beginning: Early Ideas About Our Universe 7
Chapter 1: Exploring the Early Universe 9
Chapter 2: Looking Up at the Stars: Early Beliefs 17
Chapter 3: The Apple Drops: Newton, Gravity, and the Rotation of the Planets 27
Part II: Modern Cosmology: Going Off with a Bang 49
Chapter 4: Bending the Universe: Magnets and Gravity 51
Chapter 5: Measuring the Universe 73
Chapter 6: Cooking Up a Big Bang 95
Chapter 7: Letting It Rise: Expanding and Inflating the Universe 107
Chapter 8: Thinking Differently About the Universe 119
Part III: Building Your Own Universe 129
Chapter 9: Building Things from Scratch 131
Chapter 10: Forcing the Pace: The Roles of Natural Forces in the Universe 153
Chapter 11: Shedding Light on Dark Matter and Pinging Strings 169
Chapter 12: Playing with the Universe’s Chemistry Set 181
Chapter 13: Making Stars, Solar Systems, Galaxies, and More 197
Chapter 14: Giving Birth to Life 211
Chapter 15: Travelling Through Time 225
Part IV: Asking the Tough Questions 239
Chapter 16: Explaining the Unexplainable 241
Chapter 17: Finding Life Elsewhere 253
Chapter 18: Coming to an End 265
Part V: The Part of Tens 275
Chapter 19: Ten Different Beliefs about the Origins of the Universe 277
Chapter 20: Ten Greatest Cosmological Advances 285
Appendix: Understanding Scientific Units and Equations 295
Index 303
"…it makes you feel smarter with little eureka moments that are real page turners." (Bedfordshire on Sunday, Borough edition, Sunday 2nd March)Stephen Pincock writes about science for The Financial Times. He was previously a science and medicine editor at Reuters. He has written regularly for the British Medical Journal, The Lancet, and The Scientist.
Mark Frary is a freelance journalist whose work appears regularly in The Times and many other publications.
Everything you need for a quick tour of everything
You are here. How come?
Want to discover the physical origin of the universe, but don’t have the rest of eternity to read up on it? Want to know what scientists have found out about where you and your planet came from, but without the science blinding you? Most people do: It’s a deep part of human nature. Who better than For Dummies to tackle the biggest, strangest, and most wonderful question of them all?
Explanations in plain English
‘Get in, get out’ information
Icons and other navigational aids
Tear-out cheat sheet
Top ten lists
A dash of humour and fun
Discover:
Early ideas about our universe
The Big Bang and the Big Crunch
Dark matter, string theory, and time travel
Explanations of the unexplainable
If life exists elsewhere
Get smart! @ www.dummies.com
PUBLISHER:
Wiley
ISBN-13:
9780470516065
BINDING:
Paperback
BISAC:
Science
BOOK DIMENSIONS:
Dimensions: 188.50(W) x Dimensions: 236.20(H) x Dimensions: 20.80(D)
AUDIENCE TYPE:
General/Adult
LANGUAGE:
English