A Brief History of the Universe (And Our Place in It)

"A sweeping tour of the laws of physics, the scope of the universe, and the place of life within it." —Sean Carroll, New York Times bestselling author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe

An elegant exploration of humanity’s continuous search to find the hidden truths of the universe and comprehend our place in the cosmos.

We have always looked up at the night sky and wondered. Ever since the ancient Babylonians began to track celestial objects on clay tablets, scientific inquiry has been driven by the innate human desire to understand what is out there, and where we fit into it all.

Renowned particle physicist Dr. Sarah Alam Malik, whose research has brought her to the cutting edge of scientific advancement, takes us on a journey through the discoveries that have at once propelled and overturned our perception of the cosmos. From Copernicus launching a helio-centric revolution to Ernest Rutherford uncovering the world inside the atom, to Vera Rubin confirming the existence of dark matter, each generation has built upon, and then upended, the knowledge of those who came before.

Even today, as ninety-five percent of the universe remains unknown to us, we cannot help but chase the fundamental truths of our world, as we witness the fiery deaths of faraway suns, probe the nature of dark energy and search for extraterrestrial life in the most unexpected places.

Beautifully written and accessible, A Brief History of the Universe (And Our Place in It) is a celebration of our story so far, one of discovery and an endless curiosity that has taken us far beyond the boundaries of the world we know.

"Even as someone already familiar with the basic story, Sarah Alam Malik’s book was a thrilling reminder of how much we know about the universe and what a marvelous journey it has been to discover it. With just the right amount of detail and human interest, this is a sweeping tour of the laws of physics, the scope of the universe, and the place of life within it." —Sean Carroll, New York Times bestselling author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe

"A bold and fast-paced history of the cosmos from Babylon to life beyond Earth. Sarah Alam Malik captures the wonder and mystery of life in the universe in a style reminiscent of Carl Sagan." —Dr. Jeffrey Forshaw, award-winning professor of theoretical particle physics at the University of Manchester and coauthor of Black Holes