The Universe in Your Hand
A Journey Through Space, Time and Beyond
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- € 7,49
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- € 7,49
Publisher Description
Imagine if The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy were a real, practical book about the mysteries of the universe . . .
The Universe in Your Hand takes us on a wonder-filled journey to the surface of our dying sun, shrinks us to the size of an atom and puts us in the deathly grip of distant black holes. Along the way you might come to understand, really understand, the mind-bending science that underpins modern life, from quantum mechanics to Einstein's theory of general relativity.
Through brilliant storytelling and humour rather than graphs and equations, internationally renowned astrophysicist Christophe Galfard has written an instant classic that brings the astonishing beauty of the universe to life – and takes us deep into questions about the beginning of time and the future of humanity.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this entertaining and comprehensive book, science educator Galfard (George's Secret Key to the Universe, with Stephen and Lucy Hawking) blends physics lessons into a story of scientific discovery. He opens the book with cosmology, looking at signs of the universe's beginning and exploring gravity, general relativity, and special relativity. Galfard then plunges into the quantum world, illuminating the nature of atoms, subatomic particles, and the fields and forces that govern our universe. Having provided an exceptional foundation, Galfard further explores outer space, culminating in a discussion of the mysteries of gravity and quantum mechanics as well as a beautiful description of string theory. He follows an intuitive progression of thoughts and questions, elucidating his material with mindbending thought experiments. The deft and dazzling imagery makes difficult concepts accessible, streamlining the progression through topics and fulfilling Galfard's promise to "not leave any readers behind." The book is amazingly easy to get through, given the sheer number of concepts covered, and there is only one equation used. Galfard was mentored by Stephen Hawking and his familiarity with the material shows, as does the ease with which he conveys it. Readers looking to expand their knowledge of physics and cosmology will find everything they need here.
