For more reading recommendations and free samples of new and popular books, sign up to our book club newsletter below. Scientists are increasingly confident that there is life elsewhere in the Universe. But what would that life look like? Parsons concludes the book in firmly scientific style. In the face of observations that deliver a startling result, what we need are more observations. He leaves us therefore eagerly anticipating further exploration of the very large, via gravitational wave detectors and the James Webb Space Telescope, and future revelations of those first few moments after the Big Bang through the subatomic physics of particle accelerators such as the Large Hadron Collider. NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE ECONOMIST, OBSERVER, NEW SCIENTIST, BBC FOCUS, INDEPENDENT AND WASHINGTON POST

The Universe by Andrew Cohen, Professor Brian Cox - Waterstones The Universe by Andrew Cohen, Professor Brian Cox - Waterstones

It is a weighty subject, incorporating everything from cosmology and atomic physics to quantum physics and philosophy, but astrophysicists Geraint Lewis and Luke Barnes have done a stellar job in explaining some extremely challenging concepts with style and panache. Cambridge University Press are mostly known for their academic titles, but this is firmly in the popular science mould, akin to the works of authors like Brian Greene or Sean Carroll. This accessible, illustrated guide to the cosmos is for both the new and the experienced stargazer. Carl Sagan is still one of the most well-known astronomers, renowned for his ability to create wonder and awe in his descriptions of the Universe. Award-winning author Sean Carroll brings his extraordinary intellect to bear on the realms of knowledge, the laws of nature and the most profound questions about life, death and our place in it all.The Universe seems curiously fine-tuned to allow for the emergence of stars, planets and life. Were the gravitational constant, or the strength of the weak and strong forces, or any other of the myriad properties that have gone into defining our Universe, even just slightly different, then our Universe would likely be empty, sterile and possibly very short-lived. So, why is the Universe the way it is? In this book, he’s at his finest form, a science fiction tale of the discovery of an intelligent alien signal coming from space, and how the world reacts to it. It’s a wonderful treatise on religion, science, belief, and evidence. This is not just a history of the Universe. The book is driven by the fascinating narrative of humanity’s developing cosmologies, from the religious philosophies of Mesopotamia to the latest scientific discoveries. By degrees we move from Thales, Copernicus and Newton to Einstein, Hubble, Hawking and beyond.

The Universe: The book of the BBC TV series presented by Professor The Universe: The book of the BBC TV series presented by

Time is spent examining how the Steady State theory fought for supremacy with the theory of the Big Bang and the expanding Universe. Evidence eventually favoured the latter, but even that camp did not suspect that this expansion is accelerating.Where are we? Who are we? Do our beliefs, hopes and dreams hold any significance out there in the void? Can human purpose and meaning ever fit into a scientific worldview?

Universe by DK, Martin Rees | Waterstones Universe by DK, Martin Rees | Waterstones

On this cosmic timeline, our human era is spectacular but fleeting. Someday, we know, we will all die. And, we know, so too will the universe itself. Of course, his other books are all well worth a read, too. Try Limitless if you're a fan of autobiographies, or The Astronaut Selection Test Bookfor a series of puzzles and quizzes to see if you've got what it takes to go into space. Try your hand at a test for the ISS on sciencefocus.com.Hailed as "a magisterial critique of top-down social planning" by the New York Times, this essential work analyzes disasters from Russia to Tanzania to uncover why states so often fail-sometimes catastrophically-in grand efforts to engineer their society or their… This book lists all 88 constellations by size, from Andromeda (the chained maiden) to Vulpecula (the little fox), each beautifully illustrated by artist Hannah Waldron, while Susanna Hislop’s accompanying text goes beyond the usual creation myths to include facts about legendary astronomers and more.

best books about the universe for people who want the - Shepherd The best books about the universe for people who want the -

Time is at once intimately familiar and yet deeply mysterious. We say it flows like a river, yet that “flow” seems to disappear under scientific scrutiny. No wonder poets, philosophers, and physicists have grappled with the enigma of time for centuries. In Search of Time , by award-winning science journalist Dan Falk, looks at the history, physics, and philosophy of time from Aristotle to Einstein and beyond.

The best books of all time

From the moment it first appeared, Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection has been controversial: misrepresented, abused, denied and fiercely debated. In this powerful defence of Darwin, Daniel C. Dennett explores every aspect of evolutionary thinking to show why it is so fundamental to our existence, and why it affirms - not threatens - our convictions about the meaning of life. We think it's a great collection of space and astronomy books, but if you think we've forgotten any please do let us know over on the Science Focus book club Facebook group. Or, take a look at our list of big, coffee table photography books about space. One of the most profound and illuminating studies of this century to have been published in recent decades."-John Gray, New York Times Book Review