Product Description
Once we thought the universe was filled with shining stars, dust, planets, and galaxies. We now know that more than 98 percent of all matter in the universe is dark. It emits absolutely nothing yet bends space and time; keeps stars speeding around galaxies; and determines the fate of the universe. But dark matter is only part of the story. Scientists have recently discovered that the expansion of the universe is speeding up, driven by a mysterious commodity called dark energy. Depending on what dark matter and energy happen to be, our seemingly quiet universe could end its days in a Big Rip, tearing itself apart, or a Big Crunch, collapsing down to a universe the size of nothing, ready to be reincarnated in a Big Bang once again.For the general reader and armchair astronomer alike, Iain Nicolson's fascinating account shows how our ideas about the nature and the content of the universe have developed. He highlights key discoveries, explains underlying concepts, and examines current thinking on dark matter and dark energy. He describes techniques that astronomers use to explore the remote recesses of the cosmos in their quest to understand its composition, evolution, and ultimate fate.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 12 reviews)

We can't see 95% of the Universe by Tallin (U.S.)

5 Stars
November 04, 2009
This book is an excellent introduction to a fairly recent development in astrophysics. In the last 10 years or so, it has become apparent through real observations that most of the matter and energy in the universe is not visible to the eyes. The stuff we see is like a thin film on top of the vast 'dark' underbelly of reality. This book is deceptively thin, but is large format, fully illustrated in color to help the reader visualize the concepts. It is clearly written and there is no math, a few equations are the famous e = mc squared, etc, and the reader is carried along with each chapter to further explanation of what most of the Universe might be made of. Short answer: We still don't know. But the author does a tremendous job of explaining the forefront of research today as scientists grapple with this problem. Also, he readily admits that current theories might need to be re written and that we have hit a new paradigm, similar to Copernicus discovering Earth is not the center of the Universe. He plainly states the possible problems and solutions with each experiment currently in progress. Fantastic book for those of us who found out recently that the Universe is mostly invisible. Weird science! (Fun too.) This book is suitable to anyone with a basic understanding of the cosmos, any further information needed is given in the book with great illustrations.

I am over the moon with this book! by PhoebeCat

5 Stars
August 31, 2009
I have only just started reading this book; however, having flicked through it, I am very impressed. It is beautifully illustrated and well written. While I am fascinated by the subject matter of this book, I am not a physics student - even so, I can follow the text with ease. My hat goes off to Iain Nicolson. It is the sort of book that makes a wonderful present - for yourself or someone else.

Excellent! by birdingal (Bay Area, CA)

5 Stars
July 14, 2009
I love this book! It's wonderful, and I had it on my wish list so my auntie bought it for me for my birthday last year. I shared it with a friend and he liked it so much (he already has 11 telescopes) that he bought a copy as well. The photos are wonderful, the text is clear and doesn't assume previous knowledge, and the tone is very engaging. I would highly recommend it.

A good overview but does dealve deep into the subject. by Bradley Weidman (Denver, CO United States)

3 Stars
May 07, 2009
I was hoping for a good book on dark matter and dark energy. While I am not dissapointed with the book, it barely scratches the surface of the two concepts. The first several chapters are a basic overveiw of Astronomy and Cosmology, much like you would find in any "...in a nutshell" type book. There are many images and illustrations; most are quite beautiful, but overall, the book lacks substance. If you have read any introductory books on the universe, the first eight chapters or so will be a basic review. I skipped almost 2/3rds or the book in order to read about the subject I purchased it for - dark matter and dark energy. This book makes a fine addition to any coffee table as it is rich in colorful illustrations and is easy to skim through for short intervals. This is not the book to buy for detailed information on dark matter/energy.

I'm Amazed by Michael W. Ferguson (Idaho)

5 Stars
April 01, 2009
I am a layman who became interested in cosmology only a few years ago. I have been reading books and watching videotapes on the subject for maybe four years. Virtually all of the other books on the subject were enlightening and worth reading, but none of them measure up to this one. The surprising thing about this book is the combination of really current information with copious illustrations, including a lot of high-quality photographs. This is the kind of book one would expect from the press of a high-quality university like Johns Hopkins.I recommend it highly for the interested layman.

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

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