Strap in for a rip-roaring ride through the history of the universe, starting with the Big Bang, and bringing us right up to present day. What was the universe like when it was a few seconds old? How
Now in paperback, the story of matter and the history of the cosmos--from the perspective of a single oxygen atom--is told with the insight and wit of one of the most dynamic physicists and writers wo
Molecules in the early Universe acted as natural temperature regulators, keeping the primordial gas cool and, in turn, allowing galaxies and stars to be born. Even now, such similarly simple chemistry continues to control a wide variety of the exotic objects that populate our cosmos. What are the tools of the trade for the cosmic chemist? What can they teach us about the Universe we live in? These are the questions answered in this engaging and informative guide, The Chemically Controlled Cosmos. In clear, non-technical terms, and without formal mathematics, we learn how to study and understand the behaviour of molecules in a host of astronomical situations. We study the secretive formation of stars deep within interstellar clouds, the origin of our own Solar System, the cataclysmic deaths of many massive stars that explode as supernovae, and the hearts of active galactic nuclei, the most powerful objects in the Universe. We are given an accessible introduction to a wealth of astrophys
Molecules in the early Universe acted as natural temperature regulators, keeping the primordial gas cool and, in turn, allowing galaxies and stars to be born. Even now, such similarly simple chemistry continues to control a wide variety of the exotic objects that populate our cosmos. What are the tools of the trade for the cosmic chemist? What can they teach us about the Universe we live in? These are the questions answered in this engaging and informative guide, The Chemically Controlled Cosmos. In clear, non-technical terms, and without formal mathematics, we learn how to study and understand the behaviour of molecules in a host of astronomical situations. We study the secretive formation of stars deep within interstellar clouds, the origin of our own Solar System, the cataclysmic deaths of many massive stars that explode as supernovae, and the hearts of active galactic nuclei, the most powerful objects in the Universe. We are given an accessible introduction to a wealth of astrophys
Discover how we got to where we are, in this multidisciplinary approach to 13.8 billion years of human and cosmic history.With the Big Bang as its starting point, Big History places humans in the contextof our Universe, revealing how and why we got to where we are today. From the formation of our Universe and the dawn of time to the present day, a series of major events has changed the nature and course of life on the planet we call home. With trademark clarity – and the support of the Big History Institute –DK unites ideas and concepts of multiple disciplines, from physics to sociology, to create a visual account of 13.8 billion years of history. By taking us right back to our origins in the stars, and exploring how a unique series of events led to and then impacted human existence, Big History gives us a deeper understanding of the world we live in now.
The classic irreverent look at the past—now updated with even more appalling facts! Fourteen billion or so years ago, the Big Bang exploded—and it's been downhill from there. For eve