The Science of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy [Hardcover]

Michael Hanlon (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1403945772 | ISBN-13: 978-1403945778 | Publication Date: April 21, 2005

Ever wondered what the end of the universe might actually look like? Why the number 42 is so significant? Or whether time travel really would put a stop to history as we know it? If so you are clearly a fan of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, releasing as a major motion picture in the summer of 2005. While much of the book is comprised of whimsical fantasy, such as talking mattresses, the Vogons, triple-breasted prostitutes and that Ol' Janx Spirit, like all good science fiction it drew on scientific fact. Adams was a science and technology enthusiast and his books were inspired--and sometimes, prefigured--by many of the great scientific debates of our times. The Science of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a lighthearted, accessible and informative tour of the real cutting-edge research behind this much-loved classic, including space tourism, parallel universes, instant translation devices, sentient computers, and more.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Adopting Adams' witty, punchy style, Hanlon's guide is a fun and vivid read. The science twinkles a little more than usual in such a zany setting...he tackles a wide range of cutting-edge topics with depth and authority."--Nature
"Good stuff...It's great the way Hanlon flits from one topic to another, weaving a web of scientific and technological ideas...his light style is ideally fitted to exploring the products of Douglas Adams' mind."--www.popularscience.co.uk
"FOUR STARS: If you want to find out why the number 42 is so important catch the new movie. For a look at the facts it's based on you won't find many books more entertaining than this."--Flipside Magazine
"Michael Hanlon's book probes the possibilities inside the fiction with wit and scientist humour, throwing out questions such as 'Had [Adams] never posed the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything, would Stephen Hawking have sold all those books attempting to answer it?' Not that you have to be a boffin to enjoy these ruminations, merely curious, as the late Adams himself clearly was, in both senses of the word."--Susie Maguire, The Herald
"Your brief: to explain the science of Life, the Universe and Everything. It's quite a challenge. But Michael Hanlon pulls it off with wit, energy and style."--Nature

"Enlightening and thought provoking--like having a pint with Einstein, Stephen Hawking and Johnny Ball." --Daily Mail

Book Description

Like all good science fiction, much of the cult classic Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series drew on scientific fact. Douglas Adams was a science and technology enthusiast and his books were inspired by--and sometimes, prefigured--many of the great scientific debates of our time. The Science of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a lighthearted, accessible and informative tour of the real cutting-edge research behind this much-loved classic, including space tourism, parallel universes, instant translation devices, sentient computers, and more.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (April 21, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403945772
• ISBN-13: 978-1403945778
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #756,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Almost, but not quite, entirely unlike a book worth reading, November 2, 2006

By 

Gregory J. Casteel "Dr. Gregory J. Casteel" (Athens, AL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Science of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hardcover)

Let's be honest: If you're a huge Douglas Adams fan (like I am), and have a strong interest in science (like I do), then you're going to buy this book (like I did). And if you're not into both Douglas Adams and science, then you probably have no desire to read this book anyway. So, my review isn't likely to sway anyone one way or the other. Nonetheless, for what it's worth, here is my impression of the book:

As a survey of contemporary scientific thinking on a variety of subjects, it's decent, though not especially impressive or original. If you're scientifically literate and keep up with developments in science and technology, then you're not going to find much in this book that you don't already know. Most of the information here is just a watered-down version of what you'd find in any of the other popular science books out there. It's written with a bit more wit and humor than most science books; but even this is not enough to give it an edge over the competition. And, for a book about the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series, you'd expect more discussion of ideas from the Douglas Adams oeuvre than you actually find in this book. While it does frequently mention characters and events from "Hitchhiker's" in passing, and uses concepts from the series as launching points for a discussion of various scientific issues; you are left with the distinct impression that, if all of the "Hitchhiker's" references were deleted from the book, it wouldn't make that much of a difference.

To be fair, it is interesting in places (I enjoyed the chapters on teleportation and probability). But it just doesn't live up to the high standards set by similar books, such as "The Physics of Star Trek".

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There IS a Scientific Basis for a Lot of the Story, June 29, 2005

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Science of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hardcover)

If you realize that the answer to all of life, the universe and everything else is '42' then you are well on your way to understanding everything there is to know. Certainly you will realize that this is the answer that the computer Deep Thought came up with after seeking the answer for seven and a half million years. And 42 is the answer to the ultimate question, but unfortunately we don't know what the ultimate question is. It may have something to do with the fact that 6 x 9 = 42 if you're doing your arithmetic with a base of 13.

If you've followed this, you're a Douglas Adams fan. (Do a Google search on 42 and you come up with about 143,000,000 references to 42.)

This book though isn't about 42 (well not very much), it's about the real science behind what Douglas Adams was writing about. He was a science writer, and at the time he was starting the series new information about the Big Bang, dark holes, multiple universes, quantum weirdness and serious debates on alien life first took on a real understanding. Mr. Adams used these theories and more, adjusted with a great deal of wit, to provide some basis for his stories. Mr. Hanlon is less witty, but gives the real science behind Mr. Adams stories. It's fascinating reading.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A most entertaining and thought-provoking companion to Adams' immortal sci-fi comedy, September 10, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Science of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hardcover)

Michael Hanlon, one of Britain's most successful and respected science writers, presents The Science of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a fascinating and completely serious overview of the real science nestled between the witty humor Douglas Adams' classic science fiction novel, now a major motion picture. From discussions about alien life to the possibility of time travel, teleportation, theories behind parallel worlds, contemplations concerning the existence of God, The Science of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reviews some of the most popular knowledge conundrums with a lighthearted wit and snappy satire worthy of its title. Written to be accessible to readers of all backgrounds - even those who have yet to page through The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - The Science of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a most entertaining and thought-provoking companion to Adams' immortal sci-fi comedy.