Professor Brian Cox is back with another insightful and mind-blowing exploration of space. This time he shows us our universe as we've never seen it before. 13.7 billion years old. 93 billion light years wide. It contains over 100 billion galaxies, each containing hundreds of billions of stars. This infinite, vast and complex Universe has been the subject of human fascination and scientific exploration for thousands of years. The wonders of the Universe might seem alien to us and impossible to understand, but away from the telescopes, the labs and the white coats, Professor Brian Cox uses the evidence found in the natural world around us to explain its simple truths. The same laws of light, gravity, time, matter and energy that govern us here on Earth are the same as those applied in the Universe. Using 3D CGI imagery, his expert knowledge and his infectious enthusiasm, Professor Cox shows us that if we can understand the impact of these governing laws on Earth it will bring us a step closer to an understanding of our Universe.
Wonders of the Universe
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
Praise for Professor Brian Cox's previous books: 'If you didn't utter a wow watching the TV, you will while reading the book.' The Times 'Engaging, ambitious and creative' Guardian 'In this book of the acclaimed BBC2 TV series, Professor Cox shows us the cosmos as we have never seen it before - a place full of the most bizarre and powerful natural phenomena.' Sunday Express 'Will entertain and delight ... what a priceless gift that would be.' Independent on Sunday
From the Back Cover
Experience our universe as you've never seen it before
13.7 billion years old. 93 billion light-years across. It contains over 100 billion galaxies, each containing hundreds of billions of stars. This infinite, vast and complex Universe has been the subject of human fascination and scientific exploration for thousands of years. The wonders of the Universe might seem alien to us and impossible to understand, but away from the telescopes, the labs and the white coats, Professor Brian Cox uses the evidence found in the natural world on Earth to brilliantly explain the truth of the cosmos.
Professor Cox will show how the vast and unfathomable phenomena of deep space can be explained, and even experienced, by re-examining the familiar here on Earth. He is determined to answer the most profound questions we can ask about ourselves and the world in which we live, but in a uniquely understandable way. The laws of light, gravity, time, matter and energy that govern us here on Earth are the same as those applied in the Universe. Using his expert knowledge and his infectious enthusiasm, Professor Cox shows us that if we can understand the impact of these governing laws on Earth it will bring us a step closer to an understanding of our Universe.
--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
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More About the Author
Brian Cox, PhD, is a leading particle physicist and professor at the University of Manchester, as well as a researcher on one of the most ambitious experiments on Earth, the ATLAS experiment on the CERN Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland. A Royal Society research fellow, professor Cox was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2010. He is the author of Why Does E=MC² and is well known as presenter of the television series Wonders of the Solar System and Wonders of the Universe. He was also the keyboard player in the UK pop band D:Ream in the 1990s.
Customer Reviews
“ I've picked this book up after reading a copy lent to me by my colleague and I must say that it's the best consolidated tour of the universe yet published. ”
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
42 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I realize this book won't be released in hardcover until July 2011; however, I was able to purchase and read this book in its entirety on my Kindle and boy, did I love every second of it! If I had been forced to read this book 15 years ago in high school, I never would have appreciated it like I do today. The pictures are wonderful (too bad they aren't in color on the Kindle...) and the book is well-organized and easy to understand. Professor Brian Cox really does make science fun and interesting. In fact, I read it in the car on our road trip last week. I just couldn't put it down.
I know I'm not very good at reviewing books but I just have to tell you, if you are fascinated with the mysteries of the universe like I am - grab a copy; you won't regret it.
I know I'm not very good at reviewing books but I just have to tell you, if you are fascinated with the mysteries of the universe like I am - grab a copy; you won't regret it.
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A lighthearted tour of everyday phenomena; light, time and gravity, that explores what makes our Universe Wonderful!
August 1, 2011
Format:Hardcover
*****
"Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people." -- Carl Sagan
Dr. Brian Cox, the particle physicist and one-time pop musician, was named best presenter; his BBC series, 'Wonders of the Solar System' was a top winner. Cox has said once before that he has been inspired by Carl Sagan's; Cosmos: A Personal Journey, which the BBC screened when he was 13 years old, hoping that he will inspire a younger generation to marvel at Earth's place in the universe. His book unfolds in four main chapters.
Starting at Luxor, Egypt, in the great Temple of Karnak, he invites the reader to watch the sunrise. Following the light, we pinpoint our place in the midst of the billions of stars in the Milky Way, looking back in time to the dawn of the Big Bang. It is amazing that the same ray of light was in the beginning. Light is amazing, it is both particles, and waves oscillating in magnetic fields, electrically propelling each other through space at such a great speed, so hard for us to comprehend how fast.
What happened before then in the earliest moment in time, as the Planck epoch lasted only a brief instant, presumably the shortest possible interval of time. At this point, approximately 13.7 billion years ago, he explains, the forces of gravity are believed to have been as strong as the other initial forces, which hints at their possible initial unity. Isaac Newton proclaimed that the gravity force between two objects is proportional to the product of their masses, but his theory of universal gravitation needed a facelift that Cox is more than willing to make, explaining what Einstein called the curvature of space-time. A theory of quantum gravity, is still lacking, though some believe the universe was formed from a collision of two pieces of space and time floating forever in an infinite space. Gravity is the great organizing force of the cosmos; without which we would float around like the astronauts in the International Space station. Everything we know, is subject to the effects of gravity, said to be first noted by the Chinese.
"Time feels human, but we are only part of Cosmic Time and we can only ever measure its passing. As I stand in front of the great glacier that towers over Lake Argentino, time seems to almost stand still, yet as I explain the effects of entropy..., you can see that the transition from order to chaos can happen almost in the blink of an eye." Says the Quantum lyric poet troubadour, leaving you with this last thought: "that we, too, will only really die when the universe dies, for everything within it is intrinsically the same." He kept introducing brisk ideas about deep time and the thermodynamic concept of entropy, which both ensures human life, and guarantee its eventual extinction. With a beach bucket and spade he explains the second law of thermodynamics utilizing his resourceful teaching talent superior to those challenging UCLA summer course instructors.
Wonders of the Universe is a clever attempt to capitalize on the success of Cox previous work, which has spun out of its orbit to attract a considerable audience. Professor Brian Cox is back with an insightful and inspiring virtual exploration journey of space and time, going back to the initial bang. Only that, he shares with us the miracles of our universe as we've never imagined it before, with over 100 billion galaxies, each containing billions of stars. He compellingly persuades us to explore the subject of human fascination and scientific marvels for thousands of years. The wonders of the universe might seem alien to us and impossible to understand, but just look through the Hubble Space Telescope, this is what Professor Cox uses to help us imagining the Mysterious Universe, by explaining its simple truths.
Cosmos
"Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people." -- Carl Sagan
Dr. Brian Cox, the particle physicist and one-time pop musician, was named best presenter; his BBC series, 'Wonders of the Solar System' was a top winner. Cox has said once before that he has been inspired by Carl Sagan's; Cosmos: A Personal Journey, which the BBC screened when he was 13 years old, hoping that he will inspire a younger generation to marvel at Earth's place in the universe. His book unfolds in four main chapters.
Starting at Luxor, Egypt, in the great Temple of Karnak, he invites the reader to watch the sunrise. Following the light, we pinpoint our place in the midst of the billions of stars in the Milky Way, looking back in time to the dawn of the Big Bang. It is amazing that the same ray of light was in the beginning. Light is amazing, it is both particles, and waves oscillating in magnetic fields, electrically propelling each other through space at such a great speed, so hard for us to comprehend how fast.
What happened before then in the earliest moment in time, as the Planck epoch lasted only a brief instant, presumably the shortest possible interval of time. At this point, approximately 13.7 billion years ago, he explains, the forces of gravity are believed to have been as strong as the other initial forces, which hints at their possible initial unity. Isaac Newton proclaimed that the gravity force between two objects is proportional to the product of their masses, but his theory of universal gravitation needed a facelift that Cox is more than willing to make, explaining what Einstein called the curvature of space-time. A theory of quantum gravity, is still lacking, though some believe the universe was formed from a collision of two pieces of space and time floating forever in an infinite space. Gravity is the great organizing force of the cosmos; without which we would float around like the astronauts in the International Space station. Everything we know, is subject to the effects of gravity, said to be first noted by the Chinese.
"Time feels human, but we are only part of Cosmic Time and we can only ever measure its passing. As I stand in front of the great glacier that towers over Lake Argentino, time seems to almost stand still, yet as I explain the effects of entropy..., you can see that the transition from order to chaos can happen almost in the blink of an eye." Says the Quantum lyric poet troubadour, leaving you with this last thought: "that we, too, will only really die when the universe dies, for everything within it is intrinsically the same." He kept introducing brisk ideas about deep time and the thermodynamic concept of entropy, which both ensures human life, and guarantee its eventual extinction. With a beach bucket and spade he explains the second law of thermodynamics utilizing his resourceful teaching talent superior to those challenging UCLA summer course instructors.
Wonders of the Universe is a clever attempt to capitalize on the success of Cox previous work, which has spun out of its orbit to attract a considerable audience. Professor Brian Cox is back with an insightful and inspiring virtual exploration journey of space and time, going back to the initial bang. Only that, he shares with us the miracles of our universe as we've never imagined it before, with over 100 billion galaxies, each containing billions of stars. He compellingly persuades us to explore the subject of human fascination and scientific marvels for thousands of years. The wonders of the universe might seem alien to us and impossible to understand, but just look through the Hubble Space Telescope, this is what Professor Cox uses to help us imagining the Mysterious Universe, by explaining its simple truths.
Cosmos
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Troy Parsons
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book does a really great job of putting into perspective the immense aspects of the universe, whether it be the sheer size or age of it, or even the age it will be when it dies!
However, I do wish it went a little deeper into the underlying physics of things. Professor Cox has wonderful and poetic analogies, but they can remain a little superficial, I was left thirsting for more gory details on why things are the way they are! Yet, it leaves you thirsting to know more about the astonishing nature of the cosmos. I never wanted to stop reading.
As for the Kindle version, the book is readable, but disjointed as what must be magazine-style layout in a book does not present very well on the Kindle. Many of the images are very detailed, vibrantly colored, and hence not really viewable on the Kindle. Future large-format, color readers should be great. (Check out the images on your PC)
However, I do wish it went a little deeper into the underlying physics of things. Professor Cox has wonderful and poetic analogies, but they can remain a little superficial, I was left thirsting for more gory details on why things are the way they are! Yet, it leaves you thirsting to know more about the astonishing nature of the cosmos. I never wanted to stop reading.
As for the Kindle version, the book is readable, but disjointed as what must be magazine-style layout in a book does not present very well on the Kindle. Many of the images are very detailed, vibrantly colored, and hence not really viewable on the Kindle. Future large-format, color readers should be great. (Check out the images on your PC)
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Present for Hubby
I bought this book for my husband who is totally into all the space and universe stuff. He read it from cover to cover in one week! Read more
Published 3 days ago by Cynthia Swanson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love this series
Thoroughly enjoyed. Have also Wonders of the Solar System. Have both read and watched both, as well as a couple other books by Brian Cox. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Pallas
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Fantastic Book
If you have any curiosity about the origins, history, and future of the universe this is the book for you. This magnificent volume is written for everyone. Read more
Published 1 month ago by D. Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Read
I bought this for my brother and he said it was a great book, very interesting. However he did say that Brian rambled on about nothing at some points, but what do you expect, he is... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Olly
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonders of the Universe
When I first saw this series on BBC I decided to purchase the dvd collection. Then I viewed The Wonders of the Universe and purchased that dvd collection. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Dene
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonders of the Universe is just excellent .....
This is a highly informative and excellent presentation. I liked the Kindle version more especially because I can view the illustrations on my HD large screen monitor which makes... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Cosmic Wanderer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great reading
As always, both his TV series and anything written by Brian Cox is thought consuming and enlightening. Is no Wonder?
Published 1 month ago by Nicholas Parks Jr.
5.0 out of 5 stars
WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE
EXCELLENT BOOK - HE IS BRILLIANT ON SCREEN. PICTURES ARE AMAZING AND SUBJECT MATTER WELL PRESENTED. MAY BUY MORE OF HIS WORKS.
Published 2 months ago by monty brawley
5.0 out of 5 stars
Professor Cox does it again!
Having watched the four part TV series, I was delighted to acquire the accompanying book which is in four parts, matching the TV series. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jim Whitefield
4.0 out of 5 stars
Topic is somewhat superficial
Great author and knowledge of the topic. Somewhat deviates from the topic in trying to give the reader historical analogies. Great reading.
Published 3 months ago by Ralph Camacho Jr.
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
