We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe Illustrated Edition

by Jorge Cham (Author), Daniel Whiteson (Author)

857 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0735211513

ISBN-10: 0735211515

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Prepare to learn everything we still don’t know about our strange and mysterious universe.

Humanity's understanding of the physical world is full of gaps. Not tiny little gaps you can safely ignore —there are huge yawning voids in our basic notions of how the world works. PHD Comics creator Jorge Cham and particle physicist Daniel Whiteson have teamed up to explore everything we don't know about the universe: the enormous holes in our knowledge of the cosmos. Armed with their popular infographics, cartoons, and unusually entertaining and lucid explanations of science, they give us the best answers currently available for a lot of questions that are still perplexing scientists, including:

* Why does the universe have a speed limit?
* Why aren't we all made of antimatter?
* What (or who) is attacking Earth with tiny, superfast particles?
* What is dark matter, and why does it keep ignoring us?

It turns out the universe is full of weird things that don't make any sense. But Cham and Whiteson make a compelling case that the questions we can't answer are as interesting as the ones we can.

This fully illustrated introduction to the biggest mysteries in physics also helpfully demystifies many complicated things we do know about, from quarks and neutrinos to gravitational waves and exploding black holes. With equal doses of humor and delight, Cham and Whiteson invite us to see the universe as a possibly boundless expanse of uncharted territory that's still ours to explore.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Accessible and entertaining. . . . Cham and Whiteson distil the essence of the little we know—and the lots we have no idea about. . . . a very enjoyable read.” —Nature

“This witty book reveals the humbling vastness of our ignorance about the universe, along with charming insights into what we actually do understand.”
—Carlo Rovelli, author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and Reality Is Not What It Seems

“[A] lucid and irreverent survey of the many unsolved mysteries of our universe... Cham and Whiteson mesh comics, lighthearted infographics, and lively explanations to painlessly introduce curious readers to complex concepts in easily digestible chapters. This fun guide is just the ticket for science fans of any age.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Cham and Whiteson perfectly balance hilarity and serious science.” —Chemistry World

“[A] lively, agnostic book on physics and its discontents... An entertaining and educational review for anyone seeking to brush up on or build his or her knowledge.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Science! Nerdy goodness! Cute illustrations! Big questions about the universe that we still can’t answer! … Did I mention the cute illustrations?” —Book Riot

“You couldn’t ask for better guides to the mind-bending mysteries of cutting-edge physics than Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson. They bring a whimsical light touch to some very heavy topics, and the result is a sheer delight for the reader.”
—Jennifer Ouellette, author of The Calculus Diaries and Me, Myself and Why: Searching for the Science of Self

“Science knows a lot about the universe, but the real excitement is in what we don't know. And it's hard to imagine a more enjoyable way to explore the unknown than by reading this book. Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson will guide you through the biggest mysteries of the cosmos, smiling all the way.”
—Sean Carroll, author of The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself

“A delightful combination of comedy and cosmology that is as charming as it is informative.”
—Zach Weinersmith, creator of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

“Not often do you encounter such an optimistic and fun exploration of human ignorance.”
—Henry Reich, creator of MinutePhysics

“Accessible and hilarious (the two best things it is possible for a book to be), We Have No Idea not only explores WHAT we don't know, but WHY we don't know it. You'd think that'd be plenty, but Cham and Whiteson also provide the most credible and up-to-date scientific explanations as to what some of the answers to these huge (and hugely important) questions might possibly be, PLUS puns.”
—Ryan North, author of Romeo and/or Juliet and To Be or Not To Be

About the Author

Jorge Cham is the creator of the popular online comic Piled Higher and Deeper, also known as PHD Comics. He earned his PhD in robotics at Stanford.

Daniel Whiteson is a professor of experimental particle physics at the University of California, Irvine, and a fellow of the American Physical Society. He conducts research using the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.

Product details

Publisher : Riverhead Books; Illustrated edition (May 9, 2017)
Language : English
Hardcover : 368 pages
ISBN-10 : 0735211515
ISBN-13 : 978-0735211513
Lexile measure : 1110L
Item Weight : 1.4 pounds
Dimensions : 6.2 x 1.15 x 9.23 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #90,075 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #42 in Science & Scientists Humor
- #116 in Cosmology (Books)
- #147 in Physics (Books)

Customer Reviews:
857 ratings

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Paul Halpern

Dark humor for a dark universe

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2017

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We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown offers a funny and informative romp through the mysteries of cosmology. Each chapter cleverly addresses a key cosmological question, such as whether or not there are higher than three dimensions, what are the missing pieces of the universe's material, and why gravitation is so much weaker than the other forces. Jorge Cham (of PhD Comics) supplies an abundance of hilarious illustrations, each highlighting the absurdity of these cosmic riddles. The science and wit are both sophisticated, relying on a savvy reader to distinguish between truth (as strange as it seems) and the completely ludicrous, such as unicorns roasting marshmallows in another dimension. The book is trippy at times, but so are some of the bizarre ramifications of contemporary physics. If you like your science sprinkled with heaps of sarcastic, far-out, weird humor, it is the perfect book. A truly fun, delightful read!

-Paul Halpern, author of The Quantum Labyrinth: How Richard Feynman and John Wheeler Revolutionized Time and Reality

59 people found this helpful

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Stephen Held

Wlly Wonka's guide to the universe.

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2017

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Willy Wonka said a little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men. This book is laced with nonsense. But it's profound nonsense. There's little in this book I didn't already know, but now I know it better. What makes this book so endearing is not just the physics and cosmology superbly explained; it contains a quality rarely found in books written by scientists - humility. (Ever try to read a book written by Roger Penrose?) They're not trying to impress with their brilliance and they explain complex subjects with clarity. Instead of "we know more than you and if you can't understand us too bad for you". No, the message of this book is there is so much we don't understand. Can you help us?

29 people found this helpful

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Shopper from NY

So interesting to read! I can't stop wanting to learn. I feel like a kid again. Share this book like I have.

Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2018

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I won't try to summarize anything in the book here - read it to find out, or look at other's summaries.

My review:
It is rare when I feel compelled to write a review for a book that I'm reading WHILE I'M STILL READING IT. Yes, this such a book. I heard about this book on NPR just before Christmas 2017, as I was about to enter my local library. I found the book on the "New Non-Fiction" shelf and immediately began reading it. Four weeks later (last Friday), I had to return the book because another library patron had requested it. So I bought the book here on Amazon, and it arrived today, only three days later: YAY.

Last night, anticipating the arrival of the book, I ordered a second copy for my friend, who always talks about "black holes" (which I learned is not a good term to describe it - yes, in this book).

It has been much slower to read this book than I thought it would, because I find myself constantly putting it down to ponder what I just read. And also to look up the footnotes in Wikipedia and Google. Remember (for you old timers) when you used to refer to a dictionary for a definition or spelling of a word, and you would get lost reading the dictionary? That is happening to me again. When I research something in this book, I find myself getting more curious by the minute, and it takes me a long time to get back to the book. This process is taking longer and longer the more I read. That is not a complaint, but it is a fact.

I'm only 60% through the book and I've already found that it helps to go back and read an early chapter to brush up on the terms and concepts because some of the ideas are unusual and can be challenging to accept. That being said, if one were to "just read the words", one could quickly finish it since it is only about 350 pages long. So don't worry, if you think this book is anything like a regular text book! That is very far from the truth. The pair who wrote this book, a comedian and a scientist, do an excellent job of keeping one's interest. There are frequent one liners and cute drawings on almost every other page.

Ok, back to the book, and to the profound discoveries that I did not know human kind had made AND BEYOND THAT to the concepts and information that humans have yet to figure out, which as it turns out (spoiler alert) is still about 95% of the universe.

17 people found this helpful

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LB Williams

Physics with Fart Jokes

Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2018

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I wish I could write a glowing review for how the authors made the subject matter accessible and enjoyable for the average person, but I can't.

The science is deeply fascinating and remains mostly beyond my comprehension, but I remain very curious about the physical universe, hence why I bought this book. The book did a decent job of feeding that interest without being condensing or by use of impossible to understand jargon.

But, the book is full of jokes. Way too many jokes and some of them questionably low brow given the subject matter they support. I made it nearly to the end, but got tired of cringing. To be fair, not all of the jokes were insipid or off topic. In fact, a few were very clever. But all amounted to speed bumps in the narrative and made for an unpleasant read.

10 people found this helpful

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Charles T.

As good as Grandma's Cupcakes

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2017

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This book reminds me of grandma's chocolate cupcakes. Fun to consume, made with love, and secretly filled with vegetables.

Anyone can write obtuse technical papers on their chosen field. A few truly accomplished people can explain their subject in small words. But it takes deep understanding, a talent for writing and a heaping portion of wisdom to be able to simultaneously explain your topic in small words, maintain a witty pace, and wink at the wonderful hubris of the human race at the same time.

My favorite things I hesitate to mention, because nobody ever wants to eat the cupcakes if they are told about the vegetables first. But I do love the way they introduce the vocabulary and basic concepts of physics in an extraordinarily effective way. One barely even notices the learning, yet somehow each time they build on a previous concept the recall feels effortless. Not once, in this remarkable book did I say, "Wait, what?" and have to go backwards to re-read something. Like magic, they would say "Remember x?" and I would.

But most of all, this book was fun. I own a sum total of three physical printed books (excluding textbooks - may Pearson Inc rot in eternal damnation for their unholy war on trees and pocketbooks), and this one earned it's place in my tiny bookshelf with it's humor.

14 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer

Not another physics book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 21, 2017

Verified Purchase

I will not say a lot apart from to have any impact popular physics books need to be accessible. In that respect this is as good as it gets. A bit silly in places the author is humble and human. I have read a lot of similar books and to be honest not a lot was new. However a great way of refreshing your knowledge or learning for the first time that we know less than we think......

8 people found this helpful

Kindle Customer

I would have enjoyed it more without the constant attempts to be zany ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 12, 2017

Verified Purchase

The information covered is interesting and presented simply enough for me to understand with my total lack of physics knowledge. I would have enjoyed it more without the constant attempts to be zany and funny, which I found grating. I would probably recommend this book to a teenager, but not to an adult.

8 people found this helpful

Bannock

Gets your brain working.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2017

Verified Purchase

Great! It helps if you have a little bit of knowledge regarding quantum physics otherwise just read it a bit slower. It is an eye opener forcing you to read and then go back a few pages to refresh your memory. The illustrations are not really suitable for the Kindle edition but that’s a minor point. I've read a lot about quantum science but this book looks outside the box and makes your brain hurt by opening new pathways for you to think about. Am full of praise for this author. I give it 4 stars, deserves a 5 but nothing is perfect.

5 people found this helpful

Kevin Dearn

We Have no Idea

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 7, 2018

Verified Purchase

If you ask scientists who study such things how well we understand the Universe, the answer you will get is not very well at all. This book takes a light-hearted look at the vastness of our ignorance.

You will not learn much by reading this book; it is, afterall, about what we do not know. You will have fun exploring the subjects where our lack of knowledge is most certainly lacking.

Readig on my Kindle paperwhite, some of the illustrations are very small and difficult to read but they are secondary to the main text. Some of the jokes are so bad that, in some cases, it might considered a blessing.

One person found this helpful

by Mustafa Abbass

How would I know..

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 3, 2017

Verified Purchase

A very interesting book.
The topics covered in this book succeed at explaining often complex/abstract/theoretical subjects in a fairly simple way.
I've always had few of these ideas/questions wandering about in my head ever since I was a young teen. And now, an almost a PhD graduate in toxicogenomics, and still physics never fails to amuse me!
A big bonus is me being a big fan of Jorge's PhD comic strips as well.
After all, what do I know..

6 people found this helpful

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