How It Began: A Time-Traveler's Guide to the Universe

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Physics, Astronomy, Cosmology
Cover of the book How It Began: A Time-Traveler's Guide to the Universe by Chris Impey, W. W. Norton & Company
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Chris Impey ISBN: 9780393083057
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Publication: March 26, 2012
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company Language: English
Author: Chris Impey
ISBN: 9780393083057
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Publication: March 26, 2012
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company
Language: English

“Impey combines the vision of a practicing scientist with the voice of a gifted storyteller.”—Dava Sobel

In this vibrant, eye-opening tour of milestones in the history of our universe, Chris Impey guides us through space and time, leading us from the familiar sights of the night sky to the dazzlingly strange aftermath of the Big Bang.

What if we could look into space and see not only our place in the universe but also how we came to be here? As it happens, we can. Because it takes time for light to travel, we see more and more distant regions of the universe as they were in the successively greater past. Impey uses this concept—"look-back time"—to take us on an intergalactic tour that is simultaneously out in space and back in time. Performing a type of cosmic archaeology, Impey brilliantly describes the astronomical clues that scientists have used to solve fascinating mysteries about the origins and development of our universe.

The milestones on this journey range from the nearby to the remote: we travel from the Moon, Jupiter, and the black hole at the heart of our galaxy all the way to the first star, the first ray of light, and even the strange, roiling conditions of the infant universe, an intense and volatile environment in which matter was created from pure energy. Impey gives us breathtaking visual descriptions and also explains what each landmark can reveal about the universe and its history. His lucid, wonderfully engaging scientific discussions bring us to the brink of modern cosmology and physics, illuminating such mind-bending concepts as invisible dimensions, timelessness, and multiple universes.

A dynamic and unforgettable portrait of the cosmos, How It Began will reward its readers with a deeper understanding of the universe we inhabit as well as a renewed sense of wonder at its beauty and mystery.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

“Impey combines the vision of a practicing scientist with the voice of a gifted storyteller.”—Dava Sobel

In this vibrant, eye-opening tour of milestones in the history of our universe, Chris Impey guides us through space and time, leading us from the familiar sights of the night sky to the dazzlingly strange aftermath of the Big Bang.

What if we could look into space and see not only our place in the universe but also how we came to be here? As it happens, we can. Because it takes time for light to travel, we see more and more distant regions of the universe as they were in the successively greater past. Impey uses this concept—"look-back time"—to take us on an intergalactic tour that is simultaneously out in space and back in time. Performing a type of cosmic archaeology, Impey brilliantly describes the astronomical clues that scientists have used to solve fascinating mysteries about the origins and development of our universe.

The milestones on this journey range from the nearby to the remote: we travel from the Moon, Jupiter, and the black hole at the heart of our galaxy all the way to the first star, the first ray of light, and even the strange, roiling conditions of the infant universe, an intense and volatile environment in which matter was created from pure energy. Impey gives us breathtaking visual descriptions and also explains what each landmark can reveal about the universe and its history. His lucid, wonderfully engaging scientific discussions bring us to the brink of modern cosmology and physics, illuminating such mind-bending concepts as invisible dimensions, timelessness, and multiple universes.

A dynamic and unforgettable portrait of the cosmos, How It Began will reward its readers with a deeper understanding of the universe we inhabit as well as a renewed sense of wonder at its beauty and mystery.

More books from W. W. Norton & Company

Cover of the book The Thin Light of Freedom: The Civil War and Emancipation in the Heart of America by Chris Impey
Cover of the book Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II by Chris Impey
Cover of the book End This Depression Now! by Chris Impey
Cover of the book Trans Kids and Teens: Pride, Joy, and Families in Transition by Chris Impey
Cover of the book Michael Collins and the Troubles by Chris Impey
Cover of the book What Is Found There: Notebooks on Poetry and Politics (Expanded Edition) by Chris Impey
Cover of the book Detroit Resurrected: To Bankruptcy and Back by Chris Impey
Cover of the book Domesticated: Evolution in a Man-Made World by Chris Impey
Cover of the book Anxious Decades: America in Prosperity and Depression, 1920-1941 by Chris Impey
Cover of the book The Perfect Finish: Special Desserts for Every Occasion by Chris Impey
Cover of the book Mind-Body Therapy: Methods of Ideodynamic Healing in Hypnosis by Chris Impey
Cover of the book Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy: Mindfulness-Based Practices for Healing and Transformation by Chris Impey
Cover of the book The Lost Spy: An American in Stalin's Secret Service by Chris Impey
Cover of the book The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves by Chris Impey
Cover of the book Entering History: Poems by Chris Impey
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy