From one of the most dynamic rising stars in astrophysics,an eye-opening look at five ways the universe could end,and the mind-blowing lessons each scenario reveals about the most important ideas in cosmology
We know the universe had a beginning. But what happens at the end of the story
With lively wit and wry humour,astrophysicist Katie Mack takes us on a mind-bending tour through each of the cosmos'possible finales: the Big Crunch,Heat Death,Vacuum Decay,the Big Rip and the Bounce. Guiding us through major concepts in quantum mechanics,cosmology,string theory and much more,she describes how small tweaks to our incomplete understanding of reality can result in starkly different futures. Our universe could collapse in upon itself,or rip itself apart,or even - in the next five minutes - succumb to an inescapable expanding bubble of doom.
This captivating story of cosmic escapism examines a mesmerizing yet unfamiliar physics landscape while sharing the excitement a leading astrophysicist feels when thinking about the universe and our place in it. Amid stellar explosions and bouncing universes,Mack shows that even though we puny humans have no chance of changing how it all ends,we can at least begin to understand it.
The End of Everything is a wildly fun,surprisingly upbeat ride to the farthest reaches of all that we know.
Publisher: Penguin Books LtdISBN: 9780141989587Number of pages: 240Weight: 179 gDimensions: 198 x 129 x 14 mm
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'Katie Mack is a great scientist,a passionate inquirer of nature,a great companion in this exploration,full of wit and lightness. I have learned from her plenty of things I did not know. And I have found myself staring out of the window,meditating about the end of it all'- Carlo Rovelli
'Joyous,beautiful and strange...filled with brilliant moments where you just have to stop and stare out of the window for a while'- Robin Ince
'The End of Everything combines deep thinking about physics and big-picture awe in the style of Carl Sagan'- Randall Munroe,author of What If
'Everything dies,even the universe. But will it be a peaceful fading-away,or a dramatic cataclysm Scientists don't know for sure,but Katie Mack provides an expert and entertaining guide to the possibilities. Who knew a book about the end of the universe could communicate so much passion for science'- Sean Carroll,author of Something Deeply Hidden
'This book teaches you that the universe could end at any moment,but is so good that you will be rooting for it not to-at least,not until you finish the book. Katie Mack's witty,lucid prose is endlessly delightful'- Alexandra Petri,author of Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why
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