What do you think?
Rate this book
Dark Cosmos: In Search of Our Universe's Missing Mass and Energy
The twentieth century was astonishing in all regards, shaking the foundations of practically every aspect of human life and thought, physics not least of all. Beginning with the publication of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, through the wild revolution of quantum mechanics, and up until the physics of the modern day (including the astonishing revelation, in 1998, that the Universe is not only expanding, but doing so at an ever-quickening pace), much of what physicists have seen in our Universe suggests that much of our Universe is unseen—that we live in a dark cosmos. Everyone knows that there are things no one can see—the air you're breathing, for example, or, to be more exotic, a black hole. But what everyone does not know is that what we can see—a book, a cat, or our planet—makes up only 5 percent of the Universe. The rest—fully 95 percent—is totally invisible to us; its presence discernible only by the weak effects it has on visible matter around it. This invisible stuff comes in two varieties—dark matter and dark energy. One holds the Universe together, while the other tears it apart. What these forces really are has been a mystery for as long as anyone has suspected they were there, but the latest discoveries of experimental physics have brought us closer to that knowledge. Particle physicist Dan Hooper takes his readers, with wit, grace, and a keen knack for explaining the toughest ideas science has to offer, on a quest few would have ever to discover what makes up our dark cosmos.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
29 people are currently reading
600 people want to read
About the author
Dan Hooper
9 books28 followersDaniel Wayne Hooper is an American cosmologist and particle physicist specializing in the areas of dark matter, cosmic rays, and neutrino astrophysics.
He is a Senior Scientist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and an Associate Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago.
Hooper received his PhD in physics in 2003 from the University of Wisconsin, under the supervision of Francis Halzen. He was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford between 2003 and 2005, and the David Schramm Fellow at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) from 2005 until 2007.
He is a Senior Scientist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and an Associate Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago.
Hooper received his PhD in physics in 2003 from the University of Wisconsin, under the supervision of Francis Halzen. He was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford between 2003 and 2005, and the David Schramm Fellow at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) from 2005 until 2007.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 30, 2021
Really love Dan Hooper's approach to every dark matter candidate. This is the second book I read from the author, and in the first one I said the guy explains everything in a clear and friendly way. In this book we are told about the main issue: dark matter and dark energy. Then we are explained about theorethical physics candidates to it and the experiments that have taken place to detect this strange matter. So far, none has been found but, we know some of the basic aspects of it, but what we know, ensures us that it would be very, very difficult to detect.
The book does not mention the discovery of the Higgs boson, nor the discovery of gravitational waves, due to the date this book was first published.
The book does not mention the discovery of the Higgs boson, nor the discovery of gravitational waves, due to the date this book was first published.
February 13, 2021
Dan Hooper - Dark Cosmos. In search of our universe's missing mass and energy
Albert Einstein once said “ … If you can't explain it to your grandmother, you don't understand it well enough … ”.
I felt like a granny. Thank you, Dan Hooper.
In this book “Dark Cosmos. In search of our universe's missing mass and energy” Dan Hooper tells us a history not only about missing mass and energy in our universe, but also about the beautiful history of physics.
The journey starts with the Greek philosophers Empedopcles, Leucipo and Demócrito, stop’s a little bit at the enlightenment epoch with Tycho Brahe, Kepler, Copernicus, Giordano Bruno, Galileo and Newton, and enters with Newton and Pierre-Simon Laplace mechanics, Einstein revolution of the restrict and general relativity, and more recently quantic mechanics, strings theory, theory of everything (quantic mechanics and gravity), super-symmetry and inflation.
In this journey Dan Hooper traces the evidence and the clues that leads us to the assumption and the persecute for the universe missing mass and energy.
Fifteen years later we (I) don’t know much more about their existence, but it was a beautiful voyage, in a book that everyone must read.
Albert Einstein once said “ … If you can't explain it to your grandmother, you don't understand it well enough … ”.
I felt like a granny. Thank you, Dan Hooper.
In this book “Dark Cosmos. In search of our universe's missing mass and energy” Dan Hooper tells us a history not only about missing mass and energy in our universe, but also about the beautiful history of physics.
The journey starts with the Greek philosophers Empedopcles, Leucipo and Demócrito, stop’s a little bit at the enlightenment epoch with Tycho Brahe, Kepler, Copernicus, Giordano Bruno, Galileo and Newton, and enters with Newton and Pierre-Simon Laplace mechanics, Einstein revolution of the restrict and general relativity, and more recently quantic mechanics, strings theory, theory of everything (quantic mechanics and gravity), super-symmetry and inflation.
In this journey Dan Hooper traces the evidence and the clues that leads us to the assumption and the persecute for the universe missing mass and energy.
Fifteen years later we (I) don’t know much more about their existence, but it was a beautiful voyage, in a book that everyone must read.
May 3, 2009
A very readable articulation of the discoveries leading up to our current understanding of dark energy and dark matter. Although still theoretical in nature, Hooper quickly gets the lay reader to the current state with clear and concise writing that lets the reader know what we know, how we learned about it, and what questions remain, without downplaying the possibility that maybe something we discover down the road makes us change our minds about everything. A good read if you're interested in astrophysics.
July 21, 2009
I quite enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in learning about dark matter, as well as dark energy. The majority of the book deals with dark matter, and only the last couple chapters touch on dark energy, which is even less well known than dark matter. Hooper covers the candidates for dark matter, both those that have been proven not to be dark matter, as well as those current candidates that have yet to be proven as dark matter particles or not.
June 6, 2018
Modern physics changes rapidly and the hypotheses about dark matter and dark energy are a current rage, mostly to account for the experimental observation that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. Hooper gives a lucid description of the questions that gave rise to these notions, along with a description of general relativity and the standard model of particle physics that can be grasped by an interested layman. I was familiar with a lot of the material but his description of the folded dimensions of a hyperspace was unusually clear. Hooper makes it clear we do not know if dark energy and matter even exist but that they are a current favorite explanation of cosmology. He does present alternative hypothesis as well so we are made aware that much needs to be done as very smart people try to explain our universe (or multiverse. Who knows?) I found this a very fast and enjoyable read.
December 31, 2025
A good introduction to the field of dark matter, as it gives a good perspective on the history and background science of dark matter. Regarding the experimental evidence and experiments looking for dark matter, it is somewhat out of date, having been written in 2006 and with me reading it now in 2025; .
However, it goes back and forth a lot, both historically and in content - the *flow* is not very easy. For example, I think Big Bang Theory is only explained in the last two chapters! Same for the *level* of physics - it's all over the place, it's hard to understand who this book is aimed at. The book jumps up and down on how complex the physics and explanations are. It's a lot of very interesting stuff, but not sure how easy it would be for someone completely unacquainted with the subject.
However, it goes back and forth a lot, both historically and in content - the *flow* is not very easy. For example, I think Big Bang Theory is only explained in the last two chapters! Same for the *level* of physics - it's all over the place, it's hard to understand who this book is aimed at. The book jumps up and down on how complex the physics and explanations are. It's a lot of very interesting stuff, but not sure how easy it would be for someone completely unacquainted with the subject.
September 23, 2025
Really love Dan Hooper's approach to every dark matter candidate. This is the second book I read from the author, and in the first one I said the guy explains everything in a clear and friendly way. In this book we are told about the main issue: dark matter and dark energy. Then we are explained about theorethical physics candidates to it and the experiments that have taken place to detect this strange matter. So far, none has been found but, we know some of the basic aspects of it, but what we know, ensures us that it would be very, very difficult to detect.
The book does not mention the discovery of the Higgs boson, nor the discovery of gravitational waves, due to the date this book was first published.
The book does not mention the discovery of the Higgs boson, nor the discovery of gravitational waves, due to the date this book was first published.
April 14, 2021
This is book has all the mind altering capacity of an illegal substance but with none of the downsides.
The scope of the book and its success in making the absurdly complex subject of what constitutes the majority of the mass of the universe is made possible by the clear, erudite style of the author.
The book is easy to read but that fact should not detract from the complexity of the scope of this fine book.
Even if you only have a passing interest in cosmology, this book should be on your list of books to read.
The scope of the book and its success in making the absurdly complex subject of what constitutes the majority of the mass of the universe is made possible by the clear, erudite style of the author.
The book is easy to read but that fact should not detract from the complexity of the scope of this fine book.
Even if you only have a passing interest in cosmology, this book should be on your list of books to read.
Read
March 22, 2017DNF 40% Not for me. Jumps around too much for the neophyte, but probably too simplistic for those already well exposed to the concepts.
(Though honestly, he half lost me at the Rutherford quote insulting every other science, not big on physicists who think they're theirs is the one true science.)
(Though honestly, he half lost me at the Rutherford quote insulting every other science, not big on physicists who think they're theirs is the one true science.)
July 9, 2021
A surprisingly good book. Despite the difficulty of the content, it was easy and pleasant to read.
September 10, 2023
My third book by this author. Highly recommended.
January 14, 2012
So far (chapter 7 of 13), a clear discussion of quantum mechanics and general relativity, and how those two theories have changed the thinking of physicists. The problem is the incompatibility of the two, one being the theory of the very small, the other the theory of the very large. Hopefully, at some point, these can be reconciled. And for that, one must go back in time to the big bang. So that is where I am now, turning into a time traveler in order to understand dark matter and dark energy. Because, at least the current thinking goes, dark matter and dark energy were created at that time. The author also points out that dark energy and dark matter make up about 95% of the universe. So it behooves us to take a stab at understanding it.
The author takes the reader through the process of recognizing that dark energy and dark matter exist (actually, they were both proposed as early as 1966, but it has taken a while for the physics community to get on board), reviewing and discarding several possible explanations, before embarking on the concept of symmetry and supersymmetry. A brief overview of the life history of various types of stars is included, as a possible explanation for the source of dark energy and dark matter. None seem to be satisfactory.
A fascinating depiction of dark energy & dark matter is a presentation by Lawrence Strauss (A universe from nothing; youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ImvlS...). It is well established by general relativity and experimentation that light is bent as it passes massive objects. In this case, there is a distant galaxy interposed between us and a very distant galaxy. An astrophysicist used the lensing effect of the very distant galaxy to calculate the mass distribution of the distant galaxy, presenting his findings in a graphical display. There is a distribution of mass, somewhat resembling a flattened normal curve, and superimposed on that curve are spikes of high density corresponding to the visible stars in the intermediate galaxy. This is one of the most impressive displays of applied math and applied physics I have ever seen.
Chapter 8 and beyond: At this point Hooper delves into the discovery of the cosmic background radiation and how that led to the big bang theory, and ultimately to the Standard Model of Particles. Which is fine until he introduces quintessence. This discussion never quite works, perhaps because it is still too nebulous for most physicists. But Hooper gets back on firmer ground when he describes a flat, open, or closed universe, and how we know the expansion rate of the universe is increasing. He ties this back to the Big Bang and the inflationary universe, and how this leads to the concept of multiple universes.
Finally, he comes back to dark energy and dark matter. The bottom line: We haven't a clue. We know it is there, but we don't know how to detect it, much less measure it. But maybe with the Large Hadron Collider we will gain more insight.
For the average non-science reader, not a particularly good read (2 stars). If you have a science background, it is a pretty good summary of where cosmology stands today and what cosmologists are considering as they try to define the Grand Unification Theory (3 stars).
The author takes the reader through the process of recognizing that dark energy and dark matter exist (actually, they were both proposed as early as 1966, but it has taken a while for the physics community to get on board), reviewing and discarding several possible explanations, before embarking on the concept of symmetry and supersymmetry. A brief overview of the life history of various types of stars is included, as a possible explanation for the source of dark energy and dark matter. None seem to be satisfactory.
A fascinating depiction of dark energy & dark matter is a presentation by Lawrence Strauss (A universe from nothing; youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ImvlS...). It is well established by general relativity and experimentation that light is bent as it passes massive objects. In this case, there is a distant galaxy interposed between us and a very distant galaxy. An astrophysicist used the lensing effect of the very distant galaxy to calculate the mass distribution of the distant galaxy, presenting his findings in a graphical display. There is a distribution of mass, somewhat resembling a flattened normal curve, and superimposed on that curve are spikes of high density corresponding to the visible stars in the intermediate galaxy. This is one of the most impressive displays of applied math and applied physics I have ever seen.
Chapter 8 and beyond: At this point Hooper delves into the discovery of the cosmic background radiation and how that led to the big bang theory, and ultimately to the Standard Model of Particles. Which is fine until he introduces quintessence. This discussion never quite works, perhaps because it is still too nebulous for most physicists. But Hooper gets back on firmer ground when he describes a flat, open, or closed universe, and how we know the expansion rate of the universe is increasing. He ties this back to the Big Bang and the inflationary universe, and how this leads to the concept of multiple universes.
Finally, he comes back to dark energy and dark matter. The bottom line: We haven't a clue. We know it is there, but we don't know how to detect it, much less measure it. But maybe with the Large Hadron Collider we will gain more insight.
For the average non-science reader, not a particularly good read (2 stars). If you have a science background, it is a pretty good summary of where cosmology stands today and what cosmologists are considering as they try to define the Grand Unification Theory (3 stars).
November 26, 2013
This book is not about a story of a hero's journey across a mythical land, but instead this book is about he fascinations of science, and the journey to find out what the universes dark matter is. This book Dark Cosmos And The Search For Our Universe's Missing Mass And Energy by Dan Hooper will be a fascinating read if you happen to like science and are interested in finding out more about the very universe you live in. This book digs into some subjects I myself found quite interested in, such as the Quantum theory, the fact that black holes can "EVAPORATE" from existence at a very slow rate, and that a neutron star that is the size of a garbage truck has the mass of thousands of Empire State buildings if they were made of solid iron! The book also gets into particle physics a bit often, an example of this is when he talks about neutrinos, which is a particle that rarely ever comes in contact with matter, like, ever.
This book might not be for everyone, I probably wouldn't recommend it to someone who doesn't have a bit of interest in science. But if you find how expansive and big the universe is amazing, then you just might like this book, I know i did! The book itself might seem boring to read, but the author took the time to actually make some jokes into the book along with a bit of personality and his own thoughts.
This may seem nerdy, but the book will interest you, if you are the person that I described above in the second paragraph. The book doesn't only talk about the things that I listed in the first paragraph, but it has a few chapters (9 I think) that explain and talk about one subject/ possibility to findings the universe's dark matter. For instance there is a chapter on supersymmetry and it goes on to who studied it, found discoveries in the field, and explains what the heck it is to anyone who has no clue what he is talking about.
This book might not be for everyone, I probably wouldn't recommend it to someone who doesn't have a bit of interest in science. But if you find how expansive and big the universe is amazing, then you just might like this book, I know i did! The book itself might seem boring to read, but the author took the time to actually make some jokes into the book along with a bit of personality and his own thoughts.
This may seem nerdy, but the book will interest you, if you are the person that I described above in the second paragraph. The book doesn't only talk about the things that I listed in the first paragraph, but it has a few chapters (9 I think) that explain and talk about one subject/ possibility to findings the universe's dark matter. For instance there is a chapter on supersymmetry and it goes on to who studied it, found discoveries in the field, and explains what the heck it is to anyone who has no clue what he is talking about.
August 17, 2011
This is a very good book for somebody, just not for me. It is well written and Hooper conveys enthusiasm. But I was hoping for an up-to-date book that focused exclusively on dark matter and dark energy. Instead most of this book is devoted to necessarily superficial pop science review of general relativity, quantum mechanics, supersymmetry, string theory, and cosmology. As a result there wasn't much that was new to me. Although I did learn one interesting new fact: Ladbrokes was taking bets on the discovery of the Higgs Boson by 2010, putting the odds at six-to-one. If only there was an Intrade market.
January 12, 2010
If you're at all interested in the development of new theories and old, this book gives a basic quick fact check of where we were and where we're headed in terms of understand the complexities of physics in our known universe. This is a great pre read to any other heavy physics books relating to particle physics the big bang theory etc. I thouroughly enjoyed this read. (I don't have a college education and am not very good at mathematics) the author has a great way of explaining complex ideas in lay terms.
January 11, 2015
I'm fascinated by physics and the search for the unknown, especially dark matter and dark energy. It's amazing that baryonic matter only makes up about 5% of the density of the universe. Hooper does a great job of explaining the mystery for a non physicist, putting it in terms of everyday experiences. He reviews the different theories, their strengths and weaknesses for explaining the phenomena, including quantum physics, super symmetry, string theory, and extra dimensions. His book greatly helped with my understanding of the universe.
February 10, 2012
For some of the more recent discoveries in cosmology i.e. dark matter and dark energy, Dark Cosmos: In Search of Our Universe’s Missing Mass and Energy by particle physicist Dan Hooper is a watered down introduction to some of these concepts and their implications on our understanding of the universe. All the possible candidates for dark matter, including WIMPS and MACHOS, are discussed in a lively manner. It's not one of the best books out there on such topics though.
December 6, 2010
Interesting subject. Detailed explanations. A lot of jumping around back and forth. Very dry. Communicating in layman terms and keeping a reader engrossed was not this books strong suit. I had to read small chunks at a time interspersed with other books to keep going
February 9, 2012
A concise review of the current status of the search for dark matter. Basically it turns out we do not have a clue. The book is easy to read and concise and compelling. Ok for someone with limited knowledge of physics.
March 18, 2010
Pretty decent review of the unexplained parts of our cosmos for a non-physicist.
February 7, 2012
Very good overview ( doesn't mention ' branes ' or ' holographic ' at all however ) Understnad KK-states better now
April 30, 2013
Although 2006 it is good for terminology and history of subject. Very readable.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews