The Big Questions in Science: The Quest to Solve the Great Unknowns

by Hayley Birch, Hayley Birch, Colin Stuart

Explore the most intriguing, far-reaching, and pressing concerns in popular science today! From “What is consciousness?” to “Can we beat bacteria?,” The Big Questions in Science translates complicated concepts into understandable language. Anyone who has every wondered who we are, why we are here, and what “here” actually is, can gain insight into issues such as what makes us human, whether there are other universes, what's at the bottom of a black hole, and how we can get more energy from the sun. All the questions urgently require practical answers and speak to our sense of wonder and desire to know more.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 12, 2013

Reviews

[Miranda Mayo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Some of the topics were super interesting, but overall I found the book kind of dry. The chapter about What's at the Bottom of the Ocean was my favourite. I really didn't like the layout of the book itself. The black pages weren't doing it for me and there were a few instances where you had to go back and forth between pages to find pictures and charts relevant to the paragraph at hand.

[Ethan Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for a brief overview of modern ideas in the physical and mathematical sciences. Similar to what you hear in class condensed in one book. Could be useful as reference for topics of interest.

[Anas · Rating 3 out of 5]

consists of 20 questions, some are deep, others are shallow. each question is then elaborated into a 10ish pages of essay. again. some is comprehensive, some is not so much.

[Elliott James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason that this review isn't 5 stars is due to some of the questions being boring and drawn out. Other questions were brilliantly in-depth and detailed along with well described illustrations.

The book, rather than go off topic decides to put the correlated subject in question in a separate box, e.g. In chapter 2 it begins with the question, 'how did life first begin?', and in a separate box within that chapter is 'what did the first cells looks like?'. Correlated but not specifically on the topic, so hence the box to break up the questions. A very carefully laid out book.