To Boldly Go Where No Book Has Gone Before: A Joyous Journey Through All of Science

by Luke O'Neill

A spellbinding and often hilarious history of (almost) the entirety of science from world-renowned immunologist Luke O'Neill

How did life begin?
What does the warping of spacetime in a black hole actually look like?
And what's happening on the 4,800 exoplanets beyond our solar system?

In our muddled era of conspiracy theories, fake news and groupthink, science's only goal is truth. Like all human pursuits it can go wrong, but it has the great strength of being self-correcting. At its best, what lasts - after much deliberation, rigour and sweat - is the truth. The story of science is how we get there.

Standing on the shoulders of giants, world-renowned immunologist Luke O'Neill (aka the People's Immunologist) tells the zigzag story of how we got to this moment in human history, and what the future might hold: from figuring out how the mind really works, space travel (for the sheer fun of it), and the discovery of extra-terrestrial life.

With incredible wit and a talent for cutting through the noise, Luke O'Neill tackles some of the great questions of our age, from Artificial Intelligence to the climate catastrophe, with a keen eye on what science might discover next. The result is an awe-inspiring history and map for the future.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science

Audible Audio

Published October 5, 2023

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book because it looked very approachable from the view point of a non-scientist like me. It was very approachable and readable but for me, it was still mostly a chore to get through! There were many names that were familiar to me from partially remembered and unappreciated science lessons at school. It was a light hearted read though and included fun facts: did you know the average smart phone has 75 of the elements in the periodic table? It took the trouble to include many notable female scientists as well. The history of medicine was really the only chapter where I felt I knew most of the facts and felt genuinely engaged. My rating is an average score because I found the content difficult, but that’s not the author’s fault!

[Mehtap exotiquetv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein Buch über die wissenschaftliche Neugier und wie diese zur Veränderung unserer Welt geführt hat. Dabei gibt er kurze historische Einblicke in die wichtigsten wissenschaftlichen Errungenschaften der letzten Jahrhunderte. Von Currie bis Einstein sind alle vertreten. Deswegen ist dieses Buch nur unter den Umständen empfehlenswert, wer sich noch nicht mit den großen Namen der Wissenschaft beschäftigt hat.

[Vanessa (Nessreadsalot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book covering a wide range of topics from evolution to space travel to AI. I love how Luke explains things in a fun and accessible way so you don't necessarily need a scientific background to enjoy this.

My favourite part is finding out that Charles Darwin made a pro and con list before getting married and the con was "less money for books". Hard relate Charles!

[Philippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very clearly written book about science from historical times to the present day. Luke O'Neill brings a humour to the subject which is lacking in some other books about the subject and, being a scientist himself, he can talk with authority about many of the issues facing humankind today, ending with the biggest challenge, that of climate change. Well worth a read. Amusingly one of the books in the Further Reading section at the end of the book is The Sleepwalkers by Arthur Koestler which I'm reading now! Coincidence or fate or...?

[Gabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fun and intriguing book covering the history and advances in a wide range of science fields. even topics that I usually didn’t give much thought to, like space travel, were made interesting by Luke.

[Mairead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, what a ride!

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A whirlwind history of science and scientists sprinkled with quirky tidbits and Dad joke grade humour.

[David M · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring journey through so many branches of science. Luke's passion for science, coupled with his fun and wit makes this an absolute must-read. I couldn't recommend it more highly