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Everything You Know About Space Is Wrong
Indulge your curiosity with this humorous and fascinating book that demystifies the surprising myths about space.
In the latest book from the Everything You Know is Wrong series, Matt Brown brings you a compendium of amazing facts about our planet, the universe, and everything in between! Thanks to popular sci-fi films and TV shows, there have been many misconceptions about the cosmos – from travelling through worm-holes to blowing up asteroids. In Everything You Know About Space is Wrong, you'll find a plethora of myths, legends and misquotes that have shaped the way you view the universe today. Think that the vacuum of space would make your blood boil and your head explode? It won't, and there have been people who have survived without wearing a suit in space. Think that astronauts float in space because there is zero-gravity? They're actually constantly falling towards the Earth. Think that the colour of space is black? It's actually predominantly green.
Chock-full of facts about the cosmos, how it works (and how it doesn't!), this illuminating book will guide you through the mine of misinformation to answer such questions as whether we will meet aliens in our lifetime (SETI predicts we'll find evidence of ET by 2040!), what happens in the centre of the black hole, and why Mercury is not the hottest planet in the solar system. Discovering untruths about popular science, Everything You Know About Space is Wrong provides a hugely entertaining insight into our universe.
In the latest book from the Everything You Know is Wrong series, Matt Brown brings you a compendium of amazing facts about our planet, the universe, and everything in between! Thanks to popular sci-fi films and TV shows, there have been many misconceptions about the cosmos – from travelling through worm-holes to blowing up asteroids. In Everything You Know About Space is Wrong, you'll find a plethora of myths, legends and misquotes that have shaped the way you view the universe today. Think that the vacuum of space would make your blood boil and your head explode? It won't, and there have been people who have survived without wearing a suit in space. Think that astronauts float in space because there is zero-gravity? They're actually constantly falling towards the Earth. Think that the colour of space is black? It's actually predominantly green.
Chock-full of facts about the cosmos, how it works (and how it doesn't!), this illuminating book will guide you through the mine of misinformation to answer such questions as whether we will meet aliens in our lifetime (SETI predicts we'll find evidence of ET by 2040!), what happens in the centre of the black hole, and why Mercury is not the hottest planet in the solar system. Discovering untruths about popular science, Everything You Know About Space is Wrong provides a hugely entertaining insight into our universe.
- GenresNonfictionScienceSpace
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2018
7 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Matt Brown
13 books11 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Matt Brown holds degrees in Chemistry (BSc) and Biomolecular Science (MRes). He has served as a scientific editor and writer at both Reed Elsevier and Nature Publishing Group, and has contributed to several previous science books, including Defining Moments in Science and 1001 Inventions That Changed the World (both published by Cassell). He served as the Royal Institution’s quizmaster for several years, and has also put on science quizzes for the Royal Society, Manchester Science Museum, STEMPRA, and the Hunterian Museum. Matt is also the author of London Day and Night (Batsford) and the forthcoming Everything You Know About England is Wrong (also Batsford). He serves as Editor-at-Large of Londonist.com.
Matt Brown holds degrees in Chemistry (BSc) and Biomolecular Science (MRes). He has served as a scientific editor and writer at both Reed Elsevier and Nature Publishing Group, and has contributed to several previous science books, including Defining Moments in Science and 1001 Inventions That Changed the World (both published by Cassell). He served as the Royal Institution’s quizmaster for several years, and has also put on science quizzes for the Royal Society, Manchester Science Museum, STEMPRA, and the Hunterian Museum. Matt is also the author of London Day and Night (Batsford) and the forthcoming Everything You Know About England is Wrong (also Batsford). He serves as Editor-at-Large of Londonist.com.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 3, 2018
What we have here is a feast of assertions some people make about space that are satisfyingly incorrect, with pithy, entertaining explanations of what the true picture is. Matt Brown admits in his introduction that a lot of these incorrect facts are nitpicking - more on that in a moment - but it doesn't stop them being delightful. I particularly enjoyed the ones about animals in space and about the Moon.
Along the way, we take in space exploration, the Earth's place in space, the Moon, the solar system, the universe and a collection of random oddities, such as the fact that Mozart didn't write Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Sometimes the wrongness comes from a frequent misunderstanding. So, for example, Brown corrects the idea that Copernicus was the first to say that the Earth moves around the Sun. Sometimes there's some very careful wording. This is used when Brown challenges the idea that the Russian dog Laika was the first animal in space. What we discover is that, instead, Laika was the first animal in orbit, but plenty of other animals had made brief ventures into space and back beforehand. (Some even survived.)
Just occasionally, the wording goes from ambiguous to downright misleading. So, another 'fact' that's challenged is that light from the Sun takes eight minutes to reach the Earth. There was one potential challenge, in that it's actually a little over eight minutes. But Brown uses the fact that photons can take many thousands of years to get to the surface of the Sun before taking eight minutes (and a bit) to get here. And if the statement had been 'Light takes eight minutes to get from the depths of the Sun to the Earth', he would have a point. But it didn't.
Since nitpicking is the order of the day, I'd also point out that we don't know that the universe is finite, and Baa Baa Black Sheep is a variation on the theme of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, not, as the book says, the same tune, as it has two notes that aren't in the original and several timing differences. But one of the joys of reading a book like this is looking out for things to disagree with. And it certainly is great fun to read - and a fairly quick read too. (A good thing in my book. Far took many popular science books are over-long.) Easily managed on a mid-length train journey.
The content is lightly written and produces fascinating factoids throughout, though, for some reason, the second half of the content wasn't quite as interesting as the first. And, of course, as with Brown's earlier book Everything You Know About Science Is Wrong, I bridle somewhat at the title. I know a reasonable amount about space, and most of it isn't wrong. But I suppose titling a book 'Things That Some People Think About Space (Not All the Same People) That Is Wrong' would be rather clumsy.
Lots of fun for both younger and adult readers with an interest in space or science in general.
Along the way, we take in space exploration, the Earth's place in space, the Moon, the solar system, the universe and a collection of random oddities, such as the fact that Mozart didn't write Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Sometimes the wrongness comes from a frequent misunderstanding. So, for example, Brown corrects the idea that Copernicus was the first to say that the Earth moves around the Sun. Sometimes there's some very careful wording. This is used when Brown challenges the idea that the Russian dog Laika was the first animal in space. What we discover is that, instead, Laika was the first animal in orbit, but plenty of other animals had made brief ventures into space and back beforehand. (Some even survived.)
Just occasionally, the wording goes from ambiguous to downright misleading. So, another 'fact' that's challenged is that light from the Sun takes eight minutes to reach the Earth. There was one potential challenge, in that it's actually a little over eight minutes. But Brown uses the fact that photons can take many thousands of years to get to the surface of the Sun before taking eight minutes (and a bit) to get here. And if the statement had been 'Light takes eight minutes to get from the depths of the Sun to the Earth', he would have a point. But it didn't.
Since nitpicking is the order of the day, I'd also point out that we don't know that the universe is finite, and Baa Baa Black Sheep is a variation on the theme of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, not, as the book says, the same tune, as it has two notes that aren't in the original and several timing differences. But one of the joys of reading a book like this is looking out for things to disagree with. And it certainly is great fun to read - and a fairly quick read too. (A good thing in my book. Far took many popular science books are over-long.) Easily managed on a mid-length train journey.
The content is lightly written and produces fascinating factoids throughout, though, for some reason, the second half of the content wasn't quite as interesting as the first. And, of course, as with Brown's earlier book Everything You Know About Science Is Wrong, I bridle somewhat at the title. I know a reasonable amount about space, and most of it isn't wrong. But I suppose titling a book 'Things That Some People Think About Space (Not All the Same People) That Is Wrong' would be rather clumsy.
Lots of fun for both younger and adult readers with an interest in space or science in general.
March 22, 2018
I imagine even people who start sentences with the words “actually, I think you’ll find...” don’t like listening to people who do that. Instead of informing and entertaining, this book is a snide and captious egurgitation and a chore to read.
September 3, 2022
a humorous, light-hearted read going into the fine details about astronomy as we know it. even as an astronomy enthusiast, some intricacies picked out by Matt Brown was simply mind-boggling and gave a refreshing perspective on the beginnings of space travel.
if i had but one takeaway, it would be that just because you studied something at a theoretical, A-Levels standard doesn’t mean you have a comprehensive view of the subject matter
if i had but one takeaway, it would be that just because you studied something at a theoretical, A-Levels standard doesn’t mean you have a comprehensive view of the subject matter
January 12, 2022
This was a pretty good read. As someone who knew nearly nothing about space but was very interested in it, I learned a lot from this book. Although there were tiny things about the writer's opinions and writing style that irked me, I guess it can be overlooked compared to the amount of information provided. It's a good book for beginners (like myself).
February 19, 2019
The perfect book for preparing a school assembly with some fun space facts. If the style was any breezier you would be in danger of being blown out of the window by it but it makes the whole thing easy to digest and covers a lot of ground. Recommended.
March 14, 2021
This book presents some very interesting and entertaining facts about space. It is also an easy read, very suitable for a younger audience. If you're interested in space, this is a great place to start.
September 19, 2018
Tons of fun and easy to read.
September 8, 2019
Pretty good. Seemed like the author was stretching for content in the end. Definitely some interesting nuggets!
December 18, 2019
كتاب خفيف و لطيف، يتناول بعض المفاهيم التي يرددها الناس و يثبت عدم صحتها.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews