What's Eating the Universe? And Other Cosmic Questions

by Paul C.W. Davies

'Brilliant. You won't find a clearer, more engaging guide to what we know (or would like to know) about the universe and how it is put together' Bill BrysonCelebrated physicist and global bestselling author Paul Davies tells the story of the universe in thirty cosmological conundrumsIn the constellation of Eridanus there lurks a cosmic mystery. It's as if something has taken a huge bite out of the universe, leaving a super-void. What could be the culprit? A super massive black hole? Another, bigger universe? Or an expanding vacuum bubble, destined to envelop and annihilate everything in existence?Scientists now understand the history of our universe better than the history of our own planet, but they continue to uncover startling new riddles-the hole in the universe being just one. In this electrifying book, award-winning physicist Paul Davies walks us through the puzzles and paradoxes that have preoccupied cosmologists from ancient Greece to the present day. Laying bare the audacious research that has led us to mind-bending solutions, Davies reveals how we might begin to approach the greatest outstanding enigmas of all.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Astronomy, Physics, Space, Philosophy, Popular Science

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 2, 2021

About the author

Paul Charles William Davies AM is a British-born physicist, writer and broadcaster, currently a professor at Arizona State University as well as the Director of BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science. He has held previous academic appointments at the University of Cambridge, University of London, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, University of Adelaide and Macquarie University. His research interests are in the fields of cosmology, quantum field theory, and astrobiology. He has proposed that a one-way trip to Mars could be a viable option.

In 2005, he took up the chair of the SETI: Post-Detection Science and Technology Taskgroup of the International Academy of Astronautics.

Reviews

[zuza_zaksiazkowane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS ONE

[Marta Demianiuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Początek nie był łatwy, bo autor wydawał się zbyt sztywny i przemawiał przez niego profesor, ale na szczęście z czasem wrzucił na luz i po 60 stronie już ciężko było się oderwać, bo omawiana tematyka z rozdziału na rozdział była coraz ciekawsza.

[Brian Clegg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short pieces on aspects of astronomy and particularly cosmology is not bad, but didn't quite work for me. It didn't help to read the over-inflated sense of the importance of what's in here, referring to the new stuff being 'more disruptive' than anything since we moved from an Earth-centred model of the universe is, frankly, hype.

The 30 bite-size chapterettes range from 'Why is it dark at night?' and 'Where is the Centre of the Universe?' to 'Can the Universe come from Nothing?' and 'Why am I living now?' These mini-essays make the book easy to read, but the haste that is employed to get through what can be quite a meaty topic in a handful of pages means a lot of the joy of storytelling is missing. Many interesting stories in the history of astronomy and cosmology are flagged up without revealing any of the fascinating detail. So, for example, Penzias and Wilson, the discoverers of cosmic microwave background radiation aren't even named, while the infamous pigeon droppings get such a passing mention that doing so doesn't add anything to the story.

Sometimes this condensation of content is so extreme that we loose a considerable amount of accuracy. So, for example, dark matter is stated as if its existence were a known fact, with no consideration of all the problems attached to it, nor a single mention of modified gravity theories. Similarly, quantum spin is described as if it were literally a matter of particles spinning around, apart from the need to do two turns to restore the direction to the same way up. Unfortunately the folksy little openings that Davies gives to many of his mini-chapters are allowed to take up space that could have been put to good use as content.

As I mentioned at the start, this isn't a bad book and may well be of interest to someone who wants a very light touch picture of cosmology, but it could have been so much better with just a little work.

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it veers into some odd spiritualist territory at the end, most of this book is an interesting survey of recent advances in cosmology and physics. Really clear descriptions of dark energy, dark mater, Hawking's advances with black holes, and current attempts to unify physics. Really enjoyed how well the author explained these complex and mind bending concepts.

**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[spokój.w.głowie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75/5
Raczej nie dla laików, bardziej dla ludzi, których kosmos interesuje.
Nie zrozumiałam wszystkiego, ale styl pisania był bardzo przyjemny i dobrze się to czytało, chociaż momentami nie wiedziałam w ogóle o co chodzi, to jest dopiero sztuka🤌

[amelia]

Chociaż, przyznaję się, nie rozumiałam do końca wszystkiego, to I AM IN LOVE
serio, mimo braków w mojej wiedzy z fizyki i wszystkich innych dziedzin związanych z kosmosem, to ta książka sprawiała że mam ochotę tę wiedzę zdobyć i pogłębić.
btw uwielbiam humor autora

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re at all interested in the universe around you and all the important questions you can ask and have answered about it and would like this to be done by a renown physicist, cosmologist, astrobiologist, this is a book for you. If not…well, that’s just sad.
This was an excellent primer on all things pertaining to our cosmos. The author essentially brings you up to speed on all the things that matters including dark matter, so that you can be well versed in the science of cosmos as it is known now. Is it likely to change in the future? Probably. The more you learn about science the more you learn about how it only takes one genius to revolutionize our perception of it. Once there was a world before Euclidian geometry., Newtonian physics, Einsteinian theory of relativity. We now know more than we have at any previous time, but technically that is true of most times.
I’m fascinated by all of this, not just the epistemology aspect. The universe and we do and don’t know it boggles my mind. So I’ve read and studied this quite a lot over the years and thus this book hasn’t really told be a lot of new things, but it did an excellent job of covering and refreshing previously acquired knowledge, so it was like a finetuning. A fine fineturning indeed.
And whether you’re looking for that or just expanding your knowledge (which should be limitless whether the universe around us is or isn’t) this smart, accessibly written, edifying book should make it on your reading list. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/

[Kinga Szczerba · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,25
Troszkę nie wiem, co sądzić. Z jednej strony ciekawa pozycja, która zdecydowanie poszerzyła moje „kojarzenie” pewnych terminów związanych z kosmosem i uświadomiła o wielu rzeczach. Niestety, mam wrażenie, że nie wszystkie były wystarczająco wytłumaczone, a ja sama bardzo szybko zapomnę - a nawet jeśli najdzie mnie chęć na odkurzenie wiedzy, to raczej nie miałabym chęci czytania tej pozycji ponownie. Ktoś z trochę większa wiedzą odnajdzie się zdecydowanie lepiej

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read a fair amount of books on astrophysics/cosmology, and while I don’t want to make comparisons since each book I’ve read had a different goal, I will say that What’s Eating the Universe was overall successful at making a wide range of cosmology topics accessible and engaging.

I enjoyed the Q&A setup of this book; it provided an interesting and digestible way to organize the information without making it feel overwhelming or dry. On the flip side, this resulted in some chapters feeling like the topic was glossed over on a cursory level to keep things short and sweet. However, overall it mostly felt like an appropriate amount of information and explanation, especially once you got further in the book and certain topics were explored deeper with references back to their original coverage.

I also enjoyed how this book covered historical perspectives on various topics and how those theories evolved.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Figgy]

Review to come.

In the meantime, fairly short and easy to get through, though as one who never payed enough attention to mathematics, some bits did need a re-read to properly grasp.

All in all, I've come out with my mind feeling... "expanded".

[bookolożka · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[faustyna。 (lekkidramat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

na pewno przeczytam ją za jakiś czas ponownie, aby utrwalić sobie pewnie informacje.

[Dominik]

Nie będę oceniał książki z której zrozumiałem może 10% (polecam)

[Dominika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Czytanie tej książki naprawdę dawało mi dużo radości (tak do 3/4 książki), co nie zmienia faktu że nie mam pojęcia o czym była. Czytając drugie zdanie już nie pamiętałam o czym było pierwsze, a naprawdę baardzo się skupiałam

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is mostly a book about cosmology (meaning there’s not much about galaxies, stars or planets) and it covers the usual topics for books like these, such as: the expansion of the universe, the cosmic microwave background, the big bang, the geometry of the universe, inflation, dark matter, dark energy, black holes, time, life in the universe and the fate of the universe. I have read several other popular science books covering similar topics, but I think this is the most popularized version of it. The book is written in a simple language and very pleasant to read. It will therefore be accessible to most people.

The book is divided into many short chapters, covering one main idea at the time. I think that is wonderful, as the topics can be a bit heavy and theoretical at times. To be honest, this book actually reads as a book about astrophysics for people in a hurry, compared to the book that actually bares that name (and doesn’t live up to it, in my opinion).

The book covers a bit of history without drowning in it, as I feel that other books sometimes do. I think Davis does a great job of sticking to the information that is most necessary to discuss the topic at hand, keeping this book short and sweet. On occasions it’s too short and sweet, but I think this book is a very nice introduction for people getting into these topics for the first time. If you are already familiar with these topics, there might not be much to gain from reading this.

[Books and margaritas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing “beginner friendly” book on astrophysics. The author provides a quick overview on the history of cosmology, it’s historical developments as well as the current unresolved scientific mysteries. It’s an interesting and engaging read. Even the most difficult concepts are explained in the accessible manner, and I recommend this book to anyone who always wanted to learn more about our universe and its secrets, but was intimidated by the heavy maths and science aspect of it. This is a perfect book to start you off. I read several of Hawkins’ books, as well as those of deGrasse Tyson, and, personally, I found this book to be the most “digestible” to me as a layperson. For those who are familiar with the popular concepts in astrophysics, this may be a good refresher. However, if you are looking for a deeper dive into quantum mechanics, string theory and cosmology, this may not be the right book for you.

[Bookm0l · Rating 4 out of 5]

Książka zawiera świetne pytania a urodzie wszechświata. Odpowiedzi są barwne i biorą z każdej dziedziny fizyki, z elementami historii i paroma żartami.

Każde pytanie ma swój rozdział, dlatego wiedza jest do przyjęcia w wygodnych dla czytelnika kawałkach. A i sama kolejność pytań jest dość logicznie ustawiona. Od podstaw zrozumienia natury wszechświata po rzeczy bardziej skomplikowane. Dodatkową mamy ilustracje, ułatwiające wchłanianie wiedzy.

Jedynym minusem jest dla mnie styl pisania, który w trakcie rozdziału zmienia się z łatwego do zrozumienia i zabarwionego humorem do hardcorowej fizyki, która zmusza cię do własnego researchu. Te bardziej skomplikowane teorie nie są dobrze wytłumaczone ani rozwinięte na więcej niż trzy zdania, pomimo faktu, że są potrzebne, by zrozumieć kolejne fragmenty książki.

[Chris]

Paul Davies writes a detailed account of the history and philosophies of the science of the cosmos. WETU? discusses what we know and what we’d like to know about the universe. The interconnection between ideas and the time spans involved are daunting. Davies does an admirable job of explaining it all clearly.
What was synchronistic was that I began WETU? immediately after reading When We Cease To Understand The World. Many of the characters dealt with fictionally in the latter have their explorations addressed more scientifically in the former.

[Jan Vranken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Briljant. Leest als een thriller. Als ´zelfs’ een socioloog dit schrijft.
Overigens vind ik dat enige kennismaking met wat de natuurwetenschappen te vertellen hebben, een plicht is voor elke intellectueel.

[Yumi]

chyba nie będę dawać jej oceny, bo ogólnie bardzo mi się podobała, ale miałam z miesiąc przerwy przy niej i niestety już nie czerpałam z niej takiej radości jak wcześniej, chciałam skończyć na siłę 😭😭

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Porządna dawka wiedzy na temat kosmosu i rzeczy naokoło jego, napisane dość przystąp my językiem, jednak były nominatywny kiedy nie zbyt ogarniałam o co chodzi albo autor chyba stwierdzał ze powinna m to wiedzieć i nie tłumaczył wielu rzeczy. 3.5/5 ⭐️

[Weronika · Rating 4 out of 5]

chciałabym zrozumieć ją bardziej, ale mimo wszystko otworzyła mi oczy

[Paulina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bardzo mocne 3,5 ⭐
Nawet łeb taki jak ja zrozumiał większość.

[olapzdr · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5
Bardzo ciekawa, momentami niezrozumiała, szybko i przyjemnie się ją czytało - autor nie przynudza

[Martyna ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ★

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

[Lily Hasshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

The universe might be a. eating itself or b. being eaten by another universe (in case you’re wondering)

[casey neko]

to quote josh homme: no one knows. certainly not me, at least

[Karolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5