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Frequently Asked Questions About the Universe
You've got questions: about space, time, gravity, and the odds of meeting your older self inside a wormhole. All the answers you need are right here.
As a species, we may not agree on much, but one thing brings us all together: a need to know. We all wonder, and deep down we all have the same big questions. Why can't I travel back in time? Where did the universe come from? What's inside a black hole? Can I rearrange the particles in my cat and turn it into a dog?
Physics professor Daniel Whiteson and researcher-turned-cartoonist Jorge Cham are experts at explaining science in ways we can all understand, in their books and on their popular podcast, Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe. With their signature blend of humour and oh-now-I-get-it clarity, Jorge and Daniel offer short, accessible, and lighthearted answers to some of the most common, most outrageous, and most profound questions about the universe they've been asked.
This witty, entertaining, and fully illustrated book is an essential troubleshooting guide for the perplexing aspects of reality, big and small, from the invisible particles that make up your body to the identical version of you currently reading this exact sentence in the corner of some other galaxy. If the universe came with an FAQ, this would be it.
As a species, we may not agree on much, but one thing brings us all together: a need to know. We all wonder, and deep down we all have the same big questions. Why can't I travel back in time? Where did the universe come from? What's inside a black hole? Can I rearrange the particles in my cat and turn it into a dog?
Physics professor Daniel Whiteson and researcher-turned-cartoonist Jorge Cham are experts at explaining science in ways we can all understand, in their books and on their popular podcast, Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe. With their signature blend of humour and oh-now-I-get-it clarity, Jorge and Daniel offer short, accessible, and lighthearted answers to some of the most common, most outrageous, and most profound questions about the universe they've been asked.
This witty, entertaining, and fully illustrated book is an essential troubleshooting guide for the perplexing aspects of reality, big and small, from the invisible particles that make up your body to the identical version of you currently reading this exact sentence in the corner of some other galaxy. If the universe came with an FAQ, this would be it.
315 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 28, 2021
221 people are currently reading
1850 people want to read
About the author
Jorge Cham
39 books213 followersJorge Cham is a Chinese-Panamanian post-doc best known for his popular newspaper and web comic strip Piled Higher and Deeper (PhD Comics). He first started drawing PhD Comics as a graduate student at Stanford University, and has since been syndicated in several university newspapers and in three published book collections.
Jorge Cham received his Bachelor's degree from Georgia Tech in 1997, and earned a PhD in mechanical engineering from Stanford. He subsequently worked at Caltech as an instructor and as a researcher on neural prosthetics.
In 2005, Cham began an invited speaking tour of over 80 major universities delivering his talk titled "The Power of Procrastination". In this lecture, Cham talks about his experiences creating the comic strip and examines the sources of grad students' anxieties. He also explores the guilt and the myths associated with procrastination and argues that in many cases it is actually a good thing.
Jorge Cham received his Bachelor's degree from Georgia Tech in 1997, and earned a PhD in mechanical engineering from Stanford. He subsequently worked at Caltech as an instructor and as a researcher on neural prosthetics.
In 2005, Cham began an invited speaking tour of over 80 major universities delivering his talk titled "The Power of Procrastination". In this lecture, Cham talks about his experiences creating the comic strip and examines the sources of grad students' anxieties. He also explores the guilt and the myths associated with procrastination and argues that in many cases it is actually a good thing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
May 30, 2022
What a fun, funny, and smart read!
Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson, a scientist-turned-cartoonist and a physics professor, answer questions that are frequently asked by listeners of their podcast, Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe.
Some of the questions are:
➼Why can't I travel backwards in time?
➼Why haven't aliens visited us?
➼Are humans predictable?
➼Do we live in a simulation?
➼Can we build a warp drive?
➼Will time ever stop?
➼Can we turn Mars into Earth?
The authors describe what physics tells us about each of these, and more, questions. They write in a light-hearted, witty, and easy-to-understand way and include fun illustrations and cartoons.
I could have finished this book in two days but because I was enjoying it so much, limited myself so it lasted for two weeks (it's a library loan).
I learned a lot and even the material I already knew was worth reading because my understanding grew.
There isn't any math to scare off lay people like me who don't have the knowledge -or the brains- to understand complex physics equations.
If you get excited by black holes, warp drives, wormholes, our sun's eventual death, or contemplating the size of the universe or whether we live in a simulation, you'll find plenty to enjoy in this book.
Some things to consider:
∙"Our universe has a lot in common with the computer programs that we use to build virtual games and virtual worlds: it seems to follow rules." In other words, our universe seems to work like a simulation. Is everything we know simply a huge Sims game?
∙If you're ever suicidal and decide to enter a black hole - as you approach, what is outside of the black hole becomes smaller and smaller. Through that tiny peep hole you will see "all of the universe, even the things that are behind the black hole. At this point, space is so bent that light comes from all sides of the universe".
∙Your brain has 86 billion neurons and each one is "made of more than 1027 particles".
∙"Today, we could maybe store the information contained in one of your toenails if we used every computer in existence."
Sound like fun? You don't want to miss this book. I also recommend the authors' previous book We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe which is every bit as enjoyable and educational as this one.
Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson, a scientist-turned-cartoonist and a physics professor, answer questions that are frequently asked by listeners of their podcast, Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe.
Some of the questions are:
➼Why can't I travel backwards in time?
➼Why haven't aliens visited us?
➼Are humans predictable?
➼Do we live in a simulation?
➼Can we build a warp drive?
➼Will time ever stop?
➼Can we turn Mars into Earth?
The authors describe what physics tells us about each of these, and more, questions. They write in a light-hearted, witty, and easy-to-understand way and include fun illustrations and cartoons.
I could have finished this book in two days but because I was enjoying it so much, limited myself so it lasted for two weeks (it's a library loan).
I learned a lot and even the material I already knew was worth reading because my understanding grew.
There isn't any math to scare off lay people like me who don't have the knowledge -or the brains- to understand complex physics equations.
If you get excited by black holes, warp drives, wormholes, our sun's eventual death, or contemplating the size of the universe or whether we live in a simulation, you'll find plenty to enjoy in this book.
Some things to consider:
∙"Our universe has a lot in common with the computer programs that we use to build virtual games and virtual worlds: it seems to follow rules." In other words, our universe seems to work like a simulation. Is everything we know simply a huge Sims game?
∙If you're ever suicidal and decide to enter a black hole - as you approach, what is outside of the black hole becomes smaller and smaller. Through that tiny peep hole you will see "all of the universe, even the things that are behind the black hole. At this point, space is so bent that light comes from all sides of the universe".
∙Your brain has 86 billion neurons and each one is "made of more than 1027 particles".
∙"Today, we could maybe store the information contained in one of your toenails if we used every computer in existence."
Sound like fun? You don't want to miss this book. I also recommend the authors' previous book We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe which is every bit as enjoyable and educational as this one.
December 19, 2022
Intrebari frecvente despre Univers si raspunsuri in stilul lui Randall Munroe (cel cu cartile "what if?").
July 16, 2021
Jorge Cham's webcomic Piled Higher and Deeper was a balm in my grad school years and my kids and I enjoy his PBS show Eleanor Wonders Why. So I had high hopes for this book and honestly I was a little underwhelmed. They approach big questions in physics, astronomy, and life, the universe, and everything with humor, a light touch, and plenty of cartoons. And the answers are fine. They are just not memorable or earth shaking and even struggled to hold my attention. It was well written and very well illustrated and the answers were clear and competent, but the universe is weird and wonderful and crazy and amazing and I just didn't leave this book feeling any of that.
**Thanks to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
**Thanks to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 15, 2023
Prea mult pseudoumor ieftin, prea puțină știință. Iar, când în sfârșit am dat peste câteva explicații cu sens, le-am găsit formulate pentru cineva care deja are o bază a fizicii, nu tocmai pentru oricine.
,,După-amiezile leneșe de vară, cutiile secrete de prăjituri... nici măcar asprele furtuni de zăpadă și suferințele din dragoste nu durează pentru totdeauna. Timpul ticăie înainte și, inevitabil, atât bucuria, cât și durerea se estompează în trecut, făcând loc prezentului. Singurul lucru care pare să nu se termine niciodată este timpul însuși.
Ar fi bine să știm dacă timpul se va sfârși într-o zi sau, cel puțin, dacă timpul poate fi oprit. V-ar ajuta să vă planificați viața sau poate să apăsați butonul de pauză din când în când pentru a savura un anumit moment fericit sau semnificativ.'' (pag. 223-224)
,,Și dacă timpul ar avea un început, ar putea avea și un sfârșit?'' (pag. 229)
,,Așa cum o sirenă de poliție se aude diferit când se apropie și se depărtează, lumina galaxiilor își schimbă frecvența dacă galaxiile se mișcă. Galaxiile care se îndepărtează de noi par mai roșii, în timp ce galaxiile care deplasează spre noi par mai albastre.'' (pag. 303)
,,După-amiezile leneșe de vară, cutiile secrete de prăjituri... nici măcar asprele furtuni de zăpadă și suferințele din dragoste nu durează pentru totdeauna. Timpul ticăie înainte și, inevitabil, atât bucuria, cât și durerea se estompează în trecut, făcând loc prezentului. Singurul lucru care pare să nu se termine niciodată este timpul însuși.
Ar fi bine să știm dacă timpul se va sfârși într-o zi sau, cel puțin, dacă timpul poate fi oprit. V-ar ajuta să vă planificați viața sau poate să apăsați butonul de pauză din când în când pentru a savura un anumit moment fericit sau semnificativ.'' (pag. 223-224)
,,Și dacă timpul ar avea un început, ar putea avea și un sfârșit?'' (pag. 229)
,,Așa cum o sirenă de poliție se aude diferit când se apropie și se depărtează, lumina galaxiilor își schimbă frecvența dacă galaxiile se mișcă. Galaxiile care se îndepărtează de noi par mai roșii, în timp ce galaxiile care deplasează spre noi par mai albastre.'' (pag. 303)
January 12, 2026
Poprzednia książka autorów - „Nie mamy pojęcia” - jest moją ulubioną książką o kosmosie. Dużo wiedzy i wspaniale się bawiłam przy lekturze. I tu liczyłam na to samo, ale niestety tym razem „nie pykło”.
Kilka rozdziałów było całkiem ciekawych, ale ogólnie trochę się wynudziłam i humor też strzelał na boki, a nie we mnie. Tym razem więc miłości brak, szkoda. Ale może to dlatego, że już za dużo książek o kosmosie przeczytałam.
Kilka rozdziałów było całkiem ciekawych, ale ogólnie trochę się wynudziłam i humor też strzelał na boki, a nie we mnie. Tym razem więc miłości brak, szkoda. Ale może to dlatego, że już za dużo książek o kosmosie przeczytałam.
March 21, 2022
These are fundamental astrophysics questions that are answered with solid physics in a very understandable and friendly tone. I have followed these authors for years, so I like their addition of light-humor as they explain physics.
I like the consistent friendliness of the authors. Their answers are not overly simplistic analogies, but rather include ideas like antimatter, quantum effects, multi-universe theories, hyperspace, curved space, dark energy/matter, false vacuum decay, gravitational time, Hawking radiation, meta-time, no-cloning theorem, Schrodinger's equation, rotating black holes, warp drives and worm holes.
I liked their explanation about how the point of Spaghettification (where your body gets ripped apart by gravity if/when you fall into a black hole) lies OUTSIDE the event horizon of a small black hole, but Spaghettification occurs INSIDE of a large black hole.
Their explanation(s) on where the Universe came from includes a discussion about a quantum beginning. These quantum bits all:
- represent a location that can have particles and fields.
- are not arranged in an order (rather, a sort of quantum foam).
- are related to each other by quantum entanglement.
What we perceive as "space" is really just the strength of the connections between the bits in the network.
On why does E=mc^2...
People are made of protons and electrons. Since protons are ~2,000x more massive than electrons, you could say our human mass is mostly protons. A proton's mass is 938 MeV/c^2 (particle physics units for mass). But a proton is 2 up quarks (at 2 MeV/c^2 each) and 1 down quark (at 4 MeV/c^2). So why do these three quarks weigh 8 MeV/c^2 separately, but 938 MeV/c^2 when linked as a proton? This is due to the energy in the quark bonding. Energy acts like mass. And not only that, energy also feels gravity.
So, only 1% of humans is the 'stuff' of individual electrons and quarks. The other 99% of our mass is simply due to energy. Right? Well... That remaining 1% is really due to the ENERGY of the Higgs field. The Higgs field interaction makes these particles harder to move.
According to quantum theory, quarks and electrons themselves are nothing more than little ripples of energy in the quantum fields that permeate the universe. In other words, even the particles themselves are just energy!
What we thought of as "mass" doesn't really exist. It's all just energy.
A rock in space is ... one big blob of collected energy. Some of that energy is in the particles, some of it is in the bonds between the particles, and some of it is in the motion of the particles, but it's all just one pool of energy.
I like this stuff. These authors feel like fellow classmates sitting next to me in a library conference room trying their best to get me to understand and never feel lost.
I kind-of liked their earlier book a bit better, as it was a bit deeper with even more questions about our universe. Try: We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe
Easy to recommend this book when people learn I'm a physics major and ask for book advice.
5*
Table of Contents:
1. Why Can't I Travel Back in Time?
2. Why Haven't Aliens Visited Us? Or Have They?
3. ls There Another You?
4. How Long Will Humanity Survive?
5. What Happens If I Get Sucked into a Black Hole?
6. Why Can't We Teleport?
7. ls There Another Earth Out There?
8. What's Stopping Us from Traveling to the Stars?
9. Is an Asteroid Going to Hit Earth and Kill Us All?
10. Are Humans Predictable?
11. Where Did the Universe Come From?
12. Will Time Ever Stop?
13. Is an Afterlife Possible?
14. Do We Live in a Computer Simulation?
15. Why Does E = mc^2?
16. Where Is the Center of the Universe?
17. Can We Turn Mars into Earth?
18. Can We Build a Warp Drive?
19. When Will the Sun Burn Out?
20. Why Do We Ask Questions?
I like the consistent friendliness of the authors. Their answers are not overly simplistic analogies, but rather include ideas like antimatter, quantum effects, multi-universe theories, hyperspace, curved space, dark energy/matter, false vacuum decay, gravitational time, Hawking radiation, meta-time, no-cloning theorem, Schrodinger's equation, rotating black holes, warp drives and worm holes.
I liked their explanation about how the point of Spaghettification (where your body gets ripped apart by gravity if/when you fall into a black hole) lies OUTSIDE the event horizon of a small black hole, but Spaghettification occurs INSIDE of a large black hole.
Their explanation(s) on where the Universe came from includes a discussion about a quantum beginning. These quantum bits all:
- represent a location that can have particles and fields.
- are not arranged in an order (rather, a sort of quantum foam).
- are related to each other by quantum entanglement.
What we perceive as "space" is really just the strength of the connections between the bits in the network.
On why does E=mc^2...
People are made of protons and electrons. Since protons are ~2,000x more massive than electrons, you could say our human mass is mostly protons. A proton's mass is 938 MeV/c^2 (particle physics units for mass). But a proton is 2 up quarks (at 2 MeV/c^2 each) and 1 down quark (at 4 MeV/c^2). So why do these three quarks weigh 8 MeV/c^2 separately, but 938 MeV/c^2 when linked as a proton? This is due to the energy in the quark bonding. Energy acts like mass. And not only that, energy also feels gravity.
So, only 1% of humans is the 'stuff' of individual electrons and quarks. The other 99% of our mass is simply due to energy. Right? Well... That remaining 1% is really due to the ENERGY of the Higgs field. The Higgs field interaction makes these particles harder to move.
According to quantum theory, quarks and electrons themselves are nothing more than little ripples of energy in the quantum fields that permeate the universe. In other words, even the particles themselves are just energy!
What we thought of as "mass" doesn't really exist. It's all just energy.
A rock in space is ... one big blob of collected energy. Some of that energy is in the particles, some of it is in the bonds between the particles, and some of it is in the motion of the particles, but it's all just one pool of energy.
I like this stuff. These authors feel like fellow classmates sitting next to me in a library conference room trying their best to get me to understand and never feel lost.
I kind-of liked their earlier book a bit better, as it was a bit deeper with even more questions about our universe. Try: We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe
Easy to recommend this book when people learn I'm a physics major and ask for book advice.
5*
Table of Contents:
1. Why Can't I Travel Back in Time?
2. Why Haven't Aliens Visited Us? Or Have They?
3. ls There Another You?
4. How Long Will Humanity Survive?
5. What Happens If I Get Sucked into a Black Hole?
6. Why Can't We Teleport?
7. ls There Another Earth Out There?
8. What's Stopping Us from Traveling to the Stars?
9. Is an Asteroid Going to Hit Earth and Kill Us All?
10. Are Humans Predictable?
11. Where Did the Universe Come From?
12. Will Time Ever Stop?
13. Is an Afterlife Possible?
14. Do We Live in a Computer Simulation?
15. Why Does E = mc^2?
16. Where Is the Center of the Universe?
17. Can We Turn Mars into Earth?
18. Can We Build a Warp Drive?
19. When Will the Sun Burn Out?
20. Why Do We Ask Questions?
Read
March 1, 2022fun and fluffy approach to big-picture science questions, such as the possibility of time travel or the afterlife
December 26, 2022
Really well-written book about some basic questions we ask when we think about space but don't know the answers. The answers are easy to understand but cover more than basics. I really enjoyed reading this book and having occasional existencial crisis with deep thinking about how is everything so amazing and I am not hiding comared to it. I will probably read it again.
February 4, 2022
This was a very well written and presented novel. Read by Champion and Whiteson, they are to physicists who are able to explain topics on a level that anyone understand without making the reader/listener feel like they are dumbing it down. Wormholes? Check. Time travel? Check. They hit on a few fun topics that permeate pop culture.
January 8, 2022
I found the last question the most profound and closest to my mind. “ What does that even mean.”. Thank you for including that question. I pondered many of these questions. It’s reassuring to my children that there is mathematically only one me, (well, Hello multiple universes and the infinite), Black holes are still fascinating to me and it’s nice to know quantum mechanics tells me I will be “alive” in the universe forever. But asking in the end “what does that even mean” always bubbles up. Because we are always searching for purpose and directions. And when science confuses or answers all too honestly, enter religion and philosophy. Then in the end we ask the same question until a balanced meaning is found.
Read with curiosity and amazement. Burning questions on the perplexing aspects of reality are answered and explained with charm and humor.
Read with curiosity and amazement. Burning questions on the perplexing aspects of reality are answered and explained with charm and humor.
April 30, 2023
Ho letto questo saggio in contemporanea con Project Hail Mary e devo dire che è stato un incrocio alquanto divertente. Non solo vi sono molte nozioni in comune, ma Project Hail Mary risponde ad alcune domande poste in questo libro. Certo, le implicazioni sono alquanto disastrose, ma ehi! Almeno sappiamo che per i viaggi fuori dal Sistema bastano qualche tonnellata di astrofagi.
Tornando seri, adoro questo format. Saggi del genere sono molto utili per spiegare a chi non è portato per la scienza le molte leggi della fisica che governano il nostro universo. Ok, molte nozioni le conoscevo già a furia di leggere libri simili, per cui a volte la mia attenzione si annoiava, ma ho imparato qualcosina di nuovo e questa è già una vittoria nel mio piccolo.
Tipo non avvicinarsi mai a un buco nero. Ma non per il motivo che credete voi.
Inoltre vi sono molte vignette che offrono esempi divertenti e semplificati.
Quindi non preoccupatevi: è un saggio adatto a tutti i curiosi.
Ma non agli ingeneri, dato che prende in riferimento il punto di vista della fisica.
Le domande che vengono analizzate sono molte ed eterogenee, in modo da accontentare un grande spettro di lettori e, come già anticipato, sono scritte con un linguaggio semplice che spiega passo per passo tutti i ragionamenti e le formule che servono per arrivare alla risposta. Risposta che il più delle volte è un grandissimo: “boh”, ma abbiamo ancora tantissima strada da percorrere e con la tecnologia attualmente in nostro possesso abbiamo già fatto dei passi da gigante.
Consigliato a tutti gli appassionati di scienza e chi vuole approfondire certe tematiche.
Tornando seri, adoro questo format. Saggi del genere sono molto utili per spiegare a chi non è portato per la scienza le molte leggi della fisica che governano il nostro universo. Ok, molte nozioni le conoscevo già a furia di leggere libri simili, per cui a volte la mia attenzione si annoiava, ma ho imparato qualcosina di nuovo e questa è già una vittoria nel mio piccolo.
Tipo non avvicinarsi mai a un buco nero. Ma non per il motivo che credete voi.
Inoltre vi sono molte vignette che offrono esempi divertenti e semplificati.
Quindi non preoccupatevi: è un saggio adatto a tutti i curiosi.
Ma non agli ingeneri, dato che prende in riferimento il punto di vista della fisica.
Le domande che vengono analizzate sono molte ed eterogenee, in modo da accontentare un grande spettro di lettori e, come già anticipato, sono scritte con un linguaggio semplice che spiega passo per passo tutti i ragionamenti e le formule che servono per arrivare alla risposta. Risposta che il più delle volte è un grandissimo: “boh”, ma abbiamo ancora tantissima strada da percorrere e con la tecnologia attualmente in nostro possesso abbiamo già fatto dei passi da gigante.
Consigliato a tutti gli appassionati di scienza e chi vuole approfondire certe tematiche.
July 16, 2023
“Frequently Asked Questions about the Universe” by Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson is a delightful, funny, yet rigorous and intelligent book that answers some of the most common, most outrageous, and most profound questions about the universe. The authors have a signature blend of humor and oh-now-I-get-it clarity that makes the book accessible and lighthearted.
The book is an essential troubleshooting guide for the perplexing aspects of reality, big and small, from the invisible particles that make up your body to the identical version of you currently reading this exact sentence in the corner of some other galaxy. If the universe came with an FAQ, this would be it.
The audiobook benefits from the interplay between Cham's witty humor and Whiteson's expertise as a physicist. Cham's comedic sensibilities shine through as he injects humor into the explanations, making the audiobook entertaining and engaging. Whiteson's expertise ensures that the scientific content is accurate and up-to-date, providing listeners with reliable information while keeping them entertained.
Jorge Cham is a researcher-turned-cartoonist and Daniel Whiteson is a physics professor. They are experts at explaining science in ways we can all understand, in their books and on their popular podcast, Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever wondered about space, time, gravity, or the odds of meeting your older self inside a wormhole. It’s a witty, entertaining, and the printed version is fully illustrated, book that will leave you with a greater understanding of the universe we live in. Prepare to be entertained, educated, and inspired as Cham and Whiteson take you on a cosmic journey that transcends the boundaries of our everyday lives.
The book is an essential troubleshooting guide for the perplexing aspects of reality, big and small, from the invisible particles that make up your body to the identical version of you currently reading this exact sentence in the corner of some other galaxy. If the universe came with an FAQ, this would be it.
The audiobook benefits from the interplay between Cham's witty humor and Whiteson's expertise as a physicist. Cham's comedic sensibilities shine through as he injects humor into the explanations, making the audiobook entertaining and engaging. Whiteson's expertise ensures that the scientific content is accurate and up-to-date, providing listeners with reliable information while keeping them entertained.
Jorge Cham is a researcher-turned-cartoonist and Daniel Whiteson is a physics professor. They are experts at explaining science in ways we can all understand, in their books and on their popular podcast, Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever wondered about space, time, gravity, or the odds of meeting your older self inside a wormhole. It’s a witty, entertaining, and the printed version is fully illustrated, book that will leave you with a greater understanding of the universe we live in. Prepare to be entertained, educated, and inspired as Cham and Whiteson take you on a cosmic journey that transcends the boundaries of our everyday lives.
June 18, 2024
I don’t really know how to rate educational books because I haven’t read very many but I could see myself rereading parts of this again so it feels like 4-5 stars lol
I think I’m out of my universe vast-space understanding-the-outside-world phase now so I didn’t read it cover to cover but I read/skimmed 150ish pages total. Concepts I understood before gave me a deeper understanding, concepts that were brand new were explained clearly. The analogies were almost always great and the occasional illustrations were absolutely adorable. Although educational, this book felt like an actual conversation between two people more than a textbook. I loved that the chapters were split into distinct questions about the universe and I could flip to the chapter/question I was most curious about without feeling like I was missing an important piece of information that was explained earlier on. So fun.
I think I’m out of my universe vast-space understanding-the-outside-world phase now so I didn’t read it cover to cover but I read/skimmed 150ish pages total. Concepts I understood before gave me a deeper understanding, concepts that were brand new were explained clearly. The analogies were almost always great and the occasional illustrations were absolutely adorable. Although educational, this book felt like an actual conversation between two people more than a textbook. I loved that the chapters were split into distinct questions about the universe and I could flip to the chapter/question I was most curious about without feeling like I was missing an important piece of information that was explained earlier on. So fun.
March 20, 2024
I should have loved this but it was boring.
December 10, 2021
4/5 for this intelligent book. Sure, it won't give you all the answers but it will make you think, and think you will, about your place in the Universe and the possible futures.
Filled with humour and creative illustrations, this should be a 'must' read for all ages. This book increased my curiousity about Quantum physics and I plan to deep dive into the subject.
Filled with humour and creative illustrations, this should be a 'must' read for all ages. This book increased my curiousity about Quantum physics and I plan to deep dive into the subject.
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May 23, 2024Jorge Cham was a Stanford Graduate student who received his B.S from Geoergia Institute of Techonology. Jorge Cham also received his phD in mechanical engineering during his time at Stanford. During Cham’s time at highschool, he would often write different phD comic strips. Since that time, Jorge Cham has published eight books. On the other hand, Daniel Whiteson, the author who helped co-write this book, is a particle physicist. Now a professor of physics at UC Irvine, he spends his time out of class working on his podcast that he co-hosts. The book Frequently Asked Questions About the Universe was published on November 2nd, 2021. The book is about answering these questions that are asked worldwide about our universe. Some questions include, “How long will humanity survive?” and “What’s stopping us from travelling to the stars?”. This book answers the questions in detail in a complex way and then simplifies the answer into simpler terms.
People all over the world have so many questions about our universe and how it works. The universe is a very complex and confusing topic that scientists still dont completely understand 100%. New questions about the universe pop up every day. Luckily, in the book Frequently Asked Questions About the Universe, Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson do an excellent job at answering a few of the many questions that people have about the universe. One of the questions that the book answers is why humans can’t time travel. Cham and Whiteson explain that the reason humans can’t time travel is because of practicality and possibility and non possibility. An example of this is cooking a turkey with nuclear weapons. Althoguh an enginner might say that this is not impossible but would be very dangerous, the answer would still be maybe because there are many natural factors that have to be taken into consideration. On the other hand, an engineer will say that cooking a turkey with nuclear weapons is 100% possible because there is no math or sciene that contradicts this act. Many of the other questions asked in the book also include that possibility and practicality contradict. The main idea of the book is that for an effect to happen, there has to be a cause. This idea is spread throughout the book through the answers of the questions being answered. The writing style of this book is very good because throughout the entire book it answers the questions in a complex and more scientific way and then breaks that answer down into simpler words and terms where people can easily understand.
Ultimately, this book teaches the reader more about physics and global phenomena and how practical vs possibility vs not possible is the main factor to take into consideration for these question’s answers. Overall, this book answered the questions of many people including myself. I have always wondered why time travel wasn’t possible or why we can’t time travel and this book allowed me to understand why we can’t or can. The book itself was not a hard book to read and was filled with humor although it was very informative and taught me a lot. This book was a very well written book and the stuff it teaches about physics in a non-boring way leads me to recommend this book to anyone who is curious about the universe and enjoys humor.
People all over the world have so many questions about our universe and how it works. The universe is a very complex and confusing topic that scientists still dont completely understand 100%. New questions about the universe pop up every day. Luckily, in the book Frequently Asked Questions About the Universe, Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson do an excellent job at answering a few of the many questions that people have about the universe. One of the questions that the book answers is why humans can’t time travel. Cham and Whiteson explain that the reason humans can’t time travel is because of practicality and possibility and non possibility. An example of this is cooking a turkey with nuclear weapons. Althoguh an enginner might say that this is not impossible but would be very dangerous, the answer would still be maybe because there are many natural factors that have to be taken into consideration. On the other hand, an engineer will say that cooking a turkey with nuclear weapons is 100% possible because there is no math or sciene that contradicts this act. Many of the other questions asked in the book also include that possibility and practicality contradict. The main idea of the book is that for an effect to happen, there has to be a cause. This idea is spread throughout the book through the answers of the questions being answered. The writing style of this book is very good because throughout the entire book it answers the questions in a complex and more scientific way and then breaks that answer down into simpler words and terms where people can easily understand.
Ultimately, this book teaches the reader more about physics and global phenomena and how practical vs possibility vs not possible is the main factor to take into consideration for these question’s answers. Overall, this book answered the questions of many people including myself. I have always wondered why time travel wasn’t possible or why we can’t time travel and this book allowed me to understand why we can’t or can. The book itself was not a hard book to read and was filled with humor although it was very informative and taught me a lot. This book was a very well written book and the stuff it teaches about physics in a non-boring way leads me to recommend this book to anyone who is curious about the universe and enjoys humor.
April 1, 2024
This book was so good! It also sent me into existential crisis mode at least once per chapter. For context, here are some of the chapter titles: Are Humans Predictable?, Will Time Ever Stop?, Is an Afterlife Possible? and When Will the Sun Burn out?
So again, I was kind of freaking out sometimes while reading this. But ultimately I read to make myself think, and this book definitely makes you think. Focusing on broad concepts of physics and how we are alive and our place in the universe really puts the day-to-day pains and frustrations into perspective. We are specks of dust on a floating rock in an undefined amount of space filled with other rocks and specks of dust. Furthermore, as the authors point out, we know almost nothing about anything :)
About the book itself, I absolutely loved the writing style. It was filled with dry humor and blunt points that made the existential nature of it all a little less... existential? It was also filled with cartoons that were beautifully done and pulled out important points of the reading. For a book about concepts I don't understand at all, I was able to grasp quite a lot via the cartoons and jokes about spilling coffee on your pants.
Spoiler but not really because there is no plot?:
I do have to address the Is there an Afterlife chapter. I started reading it thinking, surely this will be reassuring, they'll have an answer that makes me feel better about the inevitability of death. Unfortunately for me and for anyone else who is or was alive, their answer is: to the best of our knowledge, there is no evidence that anything but entropy happens once we die. UM. Why. But I did cry at the end of this chapter - and not just because they said an afterlife is impossible. The authors use an explanation of quantum mechanics that is so far above my understanding of things to express that someone in the future could reconstruct who you are and what you did in life. I love that. And also to wrap it up, "there's an old adage that says we live on in the hearts and minds of those who knew us. According to quantum mechanics, this isn't just true; it's a mathematical fact." So maybe it's okay. Then two chapters later they talk about how the sun will die so. Read at your own existential risk.
So again, I was kind of freaking out sometimes while reading this. But ultimately I read to make myself think, and this book definitely makes you think. Focusing on broad concepts of physics and how we are alive and our place in the universe really puts the day-to-day pains and frustrations into perspective. We are specks of dust on a floating rock in an undefined amount of space filled with other rocks and specks of dust. Furthermore, as the authors point out, we know almost nothing about anything :)
About the book itself, I absolutely loved the writing style. It was filled with dry humor and blunt points that made the existential nature of it all a little less... existential? It was also filled with cartoons that were beautifully done and pulled out important points of the reading. For a book about concepts I don't understand at all, I was able to grasp quite a lot via the cartoons and jokes about spilling coffee on your pants.
Spoiler but not really because there is no plot?:
I do have to address the Is there an Afterlife chapter. I started reading it thinking, surely this will be reassuring, they'll have an answer that makes me feel better about the inevitability of death. Unfortunately for me and for anyone else who is or was alive, their answer is: to the best of our knowledge, there is no evidence that anything but entropy happens once we die. UM. Why. But I did cry at the end of this chapter - and not just because they said an afterlife is impossible. The authors use an explanation of quantum mechanics that is so far above my understanding of things to express that someone in the future could reconstruct who you are and what you did in life. I love that. And also to wrap it up, "there's an old adage that says we live on in the hearts and minds of those who knew us. According to quantum mechanics, this isn't just true; it's a mathematical fact." So maybe it's okay. Then two chapters later they talk about how the sun will die so. Read at your own existential risk.
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March 21, 2024Why I read it: I like science. I don't understand a whole lot of it, but I like reading about it. And I like knowing about the universe. And some parts of it seemed relevant for a writing project.
Thoughts: Really quick review on this one because I don't really have hot takes here. I liked it. It was fine. The blend of fact and humour and the presentation of science-made-palatable made me feel like I was reading the transcript of a very long episode of QI.
I do think it has the same issues as everything that relies on contemporary pop culture references, i.e. it feels dated really quickly. As an example, one of the chapters close to the start talks about potential things that may destroy humanity, and of course asteroids come up, so of course one of the jokes is that you'd hope Bruce Willis would be around to save you, with a footnote that says "Have you noticed the guy doesn't seem to age?" Of course, this book came out in 2021. In 2022, Bruce Willis retired from acting due to aphasia, and in 2023 his family made a post explaining aphasia has progressed into frontotemporal dementia. While this isn't something the authors could have predicted, it still felt weird and, like I said, dated. I'm not docking marks for it, necessarily, but it's turning into a common complaint for me.
On the flipside, this book has resurrected my interest in science (especially weird science that I will never grok), which is what I think every science-for-laypersons book should do.
Best part: What Happens If I Get Sucked Into A Black Hole? and Is There Another Earth Out There? The black hole chapter, in particular, was fascinating, and has provided me with so much daydream material. I sometimes put myself to sleep by imagining a long walk through Skyrim. I'm going to start putting myself to sleep by imagining I'm falling into a black hole.
Would I read more of this: Probably not... not unless it was another topic relevant to my specific interests, or relevant to a project, or at least in a different format.
Thoughts: Really quick review on this one because I don't really have hot takes here. I liked it. It was fine. The blend of fact and humour and the presentation of science-made-palatable made me feel like I was reading the transcript of a very long episode of QI.
I do think it has the same issues as everything that relies on contemporary pop culture references, i.e. it feels dated really quickly. As an example, one of the chapters close to the start talks about potential things that may destroy humanity, and of course asteroids come up, so of course one of the jokes is that you'd hope Bruce Willis would be around to save you, with a footnote that says "Have you noticed the guy doesn't seem to age?" Of course, this book came out in 2021. In 2022, Bruce Willis retired from acting due to aphasia, and in 2023 his family made a post explaining aphasia has progressed into frontotemporal dementia. While this isn't something the authors could have predicted, it still felt weird and, like I said, dated. I'm not docking marks for it, necessarily, but it's turning into a common complaint for me.
On the flipside, this book has resurrected my interest in science (especially weird science that I will never grok), which is what I think every science-for-laypersons book should do.
Best part: What Happens If I Get Sucked Into A Black Hole? and Is There Another Earth Out There? The black hole chapter, in particular, was fascinating, and has provided me with so much daydream material. I sometimes put myself to sleep by imagining a long walk through Skyrim. I'm going to start putting myself to sleep by imagining I'm falling into a black hole.
Would I read more of this: Probably not... not unless it was another topic relevant to my specific interests, or relevant to a project, or at least in a different format.
June 18, 2023
I read about two chapters when I decided this is my favorite book, and now that I’ve finished it I can confirm my previous decision. This book was really interesting, absolutely hilarious, and the most enlightening piece of literature I’ve ever read! I didn’t know I loved physics until I read this. I also think the last couple sentences of the penultimate chapter are some of the best writing I’ve ever read.
“Perhaps as we sit around the embers of that white dwarf, humanity will tell stories of what life was like in our day, when the Sun burned and humans took it for granted. We’ll reminisce about how it was a continual explosion, and it seemed like the sunny days would last forever.”
Like isn’t that beautiful?
I love this book so much!!!!
It is a little niche so it might not be for you but it was definitely for me!
“Perhaps as we sit around the embers of that white dwarf, humanity will tell stories of what life was like in our day, when the Sun burned and humans took it for granted. We’ll reminisce about how it was a continual explosion, and it seemed like the sunny days would last forever.”
Like isn’t that beautiful?
I love this book so much!!!!
It is a little niche so it might not be for you but it was definitely for me!
January 11, 2026
My dad checked this book out from the library, and I was like, “I’m stealing that!”
I picked it up to take it to school one morning, excited to read it.
Me: Dad, I’m borrowing your book!
Dad: I don’t know if it will make sense to you. Sometimes the books start out by explaining x y and a, but most of the time they expect you to know that already, blah blah blah…
Me: (puts book in backpack and gets ready to head out the door)
I read the book over the course of one school day, and it was amazing! They explained everything so well that you didn’t need to know x y and z first (not that that would have mattered to me), so practically anyone can read it and understand it. I enjoyed it so much, and now I’m reading their other book, We Have No Idea.
I picked it up to take it to school one morning, excited to read it.
Me: Dad, I’m borrowing your book!
Dad: I don’t know if it will make sense to you. Sometimes the books start out by explaining x y and a, but most of the time they expect you to know that already, blah blah blah…
Me: (puts book in backpack and gets ready to head out the door)
I read the book over the course of one school day, and it was amazing! They explained everything so well that you didn’t need to know x y and z first (not that that would have mattered to me), so practically anyone can read it and understand it. I enjoyed it so much, and now I’m reading their other book, We Have No Idea.
September 24, 2022
This book is a perfect combination of simple physics questions with serious answers, light hearted humors, and illustrative cartoons that I don’t even know I need them but they do help me comprehend the concepts that are quite hard to grasp. I found the last question&answer the most profounding. Highly recommend for the general science minded!
March 13, 2022
Very interesting and informative. Well written in understandable words, yet not condescending. I'll be checking out their podcast!
August 15, 2022
A fun, non-technical look at some serious questions about the universe that's filled with punchy, but informative text and fun illustrations.
November 4, 2022
I hate physicists
February 12, 2024
Het zou kunnen dat dit boek voor jongeren is geschreven en dus was het exact op mijn niveau.
February 21, 2022
This is really good for readers like me who don't come from a physics background. There's enough science and details involved, but it doesn't require intimate knowledge of complex mathematical equations. I love that it first defines what "possible" means if you're a physicist versus an engineer.
The little cartoons and asides keeps the reading interesting and not as dry. I read some of this to my 8 year old and she enjoyed it as well. Some of the answers for later questions can be repetitive but only because the author did such a good job explaining concepts in the earlier chapters.
The little cartoons and asides keeps the reading interesting and not as dry. I read some of this to my 8 year old and she enjoyed it as well. Some of the answers for later questions can be repetitive but only because the author did such a good job explaining concepts in the earlier chapters.
November 15, 2021
A fun collection of essays about, well, physics-based FAQs about the universe. Very much in the style of Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? And other Questions about Dead Bodies with humor and funny cartoons to help illustrate a point. (although, I felt my long-dormant dread of quantum mechanics rise from the dead in a few chapters - easily my least favorite part of physics class)
Good for pretty much all ages middle-school and up.
Good for pretty much all ages middle-school and up.
February 20, 2022
The questions picked for the chapters are great.. And the explanations are awesome. The cartoons make it more interesting.
This book is like an interesting primer which could lead you down a path to explore/read more.
There are repetition of some topics though in different answers..
This book is like an interesting primer which could lead you down a path to explore/read more.
There are repetition of some topics though in different answers..
September 25, 2023
We’ve all had moments where we’ve just gazed into the night sky, with its inverted bowl of stars, wondering what’s out there, why is it out there, who’s out there and where are they, and what is here and what is now, and where did everything come from, and when and how will it all end.
This fun read is an intelligent yet lighthearted tale at providing some real science based answers to those cosmos quandaries. The author duo have a podcast, and the style comes through in the book, with imaginative stick figures illustrating what would otherwise qualify for some really dense scientific concept. While clearly aimed at the armchair scientist in all of us, the book does justice to the really tricky and head-scratching subjects like what’s inside a black hole, and when will time end, and why are aliens not here already, and most importantly - when will Star Trek become a reality!
Ok, maybe not that last one! Though, there’s mention of at least technologies from the legendary show - the warp drive / ion drive and teleportation. Need I say more?
All said and done though, this is a good book that gently introduces the ideas and concepts of cosmic physics, interstellar travel and quantum mechanics - all without letting you, the intrepid reader, break a sweat.
I did have some favorites, and some that I probably skimmed over, if not skipped altogether! For me, some of the more impressive and interesting sections were the one about what’s inside a black hole and the one about why humanity has not yet reached the stars. Another couple of good ones were when will time end, and how long will humanity survive!
Granted some of the findings can make for some rather depressing reading, even though the so called “ends” enumerated herein won’t happen for another couple of billions of years. The stick figures help too!
Oh, and there’s Nutella, multiple times!
Suitable for middle/high schoolers with an interest in cosmology or quantum mechanics or relativity or just the fate of the entire universe (!), and of course for all of us adults who wished we could have been rocket scientists, but found the science and the math part too tough!
Delightful and insightful.
This fun read is an intelligent yet lighthearted tale at providing some real science based answers to those cosmos quandaries. The author duo have a podcast, and the style comes through in the book, with imaginative stick figures illustrating what would otherwise qualify for some really dense scientific concept. While clearly aimed at the armchair scientist in all of us, the book does justice to the really tricky and head-scratching subjects like what’s inside a black hole, and when will time end, and why are aliens not here already, and most importantly - when will Star Trek become a reality!
Ok, maybe not that last one! Though, there’s mention of at least technologies from the legendary show - the warp drive / ion drive and teleportation. Need I say more?
All said and done though, this is a good book that gently introduces the ideas and concepts of cosmic physics, interstellar travel and quantum mechanics - all without letting you, the intrepid reader, break a sweat.
I did have some favorites, and some that I probably skimmed over, if not skipped altogether! For me, some of the more impressive and interesting sections were the one about what’s inside a black hole and the one about why humanity has not yet reached the stars. Another couple of good ones were when will time end, and how long will humanity survive!
Granted some of the findings can make for some rather depressing reading, even though the so called “ends” enumerated herein won’t happen for another couple of billions of years. The stick figures help too!
Oh, and there’s Nutella, multiple times!
Suitable for middle/high schoolers with an interest in cosmology or quantum mechanics or relativity or just the fate of the entire universe (!), and of course for all of us adults who wished we could have been rocket scientists, but found the science and the math part too tough!
Delightful and insightful.
October 27, 2021
Okay so you might not get a complete answer- there's a fair amount of but... here- but golly, this will make you think. I liked that big questions about aliens, time travel, killer asteroids, and life on Mars (well, the possibility of living on Mars) are taken seriously. These are real and tough questions that wander around in people's brains and Cham and Whiteson have done their best to provide answers that while based in physics but not necessarily in practicality, will make you think again. It's written for the layperson in a conversational way that might lead readers down the rabbit hole but doesn't leave them there. It's leavened with humor (always a plus). Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. I learned a great deal- highly recommend.
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