YA Buddy Readers' Corner ♥ discussion

The essential universe, from our most celebrated and beloved astrophysicist.

What is the nature of space and time? How do we fit within the universe? How does the universe fit within us? There’s no better guide through these mind-expanding questions than acclaimed astrophysicist and best-selling author Neil deGrasse Tyson.

But today, few of us have time to contemplate the cosmos. So Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in tasty chapters consumable anytime and anywhere in your busy day.
While you wait for your morning coffee to brew, for the bus, the train, or a plane to arrive, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will reveal just what you need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines: from the Big Bang to black holes, from quarks to quantum mechanics, and from the search for planets to the search for life in the universe.

Feel free to join us in this buddy read!

30% (view spoiler)[ I feel like there has been a lot of information tossed in here, but I'm I'm understanding everything so far (which I'm going to be real, I'm probably not) I feel like a lot of this is stuff I have heard before? It doesn't make this any less interesting! I'm definitely curious to see what else is going to be talked about throughout this. (hide spoiler)]

44% (view spoiler)[Being from Missouri, that joke/dig at Missouri honestly made my day. That was excellent.

I never really knew what dark matter was, but I guess that's okay because apparently no one else really knows what it is either. (hide spoiler)]

81% (view spoiler)[Wouldn't that have been something else if Uranus was named George? I'm dying a little at the thought of that. (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[ I feel like I learnt a fair share throughout this, but that a lot of it also zoomed right past me and made no sense. However, I do think he did a great job about condensing it to something that could make sense to people who really did want a little beginning course in this. And the humor spread throughout it was enjoyable. (hide spoiler)]

Currently buddy-reading another book, and will get to this as soon as I finish that one!

Wow you read that fast @Erin! I won't be able to get to this until Wednesday. How did you like it?

We Will start tomorrow right?

Staccie wrote: "We Will start tomorrow right?"

Yep. You can start today too if you want. I finished my last book so now have time to start this one! I think I will start now

Maria wrote: "Staccie wrote: "We Will start tomorrow right?"

Yep. You can start today too if you want. I finished my last book so now have time to start this one! I think I will start now"
okk then I'll start tomorrow cause I have already read like 2 chapters from a few months ago! So how does buddy read really work? Are we just gonna give our opinion here after we're done?

Staccie wrote: "Maria wrote: "Staccie wrote: "We Will start tomorrow right?"

Yep. You can start today too if you want. I finished my last book so now have time to start this one! I think I will start now"
okk th..."

We can comment as we go :) and maybe mark spoilers if we feel like we're discussing sth that might be spoilery.

I finished chapter 1. Cool history of cosmos! Though it felt a a bit long. (view spoiler)[ I didn't know gravity hadn't had its own identity from the very start! The forces were all tied up together. Also, it took one second after the big bang to make nuclei out of the quarks and then subatomic particles. Cool. I learned a few things about quarks. And almkst half a million years to finally make atoms. I enjoyed t story of how life emerged on earth! Didn't know the start was from oceans. Also liked the ridiculous theories about the origin, lol. The universe being a simulation was kinda disturbing...is there a title to that theory? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 2. (view spoiler)[ wow I knew laws of physics were universal...but whoa. Didn't know light emitted by galaxies let us know they have the same elements as us! This chapter is really interesting, comparing earth with the rest of the universe. Did you guys know already that general theory of relativity was an expansion of Newton's law of gravitation? Or am I just dumb? Also, just like Periodic Table of Elements doesn't just have elements found on earth, but all the elements there are...in the universe - similarly, plasma is the fourth state of matter there is, not just one found on earth (it's not...except on rare occasions lightening strike) (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 1 - 3: (view spoiler)[ Wow, I’m loving this so far! Neil’s writing style is superb and makes everything easier to understand. Most of the things he tells I already knew but it’s still a very enjoyable read. (hide spoiler)]

Maria wrote: "I finished chapter 1. Cool history of cosmos! Though it felt a a bit long. [spoilers removed]"

Yes! It's actually called the Simulation Hypothesis: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simul...
(view spoiler)[It's funny to think it's an actual hypothesis some scientists believe, I thought it was a joke at first! (hide spoiler)]

Maria wrote: "Chapter 2. [spoilers removed]"

I already knew that but only because I studied Chemistry at Uni :P

Ari wrote: "Maria wrote: "I finished chapter 1. Cool history of cosmos! Though it felt a a bit long. [spoilers removed]"

Yes! It's actually called the Simulation Hypothesis: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Si..."

Yeah I found it funny too! I do think he means it as a joke

Chapter 3. (view spoiler)[ some of the things from chapter 1 are described in more detail here. I really didn't enjoy reading about this all. I liked other things in the first chapter better. Guess quantum physics really isn't my thing (it never was even when I studied quantum numbers - sub shells - in grade 11 chemistry. Most people found it interesting. I could appreciate the shapes but the study overall drove me nuts) (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 4. Really liked this chapter! (view spoiler)[ who knew intergalactic space could be as interesting as galaxies themselves? Not me. Oh, next chapter is dark matter. So excited! (hide spoiler)]

Ari wrote: "Chapters 1 - 3: [spoilers removed]"

His narration in the audiobook is superb. I can see why he's so popular, his speaking voice is just top notch.

Ari wrote: "Maria wrote: "I finished chapter 1. Cool history of cosmos! Though it felt a a bit long. [spoilers removed]"

Yes! It's actually called the Simulation Hypothesis: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Si..."

Thanks for the link!

Maria wrote: "Chapter 2. [spoilers removed]"

haha, like every student I have asks WHAT ABOUT PLASMA.

Maria wrote: "I finished chapter 1. Cool history of cosmos! Though it felt a a bit long. [spoilers removed]"

yeah, but I love all the tidbits and history he included.

Clephiro wrote: "Maria wrote: "Chapter 2. [spoilers removed]"

haha, like every student I have asks WHAT ABOUT PLASMA."

Lol. Valid question :p

I'm more than a little behind on this.

Chapter 5. (view spoiler)[ Hadn't known the bit about neutrinos! To think they'd been there all along, right under our nose (or through our nose)! But we still discovered them. This makes me hopeful for further information on dark matter, sometime in the future (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 6 (view spoiler)[ enjoyed how lambda/dark energy contributed to the calculation of cosmos' density (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 4 - 6: (view spoiler)[I didn’t know the word ‘galaxy’ came from the greek word for ‘milky’ :O
It’s always so interesting to learn about dark matter and dark energy! “Dark matter is our frenemy” I love Neil de Grasse Tyson. I didn’t know the story about Einstein’s lambda. (hide spoiler)]

Maria wrote: "I'm more than a little behind on this.

Chapter 5. [spoilers removed]

Chapter 6 [spoilers removed]"

Same! That makes me hopeful too

Chapters 7 - 9: (view spoiler)[I love the idea of silicon-based life forms haha. And the sphere to end all spheres, the entire universe! I appreciated that Hamlet quote at the beginning of the Invisible Light chapter. (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[ “No, it’s not Pluto. Get over it.” Ah, that hurt. I didn’t know there was an asteroid named after Tyson lmao. I loved the last chapter! (hide spoiler)]

Ari wrote: "Finished: [spoilers removed]"

I loved the last chapter a lot, too!(view spoiler)[ And yes, the asteroid named after him...I actually read about it first in his biography here on goodreads. I liked the Hamlet quote (and all the other literary quotes mentioned throughout the book, really! It's interesting how they can be used to foreshadow scientific discoveries). I loved the chapter (Invisible Light) itself! It was one of my favourites (among Cosmos on the Table, Exoplanet Earth, and of course, Dark Energy). (hide spoiler)]