Dr. Brian Keating: Charting the Architecture of the Universe & Human Life

What’s out there in the vast reaches of space? Are we alone in the universe? Renowned astronomer Carl Sagan offers some insight into these questions and many more in his widely acclaimed book, Cosmos.

Sagan is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and perhaps the greatest astronomer of our age. In this book, he provides a comprehensive description of the science, philosophy, and history of astronomical discovery, from ancient Ionia to the time of the book’s publication in 1980.

In this guide, we’ll delve into Sagan’s theories about the possibility of interstellar travel, the search for extraterrestrial life, and man’s quest for understanding the mysteries of the universe. As we go along, we’ll update the information with the most recent scientific discoveries and provide perspectives from other experts in related fields.

Since humans first looked up, we’ve wondered about our place in the cosmos, yet everything we’ve learned has shown that our ignorance still outstrips our knowledge. While to some that may seem disheartening, science educator Neil deGrasse Tyson finds it exciting to know there’s so much left in the universe to discover. The study of astrophysics, he says, gives us a valuable perspective on ourselves while revealing the nature of the universe in which we live.

Tyson explains in layman’s terms how physicists use the fundamentals of science and the full range of visible and invisible light to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos. He then goes on to cover the three biggest mysteries in astrophysics today—the origin of the universe, dark matter, and dark energy—while making a case for the benefits of understanding where we fit in the universal scheme. In this guide, we’ll also provide the historical context for astronomy’s groundbreaking discoveries and explain in more depth the current theories that are guiding astrophysics’ progress.

In Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari uses concepts from biology, history, and economics to tell the story of us, Homo sapiens. We start 2.5 million years ago, when Sapiens make their historical entrance, and end in the future, when the creation of an artificially created superhuman race may mark the end of the Sapiens species. Along the way, we learn how our ability to create imagined realities led to our dominance over other species. We watch as the Agricultural Revolution, the Scientific Revolution, imperialism, capitalism, and the Industrial Revolution change our species in lasting, and not always positive, ways.

Ultimately, we’re left with one question: As we design our future, who do we want to become? Asking the right questions may be more important than finding the right answers. Read this summary to explore our history as a species—in doing so, you’ll see today’s world in an entirely new way.

How much do you know about the universe you live in? Thanks to scientific discoveries of the twentieth century, scientists have gained insight into many of nature’s secrets, from the origin of the universe to the nature of space and time. In A Brief History of Time, physicist Stephen Hawking explains these insights for a general audience.

In this guide, we’ll present Hawking’s exposition of modern physics through the lens of five big questions that the book answers: Is reality relative or absolute? Is the future predetermined? How did the universe begin? What is the nature of a black hole? And can you build a time machine? Where applicable, we’ll also examine how Hawking’s assertions and predictions stack up to new data that scientists have collected since the book was published.

Since humans first looked up, we’ve wondered about our place in the cosmos, yet everything we’ve learned has shown that our ignorance still outstrips our knowledge. While to some that may seem disheartening, science educator Neil deGrasse Tyson finds it exciting to know there’s so much left in the universe to discover. The study of astrophysics, he says, gives us a valuable perspective on ourselves while revealing the nature of the universe in which we live.

Tyson explains in layman’s terms how physicists use the fundamentals of science and the full range of visible and invisible light to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos. He then goes on to cover the three biggest mysteries in astrophysics today—the origin of the universe, dark matter, and dark energy—while making a case for the benefits of understanding where we fit in the universal scheme. In this guide, we’ll also provide the historical context for astronomy’s groundbreaking discoveries and explain in more depth the current theories that are guiding astrophysics’ progress.

Since humans first looked up, we’ve wondered about our place in the cosmos, yet everything we’ve learned has shown that our ignorance still outstrips our knowledge. While to some that may seem disheartening, science educator Neil deGrasse Tyson finds it exciting to know there’s so much left in the universe to discover. The study of astrophysics, he says, gives us a valuable perspective on ourselves while revealing the nature of the universe in which we live.

Tyson explains in layman’s terms how physicists use the fundamentals of science and the full range of visible and invisible light to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos. He then goes on to cover the three biggest mysteries in astrophysics today—the origin of the universe, dark matter, and dark energy—while making a case for the benefits of understanding where we fit in the universal scheme. In this guide, we’ll also provide the historical context for astronomy’s groundbreaking discoveries and explain in more depth the current theories that are guiding astrophysics’ progress.

What’s out there in the vast reaches of space? Are we alone in the universe? Renowned astronomer Carl Sagan offers some insight into these questions and many more in his widely acclaimed book, Cosmos.

Sagan is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and perhaps the greatest astronomer of our age. In this book, he provides a comprehensive description of the science, philosophy, and history of astronomical discovery, from ancient Ionia to the time of the book’s publication in 1980.

In this guide, we’ll delve into Sagan’s theories about the possibility of interstellar travel, the search for extraterrestrial life, and man’s quest for understanding the mysteries of the universe. As we go along, we’ll update the information with the most recent scientific discoveries and provide perspectives from other experts in related fields.

How much do you know about the universe you live in? Thanks to scientific discoveries of the twentieth century, scientists have gained insight into many of nature’s secrets, from the origin of the universe to the nature of space and time. In A Brief History of Time, physicist Stephen Hawking explains these insights for a general audience.

In this guide, we’ll present Hawking’s exposition of modern physics through the lens of five big questions that the book answers: Is reality relative or absolute? Is the future predetermined? How did the universe begin? What is the nature of a black hole? And can you build a time machine? Where applicable, we’ll also examine how Hawking’s assertions and predictions stack up to new data that scientists have collected since the book was published.

What’s out there in the vast reaches of space? Are we alone in the universe? Renowned astronomer Carl Sagan offers some insight into these questions and many more in his widely acclaimed book, Cosmos.

Sagan is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and perhaps the greatest astronomer of our age. In this book, he provides a comprehensive description of the science, philosophy, and history of astronomical discovery, from ancient Ionia to the time of the book’s publication in 1980.

In this guide, we’ll delve into Sagan’s theories about the possibility of interstellar travel, the search for extraterrestrial life, and man’s quest for understanding the mysteries of the universe. As we go along, we’ll update the information with the most recent scientific discoveries and provide perspectives from other experts in related fields.

The human race has left a mark on our planet, sometimes through carelessness and sometimes by design, but how permanent are the changes we’ve made? In The World Without Us, science journalist Alan Weisman asks what would happen if the human race vanished overnight. What effects, positive or negative, would our disappearance have on the world? Weisman’s goal is to address humanity’s environmental impact by imagining a world in which nature is allowed to flourish. In many ways, the world that follows us would be significantly different than what came before.

In this guide, we’ll examine Weisman’s portrayal of humanity’s footprint and what Weisman claims would happen if we suddenly disappeared. Also, we’ll look at other views on climate change, nature’s resilience, and the human race’s impact. We’ll list suggestions for how our species might adapt to a greener world, as well as scenarios that might cause our extinction.

What’s out there in the vast reaches of space? Are we alone in the universe? Renowned astronomer Carl Sagan offers some insight into these questions and many more in his widely acclaimed book, Cosmos.

Sagan is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and perhaps the greatest astronomer of our age. In this book, he provides a comprehensive description of the science, philosophy, and history of astronomical discovery, from ancient Ionia to the time of the book’s publication in 1980.

In this guide, we’ll delve into Sagan’s theories about the possibility of interstellar travel, the search for extraterrestrial life, and man’s quest for understanding the mysteries of the universe. As we go along, we’ll update the information with the most recent scientific discoveries and provide perspectives from other experts in related fields.

Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking is best known for his expertise on black holes, quantum gravity, and general relativity, but his writing often addresses philosophical questions as well. In Brief Answers to the Big Questions, Hawking explains why he believes science can answer philosophical questions better than religion can. He then discusses where the human race came from and where he thinks we’re going. In particular, he highlights how colonizing outer space is important for the future of humankind.

In this guide, we’ll discuss Hawking’s perspective, explore how others cross-examine his perspective on religion, and compare his predictions about the future of humanity to Yuval Noah Harari’s predictions in Homo Deus.