Stars Talk to Neil – Reversing Earth’s Rotation

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 The God Delusion, University of Oxford biologist and anti-religion activist Richard Dawkins seeks to demystify religion and discredit faith. He explores the unlikelihood of God’s existence; how evolution by natural selection explains the centrality of religion to the human experience; and how religion promotes immoral values, impoverishes the human mind, and provides justification for intolerance and persecution. He argues that ultimately, we as humans must free ourselves from our self-imposed shackles by destroying faith and religion and positively embracing the full potential of our species.

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.

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.

The science of physics studies many topics, from the gravity holding planets together to electromagnetism and the microscopic forces inside the heart of the atom. Each of these forces works by different rules, some of which contradict each other. For centuries, scientists have sought a single theory that would unify these disparate fields and provide one equation from which we can derive a complete understanding of the universe. In The God Equation, theoretical physicist Michio Kaku suggests that an approach called “string theory” may be the path to uniting all the different laws of nature.

In this guide, we’ll trace the history of discoveries that unify areas of knowledge and reveal the underlying symmetries of nature. We’ll delve into string theory and define terms and concepts to give readers an understanding of the topic. We’ll discuss research to support string theory’s claims, and we’ll touch on the philosophical implications that a theory of the universe entails.

What if you could understand anything in the world by learning a finite set of rules and patterns that apply to all aspects of life? That’s the premise of The Great Mental Models series of books from Farnam Street, a website dedicated to timeless knowledge and insightful ideas.

In this second volume in the Great Mental Models series, Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish draw on models from physics, chemistry, and biology to help readers understand personal and social change as well as competitive environments such as business. They explore topics including how social change is like a chemical reaction and how the theory of relativity can help you understand somebody you disagree with.

In this guide, we organize the book’s models around the themes of movement and change, interpersonal interaction, and surviving and thriving in a competitive world. Along the way, we expand on the models by tying in related ideas and showing you how to put the book’s models into practice.

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.