Brian Keating: I’m Spending $200 Million To Explore Why We Exist! How God Fits Into Science Finally Explained, Is God Real?

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.

Have you always wanted to understand the natural world but found science classes tedious and science textbooks difficult to understand? Author Bill Bryson can relate—that was his motivation for researching and writing A Short History of Nearly Everything. The book is an accessible overview of the natural sciences that describes not only the important discoveries but also the unknowns and controversies that still exist in the sciences, like the mystery of missing mass in the universe and the puzzling details of human evolution.

In this guide, we’ve organized key topics from Bryson’s book into a concise chronology covering the origins of the universe, the geologic history of planet Earth, and the history of life on Earth. We’ll also analyze the scientific issues that Bryson brings up in light of recent scientific papers and compare his perspective to that of scientists like Stephen Hawking.

The Fermi Paradox is the contradiction between our lack of evidence to support the existence of intelligent life beyond Earth and the high probability that it exists. This article discusses theories that might resolve the paradox.

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.

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.

In Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, philosopher Daniel Dennett explores the far-reaching impact of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. Dennett argues that Darwin's theory sent shockwaves across philosophy, psychology, religion, and culture by explaining the emergence of complex design without the need for a “designer” or God. Further, he says that this theory has radical implications for our ideas about the development of the human mind, culture, and even morality and consciousness.

In this guide, we’ll explore the key themes in Dennett’s book, including:

• That evolution is unguided by an intelligence, purpose, or conscious design
• How the theory of evolution eliminates the need for a divine creator and argues that our existence is a matter of chance
• How our understanding of evolution has influenced our understanding of human thought, language, culture, morality, and free will

Throughout the guide, we’ll supplement Dennett’s analysis with insights from philosophers, evolutionary biologists, and other thinkers who support and challenge his ideas.

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.

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.

Have you always wanted to understand the natural world but found science classes tedious and science textbooks difficult to understand? Author Bill Bryson can relate—that was his motivation for researching and writing A Short History of Nearly Everything. The book is an accessible overview of the natural sciences that describes not only the important discoveries but also the unknowns and controversies that still exist in the sciences, like the mystery of missing mass in the universe and the puzzling details of human evolution.

In this guide, we’ve organized key topics from Bryson’s book into a concise chronology covering the origins of the universe, the geologic history of planet Earth, and the history of life on Earth. We’ll also analyze the scientific issues that Bryson brings up in light of recent scientific papers and compare his perspective to that of scientists like Stephen Hawking.

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.