The Zoomable Universe: A Step-by-Step Tour Through Cosmic Scale, from the Infinite to the Infinitesimal

Description

Embark on a breath-taking, cutting-edge voyage through the enormity of our reality - travelling one 'power of ten' or order of magnitude at a time. Inspired by the classic 'Powers of Ten' film and bestselling book by Charles and Ray Eames, the award-winning astrobiologist Caleb Scharf and acclaimed artist Ron Miller guide us from the very edge of the observable universe - about 91 billion light years away - to the subatomic realm, where the fabric of space-time itself behaves in a way that confounds all the rules of physics we currently know. Gorgeously designed and visually inspiring, The Zoomable Universe takes a truly unique approach toward explaining our place in the universe, charting an unforgettable course through galaxies, black holes, solar systems, stars and planets, oceans and continents, plants and animals, micro-organisms, atoms, quantum fields and much, much more. Stops along the way - all enlivened by Scharf's sparkling prose and original insights into the nature of our universe - include the surface of a rogue planet, the back of an elephant, and the contours of a DNA strand. With navigational aids that allow readers to track their progress from one scale to the next, and packed with over 100 original full colour illustrations and infographics, The Zoomable Universe is a whimsical celebration of discovery, a testament to our astounding ability to see beyond our own vantage point and chart a course from the farthest-flung edge of the cosmos to its mind-boggling depths - an unforgettable journey that will thrill readers of every age who want to discover more about the incredible reality we inhabit.

Caleb Scharf is the award-winning author of The Copernicus Complex and Gravity's Engines, and the director of the Columbia Astrobiology Centre. He has written for The New Yorker and Nature, among other publications. He lives in New York City with his wife and two daughters. Ron Miller is a Hugo Award-winning illustrator and author whose work has appeared in National Geographic, Scientific American, Smithsonian, the international bestselling app Journey to the Exoplanets, the definitive editions of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth, and many other books. He served as the art director for the National Air and Space Museum's Albert Einstein Planetarium. He lives in Virginia.

A fantastic journey from the fringes of the visible universe to the heart of the atom in this mesmerizing look at cosmology, astrophysics, quantum physics, and more... This book of wonders is perfect for casual readers, especially young students seeking a broad view of many subjects and how they all fit together. * Publisher's Weekly * Miller's stunning illustrations pair perfectly with Scharf's compelling writing, which introduces complex ideas using everyday language and lucid metaphors. Complementary infographics are fun to read and help put massive numbers in perspective. * Kirkus * 'This is a book that is rich in the poetry of scientific language . . . [N]ot only does [Scharf] know more about the universe than you or I do, he knows how to transmit his knowledge by deft use of analogy' * Guardian on Gravity's Engines *