This concise and beautifully illustrated book traces the evolution of the Cosmos from the Big Bang to the development of intelligent life on Earth, conveying clear science in an engaging narrative. By mapping the history of the Universe for…
How did life on earth originate? Did replication or metabolism come first in the history of life? In this book, Freeman Dyson examines these questions and discusses the two main theories that try to explain how naturally occurring chemicals could…
Two scientists provide a popular account of the search for planetary systems outside our own solar system, detailing the technology and scientific techniques that make such searches possible and the discoveries that have been made.
Paul Davies explains the significance of the amazing quantum universe, where fact is stranger than any science fiction. He takes us into a world where common-sense notions of space, time, and causality must be left behind as the realm of solid matter…
The first planet around a sunlike star was finally detected in 1995, after decades of false alarms. It was inevitable that within a couple of years a flood of books on extrasolar planets would gush forth. Michael Lemonick is the senior science writer…
Our universe seems strangely ''biophilic, '' or hospitable to life. Is this happenstance, providence, or coincidence? According to cosmologist Martin Rees, the answer depends on the answer to another question, the one posed by Einstein's famous…
Our Evolving Universe is a lucid, non-technical and infectiously enthusiastic introduction to current astronomy and cosmology. Highly illustrated throughout with the latest colour images from the world's most advanced telescopes, it also provides a…
Part of a series which aims to inform non-specialists about recent scientific developments, this book discusses such topics as quasars, the distribution and formation of galaxies, and the strengths and weaknesses of the inflationary model. The book…
September 2015 Space is an incredibly hard environment to work in: weightless, airless and with daunting temperature extremes. Systems must operate reliably for years on end, with no chance of repair.
Under ESA leadership, European space industry…