Books on the Cosmos, Particle Physics, Black Holes, String Theory, Dark Matter

Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos
Michio Kaku 2006 4.7 stars/182 reviews 3 copies in the library
In this thrilling journey into the mysteries of our cosmos, bestselling author Michio Kaku takes us on a
dizzying ride to explore black holes and time machines, multidimensional space and, most tantalizing of
all, the possibility that parallel universes may lay alongside our own. Kaku skillfully guides us through
the latest innovations in string theory and its latest iteration, M-theory, which posits that our universe may
be just one in an endless multiverse, a singular bubble floating in a sea of infinite bubble universes. If M-
theory is proven correct, we may perhaps finally find answer to the question, “What happened before the
big bang?” This is an exciting and unforgettable introduction into the new cutting-edge theories of
physics and cosmology from one of the pre-eminent voices in the field.
Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy
Kip Thorne 1995 4.7 stars/128 reviews 10 copies in the library
Ever since Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity burst upon the world in 1915 some of the most
brilliant minds of our century have sought to decipher the mysteries bequeathed by that theory, a legacy
so unthinkable in some respects that even Einstein himself rejected them. Which of these bizarre
phenomena, if any, can really exist in our universe? Black holes, down which anything can fall but from
which nothing can return; wormholes, short spacewarps connecting regions of the cosmos; singularities,
where space and time are so violently warped that time ceases to exist and space becomes a kind of foam;
gravitational waves, which carry symphonic accounts of collisions of black holes billions of years ago;
and time machines, for traveling backward and forward in time. Kip Thorne, along with fellow theorists
Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose, a cadre of Russians, and earlier scientists such as Oppenheimer,
Wheeler and Chandrasekhar, has been in the thick of the quest to secure answers. In this masterfully
written and brilliantly informed work of scientific history and explanation, Dr. Thorne, the Feynman
Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech, leads his readers through an elegant, always human, tapestry
of interlocking themes, coming finally to a uniquely informed answer to the great question: what
principles control our universe and why do physicists think they know the things they think they know?
Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time has been one of the greatest best-sellers in publishing history.
Anyone who struggled with that book will find here a more slowly paced but equally mind-stretching
experience, with the added fascination of a rich historical and human component.
The Science of Interstellar
Kip Thorne 2014 4.6 stars/178 reviews not in the library
Interstellar, from acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan, takes us on a fantastic voyage far beyond our
solar system. Yet in The Science of Interstellar, Kip Thorne, the physicist who assisted Nolan on the
scientific aspects of Interstellar, shows us that the movie’s jaw-dropping events and stunning, never-
before-attempted visuals are grounded in real science. Thorne shares his experiences working as the
science adviser on the film and then moves on to the science itself. In chapters on wormholes, black
holes, interstellar travel, and much more, Thorne’s scientific insights—many of them triggered during the
actual scripting and shooting of Interstellar—describe the physical laws that govern our universe and the
truly astounding phenomena that those laws make possible.
Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandries
Neil DeGrasse 2014 4.6 stars/267 reviews 8 copies in the library
Loyal readers of the monthly "Universe" essays in Natural History magazine have long recognized Neil
deGrasse Tyson's talent for guiding them through the mysteries of the cosmos with clarity and
enthusiasm. Bringing together more than forty of Tyson's favorite essays, ?Death by Black Hole?
explores a myriad of cosmic topics, from what it would be like to be inside a black hole to the movie
industry's feeble efforts to get its night skies right. One of America's best-known astrophysicists, Tyson is
 Books on the Cosmos, Particle Physics, Black Holes, String Theory, Dark Matter

a natural teacher who simplifies the complexities of astrophysics while sharing his infectious fascination
for our universe.
A Black Hole is Not a Hole
Carolyn Cinami deCristofano 2012 4.6 stars/19 reviews 11 copies children's section
In lively and often humorous text, the book starts off with a thorough explanation of gravity and the role
it plays in the formation of black holes. Paintings by Michael Carroll, coupled with real telescopic
images, help readers visualize the facts and ideas presented in the text, such as how light bends, and what
a supernova looks like. [The book] is an excellent introduction to an extremely complex scientific
concept. Back matter includes a timeline which sums up important findings discussed throughout, while
the glossary and index provide a quick point of reference for readers. Children and adults alike will learn
a ton of spacey facts in this far-out book that’s sure to excite even the youngest of astrophiles.
The Particle at the End of the Universe: How the Hunt for the Higgs Boson Leads Us to the Edge of
a New World
Sean Carroll 2013 4.6 stars/194 reviews 8 copies in the library
The Higgs boson is one of our era’s most fascinating scientific frontiers and the key to understanding why
mass exists. The most recent book on the subject, The God Particle, was a bestseller. Now, Caltech
physicist Sean Carroll documents the doorway that is opening—after billions of dollars and the efforts of
thousands of researchers at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland—into the mind-boggling world of
dark matter. The Particle at the End of the Universe has it all: money and politics, jealousy and self-
sacrifice, history and cutting-edge physics—all grippingly told by a rising star of science writing.
Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution
Neil deGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith 2014 4.5 stars/101 reviews 6 copies in the library
Our true origins are not just human, or even terrestrial, but in fact cosmic. Drawing on recent scientific
breakthroughs and the current cross-pollination among geology, biology, astrophysics, and cosmology, ?
Origins? explains the soul-stirring leaps in our understanding of the cosmos. From the first image of a
galaxy birth to Spirit Rover's exploration of Mars, to the discovery of water on one of Jupiter's moons,
coauthors Neil deGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith conduct a galvanizing tour of the cosmos with
clarity and exuberance
The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality
Brian Greene 2005 4.5 stars/414 reviews 20 copies in the library
From Brian Greene, one of the world’s leading physicists and author the Pulitzer Prize finalist The
Elegant Universe, comes a grand tour of the universe that makes us look at reality in a completely
different way. Space and time form the very fabric of the cosmos. Yet they remain among the most
mysterious of concepts. Is space an entity? Why does time have a direction? Could the universe exist
without space and time? Can we travel to the past? Greene has set himself a daunting task: to explain non-
intuitive, mathematical concepts like String Theory, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, and
Inflationary Cosmology with analogies drawn from common experience. From Newton’s unchanging
realm in which space and time are absolute, to Einstein’s fluid conception of spacetime, to quantum
mechanics’ entangled arena where vastly distant objects can instantaneously coordinate their behavior,
Greene takes us all, regardless of our scientific backgrounds, on an irresistible and revelatory journey to
the new layers of reality that modern physics has discovered lying just beneath the surface of our
everyday world.
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Quantum Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness

Bruce Rosenblum 2011 4.5 stars/151 reviews not in the library
In trying to understand the atom, physicists built quantum mechanics, the most successful theory in
science and the basis of one-third of our economy. They found, to their embarrassment, that with their
theory, physics encounters consciousness. Authors Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner explain all this in
non-technical terms with help from some fanciful stories and anecdotes about the theory's developers.
They present the quantum mystery honestly, emphasizing what is and what is not speculation. Quantum
Enigma's description of the experimental quantum facts, and the quantum theory explaining them, is
undisputed. Interpreting what it all means, however, is heatedly controversial. But every interpretation of
quantum physics involves consciousness. Rosenblum and Kuttner therefore turn to exploring
consciousness itself-and encounter quantum mechanics. Free will and anthropic principles become crucial
issues, and the connection of consciousness with the cosmos suggested by some leading quantum
cosmologists is mind-blowing. Readers are brought to a boundary where the particular expertise of
physicists is no longer the only sure guide. They will find, instead, the facts and hints provided by
quantum mechanics and the ability to speculate for themselves. In the few decades since the Bell's
theorem experiments established the existence of entanglement (Einstein's "spooky action"), interest in
the foundations, and the mysteries, of quantum mechanics has accelerated. In recent years, physicists,
philosophers, computer engineers, and even biologists have expanded our realization of the significance
of quantum phenomena. This second edition includes such advances. The authors have also drawn on
many responses from readers and instructors to improve the clarity of the book's explanations.
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
Brian Greene 2010 4.4 stars/772 reviews 8 copies in the library
Brian Greene, one of the world's leading string theorists, peels away layers of mystery to reveal a universe
that consists of eleven dimensions, where the fabric of space tears and repairs itself, and all matter—from
the smallest quarks to the most gargantuan supernovas—is generated by the vibrations of microscopically
tiny loops of energy. The Elegant Universe makes some of the most sophisticated concepts ever
contemplated accessible and thoroughly entertaining, bringing us closer than ever to understanding how
the universe works.
Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier
Neil DeGrasse Tyson 2013 4.4 stars/162 reviews 3 copies in the library
America’s space program is at a turning point. After decades of global primacy, NASA has ended the
space-shuttle program, cutting off its access to space. No astronauts will be launched in an American
craft, from American soil, until the 2020s, and NASA may soon find itself eclipsed by other countries’
space programs. With his signature wit and thought-provoking insights, Neil deGrasse Tyson—one of our
foremost thinkers on all things space—illuminates the past, present, and future of space exploration and
brilliantly reminds us why NASA matters now as much as ever. As Tyson reveals, exploring the space
frontier can profoundly enrich many aspects of our daily lives, from education systems and the economy
to national security and morale. For America to maintain its status as a global leader and a technological
innovator, he explains, we must regain our enthusiasm and curiosity about what lies beyond our world.
Provocative, humorous, and wonderfully readable, Space Chronicles represents the best of Tyson’s recent
commentary, including a must-read prologue on NASA and partisan politics. Reflecting on topics that
range from scientific literacy to space-travel missteps, Tyson gives us an urgent, clear-eyed, and
ultimately inspiring vision for the future.
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The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos
Brian Greene 2011 4.4 stars/296 reviews 12 copies in the library
There was a time when "universe" meant all there is. Everything. Yet, a number of theories are
converging on the possibility that our universe may be but one among many parallel universes populating
a vast multiverse. Here, Briane Greene, one of our foremost physicists and science writers, takes us on a
breathtaking journey to a multiverse comprising an endless series of big bangs, a multiverse with
duplicates of every one of us, a multiverse populated by vast sheets of spacetime, a multiverse in which
all we consider real are holographic illusions, and even a multiverse made purely of math--and reveals the
reality hidden within each. Using his trademark wit and precision, Greene presents a thrilling survey of
cutting-edge physics and confronts the inevitable question: How can fundamental science progress if
great swaths of reality lie beyond our reach? The Hidden Reality is a remarkable adventure through a
world more vast and strange than anything we could have imagined.
Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the 10th
Dimension
Michio Kaku 1995 4.4 stars/275 reviews 7 copies in the library
The first book-length exploration of the most exciting development in modern physics, the theory of 10-
dimensional space. The theory of hyperspace, which Michio Kaku pioneered, may be the leading
candidate for the Theory of Everything that Einstein spent the remaining years of his life searching for.
Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields,
Teleportation, and Time Travel
Michio Kaku 2009 4.4 stars/346 reviews 16 copies in the library
Teleportation, time machines, force fields, and interstellar space ships—the stuff of science fiction or
potentially attainable future technologies? Inspired by the fantastic worlds of Star Trek, Star Wars, and
Back to the Future, renowned theoretical physicist and bestselling author Michio Kaku takes an informed,
serious, and often surprising look at what our current understanding of the universe's physical laws may
permit in the near and distant future.Entertaining, informative, and imaginative, Physics of the
Impossible probes the very limits of human ingenuity and scientific possibility.
Einstein's Telescope: The Hunt for Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe
Evalyn Gates 2010 4.4 stars/32 reviews 5 copies in the library
Evalyn Gates, a talented astrophysicist, transports readers to the edge of contemporary science to explore
the revolutionary tool—”Einstein’s telescope”—that is unlocking the secrets of the Universe. Einstein’s
telescope, or gravitational lensing, is so-called for the way gravity causes space to distort and allow
massive objects to act like “lenses,” amplifying and distorting the images of objects behind them. By
allowing for the detection of mass where no light is found, scientists can map out the distribution of dark
matter and come a step closer to teasing out the effects of dark energy on the Universe—which may
forever upend long-held notions about where the Universe came from and where it is going.
The Cosmic Cocktail: Three Parts Dark Matter
Katherine Freese 2014 4.3 stars/34 reviews not in the library
The ordinary atoms that make up the known universe—from our bodies and the air we breathe to the
planets and stars—constitute only 5 percent of all matter and energy in the cosmos. The rest is known as
dark matter and dark energy, because their precise identities are unknown. The Cosmic Cocktail is the
inside story of the epic quest to solve one of the most compelling enigmas of modern science—what is
the universe made of?—told by one of today’s foremost pioneers in the study of dark matter. Blending
cutting-edge science with her own behind-the-scenes insights as a leading researcher in the field,
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acclaimed theoretical physicist Katherine Freese recounts the hunt for dark matter, from the discoveries of
visionary scientists like Fritz Zwicky—the Swiss astronomer who coined the term “dark matter” in 1933
—to the deluge of data today from underground laboratories, satellites in space, and the Large Hadron
Collider. Theorists contend that dark matter consists of fundamental particles known as WIMPs, or
weakly interacting massive particles. Billions of them pass through our bodies every second without us
even realizing it, yet their gravitational pull is capable of whirling stars and gas at breakneck speeds
around the centers of galaxies, and bending light from distant bright objects. Freese describes the larger-
than-life characters and clashing personalities behind the race to identify these elusive particles.
The Shape of Inner Space: String Theory and the Geometry of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions
Shing-Tung Yau and Steve Nadis 2012 4.3 stars/73 reviews 6 copies in the library
String theory says we live in a ten-dimensional universe, but that only four are accessible to our everyday
senses. According to theorists, the missing six are curled up in bizarre structures known as Calabi-Yau
manifolds. In The Shape of Inner Space, Shing-Tung Yau, the man who mathematically proved that these
manifolds exist, argues that not only is geometry fundamental to string theory, it is also fundamental to
the very nature of our universe. Time and again, where Yau has gone, physics has followed. Now for the
first time, readers will follow Yau’s penetrating thinking on where we’ve been, and where
mathematics will take us next. A fascinating exploration of a world we are only just beginning to grasp,
The Shape of Inner Space will change the way we consider the universe on both its grandest and smallest
scales.
Warped Passages: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions
Lisa Randall 2006 4.3 stars/222 reviews 6 copies in the library
The universe has many secrets. It may hide additional dimensions of space other than the familier three
we recognize. There might even be another universe adjacent to ours, invisible and unattainable . . . for
now. Warped Passages is a brilliantly readable and altogether exhilarating journey that tracks the arc of
discovery from early twentieth-century physics to the razor's edge of modern scientific theory. One of the
world's leading theoretical physicists, Lisa Randall provides astonishing scientific possibilities that, until
recently, were restricted to the realm of science fiction. Unraveling the twisted threads of the most current
debates on relativity, quantum mechanics, and gravity, she explores some of the most fundamental
questions posed by Nature—taking us into the warped, hidden dimensions underpinning the universe we
live in, demystifying the science of the myriad worlds that may exist just beyond our own.
Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Out Daily Lives by the Year
2100
Machio Kaku 2012 4.1 stars/346 reviews 8 copies in the library
Space elevators. Internet-enabled contact lenses. Cars that fly by floating on magnetic fields. This is the
stuff of science fiction—it’s also daily life in the year 2100. Renowned theoretical physicist Michio Kaku
details the developments in computer technology, artificial intelligence, medicine, space travel, and more,
that are poised to happen over the next hundred years. He also considers how these inventions will affect
the world economy, addressing the key questions: Who will have jobs? Which nations will prosper? Kaku
interviews three hundred of the world’s top scientists—working in their labs on astonishing prototypes.
He also takes into account the rigorous scientific principles that regulate how quickly, how safely, and
how far technologies can advance. In Physics of the Future, Kaku forecasts a century of earthshaking
advances in technology that could make even the last centuries’ leaps and bounds seem insignificant.
 Books on the Cosmos, Particle Physics, Black Holes, String Theory, Dark Matter

A Universe From Nothing: Why There is Something Rather Than Nothing

Lawrence Krauss 2013 4.0 stars/793 reviews 8 copies in the library
One of the few prominent scientists today to have crossed the chasm between science and popular culture,
Krauss describes the staggeringly beautiful experimental observations and mind-bending new theories
that demonstrate not only can something arise from nothing, something will always arise from nothing.
With a new preface about the significance of the discovery of the Higgs particle, A Universe from
Nothing uses Krauss’s characteristic wry humor and wonderfully clear explanations to take us back to the
beginning of the beginning, presenting the most recent evidence for how our universe evolved—and the
implications for how it’s going to end.
Knocking on Heaven's Door
Lisa Randall 2012 4.0 stars/189 reviews 10 copies in the library
The bestselling author of Warped Passages, one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the
World,” and one of Esquire’s “75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century,”  Lisa Randall gives us an
exhilarating overview of the latest ideas in physics and offers a rousing defense of the role of science in
our lives. Featuring fascinating insights into our scientific future born from the author’s provocative
conversations with Nate Silver, David Chang, and Scott Derrickson, Knocking on Heaven’s Door is
eminently readable, one of the most important popular science books of this or any year. It is a necessary
volume for all who admire the work of Stephen Hawking, Michio Kaku, Brian Greene, Simon Singh, and
Carl Sagan; for anyone curious about the workings and aims of the Large Hadron Collider, the biggest
and most expensive machine ever built by mankind; for those who firmly believe in the importance of
science and rational thought; and for anyone interested in how the Universe began…and how it might
ultimately end.