Where the Universe Came From

Download or read book Where the Universe Came From written by New Scientist and published by Nicholas Brealey. This book was released on 2017-03-21 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How did it all begin? Where is it all going? WHY GENERAL RELATIVITY LEAVES UNFINISHED BUSINESS WITH THE COSMOS A little over a century ago, a young Albert Einstein presented his general theory of relativity to the world and utterly transformed our understanding of the universe. He overturned centuries of thinking about gravity by revealing how it arises from the curvature of space and time. Yet general relativity has had far greater consequences. It has revealed that our universe has been expanding from a hot dense state called the big bang. It has changed our understanding of space and time. And it predicts that the universe is an extreme place, containing black holes and possibly wormholes. Using Einstein's insights, today's cosmologists have come to realize that most of the universe is missing in the form of mysterious dark matter and dark energy. In Where The Universe Came From leading cosmologists and New Scientist explain that while we have made great progress, we still have plenty of unfinished business with the cosmos. How does the dark universe shape our cosmic destiny? What is really happening near black holes? Are we any closer to discovering the ripples in space-time predicted by Einstein? Why is relativity not the final answer? ABOUT THE SERIES New Scientist Instant Expert books are definitive and accessible entry points to the most important subjects in science; subjects that challenge, attract debate, invite controversy and engage the most enquiring minds. Designed for curious readers who want to know how things work and why, the Instant Expert series explores the topics that really matter and their impact on individuals, society, and the planet, translating the scientific complexities around us into language that's open to everyone, and putting new ideas and discoveries into perspective and context.