Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted
A fascinating look at the scientific mysteries behind our everyday world—from night, light and gravity to our cosmic home and wonder itself.

So much of what surrounds us feels familiar and mundane—until we look closer. C. Renée James opens the Universe to fantastical contemplation in this whimsical tour of seven everyday experiences: night, light, stuff, gravity, time, home, and wonder.

James introduces each of these seven wonders with a simple question that appears to be easily answered. The questions are deceptive, though. Although we need light to see, there’s much more to it than meets the eye. When you get down to the atomic level, physical things are made of almost entirely empty space—99.9% nothing. And James’s contemplation of our place in the Universe shows that it’s not just a place to hang your hat—and that there’s really nothing else like it.

James’s accessible discussion uses common analogies and entertaining illustrations to explain historical discoveries and concepts such as relativity, antimatter, and the electromagnetic spectrum. Fun and edifying, Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted is an inviting introduction to secret knowledge of our everyday world.
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Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted
A fascinating look at the scientific mysteries behind our everyday world—from night, light and gravity to our cosmic home and wonder itself.

So much of what surrounds us feels familiar and mundane—until we look closer. C. Renée James opens the Universe to fantastical contemplation in this whimsical tour of seven everyday experiences: night, light, stuff, gravity, time, home, and wonder.

James introduces each of these seven wonders with a simple question that appears to be easily answered. The questions are deceptive, though. Although we need light to see, there’s much more to it than meets the eye. When you get down to the atomic level, physical things are made of almost entirely empty space—99.9% nothing. And James’s contemplation of our place in the Universe shows that it’s not just a place to hang your hat—and that there’s really nothing else like it.

James’s accessible discussion uses common analogies and entertaining illustrations to explain historical discoveries and concepts such as relativity, antimatter, and the electromagnetic spectrum. Fun and edifying, Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted is an inviting introduction to secret knowledge of our everyday world.
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Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted

Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted

Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted

Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted

eBook

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Overview

A fascinating look at the scientific mysteries behind our everyday world—from night, light and gravity to our cosmic home and wonder itself.

So much of what surrounds us feels familiar and mundane—until we look closer. C. Renée James opens the Universe to fantastical contemplation in this whimsical tour of seven everyday experiences: night, light, stuff, gravity, time, home, and wonder.

James introduces each of these seven wonders with a simple question that appears to be easily answered. The questions are deceptive, though. Although we need light to see, there’s much more to it than meets the eye. When you get down to the atomic level, physical things are made of almost entirely empty space—99.9% nothing. And James’s contemplation of our place in the Universe shows that it’s not just a place to hang your hat—and that there’s really nothing else like it.

James’s accessible discussion uses common analogies and entertaining illustrations to explain historical discoveries and concepts such as relativity, antimatter, and the electromagnetic spectrum. Fun and edifying, Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted is an inviting introduction to secret knowledge of our everyday world.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780801899553
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date: 05/04/2021
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 257
File size: 7 MB
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

C. Renée James is an associate professor of physics at Sam Houston State University. An accomplished scholarly writer, her popular science essays have been published in Sky & Telescope, Astronomy, Current Science, and Mercury.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Nights
1.1. Of Snowballs and Ice-Skaters
1.2. Putting the Brakes On
1.3. Why Is Space Dark? Answer #1: Location, Location, Location
1.4. Why Is Space Dark? Answer #2: Because
1.5. Why Is Space Dark? Answer #3: Actually It Isn't
Small Wonder: Day and Night on Mercury
Small Wonder: Keeping the Night Sky Dark
2. Light
2.1. Codebreaking Basics
2.2. The Little Orphan Annie Secret Decoder CD
2.3. More Than Meets the Eye
2.4. Evading the Question
2.5. Making Light of the Universe
Small Wonder: Why Is the Sky Blue? And Why Are Sunsets Red?
Small Wonder: The Early Universe—A Made-for-TV Movie!
3. Stuff
3.1. It's Element-ary
3.2. Element Factories
3.3. In the Beginning . . .
3.4. Making Light of Evil Twins
3.5. The Good Guys Always Win . . . But Why?
Small Wonder: What Are You Really Made Of?
4. Gravity
4.1. A Penny for Your Thoughts?
4.2. Earth, the 6 Trillion Trillion Kilogram Weakling
4.3. Of Apples and Orbits and Confused Astronauts
4.4. But Wait . . . There's More!
4.5. Surprise! Gravity Isn't a Force!
Small Wonder: How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off, Guaranteed!
5. Time
5.1. Got a Second?
5.2. Time in a Bottle—or in a Black Hole
5.3. A One-Way Ticket to Disorder
5.4. Time: The Grand Illusion?
Small Wonder: So What Causes Daylight Saving Time to Happen?
Small Wonder: Why Are There Seven Days in a Week?
Small Wonder: What Would Happen if You Fell into a Black Hole?
6. Home
6.1. Goldilocks and the Three Planets
6.2. Goldilocks and the Three Stars
6.3. Goldilocks in Suburbia, Traffic, and Time
6.4. Why Goldilocks Could Never Have Been a Successful Real Estate Agent
Small Wonder: Looking for a Home Away from Home
Small Wonder: Do Aliens Exist?
Small Wonder: No, Really. Do Aliens Exist?
Small Wonder: Wanted—Alien Hunters
7. Wonder
7.1. Life—The Ultimate Eating Machine
7.2. There's More to Life Than Eating
7.3. It's All in Your Head . . . Maybe
7.4. It's a Wonder-Full Life
Small Wonder: Small Wonders
Afterword
For Further Reading
Index

What People are Saying About This

"It is no small wonder that Renee James's small book is wonderful. Even readers with sciophobia (fear of science) will find this a fun read, as well as faithful and accurate. The writing shows that the author is wise in psychology, philosophy, and literature as well as science."

Emo Philips

Professor James's enthusiasm for our Universe has made me quite ashamed that I've so long pined for a parallel one.

Peter Kreeft

It is no small wonder that Renee James's small book is wonderful. Even readers with sciophobia (fear of science) will find this a fun read, as well as faithful and accurate. The writing shows that the author is wise in psychology, philosophy, and literature as well as science.

Peter Kreeft, Boston College

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