Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted

by C. Renée James, Lee Jamison

Overview

Time. Gravity. Night. So much of what surrounds us feels familiar and mundane. But each is a wonder that reveals profound insights into the world around us.

C. Renée James's whimsical tour of seven everyday experiences—night, light, stuff, gravity, time, home, and wonder—opens the Universe to fantastical contemplation. Light? Although we need it to see, there's much more to it than meets the eye. Stuff? When it comes down to it, things are almost entirely empty space—99.9% nothing—especially when you get to the atomic level. Home? 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 introduces each of these seven wonders with a simple question that appears to be easily answered. The questions are deceptive, though—as is James's casual, light-hearted style. Underneath lie such concepts as relativity, matter and antimatter, and the electromagnetic spectrum. Her accessible discussion uses common analogies and entertaining illustrations to provide a bundle of detail on historical discoveries and to provoke serious pondering.

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. This book may be 99.9% nothing, but the thoughts it will inspire are massive.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801897986
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	01/15/2011
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

C. Renee James (SPRING, TX) is a professor of physics and astronomy at Sam Houston State University. She is the author of Science Unshackled: How Obscure, Abstract, Seemingly Useless Scientific Research Turned Out to Be the Basis for Modern Life and Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted.

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

From the Publisher

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

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

Editorial Reviews

[James'] conversational and at times humourous approach attempts to re-inspire the audience to look more closely at everything around them . . . If you’d like to understand more about how science affects the world around you without complicated scientific jargon that goes with it, this book is for you. It’s an informative and accessible read that’ll make you rethink whether taking the rubbish out is as boring as you previously thought.
—Nina Pace, Cosmos

James provides a satisfying and entertaining read for those of us who have a latent curiosity, for those who watch Nova or listen to Stephen Hawking and are still left scratching our heads, for those with curious children who demand more than 'just because' in answer to their questions, and for science teachers looking for student-friendly explanations . . . she doesn't claim to have the mathematical intelligence of Einstein, but she has something he didn't: the ability to explain esoteric scientific theories and concepts so that you understand them.
—Ruth Douillette , Internet Review of Books

I strongly recommend picking up Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted. You’ll never look at the cosmos the same way again.
—Karri Ferron, Astronomy.com

A lighthearted tour of everyday phenomena like light, time and gravity that also explores what makes Earth special and the evolution of life.
—Science News

From the Publisher

[James'] conversational and at times humourous approach attempts to re-inspire the audience to look more closely at everything around them . . . If you’d like to understand more about how science affects the world around you without complicated scientific jargon that goes with it, this book is for you. It’s an informative and accessible read that’ll make you rethink whether taking the rubbish out is as boring as you previously thought.

Cosmos - Nina Pace

A lighthearted tour of everyday phenomena like light, time and gravity that also explores what makes Earth special and the evolution of life.

Science News

I strongly recommend picking up Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted. You’ll never look at the cosmos the same way again.

Astronomy.com - Karri Ferron

James provides a satisfying and entertaining read for those of us who have a latent curiosity, for those who watch Nova or listen to Stephen Hawking and are still left scratching our heads, for those with curious children who demand more than 'just because' in answer to their questions, and for science teachers looking for student-friendly explanations . . . she doesn't claim to have the mathematical intelligence of Einstein, but she has something he didn't: the ability to explain esoteric scientific theories and concepts so that you understand them.

Internet Review of Books - Ruth Douillette

I strongly recommend picking up Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted. You’ll never look at the cosmos the same way again.

— Karri Ferron

Astronomy.com

James provides a satisfying and entertaining read for those of us who have a latent curiosity, for those who watch Nova or listen to Stephen Hawking and are still left scratching our heads, for those with curious children who demand more than 'just because' in answer to their questions, and for science teachers looking for student-friendly explanations... she doesn't claim to have the mathematical intelligence of Einstein, but she has something he didn't: the ability to explain esoteric scientific theories and concepts so that you understand them.

— Ruth Douillette

Internet Review of Books

[James'] conversational and at times humourous approach attempts to re-inspire the audience to look more closely at everything around them... If you’d like to understand more about how science affects the world around you without complicated scientific jargon that goes with it, this book is for you. It’s an informative and accessible read that’ll make you rethink whether taking the rubbish out is as boring as you previously thought.

— Nina Pace

Cosmos