Your Place in the Universe: Understanding Our Big, Messy Existence

by Paul M. Sutter

Overview

An astrophysicist presents an in-depth yet accessible tour of the universe for lay readers, while conveying the excitement of astronomy.How is a galaxy billions of lightyears away connected to us? Is our home nothing more than a tiny speck of blue in an ocean of night? In this exciting tour of a universe far larger than we can imagine, cosmologist Paul M. Sutter emphasizes how amazing it is that we are part of such a huge, complex, and mysterious place. Through metaphors and uncomplicated language, Sutter breathes life into the science of astrophysics, unveiling how particles, forces, and fields interplay to create the greatest of cosmic dramas. Touched with the author's characteristic breezy, conversational style—which has made him a breakout hit on venues such as The Weather Channel, the Science Channel, and his own popular Ask a Spaceman! podcast—he conveys the fun and wonder of delving deeply into the physical processes of the natural universe. He weaves together the past and future histories of our universe with grounded descriptions of essential modern-day physics as well as speculations based on the latest research in cosmology. Topics include our place in the Milky Way galaxy; the cosmic web—a vast web-like pattern in which galaxies are arranged; the origins of our universe in the big bang; the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy; how science has dramatically changed our relationship to the cosmos; conjectures about the future of reality as we know it; and more.For anyone who has ever stared at the starry night sky and wondered how we humans on Earth fit into the big picture, this book is an essential roadmap.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781633886636
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	05/15/2021
Pages:	280
Sales rank:	636,076
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.70(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Paul M. Sutter is the cosmological researcher and community outreach coordinator for the Department of Astronomy at The Ohio State University. He is also the chief scientist at the COSI Science Center (Center of Science and Industry). As a new, fresh voice in science communication and an astrophysicist, writer, speaker, producer, and on-air host of podcasts and TV programs, Sutter strives to bring science to new audiences. He is the creator of the Ask a Spaceman! podcast, a contributing editor to Space.com, and the founder of Active Galaxy Productions, a company that blends science with art in groundbreaking ways. Sutter has authored over sixty academic papers on topics ranging from the earliest moments of the Big Bang, to the emptiest places in the universe, to novel methods for detecting the first stars. He has given over 100 seminars, colloquia, and conference talks at institutions around the world. Watch him on YouTube, listen to him on Space Radio, and follow him on social media. Details can be found at http://www.pmsutter.com/outreach.

Read an Excerpt

PROLOGUE
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Excerpted from "Your Place in the Universe"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Paul M. Sutter.
Excerpted by permission of Prometheus Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Prologue: Perhaps This Was All a Big Misunderstanding 9

Chapter 1 Sacred Geometry 13

Chapter 2 A Broken Universe 29

Chapter 3 Tales from a Bewildering Sky 43

Chapter 4 The Death of Antimatter 59

Chapter 5 Beyond the Horizon 73

Chapter 6 Bathed in Radiance 91

Chapter 7 Reaping the Quantum Whirlwind 105

Interlude: A Guide to Living in an Expanding Universe 119

Chapter 8 Behold the Cosmic Dawn 127

Chapter 9 Of Matters Dark and Cold 143

Chapter 10 The Cosmic Web 159

Chapter 11 The Rise of Dark Energy 171

Chapter 12 The Stelliferous Era 189

Chapter 13 The Fall of Light 203

Chapter 14 The Long Winter 215

Epilogue: A Game of Chance 225

Notes 247

Select Bibliography and Further Reading 259

Index 261

Editorial Reviews

★ 09/10/2018
Cosmologist Sutter, creator of the podcast “Ask a Spaceman!” and contributing editor for Space.com, relates complex ideas with humor and clarity in his enthusiastic look at “all the gory physics on scales small and great” across the universe. Each topic receives a delightfully irreverent—but thoroughly accessible—treatment, from Ptolemy’s early “eye-rollingly wrong” Earth-centered model of the universe, through Tycho Brahe’s work in “his own private fortress of science,” in Danish Uraniborg, to the “frightfully messy” universe of papal “frenemy” Galileo, “the astronomer’s astronomer and the curmudgeon’s curmudgeon.” Sutter shows readers how improved observations and progressive advances in physics and astrophysics have afforded humankind a glimpse of the earliest moments after the Big Bang, some 13.8 billion years ago. From antimatter and black holes to dark matter, dark energy, and the Cosmic Web—the amazing weave of voids and strings of galaxies shaped by gravity and time that make up the universe—this excellent resource celebrates the wonders of space. Sutter’s brisk, often humorous writing and gift for clear explanations make this the perfect choice for readers looking to understand the universe on scales both human and cosmic. Agent: Lane Heymont, the Tobias Literary Agency. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

"This excellent resource celebrates the wonders of space. Sutter's brisk, often humorous writing and gift for clear explanations make this the perfect choice for readers looking to understand the universe on scales both human and cosmic.”—Publishers Weekly STARRED Review“Never before has the story of the universe been so accessible. Paul M. Sutter's Your Place in the Universe brings the cosmos down to earth and shows that you don't have to be an astrophysicist to enjoy the wonder of it all.” —Tariq Malik, managing editor, Space.com“Sutter always does a fantastic job of explaining the most complicated concepts and discoveries in an easily understandable way. He's the perfect guide to help you find your place in the universe.” —Fraser Cain, publisher of Universe Today“Imagine sitting around a campfire with an astrophysicist who doesn't just recount the history of cosmology, but also answers your questions. He puts them in context, and he is always understandable and never condescending. This is a wonderful read for those who are curious about big ideas—it's definitely not your daddy's intro astronomy book.” —Seth Shostak, senior astronomer, SETI Institute“What a marvelous book! Sutter delights in hosing down the gory details of our inscrutable, existential place in the universe. Using pithy humor, inspired analogies, and a turbo turn of phrase, he deftly deconstructs the inner workings of everything from dark energy and black holes to stellar evolution and ultimate cosmological fate. His articulate, unorthodox style will have you smiling blithely all the way to the heat death of the universe.” —Jeff Kanipe, author of The Cosmic Connection: How Astronomical Events Impact Life on Earth

From the Publisher