The Origins of the Universe for Dummies

Do you want to learn about the physical origin of the Universe, but don’t have the rest of eternity to read up on it? Do you want to know what scientists know about where you and your planet came from, but without the science blinding you? ‘Course you do – and who better than For Dummies to tackle the biggest, strangest and most wonderful question there is! The Origins of the Universe For Dummies covers: Early ideas about our universe Modern cosmology Big Bang theory Dark matter and gravity Galaxies and solar systems Life on earth Finding life elsewhere The Universe’s forecast

Introduction 1 Part I: In the Beginning: Early Ideas About Our Universe 7 Chapter 1: Exploring the Early Universe 9 Chapter 2: Looking Up at the Stars: Early Beliefs 17 Chapter 3: The Apple Drops: Newton, Gravity, and the Rotation of the Planets 27 Part II: Modern Cosmology: Going Off with a Bang 49 Chapter 4: Bending the Universe: Magnets and Gravity 51 Chapter 5: Measuring the Universe 73 Chapter 6: Cooking Up a Big Bang 95 Chapter 7: Letting It Rise: Expanding and Inflating the Universe 107 Chapter 8: Thinking Differently About the Universe 119 Part III: Building Your Own Universe 129 Chapter 9: Building Things from Scratch 131 Chapter 10: Forcing the Pace: The Roles of Natural Forces in the Universe 153 Chapter 11: Shedding Light on Dark Matter and Pinging Strings 169 Chapter 12: Playing with the Universe’s Chemistry Set 181 Chapter 13: Making Stars, Solar Systems, Galaxies, and More 197 Chapter 14: Giving Birth to Life 211 Chapter 15: Travelling Through Time 225 Part IV: Asking the Tough Questions 239 Chapter 16: Explaining the Unexplainable 241 Chapter 17: Finding Life Elsewhere 253 Chapter 18: Coming to an End 265 Part V: The Part of Tens 275 Chapter 19: Ten Different Beliefs about the Origins of the Universe 277 Chapter 20: Ten Greatest Cosmological Advances 285 Appendix: Understanding Scientific Units and Equations 295 Index 303