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The Unknown Universe: What We Don't Know About Time and Space in Ten Chapters Hardcover – 10 Sept. 2015

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 189 ratings

On 21 March 2013, the European Space Agency released a map of the afterglow of the Big Bang. Taking in 440 sextillion kilometres of space and 13.8 billion years of time, it is physically impossible to make a better map: we will never see the early Universe in more detail. On the one hand, such a view is the apotheosis of modern cosmology, on the other, it threatens to undermine almost everything we hold cosmologically sacrosanct.

The map contains anomalies that challenge our understanding of the Universe. It will force us to revisit what is known and what is unknown, to construct a new model of our Universe. This is the first book to address what will be an epoch-defining scientific paradigm shift. Stuart Clark will ask if Newton's famous laws of gravity need to be rewritten, if dark matter and dark energy are just celestial phantoms? Can we ever know what happened before the Big Bang? What's at the bottom of a black hole? Are there Universes beyond our own? Does time exist? Are the once immutable laws of physics changing?

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Review

'It is no revelation that some data on the early Universe sit uneasily with the standard model of cosmology. But in his clued-up overview, astronomy journalist Stuart Clark's picture of the yawning gaps in our understanding of the cosmos is fuller than most' ― Nature magazine

About the Author

Stuart Clark is an author and journalist whose career is devoted to presenting the complex world of astronomy to the general public. He holds a first class honours degree and a PhD in astrophysics, is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a former Vice Chair of the Association of British Science Writers. He is the author of numerous non-fiction books including The Sun Kings, The Big Questions and Voyager and a trilogy of novels set around the times of greatest change in mankind's understanding of the Universe. Clark regularly writes for the The Times, New Scientist, BBC and Astronomy Now. The Independent placed him alongside Stephen Hawking and Professor Sir Martin Rees as one of the 'stars' of British astrophysics teaching.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1781855749
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Head of Zeus (10 Sept. 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781781855744
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1781855744
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 21.7 x 3.1 x 14.2 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 189 ratings

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4.3 out of 5 stars
189 global ratings

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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 February 2021
    Stuart Clark is a great popular science writer, able to convey the gist of things without getting too complicated.
    You may say if you can't do the maths how can you understand it all, but this kind of book is the best you can hope for at my level of intelligence. I find it truly mind boggling how much we actually do know about the universe, just wish I could have added to it.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 October 2015
    For those who have a "deeper" understanding of cosmology and quantum mechanics they may find this rather fundamental. However other titles on the subject can be overwhelming and the depth of these other texts can be quite intimidating. Stuart Clark's "Unknown Universe", although more superficial allows some readers the opportunity to acquire the basics and build their knowledge bottom-up from basic principles. I would also recommend Michio Kaku's " Parallel Worlds" as a complementary text; it deals with similar concepts such as string theory and multiverses in a similar layman-type manner. All in all cosmology and quantum physics are subjects where the reading can be esoteric and profound and "Unknown Universe" really is a good starting point
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 July 2020
    Before I pop my clogs I really would like to understand just a little of this universe I have been passing through. This brilliant book a) put my mind through an exhilarating wringer b) made me proud of my species, that has developed minds capable of thinking on this scale. Oh, and to realise yet again that all those old guys centuries ago had minds as open and fresh as anyone today.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 April 2017
    As Johnny Nash would say, the more I find out the less I know. The search for all this dark stuff seems to me to be the latter day search for the ether.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 January 2021
    Its probably out of date by now but it does have a great deal of interesting information within it, including putting "discoveries" into an historical context. As a lay reader I did find it a bit frustrating at times - step by step reasoning for some theories/findings (often those that ended up being discounted), but giant leaps in reasoning for some of the big (accepted) ideas that meant the reader loses the plot.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 June 2016
    Stuart Clark is a very good astronomy writer tnd this book did not disappoint. Very concise and clear overview of the current limits of our knowledge. More knowledgeable reader may find that it lacks detail, but then it's not really intended for them. Suitable for the intelligent interested general reader.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 October 2015
    having read dozens of books on the universe and quantum theory and getting very bogged down this book was a refreshing change. The first by this author, certainly not the last!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 April 2016
    Excellent book. A whole new view on the Solar System and its structure in the first part and I'm looking forward to the second part.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Can be read and understood by all
    Reviewed in India on 23 August 2018
    Explains everything you need to know about the cosmos in a simple manner. Goes stage by stage deeper into the cosmos
  • BGCARL
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reading that captures the history and current understanding of our universe.
    Reviewed in the United States on 8 February 2017
    Over the years I have followed the evolution of cosmology from Fred Hoyle's "continuous creation" theory until the present. As observation ability and very smart modern thinkers has dramatically to allowed new theories to develop and old ones to fade to quaint ideas, there seems to no upper limit to completely understanding how our universe started and when and if it will end - and what all it consists of. Stuart Clark offers a refreshing summary of what we think we know now and the long history of our learning to parent day concepts. Some of the material in this book requires a bit more reading to wrap your mind around such concepts as parallel universes but for the most part, current (and past) theories are well explained for even the casual reader without a foundation in physics and cosmology.

    A sprinkle of humor here and there adds to the enjoyment as you journey through a fascinating history of early far thinking people that, based on then-available knowledge and observations, came up with reasonably sound ideas of our physical universe. Modern science continues to mold our knowledge as more discoveries are made and more mysteries (e.g., dark matter and dark matter) portend further excitement ahead. Stuart Clark has written a fine piece to explain where we have been and where to aim next. Great reading. I hope to see future offerings by Mr. Clark.
  • Prodipto
    4.0 out of 5 stars Worth buying
    Reviewed in India on 10 March 2019
    There was ample room for the author to elucidate......nevertheless, a good read
  • Jim R. Whitt Jr.
    4.0 out of 5 stars A solid presentation of current knowledge.
    Reviewed in the United States on 4 April 2017
    I listened to the audiobook. It was as if the Science Channel had made a college level episode of "How the Universe Works." Things are changing so fast in cosmology, this book will need a 2nd edition in 2019 or so. (There's a lot to look forward to. The James Webb Telescope should reach its destination and begin its work in late 2018 or 2019.)
  • Henry A. Kolesnik
    5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent up to date review.
    Reviewed in the United States on 20 September 2016
    I used to be an engineer and now retired with a desire to relearn some of the physics and astronomy that weren't taught when I went to school in the 60s. I usually don't buy books without a bunch of math but after perusing it I had to read it. The title is very appropriate for this book. It is a very good review of what's happened in cosmology and to some degree what we don't know and what we need to know. The last two paragraphs are right on but don't read them until you finish the book. I'm going retread the last few chapters and then look for books with lots of math that are as well written and understandable. Any tips appreciated
    Hank.
    PS My first review on Amazon