The universe through the eyes of an astrophysicist is a fascinating place — and a good book can give you a glimpse of that world without requiring years of study. Here are the Space.com writers' and editors' recommendations of astrophysics books that will thrill, puzzle, intrigue, and blow your mind.
Astrophysics is not a subject that can be taken lightly but many of these books seek to answer your questions in a light and interesting way, making them well worth your time.
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Einstein's Unfinished Revolution
The search for what lies beyond the quantum
Although many believe that the quantum-mechanics revolution of the 1920s is settled science, Lee Smolin wants to disrupt that assumption. Smolin, a theoretical physicist based at the Perimeter Institute in Toronto, argues that quantum mechanics is incomplete.
The standard quantum model only allows us to know the position or trajectory of a subatomic particle — not both at the same time. Smolin has spent his career looking to "complete" quantum physics in a way that allows us to know both pieces of information. Smolin's very engaging new book, "Einstein's Unfinished Revolution," offers this unique perspective honed through four decades at the forefront of theoretical physics. ~ Marcus Banks
Finding Our Place in the Universe
How We discovered Laniakea, the Milky Way's home
In "Finding Our Place in the Universe," French astrophysicist Helene Courtois describes the invigorating quest to discover the Milky Way's home. In 2014 Courtois was part of a research team that discovered the galactic supercluster which contains the Milky Way, which they named Laniakea. This means "immeasurable heaven" in Hawaiian.
In this engaging and fast-paced book, Courtois describes her own journey in astrophysics and highlights the key contributions of numerous female astrophysicists. The reader is right there with her as Courtois travels to the world's leading observatories in pursuit of Laniakea, and it's easy to see why the challenge of discovering our galaxy's home became so seductive. Readers who want them will learn all the scientific and technical details needed to understand the discovery of Laniakea, but it's also possible to enjoy this book as a pure tale of adventure. ~Marcus Banks
Out There
A Scientific Guide to Alien Life, Antimatter, and Human Space Travel
With "Out There: A Scientific Guide to Alien Life, Antimatter, and Human Space Travel (For the Cosmically Curious)," Space.com senior writer Mike Wall gets at the most pressing questions of our place in the universe, who else is out there, what they might be like and why we haven't heard from them yet. Wall draws on up-to-date science to answer speculative questions accurately and with good humor, accompanied by Karl Tate's entertaining line drawings.
"Out There" dramatizes the search for life and how we might react to its discovery, and it also explores what a long-term human presence off Earth could look like and whether we will ever make it there. The book offers quick dips into the most interesting aspects of space science, but it never feels shallow. ~Sarah Lewin
A Brief History of Time
From the Big Bang to Black Holes
Stephen Hawking explains the universe. In this best-seller, the renowned physicist breaks down black holes, space and time, the theory of general relativity and much more, and makes it accessible to those of us who aren't rocket scientists. The book is a great primer for anyone who wants to learn more about the origins of the universe and where it's all heading. ~Live Science Staff
"A Briefer History of Time," published first in 2005 in collaboration with Leonard Mlodinow, offers a more accessible update on the science of the first book.
Earth in Human Hands
Shaping our planet's future
Over the past century, humankind's influence over our environment has increased dramatically. Astrobiologist and planetary scientist David Grinspoon argues that our species is arriving at a point that lifeforms across the galaxy may face — become self-sustaining or perish. In "Earth in Human Hands," Grinspoon explores the ways that, for good or bad, humans have seized control of the planet. The choice is whether we do so mindlessly, or whether we act in a responsible, considerate manner.
Such a dilemma may be common to all life, and the most successful, long-lasting civilizations in the galaxy may live on planets they have engineered to be stable over extended periods of time, making them more difficult to identify than rapidly-expanding societies. ~Nola Redd
The Glass Universe
How the ladies of the Harvard observatory took the measure of the stars
"The Glass Universe" highlights the remarkable story of how a group of women, called "computers," shaped the field of astronomy during the mid-19th century — when women were not typically employed outside the home. At that time, astronomers relied on grounded telescopes to record nightly observations of the stars.
Women computers at the Harvard College Observatory were then tasked with interpreting those observations, captured on photographic glass plates. Author Dava Sobel follows the stories of several women, which she collected from old diaries, letters, and published observatory logbooks. Based on their calculations, these women — including Williamina Fleming, Antonia Maury, Henrietta Leavitt, Annie Jump Cannon, and Cecilia Payne — made some of the most fundamental discoveries of our universe. ~Samantha Mathewson
Black Holes and Time Warps
Einstein's outrageous legacy
Theoretical astrophysicist Kip Thorne has spent his career exploring topics that once seemed relegated to science fiction, such as whether time travel is possible, and how humans could potentially travel from galaxy to galaxy via wormholes. In "Black Holes and Time Warps," Thorne provides an introduction to these and other mind-bending topics, at a level appropriate for nonscientists. The book is not a light read — it goes deeper into the science than many pop physics books — but Thorne is the perfect person to take readers on this journey: He's a patient and entertaining teacher, and he never loses the thread of the story.
On top of the science lessons, Thorne introduces a cast of characters who pushed these fields forward and chronicles the fight by American and Russian physicists to continue scientific collaboration during the Cold War. ~Calla Cofield
The Demon-Haunted World
Science as a candle in the dark
Sagan was one of the 20th century's greatest ambassadors and popularizers of science, and he doesn't disappoint in "The Demon-Haunted World." The book explains to laypeople just what science is, and how researchers use the process of scientific inquiry to understand the universe around us. There's a lot of debunking in "The Demon-Haunted World" — of alien encounters, channeling, and other paranormal experiences — and Sagan even provides readers a "baloney detection kit" to help them navigate a confusing and chaotic world.
Like other Sagan works, this one is a fun and engaging read, but a great deal of ambition lurks beneath the fluid prose, as this quote from the book reveals: "If we can't think for ourselves, if we're unwilling to question authority, then we're just putty in the hands of those in power. But if the citizens are educated and form their own opinions, then those in power work for us. In every country, we should be teaching our children the scientific method and the reasons for a Bill of Rights. With it comes a certain decency, humility, and community spirit. In the demon-haunted world that we inhabit by virtue of being human, this may be all that stands between us and the enveloping darkness." ~Mike Wall
Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey
Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the Tenth Dimension
Our brains evolved to comprehend the world around us on a local and accessible scale. We're really not equipped to understand the universe as a 10-dimensional entity — and yet "Hyperspace" explains this revolutionary idea in such a lucid and engaging way that it makes a good deal of sense. By the time you're done reading this book, you'll have a pretty solid grasp of why Kaku and other scientists think the basic forces in our universe — electromagnetism, gravity, and the strong and weak nuclear forces — may actually just be vibrations in higher-dimensional space.
And it's an extremely fun read, too, with excursions into such sexy topics as parallel universes, time travel, and wormholes. For example, did you know that you might be able to create a wormhole in your own kitchen using just an ice cube and a pressure cooker? All you have to do is figure out a way to heat the ice cube up to a temperature of 10³² degrees Kelvin. ~Mike Wall
A heavy subject, made fun
From Einstein to Sagan, Astrophysics can be heavy reading. Fortunately these books are all engaging, and even funny at times. When dealing with both the very large and the very small all at the same time we need extremely clever women and men to guide us all through it and bring us out into understanding.
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