From one of the most exciting and accessible voices in physics, an eye-opening look into the strange and wonderful world of quantum physics and how it is revolutionizing our understanding of the universe.
What is the universe made of, and how do we know? For decades, physicists have been zeroing in on this question, examining the most fundamental yet enigmatic building blocks of our world, descending to a level below even atoms to probe the mysterious subatomic particles and fields that make up the quantum realm. This astonishing world is the key to understanding the workings of the universe, but it has held its secrets close, spurring on fantastic leaps of innovation and opening the door to even deeper mysteries as scientists attempt to map its terrain.
In How to Build a Universe, celebrated astrophysicist Katie Mack pulls back the curtain on these discoveries, presenting the most cutting-edge picture modern physics has to offer of the structure of reality. Mack takes us through our current, and thrillingly accurate, understanding of how the subatomic world works and why, despite this, we may be on the precipice of a monumental breakthroughâone that could shatter everything we thought we knew about the foundations of existence. Rather than presenting physics as an enshrined set of facts, the book foregrounds the process and wonder of discovery, detailing the false starts, the conceptual leaps, and the passionate debates that shape scientific knowledge. Taking us to the edge of the map and beyond, How to Build a Universe is a front-row seat to some of the most mind-bending and exciting developments in physics and cosmology, as the fields themselves undergo a revolution, informed by the smallest and most alluring particles that make up the universe.
