A Brief History of the Universe (and our place in it)

We have always looked up at the sky and wondered.

The desire to explore and understand what lies beyond us is at the heart of scientific discovery. Ever since the ancient Babylonians tracked celestial objects on clay tablets, the search for meaning in an infinitely vast universe has been a profoundly human pursuit.

In this spellbinding book, Dr Sarah Alam Malik takes us on a journey through the discoveries that shaped our perception of the cosmos. From the Earth-centred worldview of Aristotle and the Copernican revolution to Isaac Newton unifying the terrestrial and celestial under the law of gravity. Each breakthrough is a testament to humanity’s determination to peek behind the curtain of our world to examine what’s underneath.

Our ability to imagine and seek out a much grander and more mysterious reality drives us towards an incredible future. From the fiery deaths of faraway suns to the complexities of the subatomic, this is the story of what we’ve found and how they continue to change us.

A Brief History of the Universe (and our place in it) is a fascinating story of discovery and a beautiful celebration of our endless curiosity.

Review

‘Many delightful anecdotes... a book about our discovery of the universe, how we stood on the shoulders of giants to get this far, and what may come next. She is a warm, clear writer who covers an awful lot in a small space’ -- New Scientist Magazine

'A thrilling reminder of how much we know about the universe and what a marvelous journey it has been to discover it. With just the right amount of detail and human interest, this is a sweeping tour of the laws of physics, the scope of the universe and the place of life within it' -- Sean Carroll, author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe

'A bold and fast-paced history of the cosmos from Babylon to life beyond Earth. Sarah Alam Malik captures the wonder and mystery of life in the Universe in a style reminiscent of Carl Sagan' -- Dr. Jeffrey Forshaw, professor and author

About the Author

Dr Sarah Alam Malik is an award-winning particle physicist and an internationally renowned expert on dark matter. Her work on large-scale experiments like the Large Hadron Collider has placed her at the cutting edge of exploring the Universe's mysteries and the sophisticated technologies that enable us to probe its fundamental laws. She studied Physics at Oxford University before obtaining a PhD in Particle Physics from University College London, spending time as an Associate at Rockefeller University in the US and Imperial College London before being awarded the prestigious Royal Society University Research Fellowship.