Time. Gravity. Night. So much of what surrounds us feels familiar and mundane. But each is a wonder that reveals profound insights into the world around us.C. Renée James's whimsical tour of seven everyday experiences -- night, light, stuff, gravity, time, home, and wonder -- opens the universe to fantastical contemplation. Light? Although we need it to see, there's much more to it than meets the eye. Stuff? When it comes down to it, things are almost entirely empty space -- especially when you get to the atomic level. Home? James's contemplation of our place in the universe shows that it's not just a place to hang your hat -- and that there really is nothing like it. James introduces each of these seven wonders with a simple question that appears to be easily answered. The questions are deceptive, though -- as is James's casual, lighthearted style. Underneath lie such concepts as relativity, matter and antimatter, and the electromagnetic spectrum. Her layperson's discussion uses common analogies and entertaining illustrations to provide a bundle of detail on historical discoveries and to provoke serious pondering. Fun and edifying, Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted is an inviting introduction to secret knowledge of our everyday world. This book may be 99.9% nothing, but the thoughts it will inspire are massive.
Preface Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Nights 1.1. Of Snowballs and Ice-Skaters 1.2. Putting the Brakes On 1.3. Why Is Space Dark? Answer #1: Location, Location, Location 1.4. Why Is Space Dark? Answer #2: Because 1.5. Why Is Space Dark? Answer #3: Actually It Isn't Small Wonder: Day and Night on Mercury Small Wonder: Keeping the Night Sky Dark 2. Light 2.1. Codebreaking Basics 2.2. The Little Orphan Annie Secret Decoder CD 2.3. More Than Meets the Eye 2.4. Evading the Question 2.5. Making Light of the Universe Small Wonder: Why Is the Sky Blue? And Why Are Sunsets Red? Small Wonder: The Early UniverseA Made-for-TV Movie! 3. Stuff 3.1. It's Element-ary 3.2. Element Factories 3.3. In the Beginning... 3.4. Making Light of Evil Twins 3.5. The Good Guys Always Win... But Why? Small Wonder: What Are You Really Made Of? 4. Gravity 4.1. A Penny for Your Thoughts? 4.2. Earth, the 6 Trillion Trillion Kilogram Weakling 4.3. Of Apples and Orbits and Confused Astronauts 4.4. But Wait... There's More! 4.5. Surprise! Gravity Isn't a Force! Small Wonder: How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off, Guaranteed! 5. Time 5.1. Got a Second? 5.2. Time in a Bottleor in a Black Hole 5.3. A One-Way Ticket to Disorder 5.4. Time: The Grand Illusion? Small Wonder: So What Causes Daylight Saving Time to Happen? Small Wonder: Why Are There Seven Days in a Week? Small Wonder: What Would Happen if You Fell into a Black Hole? 6. Home 6.1. Goldilocks and the Three Planets 6.2. Goldilocks and the Three Stars 6.3. Goldilocks in Suburbia, Traffic, and Time 6.4. Why Goldilocks Could Never Have Been a Successful Real Estate Agent Small Wonder: Looking for a Home Away from Home Small Wonder: Do Aliens Exist? Small Wonder: No, Really. Do Aliens Exist? Small Wonder: WantedAlien Hunters 7. Wonder 7.1. LifeThe Ultimate Eating Machine 7.2. There's More to Life Than Eating 7.3. It's All in Your Head... Maybe 7.4. It's a Wonder-Full Life Small Wonder: Small Wonders Afterword For Further Reading Index
""A lighthearted tour of everyday phenomena like light, time and gravity that also explores what makes Earth special and the evolution of life.""
