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Searching... Sugar Grove - Todd Library | Book | QB982 .S337 2017 | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
An epic, full-color visual journey through all scales of the universe
In The Zoomable Universe , the award-winning astrobiologist Caleb Scharf and the acclaimed artist Ron Miller take us on an epic tour through all known scales of reality, from the largest possible magnitude to the smallest. Drawing on cutting-edge science, they begin at the limits of the observable universe, a scale spanning 10^27 meters--about 93 billion light-years. And they end in the subatomic realm, at 10^-35 meters, where the fabric of space-time itself confounds all known rules of physics. In between are galaxies, stars and planets, oceans and continents, plants and animals, microorganisms, atoms, and much, much more. Stops along the way--all enlivened by Scharf's sparkling prose and his original insights into the nature of our universe--include the brilliant core of the Milky Way, the surface of a rogue planet, the back of an elephant, and a sea of jostling quarks.
The Zoomable Universe is packed with more than 100 original illustrations and infographics that will captivate readers of every age. It is a whimsical celebration of discovery, a testament to our astounding ability to see beyond our own vantage point and chart a course from the farthest reaches of the cosmos to its subatomic depths--in short, a must-have for the shelves of all explorers.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Scharf (Gravity's Engines), director of the Columbia Astrobiology Center, leads a fantastic journey from the fringes of the visible universe to the heart of the atom in this mesmerizing look at cosmology, astrophysics, quantum physics, and more. The tour begins at the greatest distance that Earthlings can see, 93 million light years out, where galaxies scatter like dust motes. Scharf moves inward from there to explore our own Milky Way, covering satellite galaxies-such as the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds-as well as black holes and regions of dark matter. Each step brings the narrative's perspective closer to Earth, with graphic illustrations that reveal how star systems and planets form. Scharf then guides readers to Earth and deeper, through animal nervous systems, cells, bacteria, and viruses, atoms, and quantum-level entities. He keeps his discussions light and accessible, offering enough detail to fascinate without overwhelming readers. Slick graphics by Hugo Award-winning artist Miller bring science to life, whether it's gravitational lensing, a zoo of exoplanets, or a garden of elementary particles. This book of wonders is perfect for casual readers, especially young students seeking a broad view of many subjects and how they all fit together. Color illus. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
A beautifully illustrated survey of the universe and its constituent parts, from quarks to galaxies and beyond.Billions of years ago, exploding stars and other events expelled atoms that became the building blocks of the universe as we know it. Today, these ancient atoms form everything on Earth, including our bodies. Scharf (The Copernicus Complex: Our Cosmic Significance in a Universe of Planets and Possibilities, 2014, etc.), the director of the Columbia Astrobiology Center, and Miller (Spaceships: An Illustrated History of the Real and the Imagined, 2016, etc.), a Hugo Award-winning illustrator and former art director of the National Air and Space Museum's Albert Einstein Planetarium, take readers on a spectacular journey, starting in the farthest reaches of the universe and ending in the deepest depths of the atom. Using the power of 10 to incrementally scale down, each chapter explains the physics powering the many systems that work together to form the universe. Miller's stunning illustrations pair perfectly with Scharf's compelling writing, which introduces complex ideas using everyday language and lucid metaphors. Complementary infographics are fun to read and help put massive numbers in perspectivee.g., consider that our solar system is a tiny speck in the Milky Way galaxy, which is just one of hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe. Though they make sure that every page is accessible to nonscientists, Scharf and Miller don't skimp on the science, providing plenty of depth in their discussions of general relativity, the composition of planets, the bizarre behavior of particles in the quantum realm, and everything in between. The clever sequence of chapters makes the book enjoyable when read from start to finish, but each chapter tells its own story, and many chapters have two-page illustrations that are discrete tools as entertaining as they are educational. A superb composite of scientific knowledge that will no doubt inspire readers of all ages to learn more about our enigmatic universe. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Exponents frame this illustrated tour from the largest astrophysical structure the observable universe to the smallest scientifically meaningful size the Planck length. Descending by orders of magnitude of 10, Scharf begins with the diameter of the universe, helping readers visualize this huge number in conjunction with artist Ron Miller's image of a sphere containing filaments, which, when the focus descends down a few orders of 10, is revealed to be clusters of galaxies. In this manner, Scharf's inquisitive text, allied with Miller's beautiful illustrations, conveys fundamental physics and astronomy. Upon zooming down to Earth and its ever-evolving cargo of life, they delve into life's operating code, DNA. Proceeding to atomic scales, Scharf observes (and Miller visualizes) how empty an atom is, as empty as intergalactic space. Scharf acquaints readers with a physical reality that exists at all scales of 10 but becomes most apparent at the quantum-mechanics level. This brilliant author-illustrator collaboration is a worthy, must-have successor to the title that inspired it, the classic Powers of Ten (1990), by Philip Morrison and Phylis Morrison.--Taylor, Gilbert Copyright 2017 Booklist