We start out with the Big Bang Theory, how that theory came
about, and the substances that made up that very early universe after the Big Bang. I never took
chemistry in high-school, and I remember just bits and pieces from physics
(sorry Mrs. Walton), so a lot of the terms went over my head. One gets the
general picture of the universe in its infancy with particles swirling around,
interacting with each other creating a kind of cosmic soup. He made me want
to go back and figure out how protons, electrons, and neutrons work. What are
those things called quarks? – and what a great name!
Along the way we discover things like Dark Matter and Dark
Energy – how they were discovered and what they are. Einstein gets his props of
course and it’s emphasized just how much of a mark this guy left on the field
of physics and consequently, the world. Most of modern astrophysics comes back to
his theories – attempting to tweak, prove, or disprove some aspect. The chapter
on light captured my interest, having a wife who is a visual artist kept me thinking
about the relationship between light, colors, and our ability to see.
This is a great introduction to the subject of astrophysics and it’s laid out in a language one doesn't need an advanced degree to understand. Don’t approach
this book thinking you’ll be an expert when you finish. Expect to think about
the universe as an astrophysicist might and get a taste for their language and
the problems they’re working on today. This book begs for multiple readings. It
may cause you, like me, to want to dust off those mental shelves of
information you packed away after high-school and re-approach these subjects with
a new found optimism and curiosity. It’s never too late to flex those science muscles and
practice your career as an armchair Astrophysicist.
~Ben, Adult Services
