"The essential universe, from our most celebrated and beloved astrophysicist. What is the nature of space and time? How do we fit within the universe? How does the universe fit within us? There's no better guide through these mind-expanding questions than acclaimed astrophysicist and best-selling author Neil deGrasse Tyson. But today, few of us have time to contemplate the cosmos. So Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly,...

Venture outside our solar system in another epic exploration of the universe and its mysteries. With strikingly realistic computer re-creations, feel like you have traveled to the edge of the unknown including visiting strange and unfamiliar worlds; prepare for the worst; uncover the secrets of our own galaxy. Learn what 'Dark matter' is and how it takes up 95% of the universe. Find out more about 'White holes, ' which actually create matter.

"Scientific methods, tools, and discoveries have shaped modern civilization and created the landscape we've built for ourselves on which to live, work, and play. Tyson shows how an infusion of science and rational thinking renders worldviews deeper and more informed than ever before-and exposes unfounded perspectives and unjustified emotions. With crystalline prose and an abundance of evidence, Starry Messenger walks us through the scientific palette...

Disc 1: Tour the surface of Earth's life-giving star. Mars may be the future of humanity - uses data collected from probes and robotic rovers. Scars on the planet's surface and in its fossil record illustrate the threat posed by meteorites, comets, and asteroids that routinely collide with Earth. Two and a half times the size of all the other planets in the solar system combined, and half a billion miles from Earth, Jupiter is a colossal riddle. Disc...

Using humor, everyday examples and computer animation for the more abstract concepts, author and physicist Brian Greene explains complex theories of the universe and the focus of his research, string theory.

Physicist Brian Greene discusses the historical quest for a grand unified theory in physics which will reconcile quantum physics and general relativity, and considers the possibility that superstring theory may bring an end to that search.

Nobel laureate Wilczek presents ten insights that illuminate what the world is and how it works. Fundamentals is built around a simple but profound idea: the models of the world we construct as children are practical and adequate for everyday life, but they do not bring in the surprising and mind-expanding revelations of modern science. To do that, we must look at the world anew, combining clear thinking with an openness to wonder. This "born again"...

"A groundbreaking book providing a new take on three of cosmology's most profound questions: What, if anything, came before the Big Bang? What is the source of order in our universe? What is the universe's ultimate future? Current understanding of our universe dictates that all matter will eventually thin out to zero density, with huge black holes finally evaporating away into massless energy. Roger Penrose--one of the most innovative mathematicians...

Take your seats for the greatest tour ever - one that encompasses no less than the whole of the Universe. En route, we stop off to gaze at 100 amazing sights - from asteroids to zodiacal dust and from orbit around the Earth to beyond the most distant galaxies. We start right here on Earth, with your tour guides: the three intrepid cosmic voyagers Patrick Moore, Brian May and Chris Lintott. They explain the sights - what they are, and how they fit...

Space and time form the very fabric of the cosmos. Yet they remain among the most mysterious of concepts. Is space an entity? Why does time have a direction? Could the universe exist without space and time? CAn we travel to the past?