Books

Today’s world is unpredictable and full of contradictions, and navigating its complexities while trying to make the best decisions is far from easy. The Joy of Science presents 8 short lessons on how to unlock the clarity, empowerment, and joy of thinking and living a little more scientifically.

Shining a light on the most profound insights revealed by modern physics, Jim Al-Khalili invites us all to understand what this crucially important science tells us about the universe and the nature of reality itself. The book begins by introducing the fundamental concepts of space, time, energy, and matter, and then describes the three pillars of modern physics quantum theory, relativity, and thermodynamics showing how all three must come together if we are ever to have a full understanding of reality.

2041 and the world as we know it grinds to a halt. Our planet seems to be turning against itself – it would appear that the magnetic field, that protects life on Earth from deadly radiation from space, is failing . . . Desperate to quell the mass hysteria that would surely follow, world governments have concealed this rapidly emerging Armageddon. But a young Iranian hacktivist stumbles across the truth, and it becomes a race against time to reactivate the earth’s core using beams of dark matter.

Thought the science of the future was all hoverboards and space travel? Think again. Every day, scientists come up with ingenious solutions and surprising discoveries that will define our future.

From whether teleportation is really possible (spoiler: it is), to what we’ll do if artificial intelligence takes over, What’s Next? takes on the big questions. And along the way, it’ll answer questions like: Will we find a cure to all diseases? An answer to climate change? Will bionics make us into superheroes?