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Published May 2017
368 pages
Genre: Science, Health and the Environment
Publication Information
Prepare to learn everything we still don't know about our strange, mostly mysterious universe.
PHD Comics creator Jorge Cham and particle physicist Daniel Whiteson have teamed up to spelunk through the enormous gaps in our cosmological knowledge, armed with their popular infographics, cartoons, and unusually entertaining and lucid explanations of science.
In We Have No Idea, they explore the biggest unknowns in the universe, why these things are still mysteries, and what a lot of smart people are doing to figure out the answers (or at least ask the right questions). While they're at it, they helpfully demystify many complicated things we do know about, from quarks and neutrinos to gravitational waves and exploding black holes. With equal doses of humor and delight, they invite us to see the universe as a vast expanse of mostly uncharted territory that's still ours to explore.
This entertaining illustrated science primer is the perfect book for anyone who's curious about all the big questions physicists are still trying to answer.
"Starred Review. Cham and Whiteson mesh comics, lighthearted infographics, and lively explanations to painlessly introduce curious readers to complex concepts in easily digestible chapters. This fun guide is just the ticket for science fans of any age." - Publishers Weekly
"An entertaining and educational review for anyone seeking to brush up on or build his or her knowledge - or, perhaps better, lack of knowledge." - Kirkus
"This witty book reveals the humbling vastness of our ignorance about the universe, along with charming insights into what we actually do understand." - Carlo Rovelli, author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and Reality Is Not What It Seems
"You couldn't ask for better guides to the mind-bending mysteries of cutting-edge physics than Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson. They bring a whimsical light touch to some very heavy topics, and the result is a sheer delight for the reader." - Jennifer Ouellette, author of The Calculus Diaries and Me, Myself and Why: Searching for the Science of Self
"Science knows a lot about the universe, but the real excitement is in what we don't know. And it's hard to imagine a more enjoyable way to explore the unknown than by reading this book. Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson will guide you through the biggest mysteries of the cosmos, smiling all the way." - Sean Carroll, author of The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself
"A delightful combination of comedy and cosmology that is as charming as it is informative." - Zach Weinersmith, creator of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
"Not often do you encounter such an optimistic and fun exploration of human ignorance." - Henry Reich, creator of MinutePhysics
"Accessible and hilarious (the two best things it is possible for a book to be), We Have No Idea not only explores WHAT we don't know, but WHY we don't know it. You'd think that'd be plenty, but Cham and Whiteson also provide the most credible and up-to-date scientific explanations as to what some of the answers to these huge (and hugely important) questions might possibly be, PLUS puns." - Ryan North, author of Romeo and/or Juliet and To Be or Not To Be
This information about We Have No Idea was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Jorge Cham is the creator of the popular online comic Piled Higher and Deeper, popularly known as PHD Comics. He earned his PhD in robotics at Stanford.
Daniel Whiteson is a professor of experimental particle physics at the University of California, Irvine, and a fellow of the American Physical Society. He conducts research using the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.
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