Natural History of the Universe: From the Big Bang to the End of Time

This book seeks to provide a sophisticated, yet entirely accessible account of the origins of the universe and explanation of the fundamental cosmic laws and theories. Each of the three parts is visually distinct from the others: Part 1, Creation of the Universe, depicts the origins of the universe and the basic universal laws - relativity, quantum theory, space and time, etc. Part 2 surveys the universe now - galaxies and stars, our solar system, moons and rings, planet Earth. Part 3 examines the importance of living versus nonliving matter and ventures into theories that speculate in "why" as well as "how" the universe was formed.