Washoe County Library System

Starting with the Big Bang itself, we explore the secret lives of galaxies and stars, and examine the thousand new planets now discovered beyond the Solar System - checking out their viability for alien life. We chronicle the incredible instruments and machines that are discovering the hidden secrets of the Universe, from 'telescopes' deep under the Antarctic ice to robotic explorers on distant worlds. We investigate the astounding technology used...

"A leading physicist unravels the mysteries of the universe through pleasingly paradoxical Zen- style vignettes. Cosmological Koans takes a fresh approach to explaining the most mind- bending concepts in physics and cosmology by invoking the ancient Zen tradition of the Koan. Anthony Aguirre presents more than fifty beguiling Koans (Could there be a civilization in a mote of dust? How much of your fate have you made? Who cleans the universe?) that...

Since ancient times, humans have been puzzled and awed by the strange stars, peculiar planets, and out of this world objects that appear in our sky. Advancements in technology are now giving scientists closer looks and first peeks at the weird and wonderful things that make up our solar system and beyond. From Earth-like moons to strange signals from distant galaxies, Bizarre Space: A Kid's Guide to Our Strange, Unusual Universe showcases the most...

"We've long understood black holes to be the points at which the universe as we know it comes to an end. Often billions of times more massive than the Sun, they lurk in the inner sanctum of almost every galaxy of stars in the universe. They're mysterious chasms so destructive and unforgiving that not even light can escape their deadly wrath. Recent research, however, has led to a cascade of new discoveries that have revealed an entirely different...

Discusses the history of astronomy, including the discovery of the planets, sun, stars, and distant galaxies, and details human exploration of the universe.

Discusses the very earliest period in the history of the universe, known as the Epoch of Reionization, when the first stars came into being after hundreds of millions of years of dark, uneventful expansion following the big bang, and reveals the latest research into how these stars formed, why they were so unusual, and what they can teach us about the universe today.

The world of science has been transformed. Where once astronomers sat at the controls of giant telescopes in remote locations, praying for clear skies, now they have no need to budge from their desks, as data arrives in their inbox. And what they receive is overwhelming; projects now being built provide more data in a few nights than in the whole of humanity's history of observing the Universe. It's not just astronomy either - dealing with this deluge...

"Stephen Hawking's closest collaborator offers the intellectual superstar's final thoughts on the cosmos-a dramatic revision of the theory that made him the heir to Einstein's legacy. Perhaps the biggest question Stephen Hawking tried to answer in his extraordinary life was how the universe could have created conditions so perfectly hospitable to life. Pondering this mystery led Hawking to study the big bang origin of the universe, but his early work...

The "Ask a Physicist" columnist for io9.com explains how space, time, and everything in between are shaped by hidden symmetries that have driven recent discoveries about the universe.

"What can fashionable ideas, blind faith, or pure fantasy possibly have to do with the scientific quest to understand the universe? Surely, theoretical physicists are immune to mere trends, dogmatic beliefs, or flights of fancy? In fact, acclaimed physicist and best-selling author Roger Penrose argues that researchers working at the extreme frontiers of physics are just as susceptible to these forces as anyone else. In this provocative book, he argues...