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The world is full of questions. For centuries, scientists have pondered, and answered, many of them. The Big Questions in Science delves into 20 of the most intriguing, far-reaching and "of-the-moment" questions in science today. Three experienced science writers go in pursuit of the answers, translating complicated concepts into lively discussions for anyone who has ever wondered who we are, why we are here, and what "here" actually is.
Some of the questions, such as "What is consciousness?" and "What makes us human?" are eternal; others, such as "Are there other universes?" and "What's at the bottom of a black hole?" take us into other dimensions; and some, such as "Can we beat bacteria?" and "How do we get more energy from the sun?" urgently require practical answers. All of them speak to our sense of wonder and the desire to know more.
Introduction
1 - What is the Universe made of
2 - How did life begin
3 - Are we alone in the Universe
4 - What makes us human
5 - What is consciousness
6 - Why do we dream
7 - Why is there stuff
8 - Are there other universes
9 - Where do we put all the carbon
10 - How do we get more energy from the Sun
11 - What's so weird about Prime Numbers
12 - Can computers keep getting faster
13 - When can I have a robot butler
14 - How do we beat bacteria
15 - Will we ever cure cancer
16 - What's at the bottom of the ocean
17 - What's at the bottom of a black hole
18 - Can we live forever
19 - How do we solve the population problem
20 - Is time travel possible?
Mun-Keat Looi is in charge of web content, social media and digital strategy for one of the world's biggest biomedical research charities, the Wellcome Trust. A former News Editor at SciDev.Net, he also writes for the Guardian and has worked for Thomson Reuters and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.
Hayley Birch is a science writer and editor with a sideline in quirky science projects. A former Editor at the Journal of Unlikely Science, she has written for New Scientist, Nature, The Telegraph and BBC Focus magazines, and edited popular science books including Defining Moments in Science.
Colin Stuart is a physics and space geek. A presenter at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, he has also written for the Guardian, European Space Agency and Physics World, and is the brains behind one of the most watched science videos on YouTube.
