Contents
Preface 11
Acknowledgments 13
Prologue: The Beginning of Science 15
SECTION 1 THE NATURE OF KNOWLEDGE
The challenges of knowing what is knowable in the universe
1. Coming to Our Senses 25
2. On Earth as in the Heavens 31
3. Seeing Isn't Believing 38
4. The Information Trap 48
5. Stick-in-the-Mud Science 60
SECTION 2 THE KNOWLEDGE OF NATURE
The challenges of discovering the contents of the cosmos
6. Journey from the Center of the Sun 69
7. Planet Parade 75
8. Vagabonds of the Solar System 85
9. The Five Points of Lagrange 95
10. Antimatter Matters 102
SECTION 3 WAYS AND MEANS OF NATURE
How Nature presents herself to the inquiring mind
11. The Importance of Being Constant 111
12. Speed Limits 119
13. Going Ballistic 127
14. On Being Dense 135
15. Over the Rainbow 144
16. Cosmic Windows 152
17. Colors of the Cosmos 161
18. Cosmic Plasma 168
19. Fire and Ice 175
SECTION 4 THE MEANING OF LIFE
The challenges and triumphs of knowing how we got here
20. Dust to Dust 185
21. Forged in the Stars 192
22. Send in the Clouds 199
23. Goldilocks and the Three Planets 207
24. Water, Water 213
25. Living Space 221
26. Life in the Universe 229
27. Our Radio Bubble 238
SECTION 5 WHEN THE UNIVERSE TURNS BAD
All the ways the cosmos wants to kill us
28. Chaos in the Solar System 249
29. Coming Attractions 254
30. Ends of the World 263
31. Galactic Engines 268
32. Knock 'Em Dead 275
33. Death by Black Hole 283
SECTION 6 SCIENCE AND CULTURE
The ruffled interface between cosmic discovery and the public's reaction to it
34. Things People Say 291
35. Fear of Numbers 298
36. On Being Baffled 303
37. Footprints in the Sands of Science 309
38. Let There Be Dark 320
39. Hollywood Nights 327
SECTION 7 SCIENCE AND GOD
When ways of knowing collide
40. In the Beginning 337
41. Holy Wars 346
42. The Perimeter of Ignorance 353
References 363
Name Index 369
Subject Index 373