ALL YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FATE OF THE UNIVERSE BUT WERE TOO AFRAID TO ASK

We know that the universe had a beginning. With the Big Bang, it transitioned from a state of unimaginable density into the form of a cosmic fireball, scattering the first seeds for everything from black holes to a rocky planet where life as we know it happened to develop. But what will happen at the end of this story? And what does this mean for us now?

In this brilliant description of eschatological cosmology, Katie Mack, with her unfailing humor, takes us on a journey through the five possible scenarios for the end of the universe: the Big Crunch, Heat Death, the Big Rip, Vacuum Decay, and Bounce. Utilizing her gift for making the most difficult concepts easily understandable, the rising star of astrophysics helps us grasp the universe as a whole, learn about its fundamental components, its evolution, and the fundamental laws that govern it.

We may still not know whether the end of the universe will include ice, fire, or something even more bizarre. What we do know is that it is a vast, beautiful, and truly astonishing place, one that deserves every effort we can muster to explore – as long as we can.

Excerpt from the book

In an age when humanity is plagued by an infinitesimally small yet deadly virus, in a time when human intervention in the natural environment is leading the planet with mathematical precision towards an imminently catastrophic climate change, is our engagement with the potential disasters expected trillions of trillions of years from now a bit absurd? And yet, this description of the future awaiting the universe equips the reader with a, perhaps fleeting, glimpse into possible answers to humanity’s fundamental questions about its origin and future existence.

From the foreword by Dionysis P. Simopoulos

WHAT THE PRESS SAID

Want to learn about the universe? Leave Hawking behind and pick up Mack. Sydney Morning Herald

Mack's enjoyable writing style makes the study of speculations on the death of the universe unexpectedly entertaining. Kirkus Reviews

A thrilling tour, which thanks to Mack's contagious enthusiasm introduces us to the secrets of modern cosmology. Wall Street Journal

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