The beginning - 14 billion years of cosmic evolution

Our true origins are not just human, they are not even earthly, they are actually cosmic. Based on recent scientific discoveries and combining the data of geology, biology, astrophysics and cosmology, this book illuminates the leaps and bounds we have made in understanding the Universe.

This revised and updated edition of the work includes amazing recent discoveries, such as the more than 5,000 exoplanets that shed light on the origins and possibilities of life elsewhere in our galaxy, and presents data from new ground-based and space-based observatories that have fundamentally changed what we know about the expanding Universe – perhaps even the laws of physics themselves.

From the first image of the birth of a galaxy to the fascinating evidence of water not only on Mars, but also on Ceres and the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith lead us with clarity and insight on an unprecedented tour of the world around us.