How It Ends: From You to the Universe
 | |
| Author | Chris Impey |
|---|---|
| Subject | Astronomy |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton & Company |
Publication date | April 11, 2011 (paperback) |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and paperback) and electronic (e-book) |
| Pages | 352 |
| ISBN | 978-0393339987 |
| Preceded by | The Living Cosmos |
| Followed by | How It Began |
How It Ends: From You to the Universe is a non-fiction book by astronomer Chris Impey that discusses the science of endings, ranging from personal to cosmic. It was published as a hardcover by W. W. Norton & Company in 2010 and as a paperback in 2011.
Summary
How It Ends is a non-fiction book by astronomy professor Chris Impey on endings from the personal to the cosmic. It takes the reader far from the bounds of their brief existence to the eons of space and time during which stars will die and black holes will fizzle away as the universe expands to emptiness. Despite the austere subject matter and the gloomy overall prognosis for the universe, the writing is light and ironic, and enlivened by vignettes of leading researchers. The web site associated with the book has extensive source material on each major scientific topic.[1]
The book works outward in scale, starting with human mortality and looking at the rare species that don’t seem to age or suffer from senescence.[2] The fate of species is considered next, along with the possibility that the human species might develop the capability to exempt itself from natural selection. Life on Earth is a vast interconnected web of life called the biosphere and it has proved to be surprisingly resilient over its four billion year history.[3]
How It Ends then moves to external threats to the planet, beginning with the space rocks that are leftover from the formation of the moon and planets in the Solar System,[4] and continuing with the eventual warming and demise of the Sun. Within the Milky Way galaxy, all the lights eventually go out as the lowest mass stars exhaust their nuclear fuel. A trillion years from now, the Milky Way will be a dark agglomeration of stellar husks.
The book closes with the likely scenario for a universe governed by dark energy: endless expansion and dissipation of objects bound by gravity as the second law of thermodynamics dictates the outcome.[5] The last topic is the fine tuning of physical laws that makes the universe hospitable for biology,[6] and the multiverse scenario that posits our universe as one among many in a possibly unending progression.
Reception
How It Ends received generally strong reviews, with Christopher Hirst noting in London’s The Independent, “This is a cheery work from a US astronomer about the death of everything".[7] Author and poet Diane Ackerman said it was “A marvelous curiosity cabinet of a book, rich with surprising facts and fascinating insights.” The review in Physics World concludes “All in all, Impey’s book is itself proof of the author’s contention that science comprises a great deal more than a collection of dull obdurate facts, but instead constitutes a powerful narrative to help us organize and understand the world – both its beginnings and, ultimately, its endings.” Michael Brooks wrote in New Scientist “How It Ends by Chris Impey is endlessly inspiring… In Impey’s hands, the future comes alive and calls to us. It is enthralling, not depressing".[8]
Notes
- ↑ Chris Impey, Kevin Hardegree-Ullman (2010). "How It Ends: From You to the Universe". Retrieved May 5, 2013.
- ↑ John R. Wilmoth, Vladimir Shkolnikov (2013). "The Human Mortality Database". Retrieved May 5, 2013.
- ↑ Patricia Reiff (1999). "What is the Biosphere?". Retrieved May 5, 2013.
- ↑ David Morrison (2013). "Asteroid and Comet Impact Hazards". Retrieved May 6, 2013.
- ↑ John Baez (August 28, 2011). "The End of the Universe". Retrieved May 6, 2013.
- ↑ Nick Bostrom (2012). "Was the Universe made for us?". Retrieved May 6, 2013.
- ↑ Christopher Hirst (July 22, 2011). "How It Ends, By Chris Impey". The Independent. London. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
- ↑ Chris Impey (2011). "How It Ends: From You to the Universe". Retrieved May 6, 2013.