Everything that can happen does happen

The Quantum Universe

From the bestselling authors of Why does E=mc2? comes The Quantum Universe, in which Brian Cox, presenter of the BBC's Wonders of the Solar System and Wonders of the Universe, and Jeff Forshaw go on a brilliantly ambitious mission to show that everyone can understand the deepest questions of science. 
 
But just what is quantum physics? How does it help us understand our amazing world? Where does it leave Newton and Einstein? And why, above all, can we be sure that the theory is good? 
Here, Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw give us the real science behind the bizarre behaviour of the atoms and energy that make up the universe, and reveal exactly how everything that can happen, does happen.

A scientific match made in heaven...as breezily a written accessible account of the theory of quantum mechanics as you could wish for - from the Planck constant to the Higgs particle and everything theoretically in between

Mindblowing ... what is novel about this attempt is that the writers take an intellectual rather than a historical approach ... it is a surprisingly rich idea that allows the authors to avoid using too much mathematics

[Cox and Forshaw] stand together at the cutting edge of their discipline ... despite their elevated status, both men remain tiggerishly excitable about their subject ... Cox and Forshaw's book is a carefully guided tour through this quantum world ... popularize[s] without dumbing down

A thrilling voyage into the subatomic world

With brightness and gusto, the opening chapters deal with the culture shock that thinking about the sub-atomic world entails ...They are good at drawing connections between seemingly esoteric theory and everyday practicalities

The rock star of science... In Quantum Universe they do a great job of bringing a difficult subject to life

Breaks the rules of popular science writing...admirably shies away from dumbing down...the authors' love for their subject-matter shines through the book

Admirably, Cox and Forshaw...treat topics that do not usually show up in popular books...readers will enjoy this engaging, ambitious and creative tour of our quantum universe

By explaining theories about the world, Cox and Forshaw show that the workings of the universe can be understood by us all

Brian Cox (Author) Brian Cox is a Professor of Particle Physics and Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Manchester, and works at the CERN laboratory in Geneva. He is also a popular presenter on TV and radio. Jeff Forshaw (Author) Jeff Forshaw is Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Manchester, specializing in the physics of elementary particles. He was awarded the Institute of Physics Maxwell Medal in 1999 for outstanding contributions to theoretical physics.

The Quantum Universe brings together two authors on a brilliantly ambitious mission to show that everyone can understand the deepest questions of science. 
 
But just what is quantum physics? How does it help us understand our amazing world? Where does it leave Newton and Einstein? And why, above all, can we be sure that the theory is good? 
Here, Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw give us the real science behind the bizarre behaviour of the atoms and energy that make up the universe, and reveal exactly how everything that can happen, does happen.

Brian Cox

Jeff Forshaw

A Journey Through the Cosmos

We dare to imagine a time before the Big Bang, when the entire Universe was compressed into a space smaller than an atom. And now, as Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw show, we can do more than imagine: we can understand. Over the centuries, the human urge to discover has unlocked an incredible amount of knowledge. What it reveals to us is breathtaking. 
 
Universal takes us on an epic journey of scientific exploration and, in doing so, reveals how we can all understand some of the most fundamental questions about our Earth, Sun, Solar System and the star-filled galaxies beyond. Some of these questions - How big is our solar system? How fast is space expanding? - can be answered from your back garden; the answers to others - How big is the Universe? What is it made of? - draw on the astonishing information now being gathered at the frontiers of the known universe. Science reveals a deeper beauty, connects us to our world, and to our Universe; and, by understanding the groundbreaking work of others, reaches out into the unknown. What's more, as Universal shows us, if we dare to imagine, we can all do it.

Brian Cox

Books by Brian Cox

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter