Why Does E=mc2?: (And Why Should We Care?) - (And Why Should We Care?)

Experience our universe as you've never seen it before

13.7 billion years old. 93 billion light-years across. It contains over 100 billion galaxies, each containing hundreds of billions of stars. This infinite, vast and complex Universe has been the subject of human fascination and scientific exploration for thousands of years. The wonders of the Universe might seem alien to us and impossible to understand, but away from the telescopes, the labs and the white coats, Professor Brian Cox uses the evidence found in the natural world on Earth to brilliantly explain the truth of the cosmos.

Professor Cox will show how the vast and unfathomable phenomena of deep space can be explained, and even experienced, by re-examining the familiar here on Earth. He is determined to answer the most profound questions we can ask about ourselves and the world in which we live, but in a uniquely understandable way. The laws of light, gravity, time, matter and energy that govern us here on Earth are the same as those applied in the Universe. Using his expert knowledge and his infectious enthusiasm, Professor Cox shows us that if we can understand the impact of these governing laws on Earth it will bring us a step closer to an understanding of our Universe.

Higgs Force: Cosmic Symmetry Shattered by Nicholas Mee is the definitive account of the science leading up to the discovery of the Higgs particle and the researchers involved in this quest.  This discovery by what is arguably the world's biggest and most expensive experiment - the Large Hadron Collider - represents the most important scientific breakthrough for 50 years. Higgs Force is written in a lucid and engaging style with clear explanations for the general reader.

The book is filled with stories about the eccentric characters that fill the history of science. These include a chemist who was addicted to the pleasures of laughing gas; the inventor of the kaleidoscope, whose business sense didn’t match his scientific acumen; the weird looming apparition of the Brocken spectre - a ghostly giant who offered vital inspiration to a leading researcher; a physicist who compared his power to transmute the elements to the fabled alchemist Hermes Trismegistus and an astronomer who was captivated by the beauty of a falling snowflake. More information about Higgs Force is available on the following website: www.higgsforce.co.uk.

Black holes. DNA. The Large Hadron Collider. Ever had that sneaking feeling that you are missing out on some truly spectacular science?

You do? Well fear not, for help is at hand.

Ben Miller was working on his Physics PhD at Cambridge when he accidentally became a comedian. But first love runs deep, and he has returned to his roots to share with you all his favourite bits of science. This is the stuff that you really need to know, not only because it matters, but because it will quite simply amaze and delight you.

'Let me show you another, perhaps less familiar side of Science; her beauty, her seductiveness and her passion. And let's do it quickly, while Maths isn't looking' Ben Miller

The epic, behind-the-scenes story of an astounding gap in our scientific knowledge of the cosmos.

In the past few years, a handful of scientists have been in a race to explain a disturbing aspect of our universe: only 4 percent of it consists of the matter that makes up you, me, our books, and every planet, star, and galaxy. The rest—96 percent of the universe—is completely unknown.