An astonishing tour of the key astronomical events of the past century, and of all the accidents and human error involved in our pursuit of asteroids, radio waves, new stars and alien life. 'A riveting real-life Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.' Telegraph '‘An enjoyable tour of astronomical discoveries...His excellent book is a layman’s guide to the surprises’ - Daily Mail 'Lintott's boundless enthusiasm for everything cosmic makes it hard to put this book away once you start reading.' BBC Sky at Night Magazine 'Entertaining and enlightening' - The Idler ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... The BBC presenter of 'Sky at Night', and Gresham Professor of Astronomy, Chris Lintott, takes us on an astonishing tour of bizarre accidents, big characters, and human error to tell the story of some of the most important astronomical events of the past hundred years. - Our first views of the earliest galaxies were brought to us by the Hubble Space Telescope when it was pointed at absolutely nothing. - The ice-covered Enceladus, one of Saturn's nearly one hundred moons, was revealed as a possible habitat for life after a by-chance fly by of NASA's Cassini probe on a mission elsewhere. - Pulsars, the spectacular remnants of long-dead massive stars, were discovered as 'scruff' in the data for measurements of the twinkling of possible radio stars. As new telescopes are built on mountaintops and in deserts around the world, aiming to transform our view of the universe once more, Chris Lintott shows us that keeping an open mind will benefit us all - whatever might still be out there for us to find. ........................................................................................................................ Praise for Our Accidental Universe A scientific tour de force.' Dr Becky Smethurst 'Highly recommended.' Tristan Gooley 'Extravagantly entertaining ... warmly informative.' Lev Parikian 'A fascinating look at the strange and alien side of space.' Dr Lucy Rogers More praise for Chris Lintott 'Superbly written insights.' - Professor Brian Cox 'Chris Lintott is a modest genius. He has quietly revolutionized modern astronomy.' Brian May 'Lintott deftly interweaves personal experience and more philosophical ruminations.' Michael West, Nature

The bestselling author of Einsteins Dreams explores the emotional and philosophical questions raised by recent discoveries in science with passion and curiosity. He looks at the dialogue between science and religion; the conflict between our human desire for permanence and the impermanence of nature; the possibility that our universe is simply an accident; the manner in which modern technology has separated us from direct experience of the world; and our resistance to the view that our bodies and minds can be explained by scientific logic and laws. Behind all of these considerations is the suggestion--at once haunting and exhilarating--that what we see and understand of the world is only a tiny piece of the extraordinary, perhaps unfathomable whole.

This book is a survey of the range of apparently miraculous accidents of nature that have enabled the universe to evolve its familiar structures (atoms, stars, galaxies, and life itself) concludes with an investigation of the so-called anthropic principle.

Completely revised and updated, this new edition provides a readable, beautifully illustrated journey through world cultures and the vibrant array of sky mythology, creation stories, models of the universe, temples and skyscrapers that each culture has created to celebrate and respond to the power of the night sky. Sections on the archaeoastronomy of South Asia and South East Asia have been expanded, with original photography and new research on temple alignments in Southern India, and new material describing the astronomical practices of Indonesia, Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries. Beautiful photographs of temples in India and Asia have been added, as well as new diagrams explaining the alignment of these structures and the astronomical underpinnings of temples within the Pallava and Chola cultures. From new fieldwork in the Four Corners region of North America, Dr. Penprase has included accounts of Pueblo skywatching and photographs of ceremonial kivas that help elucidate the rich astronomical knowledge of the Pueblo people. The popular “Archaeoastronomy of Skyscrapers” section of the book has been updated as well, with new interpretations of skyscrapers in Indonesia, Taiwan and China.With the rapid pace of discovery in astronomy and astrophysics, entirely new perspectives are emerging about dark matter, inflation and the future of the universe. The Power of Stars puts these discoveries in context and describes how they fit into the modern perspective of cosmology, which has arisen from the universal human response to the sky that has inspired both ancient and modern cultures.

'Given the excellent historical context in which Corey frames his case and the rational manner in which he closes off the loopholes, the stage is set for paradigm shift in the secular area. I highly recommend this book.'-Hugh Ross, Astronomer

Twenty essays that argue for the truth of what C.S. Lewis called "mere Christianity." The contributors - all distinguished scholars - present their evidence from a variety of disciplines, including philosophy, archaeology, biology, history, law, and cosmology. Step by step the writers construct a convincing argument for the accuracy of the Bible and the credibility of the Christian faith.

This book is an articulate, well-researched, intelligent compilation of new and ancient data that explores the implications of the extraterrestrial origins of the human race. The primary stories of our origins (religious versions/Darwinism) are called into question when held against scientific evidence and recorded histories of many cultures. Among Von Ward?s startling conclusions are: The universe is self-manifesting, self-directing, and self-learning Everything that is (including the human race) is a manifesation of the universal consciousness Intelligent human life is much older than is popularly believed Human consciousness mirrors that of the universe?s creators Science and technologies of a millennia ago were as advanced as they are today Our consciousness is not limited to the world of the five senses With insight and clarity, Von Ward envisions that discovery of our true legacy will inspire a global renaissance of inner knowing and unprecedented social progress. Beyond earthly evolution, he sees humanity assuming its place as a part of a universal community of conscious beings, and fulfilling our potential to serve as galactic leaders. This is a brilliant guide to this new and essential process in human spiritual evolution.

Seeks to reverse these profound misunderstandings by showing how the latest scientific evidence points in precisely the opposite direction.

This book explores the beauty and purpose of the design and patterns of our universe. It pulls together what we have learned from science, ethics, religion, history, and living to present a unified spiritual world view that is a very significant and positive statement about who we are.