The Other Side of Black Holes

Gravity's Engines

This is a book that is rich in the poetry of scientific language. ... Not only does [Scharf] know more about the universe than you or I do, he knows how to transmit his knowledge by deft use of analogy.

Scharf makes vivid the mind-boggling nature of the universe. . . [There are] bright beams of knowledge coming from this excellent book

A virtuosic history of the universe... [Scharf] serves as an appealing tour guide to the eerie, infinite corridors of the cosmos in which we reside

This heady story of astronomical endeavour and cosmic conjecture prompts a happy mix of marvels

A wonderfully detailed tapestry of what modern astronomy is all about . . . Using rich language and a brilliant command of metaphor, [Scharf] takes on some of the most intricate topics in . . . astronomical research

Caleb Scharf is a lively and eloquent writer as well as a fine scientist. Gravity's Engines is particularly welcome because it presents topics at the frontiers of our understanding which have not hitherto been presented so clearly to a general readership

In Gravity's Engines, Caleb Scharf tells the mind-blowing story of 'supermassive' black holes, the true masters of the Universe. Black holes are smaller than the Solar System yet project their power across the cosmos, sculpting entire galaxies of stars. They might appear esoteric and remote, but as Scharf explains, life on Earth may have been utterly impossible without them

Caleb Scharf is the director of Columbia University's Astrobiology Center. He has written for New Scientist, Science and Nature, and his Life, Unbounded blog was named one of the 'hottest science blogs' by The Guardian. He was born in England, and now lives in New York City.

We have long understood black holes to be where the universe as we know it comes to an end - huge bodies so destructive that not even light can escape their deadly power. In Gravity's Engines, however, renowned astrophysicist Caleb Scharf reveals an entirely new, and crucially important, side to these mysterious chasms. 
 
The latest research has located super-sized black holes, often billions of times more massive than the Sun, which have the power to rearrange the cosmos and control entire galaxies of stars. Engaging with our deepest questions about our origins, Scharf shows how, without these black holes, life in the universe could not exist.

Caleb Scharf

Mind-blowing stuff . . . An original and gripping look at the universe and our place in it . . . I am pleased to report that this book, which aims to show us our place in the grand scheme of things, will not make you lose your marbles. However it may, to use the parlance of a bygone era, blow your mind a bit. In one four-page period, my marginal notes went from "!" to "!!" to "!!!" . . . A mind-expanding book . . . You won't be quite the same after reading it

The Copernicus Complex delivers its argument with comparable clarity, insight and humour. There is much to enjoy along the way, including a compelling account of the extraordinary diversity of planetary systems we now know to exist

The Copernicus Complex addresses a perennial mystery: the cosmic significance (or perhaps the insignificance) of life on Earth. Caleb Scharf summarizes current debates on how life began and how pervasive it is, explaining how our perspective has been changed by the recent discovery that there are millions of Earth-like planets in the Milky Way. He sets his theme in a historical context, writing in an engaging and accessible style

Sir Martin Rees, author of Just Six Numbers and From Here to Infinity

A tantalising approach to the mysteries of the universe

[A] witty, adroitly marshalled treatise on human significance

An intoxicating collection of questions answered with other questions, and startling discoveries that make creation even more mysterious . . . Books such as these remind us that we are lucky to be here at all, and even luckier to be here now

How reasonable is it to think that we are alone in the vast expanses of space? And how significant is life on Earth on the Universal (or multiversal) scale? These are the questions that astrobiologist Caleb Scharf addresses intelligently and comprehensively in his beautifully written The Copernicus Complex

The Quest for Our Cosmic (In)Significance

The Copernicus Complex

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Praise for The Copernicus Complex

Mind-blowing stuff . . . An original and gripping look at the universe and our place in it . . . I am pleased to report that this book, which aims to show us our place in the grand scheme of things, will not make yo ...

The Copernicus Complex delivers its argument with comparable clarity, insight and humour. There is much to enjoy along the way, including a compelling account of the extraordinary diversity of planetary syste ...

The Copernicus Complex addresses a perennial mystery: the cosmic significance (or perhaps the insignificance) of life on Earth. Caleb Scharf summarizes current debates on how life began and how pervasive it i ...

Mind-blowing stuff . . . An original and gripping look at the universe and our place in it . . . I am pleased to report that this book, which aims to show us our place in the grand scheme of things, will not make yo ...

The Copernicus Complex delivers its argument with comparable clarity, insight and humour. There is much to enjoy along the way, including a compelling account of the extraordinary diversity of planetary syste ...

The Copernicus Complex addresses a perennial mystery: the cosmic significance (or perhaps the insignificance) of life on Earth. Caleb Scharf summarizes current debates on how life began and how pervasive it i ...

Mind-blowing stuff . . . An original and gripping look at the universe and our place in it . . . I am pleased to report that this book, which aims to show us our place in the grand scheme of things, will not make yo ...

The Copernicus Complex delivers its argument with comparable clarity, insight and humour. There is much to enjoy along the way, including a compelling account of the extraordinary diversity of planetary syste ...

The Copernicus Complex addresses a perennial mystery: the cosmic significance (or perhaps the insignificance) of life on Earth. Caleb Scharf summarizes current debates on how life began and how pervasive it i ...

Books by Caleb Scharf

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