A Tiny Universe


Book Description

A Tiny Universe is a textbook which is based on Thema Mundi, a symbolic chart of the planets positions at the beginning of humankinds existence. Thema Mundi has existed as the teaching tool for astrological techniques since Hellenistic times and traditional sources from Greek, Persian, Arabic and Hebrew origins used the mythical representation of the Birth-chart of the Universe as a model for their evolving theories on astrology over the centuries. A Tiny Universe explores the seven original planets and their meanings and discusses the planets role, both in general through the time periods of life, and specifically through the astrology chart. The judgement of a planets condition under the terms of the Essential and Accidental Dignities is featured and the Friendships and Enmities which exist between various planets is discussed in the book. Thema Mundi embraces the process of life which begins with the four qualities, leads to the roots which we call the elements, and completes its journey at the twelve zodiac signs. The final chapters highlight the importance of the twelve houses which set the planets into specific areas of an individuals life through the astrology chart. A Tiny Universe takes a modern look at a very old chart as Thema Mundi introduces the planets, the qualities, the signs, and the houses, to the reader who is interested in astrology from the novice astrologer, to the practitioner, who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of the origins of their craft.




A Tiny Universe’S Companion


Book Description

A Tiny Universe's Companion accompanies A Tiny Universe, a textbook on astrology which is based on one version of the Birth-Chart of the Universe known as Thema Mundi. Companion expands on the fi rst book by exploring a number of techniques which were refined by astrologers several centuries ago, but have since lost their significance in modern times. Practices such as the division between day and night which creates the accidental dignity of Planetary Sect, and the forgotten rule of Contention (munakara) which warns of the danger of crossing boundaries, are both reminders of the impact of Sect on the seven original planets. A first century predictive system originating in Persia called Firdaria has been re-introduced in the past few years and is once more gaining in popularity. Firdaria relies heavily on the principles of Sect to direct the individual's lifespan via different planetary periods along with the sequencing of planets according to the Chaldean Order. This method is examined in detail in the final chapters of Companion using modernized interpretations of text from 1st Century astrologer Vettius Valens, and Johannes Schoener from the 16th Century C.E. Planets' rulership over the twelve houses is a cornerstone of traditional astrology's chart interpretation and a ruling planet's condition determines its success or failure in managing the aff airs of its house. Issues such as mediocre quality, troublesome relationships, poor placement, or lack of sight (aversion) suggest stress for the planet and indicate difficult repercussions in the areas of life for which the ruling planet is responsible. Patterns which normally lie unseen or dormant within the chart become animated through rulership, and with the reintroduction of lost models, the chart, and life on Earth once more become reflections of the larger Universe.




We Have No Idea


Book Description

Prepare to learn everything we still don’t know about our strange and mysterious universe Humanity's understanding of the physical world is full of gaps. Not tiny little gaps you can safely ignore —there are huge yawning voids in our basic notions of how the world works. PHD Comics creator Jorge Cham and particle physicist Daniel Whiteson have teamed up to explore everything we don't know about the universe: the enormous holes in our knowledge of the cosmos. Armed with their popular infographics, cartoons, and unusually entertaining and lucid explanations of science, they give us the best answers currently available for a lot of questions that are still perplexing scientists, including: * Why does the universe have a speed limit? * Why aren't we all made of antimatter? * What (or who) is attacking Earth with tiny, superfast particles? * What is dark matter, and why does it keep ignoring us? It turns out the universe is full of weird things that don't make any sense. But Cham and Whiteson make a compelling case that the questions we can't answer are as interesting as the ones we can. This fully illustrated introduction to the biggest mysteries in physics also helpfully demystifies many complicated things we do know about, from quarks and neutrinos to gravitational waves and exploding black holes. With equal doses of humor and delight, Cham and Whiteson invite us to see the universe as a possibly boundless expanse of uncharted territory that's still ours to explore.




A Big Bang in a Little Room


Book Description

An award-winning science writer takes us into the lab to answer some of life's biggest questions: How was the universe created? And could we create our own? What if you could become God, with the ability to build a whole new universe? As startling as it sounds, modern physics suggests that within the next two decades, scientists may be able to perform this seemingly divine feat-to concoct an entirely new baby universe, complete with its own physical laws, star systems, galaxies, and even intelligent life. A Big Bang in a Little Room takes the reader on a journey through the history of cosmology and unravels-particle by particle, theory by theory, and experiment by experiment-the ideas behind this provocative claim made by some of the most respected physicists alive today. Beyond simply explaining the science, A Big Bang in a Little Room also tells the story of the people who have been laboring for more than thirty years to make this seemingly impossible dream a reality. What has driven them to continue on what would seem, at first glance, to be a quixotic quest? This mind-boggling book reveals that we can nurse other worlds in the tiny confines of a lab, raising a daunting prospect: Was our universe, too, brought into existence by a daring creator?




I'm a Neutrino: Tiny Particles in a Big Universe


Book Description

An accessible and visually arresting picture book about one of the universe's most mysterious particles for the youngest scientific minds Before you finish reading this sentence, trillions upon trillions of neutrinos will have passed through your body. Not sure what a neutrino is? Get an up-close-and-personal introduction in this dazzling picture book from MIT Kids Press, told in lilting rhyme from the neutrino’s point of view and filled with mind-bending, full-bleed illustrations that swirl and splash the cosmos to life. Some of the smallest bits of matter known to exist—and they exist everywhere—neutrinos are inspiring cutting-edge and Nobel Prize–winning research. Here, playful text and watercolor illustrations blended with photographs distill the concept of these mysterious particles down to its essence. “Know Your Neutrinos” end notes provide context for each spread, amplifying the science and making complex astrophysics and physics concepts approachable. This indispensable STEM title urges children to dream of contributing their own discoveries.




The Little Universe


Book Description

"...quite an inventive story." "...before you know it, you can't put the book down." "...one of those rare books, light enough on the surface to be a fun summer read, but deep enough to keep you thinking about it long after you've turned the last page." "I can honestly say I didn't want it to end." What if you could create a universe: a miniature self-enclosed universe? Imagine having probing cameras that could focus to any star or planet looking for life. And once you found life, what if you could accelerate time and watch it evolve? What might you find? These are not the questions Jon Gruber ponders as he pedals to his next carpentry job. Over thirty and unmarried, he doesn't even own a car. But a new assignment challenges him to rethink his place in the world. Is he a loser? Or is he about to become a partner in an experiment of phenomenal discovery? Webster Adams, astronomer, inventor, and Jon's latest client, performs such an experiment. To Webster's amazement, he finds planets and cultures beyond his wildest dreams. His little universe turns into a discovery machine--an overnight goldmine. He and his crew observe societies so far past them on levels of technology and spirituality, that the world will be forever changed. Webster's lovely daughter, Whitney, also overwhelms Jon. She opens his eyes to the deeper meanings within the experiment by finding the most advanced beings within the project--the spirit guides from Theta 7. The Little Universe is a mind expanding concept. For Webster Adams, one question immediately comes to light. "If I can create a universe," he wonders, "then who created ours?" Can it be proven that some form of God exists? Or is life random and free-flowing without purpose? Along with Jon, you, the reader, will be presented a new perspective on life and your role in the great mystery of the universe.




The Smallest Lights in the Universe


Book Description

LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE WINNER • An MIT astrophysicist reinvents herself in the wake of tragedy and discovers the power of connection on this planet, even as she searches our galaxy for another Earth, in this “bewitching” (Anthony Doerr, The New York Times Book Review) memoir. “Sara Seager’s exploration of outer and inner space makes for a stunningly original memoir.”—Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting for Stone Sara Seager has always been in love with the stars: so many lights in the sky, so much possibility. Now a pioneering planetary scientist, she searches for exoplanets—especially that distant, elusive world that sustains life. But with the unexpected death of Seager’s husband, the purpose of her own life becomes hard for her to see. Suddenly, at forty, she is a widow and the single mother of two young boys. For the first time, she feels alone in the universe. As she struggles to navigate her life after loss, Seager takes solace in the alien beauty of exoplanets and the technical challenges of exploration. At the same time, she discovers earthbound connections that feel every bit as wondrous, when strangers and loved ones alike reach out to her across the space of her grief. Among them are the Widows of Concord, a group of women offering advice on everything from home maintenance to dating, and her beloved sons, Max and Alex. Most unexpected of all, there is another kind of one-in-a-billion match, not in the stars but here at home. Probing and invigoratingly honest, The Smallest Lights in the Universe is its own kind of light in the dark.




How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe (Enhanced Edition)


Book Description

This enhanced eBook includes video, audio, photographic, and linked content, as well as a bonus short story. Hear TAMMY talk. Learn the origins of Minor Universe 31. See the TM-31. Take a trip in it. Photos and illustrations appear as hyperlinked endnotes. Video and audio are embedded directly in text. *Video and audio may not play on all readers. Check your user manual for details. National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 Award winner Charles Yu delivers his debut novel, a razor-sharp, ridiculously funny, and utterly touching story of a son searching for his father . . . through quantum space–time. Minor Universe 31 is a vast story-space on the outskirts of fiction, where paradox fluctuates like the stock market, lonely sexbots beckon failed protagonists, and time travel is serious business. Every day, people get into time machines and try to do the one thing they should never do: change the past. That’s where Charles Yu, time travel technician—part counselor, part gadget repair man—steps in. He helps save people from themselves. Literally. When he’s not taking client calls or consoling his boss, Phil, who could really use an upgrade, Yu visits his mother (stuck in a one-hour cycle of time, she makes dinner over and over and over) and searches for his father, who invented time travel and then vanished. Accompanied by TAMMY, an operating system with low self-esteem, and Ed, a nonexistent but ontologically valid dog, Yu sets out, and back, and beyond, in order to find the one day where he and his father can meet in memory. He learns that the key may be found in a book he got from his future self. It’s called How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, and he’s the author. And somewhere inside it is the information that could help him—in fact it may even save his life. Wildly new and adventurous, Yu’s debut is certain to send shock waves of wonder through literary space–time.




Little Universe


Book Description

Meditations on miniature marvels, small spaces, and interior worlds. Image Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_RPLvWKfb2Tlz7Qnyr3SzSddYxVbWgfpoxILrqIVQ9w/edit?usp=sharing




Probable Impossibilities


Book Description

The acclaimed author of Einstein’s Dreams tackles "big questions like the origin of the universe and the nature of consciousness ... in an entertaining and easily digestible way” (Wall Street Journal) with a collection of meditative essays on the possibilities—and impossibilities—of nothingness and infinity, and how our place in the cosmos falls somewhere in between. Can space be divided into smaller and smaller units, ad infinitum? Does space extend to larger and larger regions, on and on to infinity? Is consciousness reducible to the material brain and its neurons? What was the origin of life, and can biologists create life from scratch in the lab? Physicist and novelist Alan Lightman, whom The Washington Post has called “the poet laureate of science writers,” explores these questions and more—from the anatomy of a smile to the capriciousness of memory to the specialness of life in the universe to what came before the Big Bang. Probable Impossibilities is a deeply engaged consideration of what we know of the universe, of life and the mind, and of things vastly larger and smaller than ourselves.