by Bahram Mobasher (Author)
About 13.8 billion years ago the
universe was born, with space and time coming into being in the same
instant. By the time the universe was 1 second old, the four forces in
nature had acquired their present characteristics, elementary particles
had obtained their mass, and particles constituting the nuclei of atoms
were created. The nuclei of light elements, hydrogen and helium, were
formed within the first 10 minutes of the birth of the universe with the
first stable atoms coming to existence when the universe was 380,000
years old. Over the next billions of years, the first generation of
stars and galaxies formed, planetary systems came into existence, and
life on Earth appeared and evolved, resulting today’s plants and
animals.
Origins: The Story of the Beginning of Everything is
a fascinating tale of the beginning of the universe, the origin of
life, the start of civilization, and everything in between. The text
explores the nature of space and time, the origin of particles, mass and
chemical elements, and the first stars and galaxies. Readers learn
about the origin of the planetary systems and Earth, the genesis of life
on Earth and the dawning of agriculture, the first cities,
civilization, and language.
The book takes readers on a journey
to the depth of space and beginning of time, to where stars and
galaxies formed and life started, a place and a time no one has ever
been. This journey does not exhaust us physically but enriches us
intellectually. Through the text, readers can better understand
themselves and their position in the world. The book provides a
well-organized and comprehensive response to the question of where
everything comes from in the most basic and scientific senses. The book
is well-suited to courses in astronomy and physics.
