The greatest story ever told--so far : why are we here?

**Internationally renowned, award-winning theoretical physicist, __New York Times__ bestselling author of __A Universe from Nothing__, and passionate advocate for reason, Lawrence Krauss tells the dramatic story of the discovery of the hidden world of reality—a grand poetic vision of nature—and how we find our place within it.**__In the beginning there was light.__ __But more than this, there was gravity.__ __After that, all hell broke loose...__ In __A Universe from Nothing__, Krauss revealed how our entire universe could arise from nothing. Now, he reveals what that something—reality—is. And, reality is not what we think or sense—it’s weird, wild, and counterintuitive; it’s hidden beneath everyday experience; and its inner workings seem even stranger than the idea that something can come from nothing. In a landmark, unprecedented work of scientific history, Krauss leads us to the furthest reaches of space and time, to scales so small they are invisible to microscopes, to the birth and rebirth of light, and into the natural forces that govern our existence. His unique blend of rigorous research and engaging storytelling invites us into the lives and minds of the remarkable, creative scientists who have helped to unravel the unexpected fabric of reality—with reason rather than superstition and dogma. Krauss has himself been an active participant in this effort, and he knows many of them well. __The Greatest Story__ challenges us to re-envision ourselves and our place within the universe, as it appears that “God” does play dice with the universe. In the incisive style of his scintillating essays for __The New Yorker__, Krauss celebrates the greatest intellectual adventure ever undertaken—to understand why we are here in a universe where fact is stranger than fiction. An Award-winning Theoretical Physicist And Best-selling Author Of A Universe From Nothing Traces The Dramatic Discovery Of The Counterintuitive World Of Reality, Explaining How Readers Can Shift Their Perspectives To Gain Greater Understandings Of Our Individual Roles In The Universe. --publisher. In This Grand Poetic Vision Of Nature, Internationally Renowned, Award-winning Theoretical Physicist Lawrence M. Krauss Tells The Dramatic Story Of The Discovery Of The Hidden World That Underlies Reality--and How We Find Our Place Within It. Ln His Bestselling Book A Universe From Nothing, Krauss Revealed How Something--our Entire Universe--could Arise From Nothing, A Paradigm-shifting View Of How Everything That Exists In Our Universe First Came To Be. Now, In The Greatest Story Ever Told--so Far, Krauss Reveals What Everything That Exists--reality--really Is. Reality Is Not What You Think Or Sense--it's Weird, Wild, And Counterintuitive, And Its Inner Workings Seem At Least As Implausible As The Idea That Something Can Come From Nothing.^ This Landmark, Unprecedented Work Explains The Seemingly Inexplicable In An Absorbing, Lively Account Of The Greatest Intellectual Adventure In History: The Creation Of The Scientific View Of The Universe At Its Most Fundamental Scales--where Fact Is Stranger Than Fiction. With His Trademark Wit And Accessible Style, Krauss Leads Us To Realms So Small That They Are Invisible To Microscopes, To The Birth And Rebirth Of Light, And Into The Natural Forces That Govern Our Existence. His Unique Blend Of Rigorous Research And Engaging Storytelling Invites Us Into The Lives And Minds Of The Remarkable Scientists Who Have Helped To Unravel The Unexpected Fabric Of Reality, With Reasoning Rather Than Superstition And Dogma, And To Explain How Everything We See--and Can't See--came About.^ A Passionate Advocate Tor Reason, Krauss Gives The Rationale For The Seemingly Irrational--the Mysteries And Apparent Contradictions Of Quantum Physics, And What That Means For Our Lives Here On Earth--and Beyond. Ultimately, The Greatest Story Challenges Us To Re-envision Our World, As It Appears That 'god' Does Play Dice With The Universe. In The Incisive Style Of His Scintillating Essays For The New Yorker, Krauss Makes It Clear That The Universe We Experience Isn't Designed For Us--and That Our Existence Is A Cosmic Accident. Provocative And Challenging, This Book Is Essential Reading For Anyone Who Wants A Proper Perspective On Our Origins And Our Possible Future. At Its Core, The Greatest Story Is About The Best Of What It Means To Be Human--an Epic History Of Our Ultimately Purposeless Universe That Addresses The Question 'why Are We Here?'--jacket. Part 1: Genesis. From The Armoire To The Cave ; Seeing In The Dark ; Through A Glass, Lightly ; There, And Back Again ; A Stitch In Time ; The Shadows Of Reality ; A Universe Stranger Than Fiction ; A Wrinkle In Time ; Decay And Rubble ; From Here To Eternity : Shedding Light On The Sun -- Part 2: Exodus. Desperate Times And Desperate Measure ; March Of The Titans ; Endless Forms Most Beautiful : Symmetry Strikes Back ; Cold, Stark Reality : Breaking Bad Or Beautiful? ; Living Inside A Superconductor ; The Bearable Heaviness Of Being : Symmetry Broken, Physics Fixed -- Part 3: Revelation. The Wrong Place At The Right Time ; The Fog Lifts ; Free At Last ; Spanking The Vacuum ; Gothic Cathedrals Of The Twenty-first Century ; More Questions Than Answers ; From A Beer Party To The End Of Time ; Cosmic Humility. Lawrence M. Krauss. Includes Index. Internationally renowned, award-winning theoretical physicist, New York Times bestselling author of A Universe from Nothing , and passionate advocate for reason, Lawrence Krauss tells the dramatic story of the discovery of the hidden world of reality—a grand poetic vision of nature—and how we find our place within it. In the beginning there was light. But more than this, there was gravity. After that, all hell broke loose... In A Universe from Nothing , Krauss revealed how our entire universe could arise from nothing. Now, he reveals what that something—reality—is. And, reality is not what we think or sense—it’s weird, wild, and counterintuitive; it’s hidden beneath everyday experience; and its inner workings seem even stranger than the idea that something can come from nothing. In a landmark, unprecedented work of scientific history, Krauss leads us to the furthest reaches of space and time, to scales so small they are invisible to microscopes, to the birth and rebirth of light, and into the natural forces that govern our existence. His unique blend of rigorous research and engaging storytelling invites us into the lives and minds of the remarkable, creative scientists who have helped to unravel the unexpected fabric of reality—with reason rather than superstition and dogma. Krauss has himself been an active participant in this effort, and he knows many of them well. The Greatest Story challenges us to re-envision ourselves and our place within the universe, as it appears that “God” does play dice with the universe. In the incisive style of his scintillating essays for The New Yorker , Krauss celebrates the greatest intellectual adventure ever undertaken—to understand why we are here in a universe where fact is stranger than fiction. *In the beginning there was light. But more than this, there was gravity. After that, all hell broke loose...* In A Universe from Nothing, Krauss revealed how our entire universe could arise from nothing. Now, he reveals what that something—reality—is. And, reality is not what we think or sense—it’s weird, wild, and counterintuitive; it’s hidden beneath everyday experience; and its inner workings seem even stranger than the idea that something can come from nothing. In a landmark, unprecedented work of scientific history, Krauss leads us to the furthest reaches of space and time, to scales so small they are invisible to microscopes, to the birth and rebirth of light, and into the natural forces that govern our existence. His unique blend of rigorous research and engaging storytelling invites us into the lives and minds of the remarkable, creative scientists who have helped to unravel the unexpected fabric of reality—with reason rather than superstition and dogma. Krauss has himself been an active participant in this effort, and he knows many of them well. The Greatest Story challenges us to re-envision ourselves and our place within the universe, as it appears that “God” does play dice with the universe. In the incisive style of his scintillating essays for The New Yorker, Krauss celebrates the greatest intellectual adventure ever undertaken—to understand why we are here in a universe where fact is stranger than fiction. - [(source)][1] [1]: https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Story-Ever-Told-So-Far/dp/1476777616/ Dedication 7 Epigraph 8 Prologue 9 Part One: Genesis 16 Chapter 1: From the Armoire to the Cave 17 Chapter 2: Seeing in the Dark 27 Chapter 3: Through a Glass, Lightly 41 Chapter 4: There, and Back Again 53 Chapter 5: A Stitch in Time 64 Chapter 6: The Shadows of Reality 80 Chapter 7: A Universe Stranger than Fiction 92 Chapter 8: A Wrinkle in Time 106 Chapter 9: Decay and Rubble 122 Chapter 10: From Here to Infinity: Shedding Light on the Sun 135 Part Two: Exodus 149 Chapter 11: Desperate Times and Desperate Measures 150 Chapter 12: March of the Titans 162 Chapter 13: Endless Forms Most Beautiful: Symmetry Strikes Back 179 Chapter 14: Cold, Stark Reality: Breaking Bad or Beautiful? 193 Chapter 15: Living Inside a Superconductor 203 Chapter 16: The Bearable Heaviness of Being: Symmetry Broken, Physics Fixed 214 Part Three: Revelation 222 Chapter 17: The Wrong Place at the Right Time 223 Chapter 18: The Fog Lifts 232 Chapter 19: Free at Last 244 Chapter 20: Spanking the Vacuum 264 Chapter 21: Gothic Cathedrals of the Twenty-First Century 274 Chapter 22: More Questions than Answers 291 Chapter 23: From a Beer Party to the End of Time 307 Epilogue: Cosmic Humility 320 Acknowledgments 326 About the Author 328 Index 331 CONTENTS Prologue Part One: Genesis Chapter 1: From the Armoire to the Cave Chapter 2: Seeing in the Dark Chapter 3: Through a Glass, Lightly Chapter 4: There, and Back Again Chapter 5: A Stitch in Time Chapter 6: The Shadows of Reality Chapter 7: A Universe Stranger than Fiction Chapter 8: A Wrinkle in Time Chapter 9: Decay and Rubble Chapter 10: From Here to Infinity: Shedding Light on the Sun Part Two: Exodus Chapter 11: Desperate Times and Desperate Measures Chapter 12: March of the Titans Chapter 13: Endless Forms Most Beautiful: Symmetry Strikes Back Chapter 14: Cold, Stark Reality: Breaking Bad or Beautiful? Chapter 15: Living inside a Superconductor Chapter 16: The Bearable Heaviness of Being: Symmetry Broken, Physics Fixed ͢ Part Three: Revelation Chapter 17: The Wrong Place at the Right Time Chapter 18: The Fog Lifts Chapter 19: Free at Last Chapter 20: Spanking the Vacuum Chapter 21: Gothic Cathedrals of the Twenty-First Century Chapter 22: More Questions than Answers Chapter 23: From a Beer Party to the End of Time Epilogue: Cosmic Humility Acknowledgments About the Author Index