Where Did the Universe Come From And Other Cosmic Questions Our Universe, from the Quantum to the Cosmos

Front Cover 1 Front Flap 2 Title Page 7 Copyright 8 Contents 11 Preface 13 The Quantum and the Cosmos 17 Part 1: The Quantum of Cosmos Past 35 Where did the universe come from? 37 Why is the universe so smooth? 54 Why is there matter in the universe? 71 Where did the elements come from? 88 Part 2: The Quantum of Cosmos Present 103 How did we unravel the chemistry of the heavens? 105 Where did the chemicals inside us come from? 120 Why do dying stars rip themselves apart? 135 Is the entire universe a quantum thing? 149 Part 3: The Quantum of Cosmos Future 163 Why don’t all dead stars become black holes? 165 Will matter last forever? 177 Do black holes last forever? 189 Is the end of the universe really the end? 200 Part 4: The Future of a Quantum Cosmos 211 Where have we been? 213 What does a theory of everything look like? 217 Where can a theory of everything take us? 224 What still stands in our way? 228 Acknowledgments 235 Endnotes 237 Index 254 About the Authors 270 Back Flap 273 Back Cover 274