Keeping in mind that we can only see the universe from the comfort of
our home galaxy, Bascom begins his text by meticulously laying the
necessary groundwork to understand the Big Bang's mathematics without
using any equations. He then paints a freeze-frame picture of our
universe as if we had taken a three-dimensional picture with a giant
camera. Within this picture, he traces forces beginning with the
smallest (a single atom) to the biggest (the cosmos), keeping in mind
that in this frozen moment everything further away from the observer
spatially is also further away from the observer in time; that is,
older. Soon a very real and very vivid image of the Big Bang appears
(especially in things that are loud or hot), echoing down through time
and into our everyday lives, reflected in every atom during every
measurement. Then, slowly but deliberately, Bascom unfreezes this
picture, ratcheting each moment from one to the next, showing us how and
why quantum particles are constantly in contact with the Big Bang and
why that allows the particles to pop in and out of existence from moment
to moment, what a photon is, and what exactly we mean when we say that
free space has energy.
Whether you're interested in the Big Bang, the weirdness of quantum
mechanics, or simply enjoy thinking about the biggest, loudest, and
oldest things in our universe, this book will help you question your
deepest notions about time and space, while staying firmly rooted in
empirical observation. Throughout the text, Bascom sidesteps traditional
non-fiction modes, using colorful explanations and vivid imagery to
place the reader in simultaneous contact with both the Big Bang and
fundamental particles. As a result, Bascom provides the tools and
language necessary to contemplate the strangeness of our universe.
