Overview

Which will get us first? The supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park? An asteroid hurtling through outer space? Black holes from CERN gobbling up the solar system? An army of deranged nanobots? Or – who knows – alien invasion? Armed with lavish illustrations and their one-of-a-kind “Catastrophometer”, Dr David Darling and Dr Dirk Schulze-Makuch introduce the disasters you never saw coming, unpicking the science that makes them genuine possibilities, and providing everything from survival tips to danger ratings. So sit back, face the inevitable, and discover the delights of the nine oddest ways the world could end.

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9781851689477

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Reviews

"""Curiously pleasurable… this will help you get your everyday problems into perspective."" * The Independent * ""Fascinating, if sometimes macabre ... A fabulous book that got better with every page - I couldn't put it down!"" * Debra Fischer - Professor of Astronomy at Yale University * ""Accessible and entertaining… Brings often complex and abstract threats frighteningly to life."" * Financial Times * ""A surprisingly cheerful look at the science of how humanity might meet a messy end, from incurable diseases to exploding stars. Who says reading about the end of the world needs to be grim?"" * Chad Orzel * ""Impressive… Reminds us that the air of reassuring omnipotence that our leaders like to project is mere illusion."" * The Wall Street Journal * ""Nicely written, thoroughly researched, highly recommended. Doomsday is already marked in the calendar."" * Alberto Fairen - Research Scientist at the SETI Institute * ""A mix of good old-fashioned silliness and some fine science writing. Next time someone tells you, ""Cheer up, it might never happen,"" throw this book at them."" * BBC Focus * ""The entertaining selection of end-of-the world scenarios is the perfect excuse to learn about science, from the atomic to the galactic and from the terrestrial to the extra-terrestrial. Specially recommended for those who think that the end of humankind cannot cheer you up."" * Alfonso Davila - Senior Scientist at the SETI Institute and Principal Investigator at the Carl Sagan * ""Surprisingly good fun. Editor's Pick."" * The Bookseller * ""Splendid! Stimulating, entertaining, and scientifically plausible."" * Adam Hart-Davis * ""A hearty dose of knowledge seasoned with humor… Clear and informative, this book is recommended for all readers of popular science."" * Library Journal *"

Surprisingly good fun. Editor's Pick. The Bookseller A mix of good old-fashioned silliness and some fine science writing. Next time someone tells you, Cheer up, it might never happen, throw this book at them. BBC Focus Accessible and entertaining... Brings often complex and abstract threats frighteningly to life. Financial Times Curiously pleasurable... this will help you get your everday problems into perspective. The Independent Impressive... Reminds us that the air of reassuring omnipotence that our leaders like to project is mere illusion. The Wall Street Journal A hearty dose of knowledge seasoned with humor... Clear and informative, this book is recommended for all readers of popular science. Library Journal

Author Information

Dr David Darling is an astronomer, freelance science writer, and creator of one of the most popular online encyclopedias of space and astrobiology. He is the author of the bestselling Equations of Eternity. Dr Dirk Schulze-Makuch is Professor in Astrobiology at Washington State University. His research has been widely published in media ranging from academic journals to The New Scientist. Together they are the authors of the critically-acclaimed We Are Not Alone.

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