The Nine Numbers of the Cosmos

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How old is the universe? What do the atoms in our bodies reveal about its history? Michael Rowan-Robinson explores these questions, distilling modern astronomy's discoveries into nine key numbers. His guiding principle, inspired by Montaigne, is "What do I know?" This approach allows readers to grasp both our knowledge and ignorance about the universe. Among the nine numbers, only one is known with precision, while four remain entirely unknown. Rowan-Robinson simplifies complex concepts like the origin of elements, General Relativity, quantum theory, and the standard model of particle physics, which form the backbone of modern cosmology. He also addresses speculative ideas such as inflation and string theory with a healthy skepticism. While most discoveries occurred in the twentieth century, he honors historical contributions from the Greeks, Renaissance astronomers, and Newton's era. The book concludes with a forward-looking analysis, predicting that upcoming missions like MAP and PLANCK-Surveyor, along with the Large Hadron Collider, will provide accurate values for all nine numbers by 2015. However, he emphasizes that many mysteries will persist, particularly the origin of the Big Bang, which may remain unresolved well into the future.