That being said, this isn’t a book I would recommend to anyone who doesn’t already have a grasp of general scientific principles.

As a result, readers end up with a much clearer idea of the principles being discussed and how they can start to fit into the wider picture. For other topics where we have a better understanding of things, the book not only explains current theories, but also how we were able to figure them out. In areas where our collective human understanding of the universe is insufficient, she takes the time to explain our best guesses, how we came to make them and why we can’t currently be sure what the actual solution is. Mack has also taken care to be extremely honest in her summary of the current science.

Combined with Mack’s humour and the way the book talks directly to the reader, the overall impression is a very friendly, engaging experience that carries any sections that may be too in-depth for the casual reader. Even in places where her explanations become bogged down in dense calculations and theories, her enthusiasm for the science she’s discussing is front and centre, and it can be infectious regardless of your actual interest in the particular topic. It’s always enjoyable to hear someone talk about something they’re passionate about, and it’s obvious on every page that Mack adores the field she works in. All of this is simplified down to a level that is at least somewhat more accessible to the average reader than the quantum mechanics and general relativity that are actually going on in the background.Īs dark and depressing as the subject matter might seem, Mack sells it brilliantly. For each of the five universe-ending scenarios, Mack explains what it would entail, why we think it’s a possibility and how we obtained the data that led us to that conclusion.

The book sets out to explain how the universe became, and the various ideas we currently have of how it might one day, someday, come to its end. Such is the task faced by Katie Mack’s The End of Everything. It is so vast and ancient that trying to imagine the science holding it all together can be overwhelming to our tiny human minds, and contemplating its eventual conclusion is yet more mind-boggling still. It can be difficult – impossible even – to truly comprehend the sheer scale of the cosmos.

The end of everything mack