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Dark Matter and Dark Energy

The Hidden 95% of the Universe

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Dark Matter and Dark Energy

By: Brian Clegg
Narrated by: Mark Cameron
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About this listen

All the matter and light we can see in the universe makes up a trivial five per cent of everything. The rest is hidden. This could be the biggest puzzle that science has ever faced. 

Since the 1970s, astronomers have been aware that galaxies have far too little matter in them to account for the way they spin around: they should fly apart, but something concealed holds them together. 

That ’something' is dark matter - invisible material in five times the quantity of the familiar stuff of stars and planets. By the 1990s we also knew that the expansion of the universe was accelerating. Something, named dark energy, is pushing it to expand faster and faster. 

Across the universe, this requires enough energy that the equivalent mass would be nearly 14 times greater than all the visible material in existence. Brian Clegg explains this major conundrum in modern science and looks at how scientists are beginning to find solutions to it.

©2019 Brian Clegg (P)2020 W. F. Howes Ltd Astronomy Astronomy & Space Science Physics Science Mathematics Black Hole Interstellar Solar System Dark Energy

Critic reviews

“'Clear and compact. It's hard to fault as a brief, easily digestible introduction to some of the biggest questions in the Universe.” (Giles Sparrow)

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I have to get this out first! The words are 'Nuclear' not 'Nuculer', 'Nucleus' not 'Nuculous'. Seriously, I don't blame Mark Cameron, I blame the 'Projuicer'. it's a common mistake - but these words are at the heart of the topic! Apart from that, the narration is excellent. One star off though for the pronunciation.

The book is beautifully written and goes into a lot of detail without endless equations (which are especially useless in an audiobook). It's a fascinating read on a subject that may or may not be real, however, gives a solid basis as to why Dark Matter and Dark Energy may exist. But seriously, 'nuculer'?

Refreshing Book on the Fascinating Topic

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interesting and understandable account of dark matter and energy and whether they exist at all. The marvels and secrets of the universe!

good review of the subject

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Let me say right away that this is a fascinating, beautifully written and engaging book, offering an in-depth, comprehensive survey of the cutting edge of physics, astrophysics and quantum cosmology, to date. It avoids the common pitfalls of being a book on, “science history,” filled with the tedious biographies that we’ve all heard a thousand times before and, instead, cuts to the heart of what is going on in physics/astronomy right now and the wonders of the science that makes all of this possible. The cool, mind-blowing physics that we all hope for.

And it’s well read for the most part, by the narrator who’s accent (speaking as a northern Englishman myself) is refreshing to hear. HOWEVER! I’m no grammar Nazi, but for crying out loud! You would think that for a book which uses words like, “nucleon,” “nuclear,” and, “nucleus,” with such frequency throughout its entirety, the producer might have taken the time to teach the narrator how to SAY the damned words!?

At first you ignore it, but it happens so often that it starts to grate, until it becomes a continual distraction. For a scientist’s published book on physics, it’s unacceptable to allow the narrator to teach younger listeners to say words wrongly, isn’t it? Especially over and over again. If you can say, “new,” and, “clear,” you can say, “nuclear!” Not, “new-killer.” It’s not an accent thing, nor a speech impediment. It’s simply a lazy mistake that should never have been put out as a final recording with the errors repeatedly annoying the listener and teaching countless people to mispronounce scientific terms! . . . Any more than a printed version of this book would never have been published with the words misspelled in that way!

So, this dreadful oversight, rendered egregious by the sheer number and variety of its repetitions, sadly mars an otherwise well narrated book. I can’t understand how it was allowed to get past basic quality control, let alone any producer, who seems not to have been asleep at the wheel?

This is certainly NOT the level of quality I have come to expect from Audible. And it’s such a shame, as I imagine the author must feel rather aggrieved, or would if he’s heard the whole recording? It’s not like this book was free either! I payed money to have my intelligence insulted! Come on Audible? Check your products BEFORE we pay for them?

The Egregious Errors Were Avoidable

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för den som vill förstå varför och hur begreppet mörk materia och energi uppstod och var forskningen står idag.

kort men informativt

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A perfect length and nice insight into the current non-understanding of what the universe is made of, doesnt slow down to explain the history of every single idea which as a reader of science books is very welcome.

good book

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