From the Big Bang to the Theory of Everything, Sunday Telegraph Science Correspondent Robert Matthews takes us on a tour of twenty-five of the biggest ideas in modern science. Along the way, he explains how the theory that proved Einstein wrong might one day make teleportation possible, how the principles of mathematics could be used to broker peace treaties, and why the key to understanding some of the deepest mysteries of the universe could be linked to the barcode on your groceries. The book also covers the major personalities in the history of science, from World War Two code breaker Alan Turing and his test for artificial intelligence to modern scientists and theories such as Richard Dawkins, the selfish gene, Stephen Hawking and quantum mechanics. With glossaries of key terms and a timeline charting the key discoveries and milestones, this entertaining guide to the cutting edge of science also includes chapters on the nature vs nurture debate, plate tectonics, consciousness, dark matter and chaos theory, and will be suitable for readers of all backgrounds.

Author Biography

Robert Matthews is Visiting Research Fellow at Aston University and Science Correspondent for The Sunday Telegraph. He writes regular columns for, among others, The New Scientist and Focus magazine, and has published papers on a range of subjects from cryptography to cosmology. Most famously, his research on Murphy's Law (why toast always lands butter-side down, and why there are always hundreds of odd socks in your drawer) won him a discourse to the Royal Institution of Great Britain, as well as several awards.