Books in Mysteries of the Past series

Since the time of Einstein, ideas of parallel universes have grown from far-out concepts to mature scientific theories. Using everyday analogies and do-it-yourself models to simplify intimidating concepts, students will learn about the most fascinating topics in modern cosmology, such as the big bang theory, inflation, wormholes, and higher dimensions. Student learning is enhanced by illuminating diagrams and informative sidebars that explore related timely topics in depth. This book supports the Next Generation Science Standards' emphasis on evidence-based theories by discussing past observations and future tests of each parallel universe theory.

Cosmic inflation is the theory that the early universe went through fast, exponential expansion for a fraction of a second after the Big Bang and then slowed down to the current rate of expansion. Simplified explanations of complex scientific concepts such as dark energy, dark matter, and the cosmic microwave background and dynamic images will help students comprehend how the study of cosmic inflation has reshaped our understanding of how the universe was born, evolved, and might be in the future. This book correlates with the Next Generation Science Standards' emphasis on scientific collection and analysis of data and evidence-based theories. Informative sidebars explore related timely topics in depth, while a Further Reading section provides several resources for additional study.

A wormhole is a tube-like distortion of time and space connecting distant places in the universe. Wormholes have been featured in many movies, but can they really exist? Wormholes are a prediction of scientific theories, and the precision of mathematics allows them to be described, even before they have ever been seen. Untangling complex physics theories with accessible language and captivating imagery, this book explores the development and evaluation of scientific theories behind wormholes. Supporting the Next Generation Science Standards' emphasis on scientific collection and analysis of data and evidence-based theories, this book will help students grasp the importance of mathematical models of reality, laying the groundwork for a deeper understanding of the nature of science.

The Big Bang theory describes the very beginnings of the universe, when it was infinitesimally small and infinitely dense, and follows its rapid expansion and evolution, from the formation of nuclei within the first few minutes to the creation of the first galaxies a billion years later. The Big Bang theory is a cornerstone of modern cosmology, and although astronomers cannot directly observe the birth of the universe, the theory is widely accepted because it makes concrete predictions of the current observable universe, which have been tested repeatedly with striking success. Supporting the Next Generation Science Standards' emphasis on scientific collection and analysis of data and evidence-based theories, this book will help students understand the observational evidence supporting the Big Bang theory and speculate on the ultimate fate of the universe it implies.

Gravity causes an apple to fall to the ground and keeps the moon in orbit around Earth, but it can also trap light for infinity in a dying star and ripple across the cosmos carrying the news of a massive collision between two distant black holes. With accessible language and breathtaking NASA images, students will explore the theory of gravity, from Newton's law of universal gravitation to Einstein's general relativity and beyond. This book supports the Next Generation Science Standards' emphasis on scientific collection and analysis of data and evidence-based theories by discussing the theoretical models scientists devise to describe gravity and the real-world experiments they use to test them.

Gravity causes an apple to fall to the ground and keeps the moon in orbit around Earth, but it can also trap light for infinity in a dying star and ripple across the cosmos carrying the news of a massive collision between two distant black holes. With accessible language and breathtaking NASA images, students will explore the theory of gravity, from Newton's law of universal gravitation to Einstein's general relativity and beyond. This book supports the Next Generation Science Standards' emphasis on scientific collection and analysis of data and evidence-based theories by discussing the theoretical models scientists devise to describe gravity and the real-world experiments they use to test them.