The Book of Universes: Exploring the Limits of the Cosmos

Einstein's theory of general relativity opens the door for the study of other possible universes- and weird universes at that. Not many solutions to Einstein's tantalizing equations have ever been found, but those we know about are all remarkable: universes that expand or contract, universes where time travel is possible, universes that spin and bounce, magnetic universes, chaotic universes, and accelerating universes. Despite their odd features, all these universes could exist without breaking the laws of physics. This book gives us a stunning tour of these potential universes, introducing us along the way to the brilliant physicists and mathematicians who first imagined- and, through tricky manipulations of Einstein's theory- demonstrated the possibility of such startlingly diverse universes. The book also explains the latest discoveries and ideas about our own universe, showing how they lead to the concepts of the inflationary universe and the "multiverse"- the universe of all possible universes- along with the possibility that there are other dimensions of space and time. These ideas force us to confront the possibility that our visible universe is a tiny region, governed by its own laws, within a multiverse containing all the strange universes that could be- an idea that is among the most exciting and revolutionary in all of modern science. -- from Book Jacket