- Title:
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The Human Cosmos: A Secret History of the Stars
- Written by:
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Jo Marchant
- Read by:
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Jo Marchant
- Format:
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Unabridged CD Audio Book
- Number of CDs:
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9
- Duration:
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11 hours 11 minutes
- Published:
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September 03 2020
- Available Date:
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September 03 2020
- Age Category:
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Adult
- ISBN:
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9780655687382
- Genres:
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Non-fiction; Science & Technology
- Publisher:
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Bolinda/Canongate audio
Qty
Format
Price
Bolinda price
A journey through the history of science and man's relationship with the night sky and the cosmos beyond, from the author of Royal Society Prize-shortlisted Cure.
For most of human history, we have led not just an earthly existence but a cosmic one. Celestial cycles drove every aspect of our daily lives. Our innate relationship with the stars shaped who we are – our religious beliefs, power structures, scientific advances and even our biology. But over the last few centuries we have separated ourselves from the universe that surrounds us. And that disconnect comes at a cost.
In The Human Cosmos Jo Marchant takes us on a tour through the history of humanity’s relationship with the heavens. We travel to the Hall of the Bulls in Lascaux and witness the summer solstice at a 5,000-year-old tomb at Newgrange. We visit Medieval monks grappling with the nature of time and Tahitian sailors navigating by the stars. We discover how light reveals the chemical composition of the sun and we are with Einstein as he works out that space and time are one and the same. And we discover why stargazing can be really, really good for us.
It is time for us to rediscover the full potential of the universe we inhabit, its wonder, its effect on our health and its potential for inspiration and revelation.
'[Marchant] surveys with grace what we think we know, and what we would like to know, about the mysterious and troubling relationship between our minds and our bodies.'
Guardian
'[Marchant has a] flair for finding inspirational figures ... the studies are irresistible, and they come in an almost infinite variety.'
New York Times
'A revved-up, research-packed explication of the use of mind in medicine.'
Nature