Astrophysics For People In A Hurry -

For centuries, we thought we understood the "stuff" of the universe. However, modern astrophysics reveals that the matter we can see (stars, planets, and us) accounts for only about 5% of the cosmos. The rest is dominated by two invisible giants:

This invisible "frenemy" does not emit or reflect light but provides the gravitational glue that keeps galaxies from flying apart. It makes up roughly 85% of all matter. Astrophysics For People In A Hurry

In the first trillionth of a second, the four fundamental forces of nature—, Electromagnetism , and the Strong and Weak Nuclear forces —were unified as one. As the universe expanded and cooled, these forces "untangled," and the first particles of matter began to form. A crucial cosmic coincidence occurred when matter slightly outnumbered antimatter by a billion-to-one ratio; if they had been perfectly equal, they would have completely annihilated each other, leaving nothing behind but light. Invisible Architects: Dark Matter and Dark Energy For centuries, we thought we understood the "stuff"

If you want to dive deeper into these "bite-sized" chapters of cosmic history, you can find at retailers like Weller Book Works ($18.95), Walmart (~$10.65), and Barnes & Noble ($18.95). Astrophysics for People in a Hurry: deGrasse Tyson, Neil It makes up roughly 85% of all matter