EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FATE OF THE UNIVERSE BUT DIDN'T DARE TO ASK We know that the universe started from somewhere. With the Big Bang, it transitioned from a state of unimaginable density to the form of a cosmic fireball, scattering the first seeds for everything, from black holes to a rocky planet where life as we know it happened to develop. But what will happen at the end of this story? And what does that mean for us now? In this brilliant description of eschatological cosmology, Katie Mack, with inexhaustible humor, takes us through the five possible scenarios for the end of the universe: the Big Crunch, Heat Death, the Big Rip, Vacuum Decay (which can happen at any moment!), and the Bounce. Utilizing her gift to make the most difficult concepts easily understandable, the rising star of astrophysics helps us comprehend the universe as a whole, to know its constituent elements, its evolution, the fundamental laws that govern it. We may not yet know if the end of the universe will involve ice, fire, or something else more otherworldly. What we do know is that it is a vast, beautiful, and truly astonishing place, which is worth every effort to explore – while we still can. Excerpt from the book In an era when humanity is plagued by a minuscule but deadly virus, in an era when human intervention in the natural environment is leading the planet with mathematical precision to an immediately catastrophic climate change, is our preoccupation with the potential disasters expected in trillions of trillions of years from now a bit irrational? Yet, this description of the future awaiting the universe provides the reader with the tools for a, perhaps fleeting, glimpse into possible answers to the fundamental questions of humanity regarding its origin and future existence. From the foreword by Dionysis P. Simopoulos THE PRESS WROTE Want to learn about the universe? Leave Hawking and pick up Mack. Sydney Morning Herald Mack's pleasant writing style makes the study of speculations about the death of the universe unexpectedly entertaining. Kirkus Reviews A fascinating tour, which, thanks to Mack's infectious enthusiasm, initiates us into the secrets of modern cosmology. Wall Street Journal BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR WASHINGTON POST ECONOMIST • NEW SCIENTIST PUBLISHERS WEEKLY GUARDIAN