Measuring the Universe: The Historical Quest to Quantify Space

An exciting & accessible mix of history & cutting-edge science, this book chronicles man's attempts to push back the frontiers of understanding. From a librarian in ancient Alexandria working out the circumference of the earth by studying the way the sunlight fell into a desert well, through Newton's estimates of the distance to the nearest stars, to the latest developments in theories as to what is beyond the borders of the observable universe, intelligent minds have asked questions about our universe, & our place in it. This is the story of their search for answers. The queries range from the mechanical to the metaphysical, but all are rooted in centuries-old curiosity. An adventure story that whisks us through 3 millennia of scientific ingenuity & intellectual history.