In Their Own Words

Despite the popular assumption that we are insignificant motes in a vast expanse of stars, we humans are, modern cosmology has discovered, central to the universe--not geographically but in unexpected ways that derive directly from scientific principles. The View from the Center of the Universe: Discovering our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos, coauthored with leading cosmologist Joel R. Primack, presents humanity's first picture of the universe-as-a-whole that might actually be true. This is a moment in history when so much is at stake. A meaningless view of the universe has handicapped Western thinking. A science-based cosmology may be able to guide us and inspire solutions to seemingly intractable global-scale problems.