Waves in an Impossible Sea

How Everyday Life Emerges from the Cosmic Ocean

By Matt Strassler | Publisher: Basic Books

About the book

Big Think's Best Science Book of 2024

A theoretical physicist takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey to discover how the universe generates everything from nothing at all.

\"If you want to know what's really going on in the realms of relativity and particle physics, read this book\" —Sean Carroll, bestselling author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe

In Waves in an Impossible Sea, physicist Matt Strassler tells a startling tale of elementary particles, human experience, and empty space. He begins with a simple mystery of motion—our planet hurtles through the cosmos at 150 miles per second, and yet we feel nothing of it. How can our voyage be so tranquil?   

The reason, Strassler reveals, is that empty space is a sea, albeit a paradoxical one. Much like water and air, it ripples in various ways, and we ourselves, made from its ripples, can move through space as effortlessly as waves crossing an ocean.

Deftly weaving together daily experience and fundamental physics—the musical universe, the enigmatic quantum, cosmic fields, and the Higgs boson—Strassler shows us how all things, familiar and unfamiliar, emerge from what seems like nothing at all.   

Accessible and profound, Waves in an Impossible Sea is the ultimate guide to our place in the universe.

Editions of Waves in an Impossible Sea

Hardcover
ISBN 9781541603295
EBook
ISBN 9781541603301

Read an Excerpt

Big Think's Best Science Book of 2024

A theoretical physicist takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey to discover how the universe generates everything from nothing at all.

\"If you want to know what's really going on in the realms of relativity and particle physics, read this book\" —Sean Carroll, bestselling author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe

In Waves in an Impossible Sea, physicist Matt Strassler tells a startling tale of elementary particles, human experience, and empty space. He begins with a simple mystery of motion—our planet hurtles through the cosmos at 150 miles per second, and yet we feel nothing of it. How can our voyage be so tranquil?   

The reason, Strassler reveals, is that empty space is a sea, albeit a paradoxical one. Much like water and air, it ripples in various ways, and we ourselves, made from its ripples, can move through space as effortlessly as waves crossing an ocean.

Deftly weaving together daily experience and fundamental physics—the musical universe, the enigmatic quantum, cosmic fields, and the Higgs boson—Strassler shows us how all things, familiar and unfamiliar, emerge from what seems like nothing at all.   

Accessible and profound, Waves in an Impossible Sea is the ultimate guide to our place in the universe.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Waves in an Impossible Sea about?

Big Think's Best Science Book of 2024

A theoretical physicist takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey to discover how the universe generates everything from nothing at all.

\"If you want to know what's really going on in the realms of relativity and particle physics, read this book\" —Sean Carroll, bestselling author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe

In Waves in an Impossible Sea, physicist Matt Strassler tells a startling tale of elementary particles, human experience, and empty space. He begins with a simple mystery of motion—our planet hurtles through the cosmos at 150 miles per second, and yet we feel nothing of it. How can our voyage be so tranquil?   

The reason, Strassler reveals, is that empty space is a sea, albeit a paradoxical one. Much like water and air, it ripples in various ways, and we ourselves, made from its ripples, can move through space as effortlessly as waves crossing an ocean.

Deftly weaving together daily experience and fundamental physics—the musical universe, the enigmatic quantum, cosmic fields, and the Higgs boson—Strassler shows us how all things, familiar and unfamiliar, emerge from what seems like nothing at all.   

Accessible and profound, Waves in an Impossible Sea is the ultimate guide to our place in the universe.

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Waves in an Impossible Sea?

Mathematics and Science > Physics > Quantum physics (quantum mechanics and quantum field theory)

Where can I read a sample of Waves in an Impossible Sea?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781541603295

Who is/are the Author/s of the book Waves in an Impossible Sea?

Matt Strassler

Who is the Publisher of the book Waves in an Impossible Sea?

Basic Books

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

Waves in an Impossible Sea is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781541603295) and ebook(ISBN 9781541603301)

Where can I buy Waves in an Impossible Sea online or support local independent bookshops?

You can buy Waves in an Impossible Sea from below

Where can I buy Waves in an Impossible Sea?