The Copernicus Complex

In The Copernicus Complex, the renowned astrophysicist and author Caleb Scharf takes us on a cosmic adventure like no other, from tiny microbes within the Earth to distant exoplanets and beyond, asserting that the age-old Copernican principle is in need of updating. When Copernicus proposed that the Earth was not the fixed point at the centre of the known universe, he upended Western science. The notion that we on earth are not particularly unique has become a central tenet of our study of the cosmos ever since. Cosmology hints that our universe may be just one of a multitude of others - a single slice of an infinity of parallel realities. But the Copernican principle, Scharf argues, has never been entirely true - we do live at a particular time, in a particular location, under particular circumstances. To solve this conundrum we must put aside our Copernican worldview and embrace the possibility that many aspects of our cosmic home are genuinely special. Weaving together cutting-edge science and classic storytelling, historical accounts and speculations on what the future holds, The Copernicus Complexpresents a compelling argument for what our true cosmic status is, and proposes a way forward for the ultimate quest- to determine whether we are truly alone in the universe. Praise for Gravity's Engines'This is a book that is rich in the poetry of scientific language ...... Not only does Scharf know more about the universe than you or I do, he knows how to transmit his knowledge by deft use of analogy.' Nicholas Lezard, Guardian'Scharf makes vivid the mind-boggling nature of the universe ...... there are bright beams of knowledge coming from this excellent book.' John Gribbin'A virtuosic history of the universe ...... Scharf serves as an appealing tour guide to the eerie, infinite corridors of the cosmos in which we reside.' Prospect'This book should be on your shelf if you want to know why our Universe is the way it is.' Focus'Caleb Scharf is a lively and eloquent writer as well as a fine scientist. Gravity's Enginespresents topics at the frontiers of our understanding which have not hitherto been presented so clearly to a general readership.' Sir Martin Rees'Using rich language and a brilliant command of metaphor, Scharf weaves a wonderfully detailed tapestry of what modern astronomy is all about.' Nature