Nothing Matters

A BOOK ABOUT NOTHING: explore how humanity has conceptualized “nothingness” to make sense of a universe born from a vacuum

The quantum vacuum is the closest thing to pure nothingness we’re aware of, and scientists have long theorized about how our own universe may have arisen from it through the Big Bang. Led by physicist and Supermassive author James Trefil, this tour through time and space explores humanity’s attempts to understand where we come from, presenting the numerous theories developed across time to comprehend vacuity and the universe’s origin.

Nothing Matters dives deep into the histories of and connections between human belief systems, debunked and debated scientific hypotheses, and innovative theories, covering topics such as:

• What creation stories have humans told to understand our place in the universe?
• What do we call light and how does it travel?
• How does cosmic inflation (the theory that the early Universe expanded exponentially fast for a fraction of a second after the Big Bang) solve fundamental theoretical problems? What new questions does it raise?
• What do we know about dark matter and dark energy?
• How do we define life? What would we envision a potential multiverse?

Trefil provides engaging explanations of what modern physicists are saying about quantum electrodynamics and the nature—and future—of our universe. From Ancient Greek philosophy to Italian polymathematics to contemporary studies of quantum mechanics, Trefil demonstrates just how pervasive “nothingness” is, and how long people have been baffled and captivated by the mysteries of the cosmos. At its core, Nothing Matters is a testament to how investigating the universe and our place in it has always mattered to humankind.