Earth-Shattering: Violent Supernovas, Galactic Explosions, Biological Mayhem, Nuclear Meltdowns, and Other Hazards to Life in Our Universe

by Bob Berman

A heart-pumping exploration of the biggest explosions in history, from the Big Bang to mysterious activity on Earth and everything in between

The overwhelming majority of celestial space is inactive and will remain forever unruffled. Similarly, more than 90 percent of the universe's 70 billion trillion suns had non-attention-getting births and are burning through their nuclear fuel in steady, predictable fashion. But when cosmic violence does unfold, it changes the very fabric of the universe, with mega-explosions and ripple effects that reach the near limits of human comprehension. From colliding galaxies to solar storms, and gamma ray bursts to space-and-time-warping upheavals, these moments are rare yet powerful, often unseen but consequentially felt.

Likewise, here on Earth, existence as we know it is fragile, always vulnerable to hazards both natural and manufactured. As we've learned from textbooks and witnessed in Hollywood blockbusters, existential threats such as biological disasters, asteroid impacts, and climate upheavals have the all-too-real power to instantaneously transform our routine-centered lives into total chaos, or much worse. While we might be helpless to stop these catastrophes - whether they originate on our own planet or in the farthest reaches of space - the science behind such cataclysmic forces is as fascinating as their results can be devastating.

In Earth-Shattering, astronomy writer Bob Berman guides us through an epic, all-inclusive investigation into these instances of violence both mammoth and microscopic. From the sudden creation of dazzling "new stars" to the furiously explosive birth of our moon, from the uncomfortable truth about ultra-high-energy cosmic rays bombarding us to the incredible ways in which humanity has harnessed cataclysmic energy for its gain, Berman masterfully synthesizes some of our worst fears into an astonishing portrait of the universe that promises to transform the way we look at the world(s) around us.

In the spirit of Neil deGrasse Tyson and Carlo Rovelli, what emerges is a rollicking, profound, and even humbling exploration of all the things that can go bump in the night.

PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Nature, Astronomy, Environment

320 pages, Hardcover

First published February 19, 2019

About the author

Bob Berman is one of America's top astronomy writers. For many years, he wrote the popular "Night Watchman" column for Discover magazine. He is currently a columnist for Astronomy magazine and a host on NPR's Northeast Public Radio, and he is the science editor of the Old Farmer's Almanac.

Reviews

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The publisher sent me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my writing a review.

Bob Berman's new book Earth-Shattering: Violent Supernovas, Galactic Explosions, Biological Mayhem, Nuclear Meltdowns, and Other Hazards to Life in Our Universe was written with people like me in mind. We're the ones who love disaster flicks and apocalyptic novels where meteorites hit the earth or someone drops a petri dish that may wipe out the human population. It's not that we're ghouls or even that we like to worry. It's more that we kind of like to imagine how we'd handle ourselves in a disaster; what we'd do. Would we be able to say "Wait. I've seen this somewhere before. I know what to do."?

Well, Bob Berman has just supplied the all-time manual. From the Big Bang at the creation of the universe to the collision that created the Moon, from novas and supernovas to colliding galaxies, Berman creates unforgettable scenes of cataclysmic events in the history of the universe and the planet we depend on, earth. He also chronicles disasters that affected human life in particular. Things like the event that killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago and led to the rise of mammals and eventually, us. Or the Black Plague, which almost put an end to us. From earth-shattering events like these, he marches forward to the things that may or may not kill us, like thermonuclear war, and those that definitely will wipe us out like the death of the sun and our certain collision with the nearest galaxy.

Earth-Shattering: Violent Supernovas, Galactic Explosions, Biological Mayhem, Nuclear Meltdowns, and Other Hazards to Life in Our Universe is a fascinating read. Even if you've heard a lot of this stuff before, I guarantee there is a lot you haven't and all presented in a clear and sometimes humorous language. At other times, it feels like standing on the edge of the universe (if the universe had an edge) and watching it unfold from the start. Highly recommended. I only wish the pictures were in color. They deserve to be.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mind-boggling science, mostly astronomy, with enough witty comments to keep me chuckling. The book was written for the layperson. Much of the science was over my head, but I still learned a lot.

The author seems to be a big fan of "clean" nuclear energy to combat climate change without mentioning the nuclear waste that will need "safe" storage and will be dangerous for 250,000 years. Still, he did applaud the budding transition to renewable energy at the end of the chapter.

Overall, it was a fascinating read about amazing cataclysms in space, with a few earthly pandemics and extinctions thrown in.

Here are a few tidbits:

Page 111: "Remove all the unoccupied space within each atom, and a gathering of the entire human race would take up the volume of ... [a] mere sugar cube."

Page 158: "... the constant stream of disintegrating micro-meteors ... are ... estimated to add forty thousand tons of mass to Earth annually..."

Page 251: Re. a type 2 supernova that ends as a neutron star: "The star is now just twelve miles wide, and its material is so packed together that a speck the size of a poppy seed would outweigh an aircraft carrier." And the star shrinks further till not even light can escape when it becomes a black hole, yet it keeps collapsing smaller and smaller.

Huh? Okay. If you say so.

One way I judge a good book is, does it change the way I see the world? Though I barely understood the astronomy part, and remembered less, it did change my perspective of our planet in the cosmos. For that, I give it four solid stars.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Berman entertainingly catalogues the cataclysms that have taken place in Earth's history and what may happen in the future. His writing is personable and humorous.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apparently one of the best things to possess while discussing the various ways that the universe may end - or, at least our solar system, our planet or even just humankind - is a sense of humor. Which Bob Berman allows to invade the manuscript here and there.

So he talks about nuclear - Three Mile, Chernobyl and the Fukisima hybrid disaster (not only natural from the tsunami but man-made from the nuclear plant) along with atomic and hydrogen bombs ending our existence. Black Death and Influenza. Solar flares or Carrington events. Meteors which have already happened at least once before. Antimatter, cosmic rays, supernovas style 1 or 2 (one goes all at once while the other is a slower pulsing variety). The O2 extinction in which all anaerobic life died due to the gradual increase in oxygen in the atmosphere which interacted with methane which cooled the planet - hence snowball Earth. The collision with Andromeda Galaxy scheduled for about 4 billion years from now. The Mayan Calendar and planetary alignments and Y2K and . . . . and . . . .

On the positive but scary side, for a few moments, I actually think I understood the conundrum of finding zero-point energy. . . .

An example of not only the wonderfully clear explanations but his sense of humor is when discussing the possible cataclysm of the earthly poles shifting. Magnetic-field reversals have occurred many times (184 times in 83 million years) but one must consider which poles are being discussed. The geographical poles - where Santa lives - move due the planet's wobble but they do not shift. The magnetic poles - which are hundreds of miles from the geographic ones - move due to the motion in the Earth's liquid-like outer core and take place over thousands of years - not over the morning cup of coffee. And of course, since the geographic poles move so must the equator. In Quito, Ecuador, there is an enormous monument to the equator - only it's in the wrong place. And then there is the GPS equator in a private museum which is not accurate either cause it's actually over in a vacant lot a short distance away. So, sure, worry about the poles flipping if you have nothing better to fret about. But first you have to find them.

See - fun and informative

2022-023

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun look at cataclysms

This book is about destruction. So it takes a real talent like Bob Berman to write an entertaining and informative science book on the subject. No matter how technical the subject Berman explains the science well, in a conversational tone and with a sense of humor. When he speaks to galactic cataclysms, I can sense his joy in the subject matter. However, when he turns to human-made cataclysms, his sorrow is equally there, but this is not a large part of the book. This is the the third I’ve read by Bob Berman and it is the best, after having previously read “Zapped” and “The Sun’s Heartbeat”. I recommend “Earth Shattering” for anyone interested in science.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book vias Netgalley for review purposes.

[Suzyq · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointingly shallow book about potentially fascinating subjects. While I assume the writer understands the science well himself, he keeps the content so light and breezy that the book reads like a collection of short blog posts rather than the meatier science writing I was hoping for.

[William Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bob Berman's book Earth-Shattering came to my attention through his monthly column in Astronomy magazine, a page that is always enjoyable reading, mainly for its science-related topic and Berrman's tongue-in-cheek lighthearted humor in discussing whatever subject he has chosen to address in that month's issue. The same lightheartedness is to be found in the book, but I thought it somewhat uneven and less consistent than in his magazine column.

Also, inasmuch as I have come to associate the author with the subject of astronomy, I found the plethora of topics addressed in the book to vary in interest. The subtitle certainly describes the variety of topics: Violent Supernovas, Galactic Explosions, Biological Mayhem, Nuclear Meltdowns, and Other Hazards to Life in Our Universe. Berman ties all of these together by describing them as “catastrophes” or sometimes “cataclysms,” and naturally he has to define what counts as a catastrophe or a cataclysm. I do not find this commonality convincing, since deep-space explosions likely harm no living creatures (although we cannot know that for certain, of course), and the latter part of his book does define cataclysm in terms of the number of humans killed. Despite this definition, he also addresses some incidents, such as the Three-Mile Island nuclear accident, in which no one died at all. As a result, the idea of “catastrophe” or “cataclysm” simply does not work as a unifying thread throughout the book and strikes the reader as a rather unsuccessful artifice.

Berman also devotes a fair amount of type to address the fearful, illogical, and unreasoning responses of the hoi polloi to events of which they have no accurate comprehension, such as the appearance of comets or their interpretation of the Mayan calendar. While I can appreciate his disdain of such ignorance, these human actions have little in common with supernovas and black holes and might be more appropriately addressed in a book devoted to such psychological traits among humanity. While a fascinating topic of its own, its inclusion here seems to weaken the unity of the book by introducing tangential psychological phenomena.

The author also comes across as strongly in support of pro-nuclear power generation, describing its opponents in rather unflattering terms. However, he conveniently ignores one of the most compelling arguments against this source of power: What is to be done with spent fuel rods that remain radioactive for an exceedingly long time? This major problem does not find its way into his book at all. One should not presume to argue for a position without at least recognizing cogent arguments against that position and offering possible solutions, which Berman does not.

Despite the nits I have picked, I would by no means discard or ignore Earth-Shattering. The descriptive explanations of the formation of the present universe, the movement of galaxies, the lives and deaths of individual stars, the existence and destructive interaction of matter and antimatter, the creation and still-mysterious cores of neutron stars, the origin of Earth's Moon and the fate of Theia, and other fascinating and intriguing facts (and theories) of the universe we inhabit are presented in readable, memorable fashion. I was on the verge of concluding this paragraph with the opinion that, had Berman restricted himself to the astronomical topics of “Part I, Cataclysms in the Heavens,” I would have been left with no nits to pick at all and would have stuck on five quality stars with no equivocation whatsoever, but then there are descriptions of a few things in “Part II, Cataclysms of Earth” that deserve commendation, too.

Descriptions of the Great Extinctions that have swept away life on our planet as well as the Holocene Extinction currently in progress are quite thought provoking. How a thermonuclear bomb explodes is amazing. Why the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl happened is a revelation. Did you think that the Spanish flu that killed fifty million people between 1917 and 1919 actually started in Spain? Think of the U.S. state of Kansas instead. No, it would be a mistake to ignore the second half of the book.

In short, I cannot laud Berman for having written a perfect book, of which there are precious few in the history of literacy. Nonetheless, I found Earth-Shattering to be quite readable and quite instructive. It is assuredly worth the hours from one's lifetime that are devoted to it, and readers will find themselves imbued with refreshed (and, in most cases, new) knowledge. Despite what struck me as some weakness in style and unity here and there, I would surely recommend the book to readers who wish to expand their knowledge of the universe around us, including the relative microcosm that comprises the planet Earth.

[Mhd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I withheld one star for the lack of charts or maps or even color illustrations. I expected more solid science. Relatively short chapters, easy to read...too easy?? Still, I enjoyed most of it...just not as much on the many topics really wanted the read more about right here & right now, as opposed to stopping reading to go research more on my own. Target audience seems to be the very casual, maybe younger, reader.

[Realms & Robots · Rating 5 out of 5]

The epic history of the universe, and our planet, is delved into with great care by Bob Berman in his new volume Earth-Shattering: Violent Supernovas, Galactic Explosions, Biological Mayhem, Nuclear Meltdowns, and Other Hazards to Life in Our Universe (a title I will only fully write out this one time). The book is eye-opening to say the least and is chock-full of everything you’d ever want to know about the universe, Earth, and the possible events that could lead to our demise. There’s a lot to be learned about this wild universe of ours, and Berman presents the facts in an entertaining and intellectual way. Expect to say the phrase “huh, I didn’t know that” more times than you have in the past few years combined.

The book is broken up into three parts. The first looks at the universe at large, explaining how the universe came to be, how Earth got its start, and how various cosmic forces attacked each other for millennia. I learned a lot, to put it mildly, coming away with a better understanding of so many things I took for granted.

The second part looks at the many events that have wreaked havoc on Earth itself. These are the expected events, the ones we know the most about. Berman dives into the dinosaurs, the plague, the ice age, and pays special attention to many of the new cataclysms that may not have been categorized as such in recent times. This part fascinated me the most with its in-depth research and bevy of facts I hadn’t previously heard.

The third part is shorter, looking at the horrors that are to come. The scale on this section is a bit longer than we’re used to thinking about (try billions of years) but it’s still timely to consider. We’re reminded that anything can happen, at any time. It’s amazing we’ve made it this far as a planet. As a side note, the final pages made me realize the television reruns of today are the Rosetta stones of tomorrow. That was an unintended mind-blowing revelation.

To conclude, Earth-Shattering is a great piece of scientific nonfiction, written in an accessible tone and style. The universe is a violent, temperamental place, filled with foreign bodies that are continuously hurtling toward each other. Understanding it a bit more gave me an expanded view of our place in the greater scheme of things.

NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

[J. d'Merricksson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Earth-Shattering by Bob Berman is a witty look at the cataclysms of our planet's past and future, many of which were (or are likely to be) seen as the Apocalypse by religious type folks. This book is divided into three main parts. The first gives an intro to the universe at large, exploring how it came to be, and how our own humble little planet was formed. The second part looks at the disasters that have plagued earth itself, from the Chicxulub asteroid impact likely responsible for the dinosaur extinction, to the great slate-wiper virii that decimated large swathes of the world population, to the last Ice age, and the probability of a greenhouse or snowball earth. The final section looks at cataclysm of the future, as in billions of years from now. How the sun will eventually turn to a red giant and render earth a lifeless planet.

Chapter 30 was especially interesting to me as it discussed things humans wanted to turn into cataclysm, but that never actually were. Things like Y2K, and 2012. The things that make me want to scream at people's ignorance, and humanity's desire to have the apocalypse happen. Doom-sayers with nothing better to do. But dude… there were several references to things hitting eyes that left me cringing. Aahhhhh! Overall, it's stuffed full of neat trivia, and is written in an engaging tone. Recommended for those with science interest.

***Many thanks to Netgalley/ Little, Brown, and Co for providing an ecopy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Skylar · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first part of this book is on astrophysical catastrophes that can impact earth. The second half of the book meanders through human, biological, and environmental catastrophes, before inexplicably ending up back in astrophysical territory. The book was well-researched and well-written, but could have done with some more editing. For those wanting more reading in the vein of civilization-ending catastrophes, I would recommend Isaac Asimov's A Choice of Catastrophes, which is organized into section based on the scope of the catastrophe.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A science book the cleverly uses human interest in catastrophes to teach about science, the universe and how things work. Another in a long line of popular science books where I'll retain less than 1% but increase my appreciation for how complex and amazing life and science are.
Lost a star for venturing into speculative catastrophes (what if we don't all do exactly what liberals say and adopt global warming projections and recommendations...? It could be a catastrophe!) which is ironic for a science book.
But, overall, excellent and well-written.

[GABRIELLE · Rating 5 out of 5]

bob berman is unofficially my new favorite author of everything sciencey. this book was another perfect concoction of statistics, history, theories, speculations, explanations, and humor. it definitely lived up to its title. HOWEVER i looked it up and found that the word “cataclysm” was used 216 times throughout the book and just wish there were more synonyms in the english language to spice it up a bit ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

[Myra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere in the 3.5 to 4 range. Berman does a good job of discussing some of the many ways - past, present, or future - that the earth and the universe are in danger (or have been impacted) by cataclysmic events. I did feel that he spent too much time on some of the items while barely covering some of the other ones, but overall it was well-written and informative.

[John Peel · Rating 5 out of 5]

As you can probably gather from the title, this is a book about catastrophies - pretty much anything that might end our lives here on this small, blue planet. The scientific basics are clearly expounded, and there's a surprising amount of rather dry wit in the telling. This is a delightful book (subject matter notwithstanding), and one to be lovingly enjoyed.

[Maggie Eisenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun analysis of major hazards both from space and home grown. The scientific explanations are accessible to anyone with a strong basic education in science and had enough new information to hold my interest. My only complaint is that there was virtually no coverage of the climate crisis, although he talked about some of the results of it, like rising sea levels.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this bit of disaster porn. Berman's writing is witty, light, and very enjoyable. I learned a lot about astronomy. Would have liked more on mass extinctions.

[Allison]

I didn't like this book. It has some interesting stuff that I had wanted to read, but it was truly just... depressing. And ok I know, you read the title, the synopsis and are thinking how the hell is this not supposed to be depressing. My thoughts when I picked up this book were yes, ok this are depressing subjects, but they're also realities and should not be avoided or ignored. There is most certainly a sweet spot, a balance of not sugarcoating these subjects while also not making the reader have an existential crisis. This book so obviously strayed as far away from even trying that as possible. This book is depressing because the old white man author wrote it as just that... a privileged old white man. Everything came off as oh well it is what it is and I won't have to see the effects of all this so whatever. I just this is so not my kind of book. It's entirely too factual (with occasionally factual errors mind you) for a subject that cannot be taken at that face value.
ALSO if I EVER have to read "this author" again 😤 just fucking use first person pov or even use your name with third person pov i just cannot. like was this some weird sad attempt at breaking the fourth wall or something? (which btws there is no literary fourth wall imo) i stuck through, i finished the book, but I'm so glad it's done now

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an adventure all the way through! Berman charmingly explains both space-related subjects and Earth-related subjects and does so at a level that the average, non-scientist human can understand. He also throws in some witty commentary, all while keeping the book very educational and informative. It is definitely on the more casual side, but it has plenty to learn within its chapters, and covers everything from supernovas to the eventual expansion of the sun and its effects on Earth in billions of years. If you like learning about space, I definitely recommend this one, it was a joy to read, even for someone who isn't much of an academic.

[Dana Nourie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy reading about cataclysmic events, and who doesn’t, this is for you. This book is full of fascinating facts from earthquakes to colliding galaxies, which actually does a lot less than you’d think, to nuclear explosions. Bob’s writing style is fast and fun. One day I’ll read it again because I just can’t remember the vast about of information he dealt out.

[Johnathan Henley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic bob book!! Great, informative, and with information that you haven’t already heard a million times. Even if you are like me and read a ton of these science fact books. This was new. & it was a good read

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome, awe-inspiring, scary and funny all in one engaging & informative package....which translates into one excellent read.

[ALL · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will give you nightmares.

[Andrew Nemec · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I can’t wait to read his other books.

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol)]

I had to abandon this because the file never made it to my Kindle account from NetGalley and I can't find it anywhere.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A witty, informative, and hazardous
ride through the universe.

[Tegart Rahman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still need to re-read some of the chapters since I literally have no idea some concepts in those chapters, but don't worry it's clearly my fault not bob's

[Tim Cavale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally it will be helpful if you have a bit of an understanding of astrophysics and general physics to read this work but even in the absence of that you can still stay with the majority of what Berman covers especially in the first section of the book. That part of the book is intriguing and frightening. Later on, at times, he gets a bit carried away discussing nuclear weapons and that's where having a science background will really help you stay on top of his explanations. Unfortunately, when he gets around to discussing nuclear issues his advocacy for nuclear power gets a little suspicious. He provides a not very persuasive argument that this is the way to go for those of us who inhabit the planet and need a bit of electric power to make our lives livable. He doesn't even address the dangers of the endless amounts of the byproduct nuclear waste or the possibility of earthquakes or terrorist attacks on nuclear plants. He also barley mentions renewable energy. Hmm quite an oversight. And then he refers to the website he contributes to, slooh, without mentioning that it's pay for view. A pretty good read minus the huckster action.