Why Is Uranus Upside Down?: And Other Questions About the Universe

by Fred Watson

Have you ever wondered what dark matter is or why galaxies collide? Or why the Moon is gradually drifting away from Earth? Space is really, really big, as Douglas Adams once pointed out, and there is no better guide to it than Fred Watson, astronomer to the stars. Fred Watson has taken the many, many questions that have been asked by listeners of his popular, long-running radio shows, and answered them in this collection. Questions he answers include How can you identify the constellations? Does the Earth wobble? Could you dump nuclear waste into the Sun? What makes planets round? Where's the nearest black hole?Are there other universes? and Can we ever know everything? This highly entertaining and informative introduction to our planet and the Universe we live in is a must-read for enquiring minds of all ages.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Space, Popular Science, Astronomy

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Angus Mcfarlane]

Fred Watson, as I now know, has been doing q and a on Australian radio for many years, writing this book to collate the accumulation of readers interests and his responses. The writing is, ahem, down to earth, which seems to be consistent with the character of the author. Somehow the Parkes telescope community seems to have built a culture of affability in its scientists despite achieving some pretty spectacular results. I didn't find the content particularly new, having retained a strong interest in astronomy since I was young, but there were some surprises of course and revision of some tricky areas. What I was hoping for I guess, is more in depth answers to the difficult questions like that in the title - but that's just me. Worth a go!

[Kevin de Ataíde]

Extremely-readable overview of popular astronomy, framed as a series of questions and answers. The questions were genuine ones made to the author's radio show and so represent an authentic curiosity on the part of amateur astronomers and enthusiasts of astronomy. Much recommended for all those, and especially young people, who are interested in physics, astronomy and cosmology.

[Bharath]

This has answers to a series of questions asked by radio listeners. Does cover typical questions but even on the question which is the title of the book, the details are sketchy. An average read

[Alayne]

A very informative book by someone who is good at explaining science. Unfortunately, because it was published almost two decades ago (2007), much of it has been superseded by later data. Still, it was a good read.

[Tim Heywood]

Effectively reads as short stories, since this is a collection of everything anyone wants to know about life, the universe and everything factual about space (yes, it does include a few Douglas Adams quotes). A well written humourous yet serious look at what makes the universe tick, explaining principles in terms a lot simpler than textbooks and other authors I've come across before...

[Shaun Hately]

Well written, and enjoyable, but more basic than I expected. That's not a fault - there are plenty of people for whom it would be really helpful, but for some reason I was expecting more advanced material - perhaps because of the credentials of the author.

[Ida]

Who says that talking about the universe can't be factual AND humorous at the same time?

Even if you are not a total astronomy nerd like me, I think you would find this a fun and enjoyable read. ;)