How is it possible through a unique "genesis event" to create billions of galaxies, black holes, stars, and planets? How did individuals come together to form - here on Earth, but possibly on other worlds as well - living beings so complex that they wonder about the origin and purpose of life? What are the fundamental laws that govern our Universe? And are there other universes?
In this book, Martin Rees, the Astronomer Royal of Britain, offers understandable answers to the above questions and at the same time guides us to the forefront of research in modern physics. He explains how six numbers, "imprinted" in the Big Bang, can determine the fundamental characteristics of the natural world. And how the values of these six numbers depend, with astonishing sensitivity, on cosmic evolution - if any of these numbers had been "adjusted" differently, neither stars nor life could exist. This fact provides us with the opportunity to perceive radically new perspectives on the Universe and our place within it, as well as the nature of the laws of physics.