Govert Schilling is the author of dozens of popular astronomy books, including Ripples in Spacetime: Einstein, Gravitational Waves, and the Future of Astronomy. He received the Eureka Prize from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research and the David N. Schramm Award from the American Astronomical Society. In 2007 the International Astronomical Union named an asteroid, 10986 Govert, in his honor. Avi Loeb is Frank B. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science at Harvard University. He is Founding Director of Harvard's Black Hole Initiative, chair of the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Schilling takes readers on a journey through the stories of a veritable army of physicists from around the globe as they have sought to understand the dark matter and dark energy that appear to make up 95% of our Universe. -- Catherine Heymans * Science * The book is both an advertisement for the thrill of scientific discovery and the visionaries who pursue the big questions simply because they are there. Schilling has craftily combined his lucid and accessible descriptions of science with the personal story of those unlocking the finer details of the missing mass mystery. The result is enthralling...A captivating scientific thriller. Future generations will no doubt be grateful for this fascinating contemporary account. * BBC Sky at Night * Fascinating history...Schilling convincingly argues that even without proof of its existence, dark matter has increased people's understanding of the world-the search for it has led to greater knowledge of galaxies, gravity, and the big bang, among other phenomena. It makes for a solid introduction to an elusive topic. * Publishers Weekly * Curious, indefatigable, and a fine writer, Schilling clearly relays the work of astrophysicists...An entertaining account of a scientific quest that has failed-so far. * Kirkus Reviews * Govert Schilling has written a riveting narrative that brings you up to date on the research into astronomy's most long-standing and frustrating mystery: What is the universe's main ingredient? Thoroughly researched and highly enjoyable. -- Marcia Bartusiak, author of <i>The Day We Found the Universe</i> From a revered science writer, a clear, wide-ranging account of one of the deepest and most fascinating mysteries in astronomy. -- Martin Rees, coauthor of <i>The End of Astronauts</i> A genuine page-turner. Schilling masterfully tells the stories of some of the greatest-and quirkiest-minds ever to probe the cosmos. -- Rick Fienberg, Senior Advisor to the Executive Officer, American Astronomical Society With this book, Schilling offers us a clear and entertaining update on the quest to understand the nature of dark matter. The way he tells this story beautifully captures the sense of mystery that those of us working in this field experience every day. -- Dan Hooper, author of <i>At the Edge of Time</i> A lively book by a skilled science journalist on an important topic in cosmology: the dark matter. -- Robert Kirshner, Clowes Research Professor of Science, Harvard University Govert Schilling brings his longtime experience of writing about astronomy and its history to this exciting volume. Newcomers to the field will find much to learn in these pages, and experts much to discuss. -- Virginia Trimble, former president, Division of Galaxies and the Universe, International Astronomical Union