The 4 Percent Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality

By: Richard Panek

Narrated by: Ray Porter

Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Over the past few decades, a handful of scientists have been racing to explain a disturbing aspect of our universe: only four percent of it consists of the matter that makes up you, me, our books, and every star and planet. The rest is completely unknown.

Richard Panek tells the dramatic story of the quest to find this “dark” matter and an even more bizarre substance called “dark energy”. This is perhaps the greatest mystery in all of science, and solving it will bring fame, funding, and certainly a Nobel Prize. Based on in-depth reporting and interviews with the major players—from Berkeley’s feisty, excitable Saul Perlmutter and Harvard’s witty but exacting Robert Kirshner to the doyenne of astronomy, Vera Rubin—the book offers an intimate portrait of the bitter rivalries and fruitful collaborations, the eureka moments and blind alleys, that have fueled their search, redefined science, and reinvented the universe.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Our view of the cosmos is profoundly wrong, and Copernicus was only the beginning: not just Earth, but all common matter is a marginal part of existence. Panek’s fast-paced narrative, filled with original reporting and behind-the-scenes details, brings this epic story to life for the very first time.

©2011 Richard Panek (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“It’s the biggest mystery of all: why is the universe expanding at an accelerated rate? At its heart is a search for what forces and particles make up reality. It baffled Einstein, and it now obsesses a cadre of fascinating cosmologists. By brilliantly capturing their passions and pursuits, Richard Panek has made this cosmic quest exciting and understandable.” (Walter Isaacson, New York Times best-selling author of Einstein: His Life and Universe)

“A superior account of how astronomers discovered that they knew almost nothing about 96 percent of the universe…. Panek delivers vivid sketches of scientists, lucid explanations of their work, and revealing descriptions of the often stormy rivalry that led to this scientific revolution, usually a media cliché, but not in this case.” ( Kirkus Reviews)

“Science journalist Panek offers an insider’s view of the quest for what could be the ultimate revelation.... This lively story of big personalities, intellectual competitiveness, and ravenous curiosity is as entertaining as it is illuminating.” ( Publishers Weekly)

Interesting for those interested in Dark Matter

I enjoyed this, although I did at times feel a little bogged down by the details of this story.

Anyone with an interest in astronomy, cosmology, phyics and the history behind modern science and developing scientific tbeory, will enjoy this book. It is told well but I imagine that the more intimately the reader knows the characters in the accounts given, the more enjoyable this book will be.

Ray Porter provides a very commenfable performance of narration. I am glad to have listened. Time well spent.

Bound to Eternity

This book is about the birth of Cosmology; the astrophysical study of the history, structure, and constituent dynamics of the universe. We can consider it as two books in one. First it is a history of the study of the universe during the last century, particularly concerned with “inflation” the expansion of the universe and second about the competition between the men and woman in two distinct research groups and their competition to determine just why the universe is expanding. Well perhaps that would be better said, whether it was expanding and if so, where and what is the stuff making it expand?

There is so much data here about the science – all given in layman’s terms, that I think this book is a twice read to get its contents. Not the best story I have ever read but the knowledge about our universe, dark matter, dark energy and its endless nature is so intriguing that it is easily a two time listen book.

Don't make this one your first book...

Don't make this book your first on this subject. It's more like an intermediate level or you could struggle a bit.

More history and politics than science

Book focused a lot on the dates and politics of the discoveries, specially towards the end, no so much on the science

The most exciting scientific discovery story!

Having previously returned another scientific book (Ignition!), I was skeptical to try another possible dry retelling of formulas and scientific principles. This is not dull. This is more of a race between generations of research groups in a tale that reminds of Carl Sagan's Cosmos!

I fully recommend this for anyone who wishes they understood either the people or the universe as a whole better!

Good book.

I feel like; I'm pretty up to date on my cosmology now. This book is for the common folk. It is not for someone who has already studied cosmology. It is basically a well written history. I loved the way it was written. I loved the way it was narrated. The content was interesting, but I couldn't help think what is the utility of any of these discoveries. Oh well perhaps in the future we will find some use, but it seems it would be very distant.

A history of modern astronomy

This audiobook takes us through a journey of discovery about the cosmos, what we know, and the social and professional competition between astronomers to make sense of the universe.

I highly recommend this book.

Listen, Learn, Love

One of the best science books I have listened to on Audible. Richard Panek is a master storyteller. I was enthralled by the story of how dark energy and dark matter were discovered and how scientists reluctantly came to accept their existence. The quest to understand the story of our universe: its origin, present and possible future was as engaging as any well written adventure story.
What I liked best about this book was how it described the rare brush with the ineffable, which is one of the high points of scientific research. Perhaps these sublime moments keep some scientists going despite the many somber episodes of frustration and disappointment.
Ray Porter's narration was perfect for this book. I would strongly recommend this book.

Wow

What a great story of modern cosmology and the human quest for understanding. More please!!

The recent history in Astronomy / Cosmology

What this book is not, 1) a text book or 2) detailed explanation of Astrophysics.
What this is a history of Astronomy for the last 40 years.
Richard Panek is a journalist and this book is a detailed account in the personalities in Astronomy for the last 40 years that lead to the ideas that we can see only 4% of the Universe and how we see inflation.
Given that i've been out of school for 30 years my math can't follow the detailed cosmology text book but this book provides a clear reasoning why we believe the universe is accelerating and the problems that provides for theatrical physicists. If you love Astrophysics/Cosmology books give this a read.