Pillars of Creation

How the James Webb Telescope Unlocked the Secrets of the Cosmos

De: Richard Panek

Narrado por: Ray Porter

The James Webb Space Telescope is transforming the universe right before our eyes—and here, for the first time, is the inside account of how the mission originated, how it performs its miracles of science, and what its revolutionary images are revealing.

Pillars of Creation tells the story of one of the greatest scientific achievements in the history of civilization, a $10 billion instrument with a staggeringly ambitious goal: unlocking the secrets of the cosmos. Award-winning science writer Richard Panek stands us shoulder to shoulder with senior scientists as they conceive the mission, meet decades-long challenges to bring it to fruition, and, now, use its unprecedented technology to yield new discoveries about the origins of our solar system, to search for life on planets around other suns, and to trace the growth of hundreds of billions of galaxies all the way back to the birth of the first stars. The Webb telescope has captured the world’s imagination, and Pillars of Creation shows how and why—including through sixteen pages of awe-inspiring, full-color photos.

At once a testament to human ingenuity and a celebration of mankind’s biggest leap yet into the cosmos, Panek’s eye-opening book reveals our universe as we’ve never seen it before—through the lens of the James Webb Space Telescope, a marvel that is itself a pillar of creation.

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

©2024 Richard Panek (P)2024 Little, Brown & Company

Recent advances in understanding our cosmos.

A great understandable history of science about our world. The advances since the 1960’s when I was in college are so awesome. I am humbled by this knowledge and thankful to have lived in this time.

Sitting with Scientists

even though there was much I didn't understand as I am a lay person, there was an enormous amount of fascinating stuff that kept my interest. the author and reader are exceptional. they gave me a perspective of science I have never known in my 81 years of life on this Earth. I am excited for future Generations who will discover what is next..

Insights into cosmology from the Webb telescope

Insights into cosmology from the Webb telescope. I have been fascinated by astronomy for a long time and periodically get interested in cosmology. Cosmology and quantum mechanics seem to be two sides go the same coin. At one level it even tries to answer the question where do we come from. The book stimulated me to look at the pictures of the pillars of creation. And I am going to get more books on cosmology, relativity and quantum mechanics to help me get my mind around those ideas.

The sheer scope of unknowns probably dwarfs what we already grasp.

This book makes me wonder, how many tanks, fighter jets, or bombs would we need to give up to fund the next ‘next’? Whatever the number, I’d rather see my taxes go there.

The plan to reach space travel.

NASA had such a hard time convincing Congress that space exploration of any type is important to not only the USA but mankind as well. Which minerals are on other planet's? This is just an easy comparison of mine! Astrophysics is complicated for my mind. But I love reading about science and potential space travel.

An enjoyable easy listen

Nice and accessible for the none scientist. It goes into astronomy history and political and bureaucratic history that brought JWST about. It has several stories of individuals and their efforts that personalize the book.

Exciting story, superbly narrated

Riveting. It gives you the continuity of the Great Observatories, concentrating on Hubble and Webb. Both are thrilling stories, fixing Hubble and all that could have gone wrong deploying Webb. Then we learn the Science, and that's just as exciting. The narration is smooth and professional.

Brilliant!

Fascinating and very well written and read. Accessible to anyone with an interest in cosmology. Inspiring and informative.

Good but too much early history

My only complaint is that half the book seemed to be background. This may be necessary for some readers, but I already had some background in astronomy and kept hoping they could blow through the history a bit faster.
Naturally, this book suffers, like all science books, from the existence of science book editors. Why do all science books have to sound the same? I think all science editors have a formula that forces all science books, no matter how creative, to fit into a standard formula (but this book is no worse than the others). I enjoyed the listen and learned things.

it's just politics of getting a telescope into space

What a deception. I thought I was going to learn something about the telescope's findings. Well into chapter five and it's just an effort to explain political pathways to get the project off the ground and the funding needed to do so. Wasted a credit on this rag.