The Science of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (MacSci)

Book info: The Science of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (MacSci) (Hardcover, 208 pages) – Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. Language: English.

Ever wondered what the end of the universe might actually look like? Why the number 42 is so significant? Or whether time travel really would put a stop to history as we know it? If so you are clearly a fan of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, releasing as a major motion picture in the summer of 2005. While much of the book is comprised of whimsical fantasy, such as talking mattresses, the Vogons, triple-breasted prostitutes and that Ol' Janx Spirit, like all good science fiction it drew on scientific fact. Adams was a science and technology enthusiast and his books were inspired--and sometimes, prefigured--by many of the great scientific debates of our times. The Science of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a lighthearted, accessible and informative tour of the real cutting-edge research behind this much-loved classic, including space tourism, parallel universes, instant translation devices, sentient computers, and more. Editorial Reviews Review "Adopting Adams' witty, punchy style, Hanlon's guide is a fun and vivid read. The science twinkles a little more than usual in such a zany setting...he tackles a wide range of cutting-edge topics with depth and authority."--Nature
"Good stuff...It's great the way Hanlon flits from one topic to another, weaving a web of scientific and technological ideas...his light style is ideally fitted to exploring the products of Douglas Adams' mind."--www.popularscience.co.uk
"FOUR STARS: If you want to find out why the number 42 is so important catch the new movie. For a look at the facts it's based on you won't find many books more entertaining than this."--Flipside Magazine
"Michael Hanlon's book probes the possibilities inside the fiction with wit and scientist humour, throwing out questions such as 'Had [Adams] never posed the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything, would Stephen Hawking have sold all those books attempting to answer it?' Not that you have to be a boffin to enjoy these ruminations, merely curious, as the late Adams himself clearly was, in both senses of the word."--Susie Maguire, The Herald
"Your brief: to explain the science of Life, the Universe and Everything. It's quite a challenge. But Michael Hanlon pulls it off with wit, energy and style."--Nature
"Enlightening and thought provoking--like having a pint with Einstein, Stephen Hawking and Johnny Ball." --Daily Mail About the Author Michael Hanlon has been Science Editor at The Daily Mail for more than four year. He contributes regularly to magazines such as The Spectator and New Statesman, and often appears on TV and radio. He is the author of The Worlds of Galileo and The Real Mars. He lives in the United Kingdom.