Humans have always asked themselves big questions; for most of history priests or philosophers were the ones with the answers, says New Scientist. Now science is muscling in on that territory and shining new light on the deepest mysteries of existence. The answers are not always comforting or easy, but they never fail to inspire awe.
Comprising some of the most thought-provoking content New Scientist has published in the last 4 years, New Scientist: The Collection will be published quarterly both in print and digitally, tying together similar topics that will offer an enlightening read for curious minds.
New Scientist: The Collection will be available to buy as a high quality print product throughout WHSmith, Tesco and Sainsbury’s stores, as well as select independent newsagents. A digital version will be available to purchase through the New Scientist Apple and Android apps, through Amazon for Kindle and from Zinio for a variety of digital formats.
The Big Questions
The first issue, entitled The Big Questions, explores and answers some of the profound questions we ask of ourselves and the universe around us:
Reality – Perhaps the most fundamental question of all – what is reality? It’s not as obvious as you may think.
Existence – What do the discoveries of modern science mean for our own existence? From the search for aliens to the bizarre possibility that you’re a hologram.
God – A new perspective is cast on one of the oldest answers in the book: that everything can be explained by the existence of an all-powerful supernatural being.
Consciousness – How can something so incredible be produced by 1500 grams or so of brain tissue, and why can you not be sure that everyone else is not a zombie?
Life – A phenomenon that, as far as we know, is confined to a tiny corner of the universe – life established itself quickly but why did it take so long to give rise to complex creatures?
Time – The everyday ticking of a clock might seem the most natural thing in the world, but it masks a very peculiar phenomenon.
Self – What is the self, which seems so solid and enduring to each of us and yet doesn’t appear to actually exist?
Sleep – The familiar yet strange world of sleep and dreaming – it’s a place we visit every night but which nonetheless remains eerie and elusive.
Death – There is perhaps no older question about human life than why it must one day cease.
