Fantastic Numbers and Where to Find Them: A Cosmic Quest from Zero to Infinity

Numbers explain the universe in the electrifying debut from Padilla, a theoretical physicist and YouTuber on the math channel Numberphile. Using metaphors, analogies, and carefully constructed commentary, Padilla tackles such subjects as general and special relativity, black holes, the elusive Higgs boson particle, quantum mechanics, and string theory. He includes mini-biographies of physics’ key players, including “savant of symmetry” Emmy Noether, “quantum pioneer” Wolfgang Pauli, and “rock-star physicist” Richard Feynman. Naturally, there are numbers galore: googols (a one followed by 100 zeros), used to explain the “vastness of infinity”; googolplexes, “a one followed by zeroes ‘until you get tired,’ ” per its creator; and the enormous Tree(3), based on a game that mathematicians believe can end, though it could “easily last beyond the lifetime of a human, a planet or even a galaxy.” Padilla caps his survey with an intriguing discussion of infinity in which he looks at the possibility that some infinities can be bigger than others. He’s a stellar guide, shifting from playful to serious with ease, and his love for his subject is infectious and his knowledge vast in a way that is fitting for the material. This one deserves wide readership. (July)