Einstein's theory of relativity, the butterfly effect, deep learning, game theory. If you've heard these buzzwords but are a bit fuzzy on the details, then this book is for you. Professor Lev Reyzin will take you on a fascinating whirlwind tour of the science behind these concepts, answering your burning questions about Pangea, DNA, and what exactly is quantum computing. Using clear language and emphasizing big ideas over technical details, this book shows that science can be enjoyed by everyone. Each chapter explores a different foundational scientific idea, ending with a brief history of the topic, further reading, and more technical details for the mathematically inclined reader. Much of science is developed through curiosity about the world around us, and this book will help feed that curiosity in you.

‘Lev Reyzin takes readers on a whirlwind tour of a few fascinating topics in modern science. Anyone interested in science not professionally, but as a crucial branch of human culture, will find something engaging and thought-provoking in this book.’

Mario Livio - astrophysicist, author of The Golden Ratio and Is God A Mathematician?

‘You would not expect to sit down to a bite-sized book of 120 pages and come away with a coherent understanding of game theory, plate tectonics, quantum mechanics, and neural nets. Prepare to be agreeably surprised by Lev Reyzin's Making Sense of Modern Science, a remarkable feat of clear, concise scientific erudition.’

Jordan Ellenberg - University of Wisconsin, author of How Not to Be Wrong and Shape