'Gribbin has inspired generations with his popular science writing' - Jim Al-Khalili A scintillating collection of short essays that really does cover 'life, the Universe, and everything'. From the mysteries of the subatomic world to the curious property of water that makes our planet inhabitable, master of popular science John Gribbin delves into the astonishing facts that underlie our existence. Some aspects of the quantum world really do seem impossible to 'common sense', but have been proved correct by experiments. Other features of the Universe appear obvious, such as the fact that atoms are mostly empty space. But this familiarity hides the truly amazing truths underpinning these observations. And some things merely seem improbable but are also hiding a Deep Truth, such as the fact that the Moon and Sun look the same size as viewed from Earth. This book will change forever the way you view the world. This volume brings together three of John Gribbin's successful science books: Six Impossible Things (which was Shortlisted for the Royal Society Insight Investment Science Books Prize in 2019), Seven Pillars of Science and Eight Improbable Possibilities .