Before the Big Bang

The Origin of Our Universe from the Multiverse

By: Laura Mersini-Houghton

Narrated by: Xe Sands

A revolutionary new account of our universe’s creation—and a breathtaking exploration of the landscape from which we sprang—from one of the world’s most celebrated cosmologists

What came before the Big Bang, and what exists outside of the universe it created? Until recently, scientists could only guess at what lay past the edge of space-time. However, as pioneering theoretical physicist Laura Mersini-Houghton explains, new scientific tools are now giving us the ability to peer beyond the limits of our universe and to test our theories about what is there. And what we are finding is upending everything we thought we knew about the cosmos and our place in it.

Mersini-Houghton is no stranger to boundaries—or to pushing through them. As a child growing up in Communist Albania, she discovered a universe beyond her walled-off world through the study of math and science, and through music. As a female cosmologist in a male-dominated field, she transcended the limits that society and her profession tried to place on her. And as a trailblazing researcher, she helped to revolutionize the study of our universe by revealing that, far from living in a cosmic Albania, with a world that ends at its borders, we are part of a larger family of universes—a multiverse—that holds wonders we are only beginning to unlock. Mersini-Houghton’s groundbreaking research suggests that we sit in a quantum landscape whose peaks and valleys hide a multitude of other universes, and even hold the secret to the origins of existence itself. Recent evidence has revealed the signatures of such sibling universes in our own night sky, confirming Mersini-Houghton’s theoretical work and offering humbling evidence that our universe is just one member of an unending cosmic family.

The incredible scientific saga of one woman’s mind-expanding journey through the multiverse, Before the Big Bang will reshape our understanding of humanity’s place in the unfathomable vastness of the cosmos.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Laura Mersini-Houghton (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Probably shouldn’t read this on Audible

Nonfiction books like this are hit or miss on Audible. I probably should have gotten the paperback, although the Audible version does have a PDF supplement with the book’s figures

BTW, I am not a cosmologist, I just watch a lot of PBS Space Time on YouTube

The book seems to hop too quickly from useful analogies like the “physicists on the hill with marbles” to “string landscape vacua”. The author’s 2008 paper “Birth of the Universe from the Multiverse” fills in the gaps, but I found it a tough read.

I didn’t get a QED moment from the “hard evidence” from “dark flow”. See the PBS Space Time video on dark flow. The concept of dark flow (where something outside the universe is sucking galaxies toward it) is controversial. And the multiverse is just a speculation about the cause

The story of the author’s personal and academic journey out of Albania was interesting, but I had to knock off one star because of her and Roger Penrose’s rude treatment of the all too accommodating Turkish restaurant owner

Excellent

A beautiful and provocative book weaving together both a fascinating autobiography and the latest in cosmology. Highly recommend it

Amazing book it’s a must read for those that are curious about the beginning of our universe

This book is so well written it is a must read if you want to understand how our universe came to be, and what lies beyond it. The multi-verse.

Cosmology simplified but not oversimplified

This is a terrific exposition of the science behind the Big Bang and more well presented. I had to rewind a few times to consider what was said but it never got too dense.

too much about how wonderful the author is

The subject matter was handled well, but the author's bragging about herself was a waste of my time.

too much about her life than the science

Very interesting topic but more of an autobiographical story of her discovery than a scientific explanation of it. it's good but not as focused on cosmology as I would of liked.

We are not alone in this universe

I loved her writing style mixing her personal life and history with physics. Great read.

Absolutely loved this story, this tale, the incredible journey from the shores on the beach to the edges of the multi universes

Interwoven personal storytelling with a brilliantly, finely honed instrument of mind; sharing insights of the cosmos and the heart, brings childlike joy to this listener

Enjoyable for a non-physicist

Wonderful tale and dive into the cosmos. We rarely get opportunities to learn about the most advanced sciences without feeling overwhelmed as laymen. This book offers just that

me. me. me.

personalized stories may be good, in general, but I found it rather difficult to connect with this particular author's story. at the end of the day, I bought this book to learn some interesting science, and it was a three star for me.