Join us on Thursday 3rd December at 7pm on Zoom where we will be talking to Jo Marchant all about her book 'The Human Cosmos', how she found the writing process, her inspiration for the book and much more. If you have any questions you would like to ask Jo please email them to antonia@books-on-the-hill.co.uk prior to the event as there will be a small amount of time saved for some extra questions.
"For most of human history, we have led not just an earthly existence but a cosmic one. Celestial cycles drove every aspect of our daily lives. Our innate relationship with the stars shaped who we are - our religious beliefs, power structures, scientific advances and even our biology.
But over the last few centuries we have separated ourselves from the universe that surrounds us. And that disconnect comes at a cost. In The Human Cosmos Jo Marchant takes us on a tour through the history of humanity's relationship with the heavens.
We travel to the Hall of the Bulls in Lascaux and witness the winter solstice at a 5,000-year-old tomb at Newgrange. We visit Medieval monks grappling with the nature of time and Tahitian sailors navigating by the stars. We discover how light reveals the chemical composition of the sun, and we are with Einstein as he works out that space and time are one and the same.
A four-billion-year-old meteor inspires a search for extraterrestrial life. And we discover why stargazing can be really, really good for us. It is time for us to rediscover the full potential of the universe we inhabit, its wonder, its effect on our health, and its potential for inspiration and revelation."