The Universe in a Box

A truly excellent exposition of a fascinating, little-understood, and very important scientific activity. I was enlightened, amazed, and profoundly impressed. I've seldom seen a book (and this is an age of really good writing about science for the general public) so clear, so vivid

Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials

An electrifying new history of the universe and how it all fits together, and of the human effort to unlock its mysteries

Hannah Fry, author of Rutherford and Fry’s Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything

Our understanding of 'cosmic origins' - the emergence of stars, galaxies and our entire expanding universe - has burgeoned thanks to more powerful telescopes and computers. Andrew Pontzen gives a vivid perspective on what it's like to be a scientist trying to 'model' the universe. This fascinating book, written with clarity and zest, deserves wide readership

Martin Rees, author of Just Six Numbers

Forget telescopes and microscopes, Pontzen's laboratory sits inside his computer and it is quickly becoming the most important tool in science

Jim Al-Khalili, author of The Joy of Science

Just when the universe thought it was too big and old for us to comprehend, scientists like Andrew Pontzen began capturing it in their computers, and the story of their work is exhilarating

Matt Parker, author of Humble Pi

A joyride through the history of cosmic simulations, taking in weather forecasting and climate models, the mysteries of dark matter, dark energy and black holes, quantum mechanics, multiverses and artificial intelligence - all between the covers of a single book!

Ananyo Bhattacharya, author of The Man from the Future

Pontzen has the ability to weave hard science and dense theory into a gripping narrative... makes the complicated comprehensible

New Scientist

A good writer - given the complexity of the subject, the book bounces along with an admirably light touch

The Times

One thing this book does brilliantly, is keeping complex topics grounded

BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Elegantly written... Exhilarating, candid reports from cosmology's front lines

Wall Street Journal

I'm stunned at how easily comprehensible Pontzen makes mind-bendingly difficult ideas. Concepts which rest on mathematics that I couldn't grasp with years of study become poetic in his hands

Timandra Harkness, author of Big Data