MICHAEL HANLON is one of Britain's most successful science writers. He has been Science Editor at the Daily Mail for many years; prior to this he was at the Daily Express, the Independent and Irish News. He contributes regularly to magazines such as the Spectator, New Scientist Standpoint and appears on TV and radio as a science pundit. He has headlined several science festivals and written four critically acclaimed popular science books before this one: Ten Questions Science Can't Answer (Yet) (Macmillan 2007), The Science Of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (Macmillan, 2005), The Real Mars (Constable, 2004) and The Worlds of Galileo (Constable, 2001)

'...this is a well-researched, engagingly written and thoughtfully constructed book - one that manages to be imaginative without bursting the constraints imposed by current scientific thinking.' - Dr Paul Parsons, BBC Focus 'an extremely stimulating read.' - GF Willmetts, SF Crowsnest Praise for The Science of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 'Adopting Adams' witty, punchy style, Hanlon's guide is a fun and vivid read. The science twinkles a little more than usual in such a zany setting...he tackles a wide range of cutting-edge topics with depth and authority.' Nature 'Good stuff...It's great the way Hanlon flits from one topic to another, weaving a web of scientific and technological ideas...his light style is ideally fitted to exploring the products of Douglas Adams' mind.' www.popularscience.co.uk

• Acknowledgements - Dedication - PART I - Temporal Parochialism - Two Worlds - Apocalypse Postponed - Futures I will not See - The New World Order - Machines and Bodies - Minds - Wedding Belles - PART II - We are the Masters Now - The Singularity - Postponed - Eclipse - Lingua Franca - The Planet of the Apes - Take us to your Leader - Eight Surprising Discoveries - Talking to the Future - PART III - Lost Ark Found - Something Wicked this Way Comes - One Million AD - One Last Perfect Day - Eternal Earth - The Dance of the Continents - The Dream

MICHAEL HANLON is one of Britain's most successful science writers. He has been Science Editor at the Daily Mail for many years; prior to this he was at the Daily Express, the Independent and Irish News. He contributes regularly to magazines such as the Spectator, New Scientist Standpoint and appears on TV and radio as a science pundit. He has headlined several science festivals and written four critically acclaimed popular science books before this one: Ten Questions Science Can't Answer (Yet) (Macmillan 2007), The Science Of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (Macmillan, 2005), The Real Mars (Constable, 2004) and The Worlds of Galileo (Constable, 2001)

'...this is a well-researched, engagingly written and thoughtfully constructed book - one that manages to be imaginative without bursting the constraints imposed by current scientific thinking.' - Dr Paul Parsons, BBC Focus 'an extremely stimulating read.' - GF Willmetts, SF Crowsnest Praise for The Science of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 'Adopting Adams' witty, punchy style, Hanlon's guide is a fun and vivid read. The science twinkles a little more than usual in such a zany setting...he tackles a wide range of cutting-edge topics with depth and authority.' Nature 'Good stuff...It's great the way Hanlon flits from one topic to another, weaving a web of scientific and technological ideas...his light style is ideally fitted to exploring the products of Douglas Adams' mind.' www.popularscience.co.uk

• Acknowledgements - Dedication - PART I - Temporal Parochialism - Two Worlds - Apocalypse Postponed - Futures I will not See - The New World Order - Machines and Bodies - Minds - Wedding Belles - PART II - We are the Masters Now - The Singularity - Postponed - Eclipse - Lingua Franca - The Planet of the Apes - Take us to your Leader - Eight Surprising Discoveries - Talking to the Future - PART III - Lost Ark Found - Something Wicked this Way Comes - One Million AD - One Last Perfect Day - Eternal Earth - The Dance of the Continents - The Dream