Our Accidental Universe

A riveting real-life Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. – Simon Ings * The Telegraph *Highly approachable and elegantly explained … a splendid book. – Steven Poole * Spectator *An enjoyable tour of astronomical discoveries…His excellent book is a layman’s guide to the surprises. – Nick Rennison * Daily Mail *Entertaining and enlightening. * The Idler *Dense with information, Our Accidental Universe is also light-hearted and funny, thanks to Lintott’s nerdy humour, especially in the many footnotes. But most of all, his boundless enthusiasm for everything cosmic makes it hard to put this book away once you start reading. – Govert Schilling * BBC Sky at Night Magazine *Chris Lintott has an eye for the most entertaining astronomical stories and the experience to take us behind the scenes. Highly recommended. – Tristan GooleyChris Lintott’s extravagantly entertaining book is a real eye-opener for those who, like me, struggle to know the difference between a pulsar and a comet. Warmly informative, and underpinned with wry, self-deprecating humour and deep expertise, it’s an indispensable addition to any science-lover’s library. – Lev Parikian, author of Taking FlightI really enjoyed this. A fascinating book full of lively anecdotes and expert insight: Our Accidental Universe opens up a world of possibilities. As the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence continues, perhaps we are the ones who will be discovered first? – Professor Helene Courtois, astrophysicist and author of Finding Our Place in the UniverseGrab a front row seat! Chris Lintott’s Our Accidental Universe is wonderfully engaging, full to bursting with remarkable, celestial tales of the unexpected. – Ananyo Bhattacharya, science writer and author of The Man from the FutureA fascinating look at the strange and alien side of space from a wonderfully human astronomer. – Dr Lucy Rogers

Chris Lintott is a Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford, where his research ranges from understanding how galaxies form and evolve, to predicting the properties of visiting interstellar asteroids. He is Principal Investigator of the Zooniverse citizen science platform, which provides opportunities for anyone to contribute to scientific research, and which was the topic of his first book, ‘The Crowd and the Cosmos’. Lintott is best known as presenter of the BBC’s long-running Sky at Night program, and as an accomplished lecturer and performer in venues from music festivals to planetaria. In 2023, he was appointed the 39th Gresham Professor of Astronomy, a post that dates back to the 16th century. Away from work, he cooks, plays real tennis and spends time with a rescued lurcher, Mr Max, with whom he presents the Dog Stars podcast.