THE COSMIC DETECTIVE

International Best-selling author and world-renowned scientist Dr. Mani Bhaumik Takes readers on a whirlwind tour into space with The Cosmic Detective. Addressing his readers as cosmic detectives, the author actively enlists his sleuths in finding solutions to questions that have puzzled space scientists for ages. How and when did the universe begin? What are the stars made of? How far away are the most distant galaxies? What is a quasar? Explore these fundamental cosmic riddles and more in this fascinating journey of discovery and wonder. Find out about nebulae and black holes, navigate the galaxies and the enormous expanses beyond, dive into the heart of neutron stars and walk on distant planet as you join the author in investigating the most bizarre aspects of the cosmos. And in the broader context of our own existence in the universe, Dr. Bhaumik reveals that when we explore the cosmos, we also explore ourselves. What message is dispersed throughout the universe for us? What words are scrawled by the stars in the tablet of the night sky? You may come to see that the primary message from the biography of the universe is oneness, for it appears that we have all come from one single source. We can trace the roots of our family tree to the beginning of the universe 13.7 billion years ago. At that time, of course, there was no sign of life, but the potentiality of life was in the blueprint of the universe, just as the blueprint of a tree is contained in a seed. Today, whether we are black, white, brown, or yellow or whether we are Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or Jewish, we are members of the same family. We are all cosmic kins tied from our birth to the sun, the stars, the planets, the moons, and the whole universe itself. There is no essential difference between us. If we remember that we share the same origin, all lines of division will be erased. This message of oneness has been forged in the fireball of the universe. A related message comes loud and clear through the chapters of the cosmic biography. It is a message of empowerment: none of us is insignificant. We may be small, and our power limited, but if we have understood the story in the stars, we know that the universe is not complete without us. This is neither fable nor romantic fantasy, but scientific fact. We know also that we are not only an inseparable and necessary part of the physical universe, but that the very blueprint of the cosmos provided for our eventual emergence. Are you wondering why we are so essential? Here we face probably the strangest and most wondrous fact of all. The eminent physicist John Wheeler said it most eloquently, It is incontrovertible that the observer is a participant in genesis. Let s contemplate that statement to be sure we understand how astounding it is. Genesis is the beginning of time, the birth of the cosmos. The observer consists of our conscious awareness, the faculty we employ when we look deep and far back into space and time. Are you beginning to get the picture? The distinguished British mathematician Sir Roger Penrose is bemused by the fact that the universe has developed in obedience of laws that our consciousness seems designed to grasp. Could it be that our consciousness is indeed inherently linked to the universal blueprint? So it is a circle, or a loop, which keeps coming back to you and me, emphasizing our significance time and again. Packed with interesting facts and dazzling color photographs, this beautifully written primer is ideal for all ages. About the Author Dr. Mani Bhaumik is a physicist, international bestselling author, celebrated lecturer, entrepreneur, and a philanthropist. He is a laser physicist who announced the successful demonstration of the world's first efficient excimer laser at the Denver, Colorado meeting of the Optical Society of America in May 1973. This is the class of laser that would eventually eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses in many cases requiring vision correction. The procedure popularly known as Lasik takes less than a minute and has helped over fifteen million people worldwide. In recognition of his pioneering research in high energy lasers and new laser systems, he was elected by his scientific peers as a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers as well as of the American Physical Society. Dr. Bhaumik's current interest is in sharing with the public the astounding advances in quantum physics and cosmology and their implications for our lives, work, technology, and spiritual development. This he endeavors to do through books, articles, lectures, and TV programs. He is also keenly interested in research on the origin and the nature of consciousness and how that knowledge can be utilized in improving the quality of our existence. As a part of this aspiration, he has instituted an annual International Award through the UCLA Neuropsychiatry Institute to acknowledge the best scientific evidence demonstrating the effect of conscious mind in healing. Dr. Bhaumik has published over fifty papers in various professional journals and is a holder of a dozen laser-related U.S. patents. He has been invited to lecture all over the world, at forums including: Summer School on High-Power Gas Lasers, Capri, Italy 1975; International Symposium on Gas-Flow and Chemical Lasers, Belgium 1978; International Symposium on Gas Discharge Lasers, Grenoble, France 1979; Asoke Sarkar Memorial Lecture, Calcutta International Book Fair 2001; Institute of Culture, Calcutta, India 2006; Netaji Subhas Open University, Calcutta, India 2008; Schrödinger Institute, Vienna 2009. In his international bestseller Code Name God (Crossroads Publishing), Dr. Bhaumik argues forcefully that the big divide between science and spirituality can be bridged. The key, Bhaumik asserts, is to see things in an entirely new light a light shed upon by the recent revelations of quantum physics and cosmology. He now devotes much of his time and effort to bringing this message to the public, including its younger members, for whom he has recently created an award winning animated television series, Cosmic Quantum Ray, distributed for broadcast worldwide. Dr. Bhaumik is a patron of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, providing dedicated support for its global activities. Dr. Bhaumik s honors include: Elected fellow of the American Physical Society for Advancement of Physics, 1976; Elected fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for development of high power lasers and new laser systems, 1982; Elected to the prestigious Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C.; Elected Member of the scientific honor society, Sigma Xi, Los Angeles; Received Honorary D.Sc degree for Lifetime Academic Achievements from Indian Institute of Technology, 1995; Received Lifetime Achievement Award, North America Bengali association, Los Angeles, 2003; Honored by the Cultural Association of Bengal for Philanthropic Services to community, New York, 2005; Received Mahatma Gandhi Humanitarian Award from Indian American Heritage Foundation presented by Sir Ben Kingsley, Beverly Hills, 2005; Received Award for Outstanding Achievement in Science and Philanthropic Contribution from Asian Heritage Committee, New York, 2006; Elected fellow of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta, India, 2006; Listed in Who s Who in Ameri