Skip to Main Content

Megacatastrophes!

Nine Strange Ways the World Could End

Published by Oneworld Publications
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

LIST PRICE $15.00

PRICE MAY VARY BY RETAILER

Enjoy 25% Off Plus Free Shipping on Orders of $40 or more with code FALL25. (Terms apply)

Buy from Other Retailers

About The Book

Acerbic dark humour meets hardcore science in this mind-boggling exploration of the nine worst ways the world could end

Which will get us first? The supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park? An asteroid hurtling through outer space? Black holes from CERN gobbling up the solar system? An army of deranged nanobots? Or – who knows – alien invasion?



Armed with lavish illustrations and their one-of-a-kind “Catastrophometer”, Dr David Darling and Dr Dirk Schulze-Makuch introduce the disasters you never saw coming, unpicking the science that makes them genuine possibilities, and providing everything from survival tips to danger ratings. So sit back, face the inevitable, and discover the delights of the nine oddest ways the world could end.

About The Authors

David Darling is a science writer, astronomer and music producer. He is the author of nearly fifty books, including the bestselling Equations of Eternity. He lives in Dundee, Scotland.

Together with Agnijo Banerjee, he is the co-author of the Weird Maths trilogy, and The Biggest Number in the World.

Dr Dirk Schulze-Makuch is currently an Associate Professor in Astrobiology at Washington State University. His research has been widely published in media ranging from academic journals to The New Scientist.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Oneworld Publications (April 1, 2012)
  • Length: 200 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781851689057

Browse Related Books

Raves and Reviews

Surprisingly good fun. Editor's Pick.

– The Bookseller

"A mix of good old-fashioned silliness and some fine science writing. Next time someone tells you, "Cheer up, it might never happen," throw this book at them."

– BBC Focus

"Accessible and entertaining… Brings often complex and abstract threats frighteningly to life."

– Financial Times

"Curiously pleasurable… this will help you get your everday problems into perspective."

– The Independent

"Impressive… Reminds us that the air of reassuring omnipotence that our leaders like to project is mere illusion."

– The Wall Street Journal

"A hearty dose of knowledge seasoned with humor… Clear and informative, this book is recommended for all readers of popular science."

– Library Journal

Fascinating, if sometimes macabre ... A fabulous book that got better with every page - I couldn't put it down!

– Debra Fischer - Professor of Astronomy at Yale University

Nicely written, thoroughly researched, highly recommended. Doomsday is already marked in the calendar.

– Alberto Fairen - Research Scientist at the SETI Institute

The entertaining selection of end-of-the world scenarios is the perfect excuse to learn about science, from the atomic to the galactic and from the terrestrial to the extra-terrestrial.Specially recommended for those who think that the end of humankind cannot cheer you up.

– Alfonso Davila - Senior Scientist at the SETI Institute and Principal Investigator at the Carl Sagan

"A surprisingly cheerful look at the science of how humanity might meet a messy end, from incurable diseases to exploding stars. Who says reading about the end of the world needs to be grim?"

– Chad Orzel

"Splendid! Stimulating, entertaining, and scientifically plausible."

– Adam Hart-Davis

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images