The universe and the teacup cover

The universe and the teacup

by K. C. Cole

Mathematics is the breathtaking invention of ours that expands the reach of the human mind, puts us in touch with the tiniest particles of physics, and takes us to the outermost reaches of the cosmos. Perhaps because of its power and its abstraction, math scares many people. The Universe and the Teacup is a poetic and passionate book that reveals how the tools of mathematics get us to these fundamental truths and shows us why math need not be intimidating. Using the O. J. Simpson trial and the Lani Guinier affair, the bell curve and Emmy Noether, the nineteenth-century woman scientist whose work was essential for Einstein's Theory of Relativity, Cole shows how mathematics breaks the mind barrier.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?