Summary

As this chapter is dedicated to the universality of the laws of physics, Tyson begins by referencing one of history’s most recognizable names, Sir Isaac Newton. He credits Newton with being the first to recognize a principle that exists not just on Earth, but in space, too- gravity. Until this point, as Tyson notes, “Earth had earthly things going on and the heavens had heavenly things going on,” but the physical laws in existence on Earth were not expected to be present within the cosmos (34). Newton’s laws represent the first instance where scientists recognized the universality of physical laws between Earth and space, a concept that allows astrophysicists to deduce cosmic happenings through they cannot be observed. Tyson claims the “universality of physical laws drives scientific discovery like nothing else,” as they provide scientists with rules for...