How to Design a Universe's brilliance lies in its dazzling breadth: from the nature of light to the inner workings of computer memory, from the philosophy of the scientific method to the mind-bending idea of the multiverse, this is popular science that joyfully breaks the mould. Prof. Heymans offers a treasure trove of answers to questions you've always wondered about but never quite dared to ask, answering them with an infectious and unapologetic sense of wonder. The result is a charming, disarming ramble through the scientific landscape that invites you to learn, without ever feeling judged or talked down to.

Emma Chapman, author of Radio Universe: How to Explore Space Without Leaving Earth

How to Design a Universe is a fun yet in-depth exploration into how we can design our own universe from scratch. Catherine Heymans brings warmth, humour and a very real human perspective to guide us through both the real and unreal (virtual) worlds.This book takes physics and mathematical concepts including quantum and dark energy and grounds them in the real-and therefore also virtual-worlds, showing how things actually work, right down to the building blocks of a transistor and even sunshine.

Lucy Rogers, author of Up: Up - A scientist's guide to the magic above us

'Truly unique. Sparkling with charm and interest, and uncompromisingly clear'

Chris Lintott, presenter of The Sky at Night