For thousands of years, humans thought of themselves as central to the universe and created symbols and myths to make sense of the world and their special place in it. When Copernicus and Galileo shattered the view of the Earth as the center of the universe, people turned away from the intuitive symbols that had sustained our ancestors, and for the past 400 years we have seen ourselves as adrift, living on an inconsequential rock in an endless expanse of space.

But recent discoveries in astronomy, physics and cosmology have uncovered an astonishing truth: Humans actually are central to the universe in profound and important ways that derive directly from science - ways that Copernicus and Galileo never could have imagined, according to “The View from the Center of the Universe: Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Universe,” a new book by Joel Primack and Nancy Ellen Abrams.

They argue that, for the first time in human history, a scientific theory of the universe as a whole is emerging – a theory that explains how the universe operates, what it's made of, where it came from, and how it"s evolving. Drawing from the latest discoveries and ideas in astrophysics and cosmology, Primack and Abrams will show how humans are indeed central to the universe and what this might mean for our culture and our personal lives. We are the first generation capable of grasping what the nature of the universe may imply about Earth – and how this knowledge can be used to protect the long-term future of our planet.

Primack has done foundational research in cosmology, which is the study of the universe. He and his team use some of the world’s largest supercomputers to simulate the evolution of the universe, and they compare the results with observational data. He has recently chaired the Forum on Physics and Society of the American Physical Society, as well as the Committee on Science, Ethics, and Religion of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Primack is one of the world’s leading cosmologists and an originator and developer of the theory of “cold dark matter,” now widely accepted as the standard theory of the structure and evolution of the universe.

Abrams is a lawyer, writer and former Fulbright scholar, with a long-term interest in the history, philosophy, and politics of science. While working on the staff of the U.S. Congress, she co-created a novel method by which government agencies can make wise policy decisions in cases involving scientific uncertainty, and she has consulted on this for the Swedish government, several state governments and various corporations. Her articles have appeared in journals, magazines and books.

For a decade, Primack and Abrams have been co-teaching a course at the University of California, Santa Cruz, titled “Cosmology and Culture.” They have co-authored two books, “Advice and Dissent: Scientists in the Political Arena” and – set to be published April 6 – “The View from the Center of the Universe: Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos.”

After a four-century rupture between science and the questions of value and meaning, this groundbreaking book presents an explosive and potentially life-altering idea: if the world could agree on a shared creation story based on modern cosmology and biology—a story that has just become available—it would redefine our relationship with Planet Earth and benefit all of humanity, now and into the distant future.

Written in eloquent, accessible prose and illustrated in magnificent color throughout, including images from innovative simulations of the evolving universe, this book brings the new scientific picture of the universe to life. It interprets what our human place in the cosmos may mean for us and our descendants. It offers unique insights into the potential use of this newfound knowledge to find solutions to seemingly intractable global problems such as climate change and unsustainable growth. And it explains why we need to "think cosmically, act globally" if we're going to have a long-term, prosperous future on Earth.

Winner of the 2012 Nautilus Gold Award for the science/cosmology category. The Nautilus Awards recognizes Books and Audio Books that promote spiritual growth, conscious living & positive social change, while at the same time stimulating the "imagination" and offering the reader "new possibilities" for a better life and a better world.

Winner of the 2012 Spirit of Rustum Roy Award, as awarded by The Chopra Foundation. Abrams & Primack received the award for their contribution to science in expanding our understanding of what it is to be human.