have you ever wondered how our universe began? or what it takes to put humans on the moon? do you know what happens in the microscopic world of a life-saving vaccine? what would you do if you could travel through space and time? embark on the adventure of a lifetime in this beautiful collection of up-to-the-minute essays, mind-blowing facts and out-of-this-world colour photographs, by the world's leading scientists including professor stephen hawking himself. this edition features brand-new content from dr mary dobson: plagues, pandemics and planetary health. this unmissable volume was curated by stephen and lucy hawking, whose series of children's books george's secret key was a global hit. george's stories are punctuated with fascinating real-life facts and insights from leading scientists and now this incredible non-fiction has been collected into one bumper volume, with new content from key scientific figures and up-to-the-minute facts and figures for readers in 2021. readers love unlocking the universe: "despite its scientific content the essays are written in a very accessible style and the many topics investigated which range from the physical explanations of the universe to earth science to robotics and future predictions. highly recommended for curious minds from around 10 years upwards" - sue warren, blogger "my 9 y.o. loves this book. we've previously discussed a lot of the concepts, but this seems to answer questions i hadn't thought of, but my son wanted to know"