MF

The Miraculous from the Material: Understanding the Wonders of Nature

Alan Lightman

Science & engineering

The Miraculous from the Material: Understanding the Wonders of Nature

By Alan Lightman, professor of the practice of humanities

Penguin Random House · 2024

Nature is capable of extraordinary phenomena. Standing in awe of those phenomena, we experience a feeling of connection to the cosmos. For Lightman, just as remarkable is that all of what we see around us - soap bubbles, scarlet ibises, shooting stars - are made out of the same material stuff and obey the same rules and laws. Pairing 36 full-color photos evoking some of nature's most awe-inspiring phenomena with personal essays, "The Miraculous from the Material" explores the fascinating science underlying the natural world.

From Summer 2025 recommended reading from MIT (MIT News). Cover image via Google Books.