Understanding Our Place in the Cosmos

Photo Credit: Paula Scattolon

Photo Credit: Paula Scattolon

Ray Jayawardhana investigates the origins and diversity of planetary systems and the prospects for life in the universe, using the world’s largest telescopes. A prolific researcher with more than 140 scientific papers to his credit, his discoveries have garnered widespread attention. Ray is also an award-winning writer and author of popular books. He speaks regularly to a broad range of audiences, and makes frequent media appearances.


Latest Book

  • A lyrical meditation on the preciousness of one child and the vastness of the universe, this gorgeously illustrated picture book shares the immensity of a parent's love along with the message that we are all connected to the broader cosmos in important and intimate ways. A perfect bedtime read-aloud, Child of the Universe is a book to cherish forever.
  • Astrophysicist Jayawardhana’s picture-book debut effectively and eloquently affirms the importance of a single life amid the vastness of the universe—a small lesson under the blanket of parental love…There’s hardly room—or need—for white space in a book this grand and glorious. Out of this world.
    Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
  • Acclaimed astrophysicist Jayawardhana’s lyrical text underscores the intersection of science and wonder, the intimate and the expansive, the familiar and the unknown… This lovely picture book can spark interest in scientific exploration, create awareness of our connection to the cosmos, and encourage dreamers to embark on their own journeys of imagination.
    School Library Journal (starred review)
  • Accompanying inspirational words from astrophysicist Jayawardhana (Neutrino Hunters for adults), luminous illustrations by Colón (Counting the Stars) imagine a magnificent journey through the cosmos…Throughout, warm, rhyming affirmation blends with scientific fact.
    Publishers Weekly (starred review)
  • The simplicity of the text is brilliantly upheld by Colón’s spectacular colored-pencil illustrations. The wordless spreads are particularly compelling for their swaths and curlicues of rich colors depicting cosmic wonders such as solar flares, atomic structures, and ocean waves.
    Booklist

Featured Items

Listen Up, It’s Neutrino Time

Believe me, no other particle comes close to matching the incredibly colorful and quirky personality of the neutrino, or promises to reveal as much about a mind-boggling array of natural phenomena, both subatomic and cosmic.
— The New York Times


Yes, But What Are Neutrinos For?

A brief guide to what neutrinos could help us do next.
– The Boston Globe


Is Life on Earth Unique?

Researchers have confirmed that the ingredients of life, as well as potential habitats, exist beyond the Earth and are ubiquitous in our cosmic neighborhood.
– Physics World


Alien Life, Coming Slowly Into View

Is our warm, wet, rocky world, teeming with life, the exception or the norm? It is an important question for every one of us, not just for scientists.
— The New York Times