A mechanical universe -- How high is the sky? -- Albert Einstein and the geometry of space and time -- An evolving universe -- The recession of distant galaxies -- A hot beginning and the cosmic photosphere -- The origin of light elements in the primeval fireball -- The alchemy of the stars -- The fundamental forces and the origin of matter -- Gravity sheds light on the invisible -- Dark and exotic matter -- An accelerating universe? -- Dark energy is the fifth element -- From order to chaos -- Primordial sound -- The ecology of galaxies -- Wrapped and warped -- And in the beginning?