Why Do We Exist?

Why Do We Exist?

The Nine Realms of Universe that Make You Possible

About the Book

A boundary-breaking astrophysicist reimagines the universe—and our place within it—in this audacious journey through the Nine Realms of the cosmos.

The universe gave rise to everything: stars and cells, minds and memories, purpose and pain. But it doesn’t care about us. It follows its own rules. And now, according to Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, we finally understand enough about those rules to ask the big questions like we mean it: Why do we exist? Are we alone? How did we get here? What comes next? And—perhaps most urgently—is there reason to hope?

Heck yeah, there is!

Dr. Oluseyi is no ordinary scientist. A former street kid turned world-renowned cosmologist, he realized something bold: The story of existence can be told as a passage through nine interwoven realms—each revealing a new layer of cosmic truth.

There’s the Middle Realm, where we live; the Realm of Life, where organisms flourish across the vastness of space; the Cosmological Realm, where galaxies dance and collide; the Dark Realm, dominated by unseen energy and invisible forces; the Quantum Realm, where reality defies intuition; the Temporal Realm, where time begins, flows, and perhaps ends; the Multiverse Realm, where our universe may be one among many; the Realm Beyond Horizons, where observation breaks down; and the Realm of Imagination, where insight, curiosity, and creativity shape our understanding of it all.

In Why Do We Exist?, Dr. Oluseyi cracks open these realms with clarity, humor, and radical honesty, bridging cutting-edge physics, personal narrative, and philosophy. The result is a blueprint for understanding reality itself and a surprising case for human potential in an indifferent cosmos.

This isn’t just a science book. It’s a survival manual for the universally curious.
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Praise for Why Do We Exist?

“This book explains the universe and then quietly explains you. Which is unfair, because I was just trying to read about space. . . . Smart, funny, and unexpectedly moving.”—Sarah Silverman, comedian

“Full of surprises on every page, Why Do We Exist? explores how the cosmic dance of physics—on a scale from the smallest subatomic particles to the sweep of the universe—makes our existence possible. Chatty and charming, this book feels like a science lesson from a friendly physicist over a cup of coffee. Oluseyi makes physics fun, transforming a subject that often seems impenetrable into a grand story accessible to all.”—Steve Brusatte, paleontologist and New York Times bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs

“An incredible journey by a master guide, Why Do We Exist? explores the mysteries of the cosmos with wit, warmth, and clarity. Oluseyi’s chatty, deeply human voice turns counterintuitive ideas into moments of insight—and invites readers to see the universe anew.”—Sara Seager, astrophysicist and author of The Smallest Lights in the Universe

“A sweeping, lively tour of the cosmos that makes life feel like a miracle . . . [Oluseyi] offers exceedingly clear explanations of the science as he goes, from the origin of fusion in protostars to black holes to quantum tunneling. The wonderfully dizzying result is that it places us, viscerally, in the scheme of things. Energy flows through these nested realms, and there, in the middle, is us: knots of energy tying together the largest and smallest scales. . . . Propulsive from start to finish.”Kirkus Reviews
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About the Author

Hakeem Oluseyi
Hakeem Oluseyi is an American astrophysicist, cosmologist, inventor, educator, television personality, and public speaker. Since 2007, he has been a professor of physics and space sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology, and has served at Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He appears regularly on the Science Channel's highly popular program, Outrageous Acts of Science, as well as other science shows produced by Discovery, Inc. More by Hakeem Oluseyi
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About the Author

Nils Johnson-Shelton
NILS JOHNSON-SHELTON, unlike Jay Dobyns, has never been a cop and can’t even ride a motorcycle. This is his first book. More by Nils Johnson-Shelton
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