Covering an epic sweep of science, from the Greek philosophers right through to Einstein and his groundbreaking work, Mary and John Gribbin have written a compelling account of the personalities and events that lie behind the scientific milestones of history. Find out how a young Isaac Newton caused the first ever UFO scare while flying a home-made paper lantern and how Archimedes was so wrapped up in his work, he didn't notice that his city had been invaded by Romans. Unlike other books, Inventing the Future shows us how scientists over the centuries have used and built on each other's knowledge in order to make their world changing discoveries. It also puts into perspective the incredible amount we have learnt about our universe in 2000 years. Illustrated throughout in black and white