A. Kananin's book has no analogues in Russian-language literature. The author, in a fascinating and accessible form, talks about questions that are of interest to any educated person: how our world and its inhabitants - intelligent people - arose, what mysteries the laws of nature reveal to us, what are the prospects for our civilization and what to expect from new scientific technologies. After reading this book, you will join the knowledge that, until recently, was available only to the most elite scientists.