The physicist and author of This Changes Everything presents an engaging inquiry into the origins of the universe and the beginning of time. In Time One, Colin Gillespie takes on the greatest scientific mystery of all time with the aid of a fictional detective. Approaching forty-seven classic philosophical problems as clues to the question of how the universe began, Gillespie connects the dots across centuries of philosophy, literature and religion—and leads readers to asingle, elegant solution. Using the devices of storytelling to help readers understand the serious science being discussed—such as the theory of relativity, quantum mechanics and string theory—Gillespie reveals the very instant time begins and explains exactly how the universe is constructed. Time One tackles the most important issues in physics and cosmology and its answers are both fascinating and strikingly simple.