HOW THE UNIVERSE GOT ITS SPOTS looks at how science is coming up sharp against the mind-boggling idea that the universe may be finite. Such a revelation would provide the ultimate twist to the Copernican revolution, for we would find out exactly where we are in the cosmos. Beautifully written in a colloquial style by a world authority, Janna Levin explores our aspirations to observe our universe and contemplate our deep connection with it. While relating her own personal and intellectual journey through space and time, the author gently takes in such gravity-defying concepts as black holes, time-warps, invisible 'strings' and chaotic flows. It is a fantastic voyage, impressing on us the extraordinary fact that we are progeny of this universe and that our ability to understand it is an inheritance.