The Book Prize Index

The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, & Dreams Deferred

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

From a star theoretical physicist, a journey into the world of particle physics and the cosmos -- and a call for a more just practice of science. In The Disordered Cosmos, Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein shares her love for physics, from the Standard Model of Particle Physics and what lies beyond it, to the physics of melanin in skin, to the latest theories of dark matter -- all with a new spin informed by history, politics, and the wisdom of Star Trek. One of the leading physicists of her generation, Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is also one of fewer than one hundred Black American women to earn a PhD from a department of physics. Her vision of the cosmos is vibrant, buoyantly non-traditional, and grounded in Black feminist traditions. Prescod-Weinstein urges us to recognize how science, like most fields, is rife with racism, sexism, and other dehumanizing systems. She lays out a bold new approach to science and society that begins with the belief that we all have a fundamental right to know and love the night sky. The Disordered Cosmos dreams into existence a world that allows everyone to tap into humanity's wealth of knowledge about the wonders of the universe.

ScienceScience · high confidenceScience81 signalsLlm Classifier: Science -> ScienceGoogle Books: Science -> ScienceKeyword Classifier: American History -> American HistoryScience & DiscoveryBlack History & CultureGender & FeminismTravel, Exploration & Place

Award History

2 wins · 3 total

AwardYearResultCategory / Notes
Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Science and TechnologyMajor2021WinnerSecondary source
Phi Beta Kappa Book Awards: Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science2022WinnerOfficial source
PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award2022FinalistSecondary source
View all award history (3)
Experimental book profileGenerated by GPT-5.4 nano · may contain inaccuracies

This is an unverified interpretation of the catalog description, offered as an opt-in discovery experiment—not as bibliographic fact.

  1. 01 Central figures

    None extracted with sufficient confidence.

  2. 02 Central places

    None extracted with sufficient confidence.

  3. 03 Suggested argument

    The book argues that science is shaped by racism and sexism and should follow a more just, inclusive practice grounded in Black feminist traditions and a shared right to know and love the night sky.

    Model confidence 74%

  4. 04 Reading orientation

    44 / 100 academic

    Trade / academic crossover

    An estimate of intended readership and scholarly apparatus—not quality or importance.

Confidence percentages are the model's own estimates. Profile confidence: 82%.