Beginnings : The big bang / Marcus Chown ; Secret life of the brain / Douglas Fox ; From zero to hero / Richard Webb ; Heal thyself / Jo Marchant

Mysteries : The day time began / Paul Davies ; Placebo power / Michael Brooks ; Wastes of space? / Laura Spinney ; Banishing consciousness / Linda Geddes

Making sense of it all : Out of thin air / Per Eklund ; Busy doing nothing / Jonathan Knight ; The hole story / Richard Webb ; Into the void / Nigel Henbest ; Zero, zip, zilch / Ian Stewart

Surprises : The turbulent life of empty space / Paul Davies ; When mind attacks body / Helen Pilcher ; Ride the celestial subway / Ian Stewart ; Vacuum packed / David Harris ; Nothing in common / Ian Stewart

Voyages of discovery : Absolute zero / Michael de Podesta ; Boring-ology : a happy tedium / Valerie Jamieson ; Putting the idle to work / David E. Fisher ; Get up, get out of bed / Rick A. Lovett

Conclusions : The workout pill / Andy Coghlan ; The world of superstuff / Michael Brooks ; Pathways to cosmic oblivion / Stephen Battersby.