Chapter 1: What is Reality? What is Magic?
Model: Testing Your Imagination
Science and the Supernatural: Explanations and the Enemies of Explanations
The slow magic of evolution

Chapter 2: Who were the first humans?
Really, who was the first human?
turn to stone
A journey into the past
According to DNA, we are all related

Chapter 3: Why are there so many different types of animals in the world?
Seriously, why are there so many different types of animals in the world?
Splitting: How do languages ​​and species separate?
Islands and Isolation: The Power of Isolation
Mix, choose, survive

Chapter 4: What are things made of?
Decision: Atoms in a row
Solids, Liquids, Gases: How Do Molecules Move?
Inside the atom
The smallest thing in the world
Carbon, the skeleton of life
What, there are no myths?

Chapter 5: Why is there night and day, winter and summer?
Really, why does day become night and winter become summer?
Day and night, and in four seasons
Into orbit
Eggs, ellipses, and escaping gravity
Looking at summer obliquely

Chapter 6: What is the Sun?
Really, what is the sun?
How do stars work?
A Star's Life
Supernovae and stellar dust
Going round and round… …
Asteroids and meteors
The light of our lives

Chapter 7: What is a rainbow?
The True Magic of the Rainbow
What is light made of?
How do raindrops make a rainbow?
The right wavelength?

Chapter 8: When and how did the world begin?
Seriously, how did it all start?
Rainbows and Redshift
Going back in time to the Big Bang

Chapter 9: Are we alone in the universe?
Is there really life on other planets?
Finding Goldilocks
Here, there is snow

Chapter 10: What is an Earthquake?
What happens if there is an earthquake?
Earthquake-related myths
Really, what is an earthquake?
How does the earth move?
Earth's major plates
submarine spreading
Return by heat

Chapter 11: Why Do Bad Things Happen?
Seriously, why do bad things happen?
luck, probability, cause
Pollyanna and the Delusion
Disease and Evolution: A Progressive Process?

Chapter 12: What is a miracle?
Rumors, coincidences, and snowballing stories
A good way to understand miracles
Today's Miracles, Tomorrow's Technologies

Translator's Note | Index | Image Copyright

Scientific arguments and commentary reveal the breathtaking reality of the world, from the smallest atom to the infinite universe, and over 270 stunningly enchanting illustrations decorate every page!

“Carl Sagan, Stephen Jay Gould, Richard Dawkins and others are candles illuminating our dark world, where demons are rampant.
Unfortunately, we lost Carl and Steve too soon.
…but thanks to luck and healthy DNA, Dawkins remains with us, standing as a beacon of scientific skepticism and a hero to skeptics everywhere.” —Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic

As Michael Shermer said, thanks to innate luck and healthy genes, we have the most famous living evolutionary biologist, Professor Richard Dawkins, who has taken the place of Carl Sagan and Stephen Jay Gould. His new book, "The Magic of Reality," has been published by Kim Young Publishing.
Dawkins is one of the most prominent scientists of our time, fighting against pseudoscience, creationism, and superstition at the forefront of science.
He is also a passionate advocate for science education, dedicating his passion and career to explaining the wonders of science and the logical brilliance of evolution to readers around the world.
He sent a message in a new way.


He transformed from a fierce fighter and ruthless debater in the scientific community to a kind and cheerful science commentator.
And we teamed up with world-renowned artist Dave McKean to create a book where every page is illustrated.
This book guides readers of all ages, from teenagers to adults, into the magic of science.
The warm and vivid explanations of Dawkins, one of our time's greatest scientists, and the incomparable illustrations of world-renowned graphic novelist Dave Mackin unravel the core concepts of science with surprising ease and conciseness.
This book is a treasure map for anyone who has ever wondered how the world works.
And it's a book that can be given as a gift to children.
From youth to adults, from beginners to non-scientific specialists, this book will serve as the first introductory book for readers of all ages and fields, helping them develop scientific insight and skills.


Brilliant illustrations and beautiful prose... there's no more inspiring science guide than this!

“If you ask me to recommend a good science book for young people, this is the one I would recommend without hesitation.
Written by Richard Dawkins, one of the greatest scientists of our time, and illustrated by the brilliant author Dave McKean.
“What more could you ask for?”_Lawrence Krauss, theoretical physicist

The fun of reading Dawkins' book isn't limited to the content.
His writings are important scientific texts that should be read by everyone in the 21st century, from atheists to religious believers, and are more than just great works of literature.
As befitting a world-renowned scholar, his broad knowledge and culture, encompassing science, religion, philosophy, and history, his exceptional interpretive skills that easily explain difficult logic, and his concise and to-the-point writing style still shine.
A wonderful parable shows the highest heights to which his rhetoric can ascend.
A dazzling picture was added here.
Brilliant illustrations and beautiful prose... I can't imagine a more lucid or moving guide to science.
It has produced a remarkable book that conveys both wonder and understanding.

This book explains a wide range of natural phenomena, from the smallest atoms to the infinite universe.
What is matter made of? Are we alone in the universe? Why do the continents look like disjointed puzzle pieces? Why do day and night, summer and winter, occur? Why do tsunamis occur? Why are there so many different types of plants and animals? Who were the first humans? What is truly believed to be luck and what is truly believed to be miracle? Dawkins goes beyond his primary field of biology, exploring questions that require answers in astronomy, physics, and statistics.
These are fundamental questions in human life and are also philosophical.
From the secrets of the world to the secrets of the universe beyond, it clearly reveals how what we consider mysterious, miraculous, and magical can be explained as 'scientific fact.'
And the real world understood by science shows us something more wondrous, beautiful, and ecstatic than any miracle.
Reality is the magic that makes our hearts beat.

What is 'reality'? What is 'magic'?
“While reading, I found myself exclaiming in admiration without realizing it.
Ah, so this is how genes work! And stars, and tectonic plates! The explanation I thought I knew became clearer.
“For the first time, something I had never known before became clear to me.” _Philip Pullman, author of The Golden Compass

Dawkins explains why he used the word 'magic' in the title of this book as follows:
Magic comes in many forms.
Supernatural magic is the magic that was used to explain the world before scientific techniques were developed.
The ancient Egyptians explained that the goddess Nut swallowed the sun, causing night to come.
The Vikings believed that rainbows were bridges used by the gods to descend to earth.
To explain earthquakes, the Japanese imagined the world resting on the back of a giant catfish.
It is said that an earthquake occurs every time a catfish flaps its tail.
These stories are magical and special.
But there are other kinds of magic.
It is a magic that contains the joy of finding true answers to these questions.
The magic of reality, that is, science.

“Poetic magic” is what I meant by the title of this book.
We hear beautiful music, are moved to tears, and say that the performance was 'magical'.
He says that looking up at the stars on a dark night without moon or city lights and feeling a breathtaking joy is a sight like 'pure magic'.
The same expression is used when looking at a beautiful sunset, a towering mountain, or a rainbow in a dark sky.
In this sense, 'magic' means something deeply moving and exciting.
It's creepy, it makes you feel like 'I'm really alive'.
“I want to show you that reality (the facts of the real world as understood through scientific techniques) is magical in this very sense.” (p. 22)

Throughout the book, Dawkins demonstrates the magic of the real world as understood by science.
It is the kind of 'poetic magic' he called it, a beauty that is all the more magical because it is real, and all the more magical and inspiring because we understand how it works.
Compared to the true beauty and magic of the real world, supernatural magic and stage tricks seem like cheap, insignificant trinkets.
Real magic is neither supernatural nor a trick.
That's why it's truly amazing.
It's both real and wonderful.
It's amazing because it's real.
He wants to convey that emotion to us.
If we look at Chapter 2, “Who Were the First Humans?”, our grandfathers 185 million generations ago were fish.
Of course, our grandmothers 185 million generations ago were also fish.
Otherwise they wouldn't have been able to mate, and we wouldn't exist today.
Isn't this more wondrous than any myth in the world? And what's more wondrous is that we can be certain that it is literally true.


Dawkins says:
Truth is more magical than any myth, more magical than any fictional mystery, more magical than any miracle.
In the most wonderful and exciting sense that the word magic can have.
Science has its own magic.
The magic of reality! Dawkins guides us through a dazzling and fantastical magic show unfolding through truth.

Science and miracles, what do you believe in?
This book provides clear answers to what is true!
Throughout this book, Dawkins continues to pose questions to his readers.
Between science and miracles, which will you believe? Even with such clear evidence, will you still remain slumbering in the veil of myth, fantasy, and unscientific knowledge? This question shakes our reason and perception.
After asking 12 questions, one per chapter, it compares the answers provided by mythology and religion with the answers provided by science.
Myths provide interesting answers.

Let’s look at Chapter 8, “When and how did the world begin?”
When we look at the origin myths that explain the beginning of the world, we are just disappointed.
Why begin by assuming that some life existed before the universe? None of the myths explain how the creator of the universe himself came into existence.
So, myths are of no help to us, and the explanation continues with what science has revealed about the true beginning of the universe.

The explanation, which begins with the rainbow, progresses to finding out the position and composition of stars through the spectrum of their light.
By analyzing the spectrum of light from distant galaxies, we can measure the rate of expansion of the universe, and if we rewind it, it converges to the beginning of the universe.
That moment is the beginning of the universe.
That moment is the 'Big Bang'.
The universe was not the only thing that came into existence at the moment of the Big Bang.
Time and space itself began with the Big Bang.
The rainbow wasn't just beautiful.
In a way, the rainbow tells us about the beginning of all things, including time and space.
Isn't it fantastic?!

“It is enough to marvel at the wonders science can uncover.
That is a rational emotion.
That's the kind of emotion Sagan taught us, and that's the kind of emotion Dawkins is now teaching us, more captivatingly and accurately than anyone else in the world. (Translator's Note)

Rather than asking, "Why do bad things happen?", we should ask, "Why do certain things happen?"
Let’s look at Chapter 11, “Why Do Bad Things Happen?”
Myths tell us why bad things happen in the world.
“When I was a student, my teacher once asked us if we knew why we got sick.
A boy raised his hand and said it was because of "sin"! Even today, many people believe something similar to that is the cause of many common bad things.
Some myths say that bad things happen in the world because our ancestors did bad things long ago.” (p. 231) In Jewish mythology, all the bad things that happen in the world are attributed to Adam and Eve’s sin of eating the forbidden fruit after being tempted by the serpent.
Or they believe that bad things happen due to conflict between good and evil gods.


What about "misfortune"? Do misfortune and good fortune really exist? Are some people truly luckier than others? Can we really say someone is good or bad at flipping a coin? What about wearing a talisman around your neck that you believe will bring good luck? But here's the scientific answer, as Dawkins puts it:
Neither bad nor good things happen more often than they should according to probability.
Because the universe has no mind.
No emotions, no personality.
Therefore, it is not intended to harm or please anyone.
The reason bad things happen is because 'things' happen.
It is more rational to ask, "Why do certain things happen?" rather than "Why do bad things happen?"

“If you look closely at myths and tales, you will see that they do not contain any of the knowledge that science has persistently uncovered.
Those stories don't tell us the size or age of the universe.
It doesn't tell you how to cure cancer.
It doesn't explain gravity or internal combustion engines.
It doesn't tell you about germs, nuclear fusion, electricity, or anesthetics.
"It's hardly surprising, but the information contained in the scriptures is no different from what the primitive people who first began to tell such stories knew! If an omniscient god truly wrote these 'holy books,' or dictated them, or inspired them to write, isn't it odd that he says nothing about such important and useful matters?" (p. 95)

Dawkins says firmly:
When something happens that seems beyond scientific explanation, there are two safe conclusions we can draw.
Either it wasn't what actually happened (the witness was mistaken, lied, or tricked), or it exposes a flaw in current science.
When we encounter observations or experimental results that current science cannot explain, we must not stop, but continue to improve science until we eventually provide an adequate explanation.
Therefore, we should not say that it is a ‘supernatural phenomenon’ or a ‘miracle.’
Let's say this until we find a proper answer to the riddle.
“We don’t understand this yet, but we’re working on it.” That’s the only honest thing to do.