In The Secret of the Universe, Asimov's 26th collection of essays from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, he examines 17 topics from cold fusion to the drug war, aiming to clarify even the most puzzling complexities. In speculating about the origin of the universe, he elucidates the Doppler effect and quasars. And when confronted with the question: What is the secret of the universe?, Asimov submits his own theory based on a little maths and a lot of ingenuity.