The three greatest scientific mysteries, as yet poorly understood, are the origin of the universe, the origin of life and the development of consciousness. This book will describe the processes, as we understand them, that go from the Big Bang to the creation of matter, the concentration of that matter into stars and planets, the development of simple life forms and the theory of evolution that has given higher life forms, including mankind. The necessary science will be described in a form that a layman should understand, without the use of equations or formulae.There are many popular and excellent science books that present various aspects of science. However, this book follows a narrow scientific pathway from the Big Bang to mankind, and depicts the causal relationship between each step and the next. The science covered will be enough to satisfy most readers. Many important areas of science are dealt with, and these include cosmology, particle physics, atomic physics, galaxy and star formation, planet formation and aspects of evolution — all described in narrative form.