Abstract
If nowadays an experiment or an observation is conducted by a scientist, then it is always implicitly assumed that the laws of nature observed on earth can also be applied to the most remote corners of the universe at any point of time. This is the essence of the principle of universality. The same general laws can be found across the entire universe, and, in principle, there is no restriction to their applicability. However, this methodological outlook is of relatively recent provenience, and the purpose of Trefil's book is to trace the origins of this principle.