Popular science Books

Book SynopsisA FANTASTIC NEW VIEW OF A LOST ERA. Here are dinosaurs as you've never seen them before in a dramatically expanded new edition of the book that started the renaissance in dinosaur books. Here are dinosaurs that are swift, stunning, scary and stupendous, presented in a lavish format. Using the latest paleontological research, THE NEW DINOSAURS presents a scientifically accurate look at the way dinosaurs lived: how they moved, ate, dueled, drank and mated. From ten-ton brontosaurus to thirty-foot hadrosaurus, here is a story more fantastic than fantasy itself! THE DINOSAURSA FANTASTIC NEW VIEW OF A LOST ERA, by William Stout, with narration by the late William Service, is considered to be a classic in illustrated naturalist books. Featured in LIFE magazine, it helped spark the worldwide interest in dinosaurs that culminated in Jurrasic Park.

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Book SynopsisWould your body work better with some artificial parts? Will you live longer, perhaps a lot longer, than you now expect. This book treats the landscape of human self-change and robotic development as poles of the same phenomenon. It tells about the accumulation of small scientific advances that add up to something large and challenging.

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Book SynopsisThe author of Life and Death on 10 West chronicles the fascinating true story of the Oxford scientists who discovered penicillin by experimenting on mold, creating a family of drugs that would eradicate some of the worst diseases in human history. Reprint. 35,000 first printing.

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Book SynopsisThomas Bewick (17531828) is synonymous with finely crafted wood engravings of the natural world, and his instantly recognisable style influenced book illustration well into the nineteenth century. This celebrated work, first published in two volumes between 1797 and 1804, was the first practical field guide for the amateur ornithologist.Table of Contents1. Of the oyster-catcher; 2. Of the spoonbill; 3. Of the crane; 4. Of the heron; 5. Of the curlew; 6. Of the snipe; 7. Of the godwit; 8. Of the sandpiper; 9. Of the coot; 10. Of the phalarope; 11. Of the grebe; 12. Of the avoset; 13. Of the auk or penguin; 14. Of the guillemot; 15. Of the divers; 16. Of the tern or sea swallow; 17. Of the gull; 18. Of the petrel; 19. Of the mergus; 20. Of the anas; 21. Of the pelican.

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Book SynopsisThe naturalist Gilbert White (1720â93) was known for his meticulous observations of flora and fauna in their natural environment, primarily around his village of Selborne in Hampshire. This posthumous 1795 publication, edited by the physician and writer John Aikin (1747â1822), comprises a collection of extracts from White's previously unpublished papers from 1768 to his death. Presented here for 'lovers of natural knowledge' is a full year of White's observations. Following the month-by-month record of natural events, the book contains brief studies of birds, quadrupeds, insects, plants and the weather. A lifelong lover of the outdoors, White had kept a near daily record of his activities for more than forty years. Regarded as one of the fathers of ecology, inspiring others to appreciate the natural world, White is best known for The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne (1789), which is also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection.Table of ContentsPreface; Naturalist's calendar; Observations on birds; Observations on quadrupeds; Observations on insects and vermes; Observations on vegetables; Meteorological observations; Summary of the weather.

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Book SynopsisWhy do some things pass under the radar, while others capture our attention? From art to religion, sport to supersistion Riverted is a fascinating and accessible exploration of the scientific and evolutionary underpinnings of why we find things compelling.

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Book SynopsisThe first academic study of this subject is an entertaining look at the search for Sasquatch which considers not just the nature of monsters and monster hunting in the late 20th century, but the more important relationship between the professional scientists and amateur naturalists who hunt them—and their place in the history of science.Trade Review'Using the career of anthropologist Gordon 'Grover' Sanders Krantz as a focal point, Regal explores the work and lives of the professional scientists ('eggheads') and amateur naturalists ('crackpots') who considered the possibility of Sasquatch and other 'manlike monsters' to be anomalous primates, as opposed to relics of regional folklore. Recommended.' CHOICE 'This excellent and fascinating book is not just about scientists searching for monsters, but others, called 'amateur naturalists' that are looking and doing field work as well. This book is a rare and insightful look by an academic who writes and thinks well.' Bigfoot Times 'This is a book not about Sasquatch, but about the men who spent their lives searching for it. Brian Regal's fast-moving narrative uncovers the complex relationships within and between the amateur enthusiasts and the small number of professional scientists who took the monster seriously. Regal opens a window onto the psychology and sociology of monster-hunting and has provided a valuable case study in the relationship between science and popular culture.' Peter Bowler, Professor of History of Science, School of History and Anthropology, Queen's University Belfast 'Searching for tangible evidence of elusive monsters has a long tradition among naturalists, highly trained scientists, adventurers, and charlatans. In this fascinating book, Brian Regal explores the many sides to 'monster-hunting,' or cryptobiology, through a case study of anthropologist Gordon 'Grover' Krantz's search for Sasquatch. Regal has skillfully used Krantz's career to raise a number of significant issues for the history of science, most important, what is the nature of evidence in science itself and how is its legitimacy negotiated.' Garland E. Allen, Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis 'The Yeti, Sasquatch, and the Minnesota Iceman take a back seat in this lively and engaging book which shows us that far more interesting, surprising, and bizarre than these mythical monsters may be are the many naturalists, both amateur and professional, who strove to make a legitimate science out of their study.' Vassiliki Betty Smocovitis, Professor, History of Science, University of Florida 'A unique and remarkable work that highlights the people involved in the search for unknown primates. A fount of information on many characters about whom I knew little or nothing. Brian Regal has created a valuable, historic and highly readable tome.' Richard Freeman, Zoological Director, Centre for Fortean Zoology, UK 'Sasquatch has always been a creature of the margins half-human, half-beast; authentic and plastic; science and nonsense. In this incisive and often funny book, Brian Regal shows how the beast also stood between professional scientists and amateurs, and how debates about Sasquatch were simultaneously attempts to define the complicated relationship between these two groups.' Joshua Blu Buhs, author of Bigfoot: The Life and Times of a LegendTable of ContentsChasing Monsters Crackpots and Eggheads The Snowmen Bigfoot, the Anti-Krantz, and the Iceman The Life of Grover Krantz Suits and Ladders The Problems of Evidence A Life with Monsters

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Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction1 The rhythms of the landscape2 The growth of an ant society3 Food and the foreign relations of ant societies4 A forest of ant colonies5 In the society of ants6 Networks of ant paths7 Success without management8 Complex systemsEpilogue: Lessons from the antsNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisModern physics is heady stuff. It seems that barely a week goes by without some new astounding science story; some revelation about hidden dimensions, multiple universes, the holographic principle or incredible cosmic coincidences. But is it true? What evidence do we have for super-symmetric squarks', or superstrings vibrating in an 11-dimensional space-time? How do we know that we live in a multiverse? How can we tell that the universe is a hologram projected from information encoded on its boundary? Doesn't this sound like a fairy story?In Farewell to Reality Jim Baggott asks whether all that we currently know about the universe is based upon science or fantasy. In addition he wonders whether these high priests of fairy tale physics - such as John Barrow, Paul Davies, David Deutsch, Brian Greene, Stephen Hawking, Michio Kaku, Gordon Kane and Leonard Susskind - are the emperor's latest tailors.Praise for Jim Baggott:A shimmering tour d'horizon. Quantum theory may deny us the possibility of properly comprehending physical reality, but Baggott's account is smart and consoling. Kirkus Reviews.Jim Baggott's inspired - and inspiring - idea of presenting the history of quantum physics in terms of 40 key moments works both as an introduction for the uninitiated and as a refresher for anyone who thinks they know the story. John Gribbin.I never read such a good, comprehensive account as Jim Baggott's...highly recommended. A.N. Wilson.The best popular science book of the year to date by far. popularscience.co.ukTrade ReviewPersuasive. * Independent on Sunday *

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Book Synopsis'"If the chanting stops, he will die. My patient will die." I was certain of this-as certain as someone crouching in an unheated tent sitting on the highest mountain in the world can feel about anything.'Dr Ken Kamler knows what happens when bodies are pushed to their limits. He has been to and studied the world's most inhospitable regions, and seen who survived and who did not. This book leads readers into six different and extreme environments: underwater, water surface, jungle, desert, high altitude and outer space. Telling the stories of his own and others' extraordinary brushes with death, Kamler explores the body's reactions to heat, cold, pressure, starvation, exhaustion and exposure, and reveals its miraculous survival strategies.

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Book SynopsisFive years after returning from his trip around the world on HMS Beagle, the young Charles Darwin became the owner of Down House in Kent, where he moved his growing family, far away from the turmoil and distractions of London. He would live here for the rest of his life. It would become the place where he began work on his masterpiece On the Origin of Species.For almost twenty years he used the garden around him as his laboratory. In the orchard he conducted experiments on pollination. He built a dovecot where he could breed new strains of pigeons that helped him understand the questions of generation. On his daily walk along the sandbank he observed how plants competed for survival. In his heated greenhouse he conducted experiments on orchids and primulas. In solitude he was also able to struggle with the ideas of evolution that had haunted him since his voyage, and give him the courage to publish his revolutionary new ideas. Bringing Darwin's garden to the present day, Boulter unfolds a shining portrait of the formation of one of England's greatest thinkers and his relationship with the place he loved and shows how his experiments that he conducted over 150 years ago are still revealing new proofs and revelations as we continue to search for the origins of life.Trade ReviewAn engaging and fascinating tour through the life and work of Darwin, and what Darwin's legacy means for our view of the world. -- Professor Sir Peter Crane FRS, former Director of Kew GardensAn absorbing book. From the primroses and hot house at Down House [Boulter] leads us on a voyage around not only Darwin's thought, but that of his contemporaries and modern biology. -- Clive Aslet * Sunday Telegraph *A useful primer for anyone wanting an overview of the man and his legacy. * New Scientist *Boulter has been able to show a side of Darwin which will surprise many. * Daily Mail *Fascinating and evocative. * Catholic Herald *

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Book SynopsisWe are surrounded by information in the 21st Century: we are bombarded by advertising, attitudes, celebrities, news, wars, fashion, the latest fads... the sheer amount of information we have access to appears untameable, unworkable, and too much to gain sense from unless we pick and choose very carefully. However, our choices are very often made for us as the result of advertising, media companies, the government and popular culture. The results of these choices are called memes, and their impact is shaping not just society but us individually, and on a core level, beyond psychology, personal free will, and even genetics. The very first book on the subject of memes, and how they behave just like viruses, this is an incredible study into the power of communication and "going along with everyone else". Virus of the Mind explains just how we are "infected" by the deliberate shaping of society's attitudes and behaviours - and how we can cure ourselves.

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Book SynopsisIncludes military, scientific, commercial, and infrastructure disasters such as: The Lead water pipes of Rome; Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse; Edison's electrical folly; Betamax; Concorde crash; Hubble - A $2 billion telescope that didn't work; the Mars probe failures due to simple math mistakes; Cold Fusion; and, Ford Pinto.

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of mankind's fascination with worlds beyond our own-by the bestselling author of The Physics of Star Trek Lawrence Krauss -an international leader in physics and cosmology-examines our long and ardent romance with parallel universes, veiled dimensions, and regions of being that may extend tantalizingly beyond the limits of our perception. Krauss examines popular culture's current embrace (and frequent misunderstanding) of such topics as black holes, life in other dimensions, strings, and some of the more extraordinary new theories that propose the existence of vast extra dimensions alongside our own. BACKCOVER: An astonishing and brilliantly written work of popular science. -Science a GoGo A brilliant, thrilling book . . . You'll have so much fun reading that you'll hardly notice you're getting a primer on contemporary physics and cosmology. -Walter Isaacson, author of Benjamin Franklin: An American LifeTrade Review“An astonishing and brilliantly written work of popular science.” —Science a GoGo“A brilliant, thrilling book . . . You’ll have so much fun reading that you’ll hardly notice you’re getting a primer on contemporary physics and cosmology.” —Walter Isaacson, author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

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Book SynopsisIn The Life of the Cosmos, Lee Smolin offers a theory of the universe that is radically different from anything proposed before. He argues that 'The underlying structure of our world is to be found in the logic of evolution'. He departs from contemporary physicists to explore the idea that the laws of nature we observe may be the partial result a process of natural selection that occurred before the Big Bang.Trade ReviewIt is a pleasure to be reminded in detail of how extraordinary this world is. * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisThe great biologist Louis Pasteur suppressed ''awkward'' data because it didn''t support the case he was making. John Snow, the ''first epidemiologist'' was doing nothing others had not done before. Gregor Mendel, the supposed ''founder of genetics'' never grasped the fundamental principles of ''Mendelian'' genetics. Joseph Lister''s famously clean hospital wards were actually notorious dirty. And Einstein''s general relativity was only ''confirmed'' in 1919 because an eminent British scientist cooked his figures. These are just some of the revelations explored in this book. Drawing on current history of science scholarship, Fabulous Science shows that many of our greatest heroes of science were less than honest about their experimental data and not above using friends in high places to help get their ideas accepted. It also reveals that the alleged revolutionaries of the history of science were often nothing of the sort. Prodigiously able they may have been, but the epithet of the ''mTrade ReviewReview from previous edition Waller writes with clarity and flair . . . [he] has a real talent for telling a story. * Roy Porter *Everyone with an interest in science should read this book. * Focus *a great read * Nature *Waller tells these stories well ... [his] examples are a valuable look sideways at the rolling juggernaut of modern science. * Martin Ince, New Scientist *Table of ContentsPART 1: RIGHT FOR THE WRONG REASONS ; PART 2: TELLING SCIENCE AS IT WAS

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Book SynopsisHuman beings are the only species to have evolved the trait of emotional crying. We even create music, fiction, film, and theatre - 'Tragedy' - to encourage crying. Michael Trimble looks at the physiology and evolution of this unique human behaviour, exploring its links with language, consciousness, empathy, and religious practices.Trade ReviewThis is a fascinating cultural and neurological study about how humans are unique in shedding tears of sorrow, especially in the context of listening to music or attending the theatre... * Network Review *Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. Crying ; 3. The Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology of Crying ; 4. Evolution ; 5. Tragedy and Tears ; 6. Tearful Logic ; 7. Why Do We Get Pleasure from Crying at the Theatre? ; Appendix 1: Neuroanatomy ; Appendix 2: Glossary of terms ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisThe hunt for the origin of the AIDS virus began over twenty years ago. It was a journey that went around the world and involved painstaking research to unravel how, when, and where the virus first infected humans. Dorothy H. Crawford traces the story back to the remote rain forests of Africa - home to the primates that carry the ancestral virus - and reveals how HIV-1 first jumped from chimpanzees to humans in rural south east Cameroon. Examining how this happened, and how it then travelled back to Colonial west central Africa where it eventually exploded as a pandemic, she asks why and how it was able to spread so widely. From hospital intensive care wards to research laboratories and the African rain forests, this is the wide-ranging story of a killer virus and a tale of scientific endeavour.Table of ContentsPreface ; Introduction: a new disease ; 1. The puzzle of HIV-1 ; 2. Tracing HIV to its roots ; 3. The primate connection ; 4. From rain forest to research laboratory ; 5. Timing SIV cpz's jump to humans ; 6. A vital first step for HIV-1 group M ; 7. Beginning the epic journey ; 8. HIV-1 group M meets the challenge ; 9. Past, present, and future pandemics ; References ; Further reading ; Glossary

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Book SynopsisIn an engaging tour of the science and history of cheese, Michael Tunick explores the art of cheese making, the science that lies underneath the deliciousness, and the history behind how humanity came up with one of its most varied and versatile of foods.Dr. Tunick spends his everyday deep within the halls of the science of cheese, as a researcher who creates new dairy products, primarily, cheeses. He takes us from the very beginning, some 8000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, and shows us the accidental discovery of cheese when milk separated into curds and whey. This stroke of luck would lead to a very mild, and something akin to cottage, cheese-deemed delicious enough by our traveling cheese maker that he or she did it again another day.Today we know of more than 2,000 varieties of cheese from Gorgonzola, first noted in year 879, to Roquefort in 1070 to Cheddar in 1500. But Tunick delves deeper into the subject to provide a wide-ranging overview that begins with cows and milk andTrade ReviewMany books tell us about the cheeses of the world, but here the author introduces the reader to the chemistry and biology involved in cheese formation. I recommend this book to any cheese-eater who has wondered about the cause of their latest taste-sensation. * Simon Cotton, Chemistry and Industry *The book is full of fascinating data. * Colin Berry, The Oldie *A charming and informative book that will have you seeking out cheese shops with informed enthusiasm. * Christine Evans-Pughe, Engineering & Technology *Tunick comes very close to perfection. * Hans Bouma, NVOX *Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. IN THE BEGINNING Milk ; 2. CURDS AND WHEY Cheesemaking ; 3. YOU'RE NOT GETTING OLDER, YOU'RE GETTING BETTER Ripening ; 4. DOES THIS CHEESE MAKE ME LOOK FAT? Nutrition ; 5. STICK IT UP YOUR NOSE, AND OTHER ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES ; 6. CHEESE IT - THE COPS! Laws and Regulations ; 7. DO TRY THIS AT HOME ; 8. THE CHEESE STANDS ALONE ; References ; Acknowledgments ; Index

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Book SynopsisIncredible stories of love, history, and the nature of mankind, brought to us by the Periodic Table.Trade Review'With a constant flow of fun facts bubbling to the surfaace, Kean writes with wit, flair and authority in a debut that will delight even general readers' - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

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Book Synopsis"More than a history of science; it is a tour de force in the genre."—New York Times Book ReviewTrade Review"Galison provides a unique and enlightening view on the origin of time as we know it in the modern age." -- American Scientist"An easy-reading but penetrating book. [Galison] brings the story of time to life as a story of wires and rails, precision maps, and imperial ambitions, as well as a story of physics and philosophy." -- Science"This is how twentieth-century science really began....Engaging, original, and absolutely brilliant." -- James Gleick

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Book SynopsisThe former editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Psychiatry explores the mysteries of creative genius, using evidence from both arts and the sciences for a fascinating investigation.

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Book SynopsisA fascinating introduction to the science of decision making.

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Book SynopsisCan fish feel pain? Does it matter if a dingo is different from a dog? Is there life in a glob of subterranean snot? Science tackles some unexpected questions. At a time when the world is buffeted by the effects of a pandemic, climate change and accelerating technology, the fruits of scientific labour and enquiry have never been more in demand. Who better to navigate us through these unprecedented days than Australia’s best science writers. Now in its tenth year, this much-loved anthology selects the most riveting, entertaining, poignant and fascinating science stories and essays from Australian writers, poets and scientists. In their expert hands such ordinary objects as milk and sticky tape become imbued with new meaning, while the furthest reaches of our universe are made more familiar and comprehensible. With a foreword from Nobel laureate and immunologist Peter C Doherty, this collection brings fresh perspective to the world you thought you knew.

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Book SynopsisGrasses cover approximately one-quarter of the planet's land surface; four species - wheat, rice, maize and sugar - provide 60 per cent of human calorie intake. Almost all of us at some point play on, relax on, plant, tend or harvest grasses for our own pleasure or sustenance, yet for all that their importance to us is not commonly understood. It is predicted that by 2050 the world's population will be approximately 9 billion, and 90 per cent of the planet's land area will be affected by human activities. To feed ourselves we will be more dependent on grasses than ever before. Grasses explains the history of our relationship with these humble yet vital plants from the end of the last Ice Age to the present day. Perhaps more than any other plant, grasses show the effects of human influence: farmed on a massive scale, they are the ultimate staple crop. In turn we are also influenced by grasses, often fighting to preserve our 'green space' and public parks. Stephen Harris describes this relationship against the background of our heightened awareness of climate change: in the future we will have to balance our needs of grass as food, grass as living space and potentially even grass as fuel. Mixing biology, sociology and cultural history, Grasses provides us with arguably the fullest exploration yet of what grasses mean and have meant: their profound importance to our survival but also to our pleasure, our diets and our minds. Featuring numerous botanical images as well as many fine examples from art and popular culture, Grasses is a must-have for gardeners, food lovers and environmentalists alike.

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Book SynopsisAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is one of the most common developmental disorders, with an average of 9 per cent of US children between the ages of five and seventeen diagnosed each year. It is also one of the most controversial. Since the 1950s, when hyperactivity in children was first diagnosed, psychiatrists, educators, parents and politicians have debated the causes, treatment and implications of the disorder.Why and how were children first diagnosed with this disorder? Hyperactive provides the first history of ADHD, explaining why biological explanations became predominant; how powerful drugs became the preferred treatment; why diagnosis rates and treatments vary so widely around the world; and why alternative explanations have failed to achieve any legitimacy. Contending that hyperactive children are also a product of their social, cultural and educational environment, Matthew Smith demonstrates how knowledge about the rise of ADHD can lead to better choices about its diagnosis and treatment. A revealing and accessible study of this hugely controversial subject, Hyperactive is an essential book for psychologists, teachers, policymakers and parents.

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Book SynopsisIdeas about quantities, magnitudes and frequencies shape and give texture to almost everything we feel, say, dream and do. In Living by Numbers, now available in paperback, Steven Connor explores the many ways in which we live in, and by, a world of numbers. The book opens up for the first time the richness, variety and subtlety of how we do things with numbers and, just as importantly, how they do things with us.Trade Review'Number is one of the fundamental dimensions of reality; to ignore it is to be color-blind, monolingual, housebound, blinkered. In this lively, good-humored, and erudite book, Steven Connor shows how an allergy to quantitative thinking has not served the humanities well, and that welcoming it in can only deepen our appreciation of art and literature.' - Steven Pinker, Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of How the Mind Works and The Sense of Style; 'Full of delights and insights for mathematicians and nonmathematicians alike ... Living by Numbers turns the question of whether a problem might best be approached qualitatively or quantitatively on its head, suggesting that it misses the point. Instead of asking how the humanities and arts might respond to the expansion of statistics and data sciences, Connor asserts that the important questions about life - and the historical, philosophical, and artistic ways of addressing them - have always also been about numbers.' - Science; 'Connor shows how number is essential to literary criticism, music, visual art and even to pleasure ... It is an indication of the richness of Connor's content that frequently I wanted more ... Readers of this book will be mentally engaged in a dialogue with the author throughout ... Connor is always stimulating as well as witty .' - Times Higher Education

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Book SynopsisThis book is a vision of biology set within the entire timescale of the universe. It is about the timing of life, from microsecond movements to evolutionary changes over millions of years. Human consciousness is riveted to seconds, but a split-second time delay in perception means that we are unaware of anything until it has already happened. We live in the very recent past. Over longer timescales, this book examines the lifespans of the oldest organisms, prospects for human life extension, the evolution of whales and turtles, and the explosive beginning of life 4 billion years ago. With its poetry, social commentary and humour, this book will appeal to everyone interested in the natural world.Trade ReviewAfter reading Nicholas P. Money’s deeply fascinating book, I realised I was looking at the world around me in a completely different way. It takes the reader on a journey that starts with a fraction of a second and ends with a billion years, in a book about the passage of time that is different from any other I have ever read.-Torbjørn Ekelund, author of 'In Praise of Paths: Walking Through Time and Nature' (2020)Table of ContentsPreface 1 BALLISTICS - Fractions of Seconds 2 BEATS - Seconds 3 BATS - Minutes and Hours 4 BLOSSOMS - Days, Weeks and Months 5 BROODS - Years 6 BEARS - Decades 7 BOWHEADS - Centuries 8 BRISTLECONES - Millennia 9 BASILOSAURS - Millions of years 10 BEGINNINGS - Billions of Years References Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisFrom gravity to black holes, special relativity to global warming, this authoritative and entertaining book from bestselling author Marcus Chown breaks down complex science into manageable chunks, explaining the one thing you really need to know to get to grips with the subject.Rather than trying to bend your mind around all the vast and confounding details of things such as gravitational waves, electricity and black holes, wouldn’t it be easier to understand just one central concept from which everything else follows?If you’ve ever found yourself fascinated by the idea of quantum computing but feel a little overwhelmed by the mindblowing subject of quantum mechanics or concerned by climate change but haven’t been able to get to grips with the details of global warming, this book is for you. Let’s take atoms, for example - what on earth are they? Well, if you start to think of them less like things you can’t see with complex little nuclei and more like the alphabet of nature, which in different configurations can make a rose, a galaxy or a newborn baby, they might start to feel a little more understandable. Or gravitational waves - they sound poetic, but why are they creating so much excitement? Think of them as the voice of space, vibrations on the drumskin of space-time - before delving into all their complexities.In twenty-one short and engaging chapters, Chown explains the one thing you need to know to understand some of the most important scientific ideas of our time. Packed full of astounding facts, scientific history and the entertaining personalities at the heart of the most pivotal discoveries about the workings of our universe, this is an accessible guide to all the tricky stuff you’ve always wanted to understand more about.

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Book SynopsisMarc Abrahams, the mind behind the internationally renowned Ig Nobel Prizes, is on a mission: to gather the bizarre, the questionable, the brilliant, the downright funny, the profound – everything improbable – from the annals of science research. What’s the best way to slice a ham sandwich, mathematically? What makes Bobs look especially Bob-like? Is the right or left ear better at discerning lies? Could mice be outfitted with parachutes to kill tree snakes?Trade ReviewDelightful... a pleasure to read in the bathroom and in the bedroom, and the kind of book that makes you seem smarter when you share it with friends (just make sure you wash your hands first). --Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational

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