Popular science Books

Book SynopsisIn Why Am I Like This?, Dr. Jen Martin delves into the science behind our strangest thoughts and habits, from why smells make us homesick to why we stick our tongues out when we’re concentrating. Why can’t I stop taking photos? Why do I always feel like I’m missing out? Why can’t I remember why I walked into this room? Explaining the quirks and oddities of our daily lives in a comprehensive yet accessible way, this book is the perfect gift for anyone who has ever stopped to wonder ‘why?’.

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Book SynopsisIs it still out there? People claim to keep seeing it still.Once the world's largest marsupial predator, the Tasmanian tiger roamed the Australian mainland. Then confined to Tasmania for thousands of years, it was deliberately hunted down by settlers through fear, ignorance and greed. But was it a savage sheep killer or a shy and fussy nocturnal feeder? Did the last tiger die in a Hobart zoo in 1936, or did a few survive in the wild? And did it really drink its victims' blood?A number of Australian species have miraculously reappeared after being labelled as extinct. Perhaps the tiger is still with us. And if it's not, can it really be brought back by cloning and returned to the wild?'Sweeps us along with wonderful writing as we meet a truly incredible animal that became the centrepiece in an ecological tragedy. Anyone interested in nature and the conservation of the diversity of life should read this story.' -Professor John Seidensticker, Smithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteTable of ContentsPreface to the second editionPreface to the first editionAcknowledgements1 What's in a name?2 In the beginning: evolution3 At the end: extinction4 'Pathetically little is known'5 A rugged and determined front6 Before the fall: Lutruwita7 A land in need of taming8 Tall tales, tiger men and bounties9 Capturing tigers by their tales10 'Them bloody useless things' 1888-193011 A bad finish: 7 September 193612 A lost object of awe13 We wake up too late14 The tiger in commerce and art15 Cloning16 Sightings and the science of survivalNotesSelect bibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisAn entertaining and digestible volume that demystifies science, from the author of 16 bestselling popular science books.

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Book SynopsisCould we create a real-life superhero by changing human biology itself?

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Book SynopsisBacteria were the first life on Earth. But what do we really know about them? In this captivating, science-driven book, you’ll learn everything you need to know about these often misunderstood—and incredibly interesting—microbes.In this engagingly written and scientifically rigorous book, author and scientist Ludger Wess introduces an eclectic collection of impressive, useful, weird, and dangerous bacterial species. Wess reveals everything he knows about bacteria, including their ability to survive almost anywhere, to “sleep” for millions of years before becoming active again, to maintain their own immune systems (a discovery that has led to medical breakthroughs for humans), and to—hypothetically—live on other planets.In part two, Wess moves on to his curious compendium of bacterial species, presenting fifty fascinating portraits grouped by useful categories: bacteria that are record holders, extreme-habitat dwellers, unusual consumers, people-helpers, and people-harmers. Beautiful black-and-white illustrations accompany each portrait. At the end of this engrossing read, Wess recognizes how much we still don’t know about bacteria. But by starting here, we can come closer to understanding the first life on Earth.Trade Review"[C]aptivating... Wess's focus on the oddities of the bacterial world makes for an entertaining introduction to a critical, if underappreciated, facet of planetary life. Readers will come away with a deeper appreciation for the diversity of living organisms."—Publishers Weekly"We need more books like this... a great introduction to bacteria, complete with terrific illustrations."—Jeff Lowenfels, author of Teaming with Bacteria"Wow, wow, wow. Ludger Wess's deep dive into the lives of bacteria stretches the definition of life itself. Amazing."—Eugenia Bone, author of Microbia: A Journey into the Unseen World Around You"Reveals the unexpected marvels of the bacterial world, from the bottom of the Mariana Trench to the heights of the stratosphere, from the largest bacterium to the smallest."—Keith Seifert, author of The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi: Exploring the Microscopic World in Our Forests, Homes, and Bodies

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Book Synopsis“[This] book will convince you that forgetting helps you remember and distractions can make you more creative.” —Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take, and host of TED’s WorkLife podcast“Illuminating, and a joy to read, [Scatterbrain] offers … a refreshingly accessible and relatable take on the brain’s inner workings that should appeal to both science buffs and casual readers.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)In this mind-bending book, an esteemed neuroscientist explains why perfectionism is pointless—and argues that mistakes, missteps, and flaws are the keys to success.Remember that time you screwed up simple math or forgot the name of your favorite song? What if someone told you that such embarrassing “brain farts” are actually secret weapons, proof of your superiority to computers and AI?In Scatterbrain, we learn that boredom awakens the muse, distractions spark creativity, and misjudging time creates valuable memories, among other benefits of our faulty minds. Throughout, award-winning neuroscientist Henning Beck’s hilarious asides and brain-boosting advice make for delightful reading of the most cutting-edge neuroscience our brains will (maybe never) remember.Trade Review“Illuminating, and a joy to read, [Scatterbrain] offers, in comparison to other recent neuroscience titles, a refreshingly accessible and relatable take on the brain’s inner workings that should appeal to both science buffs and casual readers.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)“Scatterbrain is the perfect explanation for one’s great achievements and an excellent excuse for those frequent mishaps.”—The Psychologist“There are so many fascinating nuggets of information in this book… All in all, a romp of a read.”—Human Givens Journal“Being scatterbrained has long been seen as a disadvantage, but as a neuroscientist, Henning Beck knows better. His engaging book will convince you that forgetting helps you remember and distractions can make you more creative.”—Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take, and host of TED's WorkLife podcast“Beck is definitely a scientist of the people and his approach ensures that all readers can glean something intriguing from this book's pages.”—Booklist“For anyone who has ever momentarily blanked on a name, choked under pressure, or kicked themselves for making a 'careless' mistake, you may now forgive yourself. With this insightful and accessible book, Beck humorously sledgehammers the notion that our brains are infallible.”—Zach Schonbrun, author of The Performance Cortex“In an era of continuous self-optimization, Scatterbrain by German neuroscientist Dr. Henning Beck offers novel insights on our often self-defeating pursuit of perfection, and provides a roadmap to more creative thinking and better decision-making to realize one’s full potential. A must-read!”—Sandra Navidi, Founder and CEO of BeyondGlobal and author of $uperHubs“Scatterbrain is a brilliant and engaging user’s guide to the brain, masterfully transforming discoveries from neuroscience into practical personal insights and disruptive corporate practice.”—Donald Hoffman, Professor of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, and author of The Case Against Reality“The brain is a messy, faulty wonder, and if we could all agree that perfection is not the mind’s ultimate goal, we would be much better off. Henning Beck shows us how to appreciate our imperfect brains—and is fine with readers straying from the page from time to time!”—Ylva Østby, author of Adventures in Memory

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Book SynopsisOur civilisation stands on the brink of catastrophe. Our thirst for energy has led to threats from global warming, nuclear disaster and conflict in oil-rich countries. We are running out of options.Solar power, Keith Barnham argues, is the answer. In this eye-opening book, he shows how a solar revolution is developing based on one of Einstein's lesser known discoveries, one that gave us laptop computers and mobile phones. An accessible guide to renewable technology and a hard-hitting critique of the arguments of solar sceptics, The Burning Answer outlines a future in which the fuel for electric cars will be generated on our rooftops. It is, above all, an impassioned call to arms to join the solar revolution before it's too late.Trade ReviewBarnham nails his colours to the mast from the off. ...the energy fizzes of the page, and any doubters of the merits of solar power, be they scientists, commentators or policy wonks, are given a swift left-hook. -- Nicola Davis * THE OBSERVER *Keith Barnham does have something new to say: he cuts through the current morass of fossil-fuel and nuclear lobbyists' negative propaganda with a clear and original vision for solar power. It is a bold vision, a necessary one, and the world needs to be fired up about it. Keith Barnham is fanning a necessary flame. -- Peter Forbes * THE GUARDIAN *The overwhelming impression I take away from The Burning Answer is one of a slowly building but completely unstoppable momentum behind the solar revolution. This makes it one of the most exciting and genuinely hopeful books I've read in a long time. -- Jonathan Porritt * RESURGENCE & ECOLOGIST *This is a book that every climate change denier and big oil executive should be forced to read before they go on TV to spout off about fracking and nuclear power and all the other crazy ways we have developed to power modern civilization. -- Stephen Hunt * STEPHENHUNT.net *A tour de force by a renowned solar physicist ... Buy it, read it and help us save the planet -- Jeremy Leggett, author of THE ENERGY OF NATIONSOne of the most exciting and genuinely hopeful books I've read in a long time -- Jonathon Porritt * RESURGENCE *

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Book SynopsisThe No.1 SUNDAY TIMES bestseller. A fascinating explanation of how evolution works, from bestselling author of THE GOD DELUSION, Richard Dawkins.The river of Dawkins's title is a river of DNA, flowing through time from the beginning of life on earth to the present - and onwards. Dawkins explains that DNA must be thought of as the most sophisticated information system imaginable: 'Life is just bytes and bytes of information,' he writes. Using this perspective, he describes the mechanisms by which evolution has taken place, gradually but inexorably, over a period of three thousand million years. It is the story of how evolution happens, rather than a narrative of what has actually happened in evolution. He discusses current views on the process of human evolution, including the idea that we all trace back to a comparatively recent African 'Eve', and speculates that the 'information explosion' that was unleashed on Earth when DNA came into being has almost certainly happened in other places in the universe.Trade ReviewHe writes with clarity, grace and intense intellectual excitement, making RIVER OUT OF EDEN a model of simplicity and powerDawkins has an enviable gift. He can write books that are fun to read, yet which present fundamental ideas clearly - INDEPENDENTDawkins is a brilliant communicator, he demonstrates most convincingly that nature is neither evil nor good, but blindly and pitilessly indifferent - SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

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Book SynopsisLocked away remote from the rest of the body in its own custom-built casing of skull bone, with no intrinsic moving parts, the human brain remains a tantalising mystery. But now, more than ever before, we have the expertise to tackle this mystery - the last 20 years have seen astounding progress in brain research. Susan Greenfield begins by exploring the roles of different regions of the brain. She then switches to the opposite direction and examines how certain functions, such as movement and vision, are accommodated in the brain. She describes how a brain is made from a single fertilized egg, and the fate of the brain is traced through life as we see how it constantly changes as a result of experience to provide the essence of a unique individual.Trade ReviewDr Susan Greenfield ... is rightly admired as a popular communicator and THE HUMAN BRAIN: A GUIDED TOUR will appeal as a Baedeker to the brain, even to the non-scientist - THE TIMESSuperb ... I recommend it to anyone interested in this area of science - SUNDAY TIMES

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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 children between the ages of five and seventeen diagnosed per year in the USA. 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. Hyperactive: The Controversial History of ADHD is the first history of the disorder. Matthew Smith highlights the limitations of regarding ADHD as simply neurological, and contends that hyperactive children are also a product of their social, cultural, political and educational environment. Instead of simply accepting conventional understandings of ADHD, this book addresses the questions central to the emergence of the disorder: Why were children first diagnosed with the disorder? Why did biological explanations become predominant? Why did powerful drugs become the preferred treatment? And why have alternative explanations failed to achieve legitimacy?By thinking through these issues Smith demonstrates how knowledge of the disorder's history can be used to empower those affected to make better choices about diagnosis and treatment. As a historian with past experience of working with troubled children and youth, Matthew Smith offers a history that is not only rigorous, but also accessible and highly relevant to those working with and caring for those diagnosed with ADHD. A revealing and clear-headed study of a controversial and emotive subject, this is an essential book for psychologists, teachers, policy makers and, above all, parents.Trade Review'Matthew Smith persuasively demonstrates the historical contingency of our ideas about hyperactivity. Well written, complex yet sharply argued, this book is a sorely needed corrective to today's therapeutic "common sense" and the ocean of pharmaceuticals it sanctions.' - -- David Herzberg, Associate Professor author of Happy Pills in America: From Miltown to Prozac 'As Matthew Smith demonstrates in this excellent study, there is arguably no more contentious childhood condition than hyperactivity or ADHD. Since the term was first introduced in the decades following the Second World War, hyperactivity has been variably explained in terms of genetic constitution, faulty parenting, an inability to cope with the pace and pressure of modern life, and increased sensitivity to food additives. Hyperactive explores debates about the biological, social and cultural contours of a condition that continues to puzzle doctors, frustrate teachers, and destroy families. It will surely be of value not only to historians of medicine, but also to the parents, teachers, psychiatrists and policy-makers involved in the daily struggle to cope with hyperactive children.' - -- Mark Jackson, Professor of the History of Medicine at the University of Exeter

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Book SynopsisLeft-handedness seems to be no big deal. Many of us are left-handed and those of us who aren't don't tend to give left-handedness much thought. Yet throughout history left-handers have been associated with clumsiness, untrustworthiness and insincerity. The Latin word for left, sinister, is redolent of all kinds of ominous connotations. Rik Smits uncovers why history has been so unkind to our left-handed forebears. Through an array of historical anecdotes, strange superstitions and old wives' tales, Smits explains why left-handedness continues to be associated with maladies of all kinds, including mental retardation, alcoholism, asthma, hay fever, diabetes, insomnia, suicidal urges, criminality and shorter life spans. But apart from folklore and myth, the notions of left and right have a real and deep influence on the way we experience the world. These influences show up everywhere, from engineering and architecture to music, painting, photography, film and comics. This book shows how, contrary to what many might think, left-handers can write just as well as the rest of us, and explores how and why we came to prefer one hand over the other and how left- and right-handedness are represented in the brain. The greatest puzzle is why in every country one in ten people favours the left hand. It is a mystery as yet largely unsolved, whose solution may very well lie in the secrets of twinning. "The Puzzle of Left-handedness" is an enlightening and entertaining odyssey through the enigmas and paradoxes, theories and experiments surrounding the left-handed among us.Trade Review'There is a "whiff of negativity" around left-handedness, admits the science journalist and lefthander Rik Smits in this fascinating study of the phenomenon ... popular legends about left-handedness - and left v right in general - are scarcely less virulent, and Smits dispatches them entertainingly and ably ... thoroughly enjoyable.' - Sunday Times 'In this scholarly and entertaining book, Rik Smits takes us on an impressive odyssey through the paradoxes and theories of left-handed lore.' - Mail on Sunday 'It is a lively read, and Smits, a linguist and science writer, shows his wide range of knowledge throughout ... The book is well arranged, with mainly short, crisp chapters. I thoroughly recommend it as a good overview of issues related to hand preference ... Everyone will find something thought-provoking, witty or just interesting, regardless of personal hand preference.' - Times Higher Education

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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 SynopsisFrom the legend of Atlantis to the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, this book is a cultural, historical and scientific guide to one of the world's most spectacular and deadly natural phenomena.

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Book SynopsisAmong the many treasures in the collections of the Science Museum in London is the complete workshop of the Scottish engineer James Watt (1736-1819), acquired in its entirety from the attic of Watt's Birmingham home in 1924, where it had been left as an industrial shrine since his death in 1819. Watt is best known for his pioneering work on the steam engine, but the workshop contains very few engine-related items. Instead, it is filled with jars of chemicals, sculpture-copying machines and materials, a profusion of instruments and objects and evidence of Watt's many diverse projects. Traditional biographies of Watt have concentrated on the steam engine, but Ben Russell tells a richer story, exploring the processes by which ephemeral ideas were transformed into tangible artefacts and the multifaceted world of production upon which Britain's industrial revolution depended. James Watt: Making the World Anew is a craft history of Britain's early industrial transformation as well as a prehistory of the engineering profession itself.It explores the motivation for making things, looking not only at what was produced but also why, drawing on a rich range of resources - not just archival material and biographies on Watt but also objects themselves, and sources from fields as diverse as ceramics, antique systems of proportion, sculpture and machine making. Generously illustrated, James Watt is a unique, expansive exploration of the engineer's life, not as an end in itself but as a lens through which the broader practices of making and manufacturing in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries can be explored.

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Book SynopsisFrom white coats to Bunsen burners the laboratory is a controlled space of experimentation, research and invention. But how have the desired functions of the laboratory influenced the way that the laboratory was constructed, laid out, equipped and operated? And how have developments in chemical practice or theory changed the laboratory and the way it is used? The Matter Factory offers a novel approach to the history of chemistry, showing how the development of the laboratory also helped to shape modern scientific practice.As consumers of leading-edge technology, chemists have driven innovation in laboratory design and the provision of utilities and equipment. For example, the introduction of coal gas into Robert Bunsen's laboratory led to the eponymous burner, which in turn led to the development of atomic spectroscopy. Is the construction of new laboratories, and the provision of new utilities and equipment, an important element in the development of these novel areas of chemistry?This book tackles these questions by looking at a series of shifts in laboratory design, from eighteenth- to nineteenth-century furnace-centred, classical and industrial research laboratories to the creation of the modern laboratory at the end of the twentieth. Previous histories of chemistry laboratories have focused on the research carried out within them or the people who occupied them. This book examines the laboratory space itself and the way it is used, from the scientists who developed it to its architectural design, layout and the materials used in its construction. In addition to the development of well-known features, such as the fume cupboard and the bench, The Matter Factory explores the history of the chemical museum, which is now almost extinct. Fascinating and unique, this book will appeal to practising chemists, scientists and general readers alike. Published in association with the Science Museum, London.Trade Review'Peter Morris has written a fascinating and beautifully illustrated book that every chemist or science historian should read. Indeed, it should be a recommended text for those studying chemistry or the history of science ... Visionary and compelling, this is an authoritative book that I strongly encourage you to read.' - David Parker, FRS 'In recent years, much attention has been devoted to the protagonists of the history of chemistry, but the evolution of their workplace, the chemical laboratory, has remained until now almost completely unexplored territory. Peter Morris sets things right in this lively and well-documented history. The book is not only an intellectual but also a visual feast, packed as it is with an extraordinary number of striking illustrations - many of them new even to the specialist's eye.' - Alan J. Rocke, Distinguished University Professor, Case Western Reserve University, and author of Image and Reality: Kekule, Kopp, and the Scientific Imagination 'This lavishly illustrated portrait of the chemist's workplace provides a vividly written account of the evolution of the contemporary electronic-based laboratory from the workshops of early modern metallurgists, alchemists and pharmacists. Using key features such as furnaces, benches, cupboards, bottle racks and fume cupboards, as well as gas, electricity and water supplies, Morris shows how the changing character of chemical teaching and research influenced the building and fittings of laboratories in universities, industrial works and official government laboratories. Text and illustrations combine to make a fresh and exciting way of looking at the history of chemistry - the science that makes our world.' - W. H. Brock, University of Leicester "A revealing, illustrated tour of chemical laboratories, real ones, filled with real men and women, working especially in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and beyond to today. A fascinating history, as well as a highly enjoyable read."--Sharon Bertsch McGrayne, author of Prometheans in the Lab and The Theory That Would Not Die

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Book SynopsisAstronomers are on the verge of answering one of the most profound questions ever asked: are we alone in the universe? The ability to detect life in remote solar systems is at last within sight. Its discovery, even if only in microbial form, would revolutionize our self-image. Planet Hunters tells a delightful tale of smart-alec nerds, the search for extraterrestrial life and the history of an academic discipline. Professional astronomer Lucas Ellerbroek takes readers on a fantastic voyage through space, time, history and the future. He describes the field of exoplanet research in its proper historical perspective, from the early ideas of sixteenth-century heretic Giordano Bruno and the rise of science fiction to the discovery of the first exoplanet in 1995 and the invention of the Kepler space telescope. He travels the world to talk to leading scientists in the field, including first exoplanet discoverer Michel Mayor, NASA Kepler mission scientist Bill Borucki and MIT astrophysicist Sara Seager. Presenting cutting-edge research in a dynamic, fun and accessible way, this book will appeal to everyone with an interest in astronomy and space.

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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 SynopsisThroughout history, swamps have been idealized and demonized, purged and protected. They are considered to be places of evil, pestilence and death, as well as diverse ecosystems teeming with life. They can be obstacles to development and remnants of fading cultures. Distillations of pure wildness, with menacing morasses and fragile wetlands, swamps have fascinated, terrified, frustrated and sustained us throughout human history. From swamps and bogs to marshes and wetlands, Swamp ventures into the cultural and ecological histories of these mysterious, mythologized and misunderstood landscapes. It ranges from the freshwater marshes of Botswana's tremendous Okavango Delta, to the notable swamps between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and the peat bogs in Russia, the British Isles and Scandinavia. It explores ideas and representations of wetlands across centuries, cultures and continents, considering legend and folklore, mythology, literature, film and natural and cultural history. As it plumbs the murky depths of their complex relationship with people all over the world, from the distant past to the uncertain future, Swamp provides an engaging, accessible, informative and lavishly illustrated journey into these fascinating and mysterious landscapes.

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Book SynopsisOur nearest celestial neighbour, the Moon, has always been the most conspicuous feature in our night sky. It has compelled observers since the dawn of humankind, and all have tried to make sense in their own ways of the puzzles it poses and the questions it raises. It provided our ancient ancestors with one of the earliest means of keeping and measuring time, and many early religions had cults that worshipped the Moon. It regulates the tides and has been held accountable for numerous human conditions, most notably madness and psychological disorders. Drawing on many years of practical observation, Bill Leatherbarrow provides an illuminating insight into the history and evolution of this enthralling astronomical body. He describes how and why the study of the Moon has evolved, particularly in the age of the telescope, and offers an overview of developments in lunar science since the advent of the space age. Leatherbarrow also provides practical advice on how to make your own observations of the Moon. Extensively illustrated with images of the lunar surface, The Moon is an accessible introduction that will appeal to both amateur and professional astronomers and all those fascinated by Earth's natural satellite.

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Book SynopsisThe rainbow is a compelling spectacle in nature - a rare bridge between subjective experience and objective reality - and no less remarkable as a cultural phenomenon. A symbol of the Left since the German Peasants' War of the 1520s, it has been adopted by movements for gay rights, the environment, multiculturalism and peace around the globe, and inspired poets, artists and writers including John Keats, Caspar David Friedrich, Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne. The scientific `discovery' of the rainbow is a remarkable tale that takes in ancient Greece and Rome, medieval Persia and Islamic Spain. Rainbows have also been regarded as ominous or even dangerous in myth and religion, while the twentieth century saw their emergence as kitsch, from the musical film version of The Wizard of Oz to 1980s sitcoms and children's cartoons. Daniel MacCannell's enlightening and instructive guide to the rainbow's relationship with humanity is the first book of its kind. It describes what rainbows are and how they work, how we arrived at our current scientific understanding of rainbows, and how they have been portrayed in myths, the arts, politics and popular culture.

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Book SynopsisThe story of the Universe is written in the light that travels through it – light that we can capture. Nearly everything we know about how the Universe works on its grandest scale comes from the analysis of the light – photons – that may have travelled nearly fourteen billion years from the Big Bang itself to reach us. Have you ever wondered what is the most distant source of light we can see, or how a star shines? Did you know that black holes can blaze like cosmic beacons across intergalactic space, and that ancient radio waves might herald the ignition of the very first stars? Have you ever thought about what light really is? Five Photons explains all with the tales of five fascinating astrophysical processes through the journeys of light across space and time. They are tales of quantum physics and general relativity, stars and black holes, dark matter and dark energy. Let yourself be swept away on a journey of discovery towards a deeper understanding of the Universe.Trade Review`With his elegant, supremely clear writing, Geach has succeeded at creating both a state-of-the-art cosmic overview and a rather wonderful meditation on the nature of our reality.’ – Caleb Scharf, author of The Zoomable Universe; `Geach’s beautiful cosmic biography takes readers on a sweeping tour of all that was, is, and ever will be. Five Photons is as elegant as it is enlightening.’ – Lee Billings, author of Five Billion Years of Solitude

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Book SynopsisCreatively and intellectually there is no other species that has ever come close to equalling humanity’s achievements, but nor is any other species as suicidally prone to internecine conflict. We are the only species on the planet whose ingrained habit of conflict constitutes the chief threat to our own survival. Human history can be seen as a catalogue of cold-hearted murders, mindless blood-feuds, appalling massacres and devastating wars, but, with developments in forensic science and modern psychology, and with raised education levels throughout the world, might it soon be possible to reign in humanity’s homicidal habits? Falling violent crime statistics in every part of the world seem to indicate that something along those lines might indeed be happening. Colin and Damon Wilson, who between them have been covering the field of criminology for over fifty years, offer an analysis of the overall spectrum of human violence. They consider whether human beings are in reality as cruel and violent as is generally believed and they explore the possibility that humankind is on the verge of a fundamental change: that we are about to become truly civilised. As well as offering an overview of violence throughout our history – from the first hominids to the twenty-first century, touching on key moments of change and also indicating where things have not changed since the Stone Age – they explore the latest psychological, forensic and social attempts to understand and curb modern human violence. To begin with, they examine questions such as: Were the first humans cannibalistic? Did the birth of civilisation also lead to the invention of war and slavery? Priests and kings brought social stability, but were they also the instigators of the first mass murders? Is it in fact wealth that is the ultimate weapon? They look at slavery and ancient Roman sadism, but also the possibility that our own distaste for pain and cruelty is no more than a social construct. They show how the humanitarian ideas of the great religious innovators all too quickly became distorted by organised religious structures. The book ranges widely, from fifteenth-century Baron Gilles de Rais, ‘Bluebeard’, the first known and possibly most prolific serial killer in history, to Victorian domestic murder and the invention of psychiatry and Sherlock Holmes and the invention of forensic science; from the fifteenth-century Taiping Rebellion in China, in which up to 36 million died to the First and Second World Wars and more recent genocides and instances of ‘ethnic cleansing’, and contemporary terrorism. They conclude by assessing the very real possibility that the internet and the greater freedom of information it has brought is leading, gradually, to a profoundly more civilised world than at any time in the past.

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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 SynopsisWorldwide, depression will be the single biggest cause of disability in the next 20 years. But treatment for it has not changed much in the last three decades. In the world of psychiatry, time has apparently stood still... until now. In this game-changing book, University of Cambridge Professor Edward Bullmore reveals the breakthrough new science on the link between depression and inflammation of the body and brain. He explains how and why we now know that mental disorders can have their root cause in the immune system, and outlines a future revolution in which treatments could be specifically targeted to break the vicious cycle of stress, inflammation and depression.The Inflamed Mind goes far beyond the clinic and the lab, representing a whole new way of looking at how mind, brain and body all work together in a sometimes misguided effort to help us survive in a hostile world. It offers insights into the story of Western medicine, how we have got it wrong as well as right in the past, and how we could start getting to grips with depression and other mental disorders much more effectively in the future.'Suddenly an expert who wants to stop and question everything we thought we knew... This is a lesson in the workings of the brain far too important to ignore.' - Jeremy Vine, BBC 'Professor Bullmore explores how the current division between Psychiatry and the rest of medicine has developed and how we might change that. He puts forward a fascinating theory that attributes depression to inflammation rather than serotonin imbalance as has traditionally been thought. Whatever the truth, this book is a stimulating and interesting read.' - Wendy Burn, President Royal College of Psychiatrists'A great read, this thought provoking book presents inflammation as the major driver of depression. A real page turner that raises important questions for us all, including, how we should practise medicine going forwards and can we restart Research and Development using this paradigm? Highly recommended. - Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for EnglandTrade Review'Suddenly an expert who wants to stop and question everything we thought we knew... This is a lesson in the workings of the brain far too important to ignore.' -- Jeremy Vine, BBC'Professor Bullmore explores how the current division between Psychiatry and the rest of medicine has developed and how we might change that. He puts forward a fascinating theory that attributes depression to inflammation rather than serotonin imbalance as has traditionally been thought. Whatever the truth, this book is a stimulating and interesting read.' -- Wendy Burn, President Royal College of Psychiatrists'A great read, this thought provoking book presents inflammation as the major driver of depression. A real page turner that raises important questions for us all, including, how we should practise medicine going forwards and can we restart Research and Development using this paradigm? Highly recommended. -- Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for EnglandAn important book, a hopeful book, for anyone who wants to think about depression in a new way. -- Tom Insel MD, Co-founder and President, Mindstrong HealthErudite, enjoyable, and accessible... The Inflamed Mind confronts the reader with the converging revolutions in neuroscience and immunology that give rise to a new perspective about depression and its treatment. -- John H. Krystal, MD, Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of MedicineThe Inflamed Mind is not only a dramatic breakthrough in our understanding of depression. It is an extraordinary exploration of what it is to be human. -- Matthew D'Ancona, author of 'Post Truth'Compelling and highly readable. -- Professor Sir Colin Blakemore, University of LondonGroundbreaking * The Times *Fascinating * Today Programme, BBC *

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Book SynopsisSitting still in a quiet room, you might just be able to convince yourself that nothing is moving. But air currents swirl about you. Blood rushes through your veins. The atoms in your chair jiggle furiously. And the planet you are on is whizzing through space 35 times faster than the speed of sound. In Zoom, Bob Berman takes a thrilling tour around the wondrous and myriad motions that shape every aspect of the universe. Spanning astronomy, geology, biology, meteorology and history, he explains how clouds stay aloft, how the earth’s rotation curves a ball’s flight, how a mosquito’s familiar whine is tuned to a perfect A sharp, how the day gets longer every century, and much more.Trade Review‘Absolutely fascinating… passionate, packed with interesting facts and numbers, and full of colourful details… a delightful book’ * BBC Sky at Night *'Absorbing' * Daily Mail *‘Berman interweaves a formidable number of facts through the book which light up every page… it all adds up to an entertaining read, leaving you in no doubt how incredible life and the universe we live in really are’ Four stars. * BBC Focus *‘Bob Berman’s The Sun’s Heartbeat glitters and skips with the joy and excitement of science at its best. He explains things I always wondered about without diminishing the star-gazer’s sense of awe.’ -- Mark Kurlansky, author of Salt and Cod'Berman's pitch-perfect book goes a long way to answering the questions you thought were too dumb to ask, but it does much more than simply provide facts... Berman is a master storyteller' * New Scientist on The Sun's Heartbeat *'Light-hearted and fun... Above all, the author's enthusiasm for science shines through' * Wall Street Journal on The Sun's Heartbeat *'Deeply enjoyable... Berman comes across as the world's most enthusiastic science teacher' * Washington Post on The Sun's Heartbeat *

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Book SynopsisIn the wake of the phenomenal success of crime shows like CSI, forensic science has never been so popular. The obsessive attention that Grissom and his crew afford seemingly insignificant details, such as particles of dirt in a bullet wound and the presence of pollen in tyre tracks, have left audiences eager to know more about this field of study. In this fully revised and updated edition, real-life examples come under the scalpel as forensic scientist Jay Siegel follows the course of evidence all the way from the crime scene to the court judgement. In Forensic Science: A Beginner’s Guide, all major areas are covered, including drugs, trace evidence, pathology, entomology, odontology, anthropology, crime scene investigation and the law.Trade Review‘Easy to understand yet rigorous. His discussion of bias is outstanding and should be read by everyone with any interest in forensic science.’ -- Professor Chris Tindall – Director of Criminalistics, Metropolitan State University of Denver

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Book SynopsisThe discovery of vitamins changed our world dramatically. Terrifying diseases such as scurvy, which had claimed the lives of millions, became preventable and curable. But before long word of these ‘miracles’ had spread from the laboratory and into the hands of food marketers. Decades of over-hyped advertising later and we’ve accepted as fact the idea that dietary chemicals can be used as shortcuts to improving our health. Award-winning journalist Catherine Price goes in search of the truth about vitamins, taking us to vitamin manufacturers, food laboratories and military testing kitchens. In this page-turning investigation of the history, science and future of nutrition, she reveals just how much we still don’t know about vitamins – the way they work in our bodies and the amounts we really need. Engaging, witty and personal, The Vitamin Complex proposes an alternative to our obsessive vitamin-driven approach to nutrition – given our lack of knowledge, the best way to decide what to eat is to stop obsessing and simply embrace this uncertainty head-on.Trade Review'An excellent book...10/10...a deeply satisfying masterpiece of nutrition science writing'. * NHD Magazine *‘Gets to the nub of how we have become nutritionally idiotic… alarming’ * Sunday Times *‘Engaging… makes a compelling case for the importance of eating real food’ * BBC Focus *'Measured, funny and fascinating. . . . If you need vitamins to survive (you do), you should read this book.' * Scientific American *'[An] absorbing and meticulously researched history of the beginnings and causes of our obsession with vitamins and nutrition.' * New York Times *'Behind the bizarre disconnect between rigorous drug regulation and a ‘whatever’ approach to dietary supplements are industry lobbying, Oz-like doctors and politicians on both sides of the aisle whose states benefit from the thousands of jobs provided by the multi-billion-dollar supplement industry. It is not a new story, but Ms. Price gives it a vigorous retelling. She also reminds us that the prophets of vitamania, and their political allies, would all be powerless if it were not for a peculiar kind of deficiency in ourselves that keeps us reaching for ‘a salve against uncertainty.’ Faced with such primal fears, it seems, science is powerless.' * Wall Street Journal *'[Price’s] investigation, full of scurvy-ridden sailors, questionable nutritional supplements and solid science, is both entertaining and enlightening.' * Discover *‘Well told’ * Spectator *‘A much-needed critique of the nation’s obsession with nutritional supplements. Price exposes the less-than-scientific roots of what has become a multi-billion industry, along with the inadequate regulatory oversight that drives unsavory marketing practices. The book concludes with this refreshing advice: get your nutrition from eating real food.’ -- Michele Simon, President of Eat Drink Politics, and author of Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back‘This is a fascinating look at what we know – and mostly what we don’t – about vitamins. You'll never look at the a bottle of multivitamins the same way again.’ -- Emily Oster, author of Expecting Better‘This entertaining and informative book traces the history of vitamins and nutritional diseases . . . Readers interested in health, and those who enjoy Marion Nestle’s books will want to read this work . . . An excellent addition to collections in public and consumer health libraries.’ * Library Journal *‘Catherine Price gives us a journalist’s entertaining romp through the fascinating history of the discovery of vitamins, and their use and marketing as objects of health obsession. Faith in vitamins, she advises, should be tempered by scientific uncertainty and dietary complexity, and the understanding that foods are better sources than pills.’ -- Marion Nestle, Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University and author of What to Eat'Price’s sharp wit, skillful and vivid translation of science into story, and valiant inquisitiveness (she insists on tasting synthetic vitamins and gets buzzed on the military’s caffeinated meat sticks) make for an electrifying dissection of our vitamin habit in contrast to our irrevocable need for naturally nutrient-rich food.' * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisWhat are the chances?! This exclamation greets the scarcely believable coincidence – you’re picked up by the same taxi driver several years and thousands of miles apart or, in a second-hand bookshop far from home, you find your own childhood copy of Winnie-the-Pooh on the shelf. But the unlikely is more probable than you think. Against every fibre of common sense, the fact is that it’s quite likely that some squirrel, somewhere, will be struck by lightning as it crosses the road. The chaos and unpredictability of our lives is an illusion. There is a rational order to the universe, and it’s called mathematics. Fluke is a fascinating investigation into the true nature of chance, a must-read for maths enthusiasts and avid storytellers alike, it tears down the veil of improbability to reveal the wonderfully possible. Trade Review‘Delightfully written.’ * E&T Magazine *'[An] entirely delightful slice of popular science...I'm no mathematician, and I was both fascinated and enchanted'. -- Alison Flood * Bookseller *‘Mazur uses probability to strip chance events of some of their mystery.’ * Guardian *‘Always entertaining and frequently insightful, Fluke is never less than thought-provoking.’ * Amir Alexander, Wall Street Journal *‘With charm and clarity, Joe Mazur leads us through the strange terrain of chance and surprise... A terrific read, and a welcome antidote to superstition and gullibility.’ -- Ian Stewart, author of Professor Stewart’s Incredible Numbers‘The chances are very slim that you’d ever read this blurb. A simple-minded calculation puts the odds at about 50,000 to one against. Yet... here you are. How weird is this seemingly far-fetched coincidence? Well, dear reader, you’ve picked up the right book to answer that question.’ -- Charles Seife, author of Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea‘Joe Mazur’s Fluke walks the reader, hand in steady hand, through the weird and dangerous landscape of extreme probability, distinguishing cause from correlate, and phenomenon from mere coincidence.’ -- Jordan Ellenberg, author of How Not To Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking‘An exciting addition to the ranks of books exploring the mysteries of chance and coincidence in the vein of The Black Swan and The Improbability Principle.’ -- David J. Hand, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at Imperial College London and author of The Improbability Principle

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Book SynopsisWhat can we learn from fish in a pond? How do social networks connect the world? How can artificial intelligences learn? Why would life be different in a mirror universe? Mathematics is everywhere, whether we are aware of it or not. Exploring the subject through 35 of its often odd and unexpected applications, this book provides an insight into the 'hidden wiring' that governs our world. From the astonishing theorems that control computers to the formulae behind stocks and shares, and from the foundations of the internet to the maths behind medical imaging, Chaotic Fishponds and Mirror Universes explains how mathematics determines every aspect of our lives - right down to the foundations of our bodies.Table of ContentsIntroduction. Knowing me, knowing you - The mathematical hierarchies of knowledge. An average chapter - Mathematical definitions of the typical. Atomic networks and chemical trees - Chemical graph theory and the make-up of molecules. All-conquering algorithms - The backbone of the computer age. Getting a proper perspective - Projective geometry and the world of art. Our pixellated planet - The mathematics of digital photography. The dynamic solar system - The mathematics of planetary motion. Creating electronic brains - The mathematics of machine learning. Untangling the stuff of life - The mathematics of DNA. Ballot box paradox - The mathematics of elections. Our CGI world - Triangulation and computer-generated imagery. Mirrors and molecules - The (a)symmetries of the universe. Syphilis and Christmas lights - The mathematics of group-testing. The chaos in the fishpond - The untidy growth of populations. The rise of homo economicus - The mathematical basis of decision theory. The hole story - The shapes of the universe. Rain or shine? - The mathematics of weather forecasting. Smoke and mirrors - Statistical illusions and numerical mirages. Where are we? - GPS geometry and Einstein's explorations. More bang for your buck - Optimizing the world. Our electronic friends - The mathematics of social networks. Tea-tasting and trials - The mathematics of significance. The calm at the eye of the storm - Fixed points and the nature of equilibrium. One small step... - The mathematics of space travel. Tulip bubbles and hedge funds - Futures, options and the ups and downs of markets. Teacher troubles - The tricky world of timetables. Let there be light - The extraordinarily useful geometry of optics. The battle against disease - Mathematical models and the spread of infection. Wave-worlds - The mathematics of sound and light. Search-engine society - The algorithm behind Google's PageRank. Hold the line, please! - The mathematics of queues. Avoiding bad language - Correcting mistakes in digital communication. Automata and articulation - The mathematics of robot movement. Hot stuff - The mathematics of energy and entropy. The perils of paradox - Type theory and programming. Index.

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Book SynopsisCan We Travel Through Time? addresses 20 of the most fundamental and frequently asked questions in physics. What is the God particle? Does chaos theory spell disaster? Am I unique in the universe? What is light? Each 3,000 word essay examines these eternally perplexing questions in a way that is comprehensible to everyone, providing the ultimate guide to understanding the very nature of the world we live in.Trade Review'clearly and concisely encapsulates some of the more interesting conundrums that those not in the know might want to ask those who ought to know ' How It Works Works magazine. * How It Works Works magazine *Table of ContentsIntroduction. What is the point of physics? - Impossible questions, unexpected rewards, and the never-ending quest for understanding. What is time? - Progress, disorder and Einstein's elastic clocks. What happened to Schrodinger's cat? - Quantum physics and the nature of reality. Why does an apple fall? - Gravity, mass and the enigma of relativity. Are solids really solid? - Atoms, quarks and solids that slip through your fingers. Why is there no such thing as a free lunch? - Energy, entropy and the search for perpetual motion. Is everything ultimately random? - Uncertainty, quantum reality and the probably role of statistics. What is the God Particle? - The Higgs boson, the LHC and the search for the meaning of mass. Am I unique? - The limits of our universe and the search for parallel worlds. Can we travel through time? - Where relativity meets science fiction. Is Earth's magnetic shield failing? - Drifting poles, the planet's churning core and the threat to life on Earth. Why does E=mc2? - The equation that underpins the universe. Can I change the universe with a single glance? - Spooky quantum links and the chance to rewrite history. Does chaos theory spell disaster? - The butterfly effect's influence on weather, climate and the motions of the planets. What is light? - A strange kind of wave, and an even stranger kind of particle. Is string theory really about strings? - The vibrations that create our universe. Why is there something rather than nothing? - The Big Bang, antimatter and the mystery of our existence. Do we live in a simulation? - Human nature, the laws of physics, and the march of technological progress. Which is nature's strongest force? - The ties that bind the universe, and their origin in the superforce. What is the true nature of reality? - Beyond the quantum world lies the realm of information. Glossary. Index.

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Book SynopsisNeuroscience is one of the most fascinating and complex areas of scientific research, with new advances being made every day. In 50 Human Brain Ideas You Really Need to Know, Mo Costandi condenses all we know about the brain and how it works into series of introductions to the most important concepts. Outlining both long-standing theories - such as the function of neurons and synaptic transmission - and cutting-edge ideas - including neuroethics and brain-computer interfacing - with straightforward narrative and clear two-colour illustrations, this book is a perfect beginner's guide to the most powerful and mysterious organ in the body. The ideas explored include: The nervous impulse; Differences between the male and female brain; The root of addiction; Neurobiological basis for personality; The relationship between sleep and memory.Table of ContentsIntroduction. STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM: The nervous system; The neuron doctrine; Glial cells; The nervous impulse; Synaptic transmission; Sensory perception; Movement; Topographic mapping; Specialized brain regions; Brain asymmetry. YOUR BRAIN, YOUR SELF: Mirror neurons; The connectome; Embodied cognition; Bodily awareness; Free will; Sex differences; Personality; Brain-damaged patients; The theatre of consciousness; Consciousness disorders. THOUGHT PROCESSES: Attention; Working memory; Learning and memory; Mental time travel; Memory (re)consolidation; Decision-making; Reward and motivation; Language processing; Executive function. THE DYNAMIC BRAIN: Cell migration and axon pathfinding; Cell death; Synaptic pruning; Neuroplasticity; Adolescence; Stress and the brain; The ageing brain; Neurodegeneration. BREAKING FROM DOGMA: Adult neurogenesis; Epigenetics; Default mode; Brain-wave oscillations; Prediction error. EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND CHALLENGES: Neural stem cells; Brain stimulation; Cognitive enhancement; Brain scanning; Decoding; Brain-computer interfacing; Neuroscience and the law; Neuroethics. Glossary. Index.

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Book Synopsis_______________________________— Ever wanted to save the world? —It’s easy to feel like we can’t make a difference. But small, easy actions, if taken by enough people, can move mountains – and save planets.Written in collaboration with leading environmental experts from WWF, this short book provides simple changes we can all make to our everyday lives, from morning to night.These aren’t the only things you can do. Nor are they things you have to do. But these 12 small acts are basic steps anybody can take, and if even one of them sticks, our children will inherit a better world.Acts like:– Turning off devices instead of leaving them on standby– Buying less cotton clothing (a T-shirt needs 2,400 litres of water to make!)– Using reusable straws when possible– Turning off the tap while you brush your teethwill take only moments, but if enough people commit to them, we can make a real difference to our planet._______________________________'Now really is the time to act. You don’t have to be a superhero – everyone can make a difference by following this book’ – Ben Fogle

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Book SynopsisIn 2008, Europe’s first space laboratory was launched to the International Space Station. Ten years later, the Columbus laboratory is still circling 400 km above our heads at 28,800 km/h, providing scientists a place to run out-of-this-world experiments on everything from cold plasma technology that will destroy unwanted odours to enzymes that may slow the ageing process. To celebrate a decade of European science and technology in space this stunning book recounts the story of the Columbus laboratory from vision to mission, revealing everything from the daily operations that keep it humming, to the cutting-edge science that takes place inside. Richly illustrated with graphics and statistics of life and research in space as well as full-colour photos, Columbus in Space offers a never-seen-before glimpse into the laboratory at the forefront of humanity’s exploration of our Universe -- Europe's space in space.Trade ReviewColumbus was my home in space, a little piece of Europe on the International Space Station -- ESA Astronaut Thomas PesquetColumbus is without a doubt a fantastic technological achievement -- a shining star of European cooperation! -- ESA astronaut Thomas ReiterAny chance to fly in space is a rare privilege. But it was even more special to be a part of the crew that delivered the Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station -- NASA astronaut Stan Love

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