Search results for ""author brian clegg""

The stone age, the iron age, the steam and electrical ages all saw the reach of humankind transformed by new technology. Now we are living in the quantum age, a revolution in everyday life led by our understanding of the very, very small.Quantum physics lies at the heart of every electronic device from smartphones to lasers; quantum superconductors allow levitating trains and MRI scanners, while superfast, ultra-secure quantum computers may soon be a reality. Yet quantum particles such as atoms, electrons and photons remain mysterious, acting totally unlike the objects we experience directly.With his trademark clarity and enthusiasm, acclaimed popular science author Brian Clegg reveals the amazing world of the quantum that lies all around us.

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'Strap in and enjoy the ride!' JOHN GRIBBIN'A window seat on a flight to our galaxy's sites of outstanding beauty' MARCUS CHOWN, AUTHOR OF THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO KNOW'His best yet!' HENRY GEE, WINNER OF THE 2022 ROYAL SOCIETY TRIVEDI SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 'Buckle up for the ride of a lifetime' PHILIP BALL, AUTHOR OF THE BOOK OF MINDS AND BEYOND WEIRDTake a voyage into space to explore the wonders of the galaxy and beyond.With award-winning science writer Brian Clegg as your deep space guide, step on board the starship Endurance and marvel at the fascinating sights of deepest, darkest space.Although our vessel is fictional, the phenomena you will visit, from the vast nebulae that are birthplaces of stars to stellar explosions in vast supernovas, creating the elements necessary for life - or from the planets of other solar systems to the unbelievably supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way - all reflect the best picture current science has to offer.Accompanying Interstellar Tours is an online gallery with over fifty images and videos in full colour, each directly accessible from the page using QR codes.It may never be possible to undertake a voyage through the stars for real. But with Interstellar Tours, you can enjoy the ultimate cruise across the Milky Way.

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Asked to name a great physicist, most people would mention Newton or Einstein, Feynman or Hawking. But ask a physicist and there's no doubt that James Clerk Maxwell will be near the top of the list. Maxwell, an unassuming Victorian Scotsman, explained how we perceive colour. He uncovered the way gases behave. And, most significantly, he transformed the way physics was undertaken in his explanation of the interaction of electricity and magnetism, revealing the nature of light and laying the groundwork for everything from Einstein's special relativity to modern electronics. Along the way, he set up one of the most enduring challenges in physics, one that has taxed the best minds ever since. 'Maxwell's demon' is a tiny but thoroughly disruptive thought experiment that suggests the second law of thermodynamics, the law that governs the flow of time itself, can be broken. This is the story of a groundbreaking scientist, a great contributor to our understanding of the way the world works, and his duplicitous demon.

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Many people know that Tesla was a scientific genius, instrumental in developing modern electricity and communications. What, perhaps, they don’t know is that he was born during a lightning storm; spoke eight languages; and claimed to have invented a death ray that could destroy 10,000 planes from 250 miles away. This book presents an electrifying exploration of his life, work and fame, with 50 irresistible facts converted into infographics to reveal the scientist behind the science.

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On 14 September 2015, after 50 years of searching, gravitational waves were detected for the first time and astronomy changed for ever.Until then, investigation of the universe had depended on electromagnetic radiation: visible light, radio, X-rays and the rest. But gravitational waves - ripples in the fabric of space and time - are unrelenting, passing through barriers that stop light dead.At the two 4-kilometre long LIGO observatories in the US, scientists developed incredibly sensitive detectors, capable of spotting a movement 100 times smaller than the nucleus of an atom. In 2015 they spotted the ripples produced by two black holes spiralling into each other, setting spacetime quivering.This was the first time black holes had ever been directly detected - and it promises far more for the future of astronomy. Brian Clegg presents a compelling story of human technical endeavour and a new, powerful path to understand the workings of the universe.

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Brian Clegg was always fascinated by Isaac Asimov's classic Foundation series of books, in which the future is predicted using sophisticated mathematical modelling of human psychology and behaviour.Only much later did he realise that Asimov's 'psychohistory' had a real-world equivalent: game theory.Originating in the study of probabilistic gambling games that depend on a random source - the throw of a dice or the toss of a coin - game theory soon came to be applied to human interactions: essentially, what was the best strategy to win, whatever you were doing? Its mathematical techniques have been applied, with varying degrees of wisdom, to fields such as economics, evolution, and questions such as how to win a nuclear war.Clegg delves into game theory's colourful history and significant findings, and shows what we can all learn from this oft-misunderstood field of study.

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'10 Short Lessons in Time Travel lucidly sums up the essential parts of this fascinating subject.' John Gribbin________________________In Ten Short Lessons in Time Travel, Brian Clegg takes us on a fascinating and up-to-date tour of the workings of the universe that suggest the possibility of journeying back and forth through time.Einstein’s special theory of relativity told us that time travel to the future was possible, and later his general theory of relativity showed us that loops in spacetime could exist, meaning that we might be able to bend time backwards, too. But what are the practicalities of making time travel possible? What do we still need to know? How do we deal with paradoxical twists in time – and could quantum physics hold the answer? From the imagination of novelists to current research, 10 Short Lessons in Time Travel is a grand tour of the essential lessons in this game-changing area of physics.About the series: The Pocket Einstein series is a collection of essential pocket-sized guides for anyone looking to understand a little more about some of the most important and fascinating areas of science in the twenty-first century. Broken down into ten simple lessons and written by leading experts in their field, discover the ten most important takeaways from those areas of science you’ve always wanted to know more about.

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Have you ever wondered what humans did before numbers existed? How they organized their lives, traded goods, or kept track of their treasures? What would your life be like without them? Numbers began as simple representations of everyday things, but mathematics rapidly took on a life of its own, occupying a parallel virtual world. In Are Numbers Real? Brian Clegg explores the way that maths has become more and more detached from reality, yet despite this is driving the development of modern physics. From devising a new counting system based on goats, through the weird and wonderful mathematics of imaginary numbers and infinity to the debate over whether mathematics has too much influence on the direction of science, this fascinating and accessible book opens the reader's eyes to the hidden reality of the strange yet familiar world of numbers.

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Many people know that Albert Einstein was a brilliant theoretical physicist who revolutionised modern science. What they may not know is that he only learnt to speak at four years old; that he was asked to become the President of Israel in 1952, but refused; or that he was under FBI surveillance for 22 years. This book presents an instant impression of his life with 50 irresistible facts converted into infographics to reveal the scientist behind the science.

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Is the Brexit vote successful big data politics or the end of democracy? Why do airlines overbook, and why do banks get it wrong so often? How does big data enable Netflix to forecast a hit, CERN to find the Higgs boson and medics to discover if red wine really is good for you? And how are companies using big data to benefit from smart meters, use advertising that spies on you and develop the gig economy, where workers are managed by the whim of an algorithm?The volumes of data we now access can give unparalleled abilities to make predictions, respond to customer demand and solve problems. But Big Brother's shadow hovers over it. Though big data can set us free and enhance our lives, it has the potential to create an underclass and a totalitarian state. With big data ever-present, you can't afford to ignore it. Acclaimed science writer Brian Clegg - a habitual early adopter of new technology (and the owner of the second-ever copy of Windows in the UK) - brings big data to life.

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'Gets right to the heart of what makes us what we are. Read it!' Angela Saini, author of Inferior and Superior: The Return of Race ScienceThe popular science equivalent of Who Do You Think You Are? Popular science master Brian Clegg's new book is an entertaining tour through the science of what makes you you.From the atomic level, through life and energy to genetics and personality, it explores how the billions of particles which make up you - your DNA, your skin, your memories - have come to be.It starts with the present-day reader and follows a number of trails to discover their origins: how the atoms in your body were created and how they got to you in space and time, the sources of things you consume, how the living cells of your body developed, where your massive brain and consciousness originated, how human beings evolved and, ultimately, what your personal genetic history reveals.

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The ultimate non-technical guide to the fast-developing world of quantum computing Computer technology has improved exponentially over the last 50 years. But the headroom for bigger and better electronic solutions is running out. Our best hope is to engage the power of quantum physics. 'Quantum algorithms' had already been written long before hardware was built. These would enable, for example, a quantum computer to exponentially speed up an information search, or to crack the mathematical trick behind internet security. However, making a quantum computer is incredibly difficult. Despite hundreds of laboratories around the world working on them, we are only just seeing them come close to 'supremacy' where they can outperform a traditional computer. In this approachable introduction, Brian Clegg explains algorithms and their quantum counterparts, explores the physical building blocks and quantum weirdness necessary to make a quantum computer, and uncovers the capabilities of the current generation of machines.

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The perfect companion to any flight - a guide to the science on view from your window seat. There are few times when science is so immediate as when you're in a plane. Your life is in the hands of the scientists and engineers who enable tons of metal and plastic to hurtle through the sky at hundreds of miles an hour. Inflight Science shows how you stay alive up there - but that's only the beginning. Brian Clegg explains the ever changing view, whether it's crop circles or clouds, mountains or river deltas, and describes simple experiments to show how a wing provides lift, or what happens if you try to open a door in midair (don't!). On a plane you'll experience the impact of relativity, the power of natural radiation and the effect of altitude on the boiling point of tea. Among the many things you'll learn is why the sky is blue, the cause of thunderstorms and the impact of volcanic ash in an enjoyable tour of mid-air science. Every moment of your journey is an opportunity to experience science in action: Inflight Science will be your guide.

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Everyone has an interest in the weather, whether it's to check the prospects for a day out or to know when best to harvest a crop. The Earth's weather systems also provide some of the most dramatic forces of nature, from the vast release of energy in a lightning flash to the devastating impact of tornadoes and hurricanes. For centuries, our only real guide to future weather was folklore, but with the introduction of the first weather forecasts and maps in Victorian times, attempts were made to give some warning of the weather to come. Until relatively recently, these forecasts could be wildly inaccurate - think of Michael Fish's denial that there was a storm on the way the night before the UK's great storm of 1987. This was due to the mathematically chaotic nature of weather systems, first discovered in the 1960s, the understanding of which would transform forecasting from the 1990s and mean that meteorologists became some of the foremost users of supercomputers. From the crystalli

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Essential Science aims to be the most detailed, accessible and authoritative book of its kind. Each of the 34 discoveries is broken down into seven essential elements to aid comprehension and inform the reader about what really matters: THE ESSENTIAL IDEA: a concise summary of the idea or discovery that makes complex ideas as simple as possible. ORIGINS: where does the discovery come from, who made it and how does it fit in the wider scientific context? KEY THEORIES AND EVIDENCE: even our most familiar ideas and discoveries are far from 'common sense'. How do we know what we know? What is the evidence? What are the dominant theories? CRITICS: science is a constant process of criticism and revision. How have various ideas survived attempts to discredit them? How secure is our knowledge and is it complete? WHY IT MATTERS: how important is the discovery in the wider scientific context? How much has it reshaped our perception of reality? FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS: what remains to be discovered? Might even dominant ideas and discoveries be superseded by better ones? THE ESSENTIAL SUMMARY: a visual outline of all the key insights from the above analytical headings. The consistent structure not only breaks down complex topics into simple, easy to understand chunks, but also helps readers to think for themselves about the process of scientific discovery, testing and progress, showing that science is not just a set of ideas to be learned, but a never-ending process that is constantly reshaping our perception of reality.

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Explora el mundo invisible de la física subatómica y descubre la esencia de la vidaLa biblia de la física cuántica te transporta a través de cada una de las áreas de la física de partículas para explicarte con claridad cómo se creó, y se crea, nuestro mundo. En esta obra, las teorías más complejas se descomponen hasta convertirse en elementos fácilmente comprensibles.El libro aborda, entre otros, los siguientes temas:? La anatomía de los elementos? El interior de un átomo? Los aceleradores y colisionadores de partículas? La electrodinámica cuántica? La realidad cuántica? La interpretación de los universos paralelos? Los agujeros negros? La teoría de cuerdas? Los viajes en el tiempo? El efecto Zenón

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* Un recorrido por los grandes títulos científicos en el transcurso de los tiempos, que explora la historia, el desarrollo y la progresión no solo de las creencias e ideas científicas sino tambiéndel lenguaje y de los medios físicos en los que se han expresado.* Desde inscripciones esculpidas y rollos a tomos de encuadernación lujosa, se expone la evolución de la comunicación científica al mundo. Desde los antiguos griegos y los sabios islámicos a los científicos medievales europeos y las celebridades de la televisión, este libro es un viaje bibliográfico a través del tiempo que analiza el modo en que los escritos científicos pasaron de dirigirse a un público académico a centrarse en un público general.* Una muestra de cómo la palabra escrita ha sido un medio fundamental para ampliar nuestro conocimiento del universo y de nosotros mismos."El mundo antiguo" estudia los inicios del lenguaje, incluidos los jeroglíficos egipcios y los grabados en piedra, así como los primero

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A revealing and entertaining guide through some of the biggest misconceptions in science that many of us still believe.You may well be familiar with the fact that lightning, contrary to the popular saying, often strikes the same place twice. But this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what many of us wrongly believe about the way the world works. Whether it’s word of mouth, myths you’ve read about online, or misremembered facts from school, we’re bombarded by misconceptions about the science we come into contact with every day – this book will uncover the most popular myths to help you avoid contributing to the perpetuation of these misunderstandings.Breaking it down into fifty of the most popular misconceptions in science, each chapter of this book will be headed up with a ‘fact’, followed by the real story, providing the science and theory that debunks the myth. From fears about the exponential growth of the human population to the embarrassment of always pointing out the north star as the brightest in the sky, this is the book to read if you want to separate the science fact from fiction.

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'Clear and compact ... It's hard to fault as a brief, easily digestible introduction to some of the biggest questions in the Universe' Giles Sparrow, BBC Four's The Sky at Night, Best astronomy and space books of 2019: 5/5All the matter and light we can see in the universe makes up a trivial 5 per cent of everything. The rest is hidden. This could be the biggest puzzle that science has ever faced.Since the 1970s, astronomers have been aware that galaxies have far too little matter in them to account for the way they spin around: they should fly apart, but something concealed holds them together. That 'something' is dark matter - invisible material in five times the quantity of the familiar stuff of stars and planets.By the 1990s we also knew that the expansion of the universe was accelerating. Something, named dark energy, is pushing it to expand faster and faster. Across the universe, this requires enough energy that the equivalent mass would be nearly fourteen times greater than all the visible material in existence.Brian Clegg explains this major conundrum in modern science and looks at how scientists are beginning to find solutions to it.

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An exploration of the transformative ways in which nature has inspired the technological advancement of humankind.Biomimetics literally means emulating biology - and in a broader sense the term covers technological advances where the original inspiration came from nature. The Earth is a vast laboratory where the mechanisms of natural selection have enabled evolutionary solutions to be developed to a wide range of problems. In this new title in the Hot Science series, science writer Brian Clegg looks at how humans have piggybacked on natural experimentation, redeploying a solution to create things that make our lives easier. He looks at how the hooks on burdock seeds inspired the creation of Velcro, how the stickiness of the feet of geckos and frogs has been used to create gripping surfaces, such as tyre treads, and how even the most basic optical enhancement in the form of spectacles is itself a form of biomimetics.

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'[A]n engaging exploration, ending with interesting speculation on the nature of a future 11th day.'Peet Morris, Times Higher EducationDevelopments in physics and physics-based engineering have led to some of the biggest transformations in the way we live out lives. Here, we journey back to ten separate days in history for a closer look at the breakthroughs that have shaped the modern world. From Isaac Newton's law of motion, to Michael Faraday's electrical field theory, as well as Maxwell's equations that make TV, radio and cellphones possible.Comprising perfectly pitched science writing enlivened with a wealth of fascinating biographical detail, this eye-opening book is a celebration of power of physicists to bring about far-reaching, life-transforming change.

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'Gets right to the heart of what makes us what we are. Read it!' Angela Saini, author of Inferior and Superior: The Return of Race ScienceThe popular science equivalent of Who Do You Think You Are? Popular science master Brian Clegg's new book is an entertaining tour through the science of what makes you you.From the atomic level, through life and energy to genetics and personality, it explores how the billions of particles which make up you - your DNA, your skin, your memories - have come to be.It starts with the present-day reader and follows a number of trails to discover their origins: how the atoms in your body were created and how they got to you in space and time, the sources of things you consume, how the living cells of your body developed, where your massive brain and consciousness originated, how human beings evolved and, ultimately, what your personal genetic history reveals.

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In 2003, Russian physicists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov found a way to produce graphene - the thinnest substance in the world - by using sticky tape to separate an atom-thick layer from a block of graphite.Their efforts would win the 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics, and now the applications of graphene and other 'two-dimensional' substances form a worldwide industry. Graphene is far stronger than steel, a far better conductor than any metal, and able to act as a molecular sieve to purify water. Electronic components made from graphene are a fraction of the size of silicon microchips and can be both flexible and transparent, making it possible to build electronics into clothing, produce solar cells to fit any surface, or even create invisible temporary tattoos that monitor your health.Ultra-thin materials give us the next big step forward since the transistor revolutionised electronics. Get ready for the graphene revolution.

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En un momento en el que la mecánica cuántica de la electrónica es indispensable en la vida cotidiana y los nuevos descubrimientos cuánticos ocupan los titulares de los informativos, tendrá la ocasión de visitar universos múltiples, viajar por la teoría de ondas y aprender lo suficiente para hablar con propiedad sobre el principio de incertidumbre y los misterios del entrelazamiento cuántico.Todo lo que hacemos y vemos tiene partículas cuánticas como base de la acción, aunque esas partículas sean muy diferentes de cualquier cosa que podamos experimentar directamente. Es la paradoja y el encanto de la mecánica o teoría cuántica que podrá descubrir en esta obra.

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During times like these, who hasn't daydreamed about traveling forward or backward in time?In Time Travel: Ten Short Lessons, popular-science master Brian Clegg gives a grand tour of the essential lessons in this game-changing area of physics, from the imagination of novelists to current research.Einstein's special theory of relativity told us that time travel to the future was possible, and later his general theory of relativity showed us that loops in spacetime could exist, meaning that we might be able to bend time backward, too. But what are the practicalities of making time travel possible? What do we still need to know? How do we deal with paradoxical twists in time—and could quantum physics hold the answer? Packed full of easy-to-understand diagrams and fact boxes, these ten lessons cover all the basics, as well as the latest understanding and developments, to enlighten the nonscientist.About the series: The Pocket Einstein series is a collection of essential pocket-sized guides for anyone looking to understand a little more about some of the most important and fascinating areas of science in the twenty-first century. Broken down into ten simple lessons and written by leading experts in their field, discover the ten most important takeaways from those areas of science you've always wanted to know more about.

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Physicists will tell you that four forces control the universe. Of these, gravity may the most obvious, but it is also the most mysterious. Newton managed to predict the force of gravity but couldn't explain how it worked at a distance. Then Einstein picked up on the simple premise that gravity and acceleration are interchangeable to devise his mind-bending General Relativity, showing how matter warps space and time. Not only did this explain how gravity worked - and how apparently simple gravitation has four separate components - but it predicted everything from black holes to gravity's effect on time. Whether it's the reality of anti-gravity or the unexpected discovery that a ball and a laser beam drop at the same rate, gravity is the force that fascinates.

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'Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space.' Douglas Adams, Hitch-hiker's Guide to the GalaxyWe human beings have trouble with infinity - yet infinity is a surprisingly human subject. Philosophers and mathematicians have gone mad contemplating its nature and complexity - yet it is a concept routinely used by schoolchildren. Exploring the infinite is a journey into paradox. Here is a quantity that turns arithmetic on its head, making it feasible that 1 = 0. Here is a concept that enables us to cram as many extra guests as we like into an already full hotel. Most bizarrely of all, it is quite easy to show that there must be something bigger than infinity - when it surely should be the biggest thing that could possibly be. Brian Clegg takes us on a fascinating tour of that borderland between the extremely large and the ultimate that takes us from Archimedes, counting the grains of sand that would fill the universe, to the latest theories on the physical reality of the infinite. Full of unexpected delights, whether St Augustine contemplating the nature of creation, Newton and Leibniz battling over ownership of calculus, or Cantor struggling to publicise his vision of the transfinite, infinity's fascination is in the way it brings together the everyday and the extraordinary, prosaic daily life and the esoteric.Whether your interest in infinity is mathematical, philosophical, spiritual or just plain curious, this accessible book offers a stimulating and entertaining read.

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**'Title of Most Fiendish Book goes to Conundrum: Crack the Ultimate Cipher Challenge by the ever-excellent science writer Brian Clegg.' Daily Mail, Books of the Year**The ultimate trial of knowledge and cunning, Conundrum features 200 cryptic puzzles and ciphers. The solutions link throughout the book - so you need to solve them all to get to the final round. With a focus on ciphers and codebreaking, Conundrum contains twenty sections, each built around a specific subject from music to literature, physics to politics. To take on Conundrum you need good general knowledge and the ability to think laterally. But if you need help, there are plenty of hints to point you in the right direction. Whether you attempt to crack it alone or work in a team, Conundrum will challenge you to the extreme.Can you take on Conundrum and win? There's only one way to find out.

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Infinity is a profoundly counter-intuitive and brain-twisting subject that has inspired some great thinkers - and provoked and shocked others.The ancient Greeks were so horrified by the implications of an endless number that they drowned the man who gave away the secret. And a German mathematician was driven mad by the repercussions of his discovery of transfinite numbers.Brian Clegg and Oliver Pugh's brilliant graphic tour of infinity features a cast of characters ranging from Archimedes and Pythagoras to al-Khwarizmi, Fibonacci, Galileo, Newton, Leibniz, Cantor, Venn, Gödel and Mandelbrot, and shows how infinity has challenged the finest minds of science and mathematics. Prepare to enter a world of paradox.

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Acclaimed popular-science writer Brian Clegg and popular TV and radio astronomer Rhodri Evans give us a Top Ten list of physicists as the central theme to build an exploration of the most exciting breakthroughs in physics, looking not just at the science, but also the fascinating lives of the scientists themselves. The Top Ten are: 1.Isaac Newton (1642-1727)2.Niels Bohr (1885-1962)3.Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)4.Albert Einstein (1879-1955)5.James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879)6.Michael Faraday (1791-1867)7.Marie Curie (1867-1934)8.Richard Feynman (1918-1988)9.Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937)10.Paul Dirac (1902-1984)Each of these figures has made a huge contribution to physics. Some are household names, others more of a mystery, but in each case there is an opportunity to combine a better understanding of the way that each of them has advanced our knowledge of the universe with an exploration of their often unusual, always interesting lives. Whether we are with Curie, patiently sorting through tons of pitchblende to isolate radium or feeling Bohr's frustration as once again Einstein attempts to undermine quantum theory, the combination of science and biography humanizes these great figures of history and makes the Physics itself more accessible.In exploring the way the list has been built the authors also put physics in its place amongst the sciences and show how it combines an exploration of the deepest and most profound questions about life and the universe with practical applications that have transformed our lives. The book is structured chronologically, allowing readers to follow the development of scientific knowledge over more than 400 years, showing clearly how this key group of individuals has fundamentally altered our understanding of the world around us.

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