A good case can be made for Isaac Newton being the finest mindhumanity has yet produced. His theory of gravity offered hiscontemporaries their first glimpse of how the universe actuallyworks, and his mathematics enabled later generations to walk on themoon. Today, we know that gravity keeps our feet on the ground, buthow many of us know how Newton's greatest discovery really works?In Newton Gravity, Paul Strathern encapsulates several ofNewton's more mind-expanding discoveries, explaining in livelyprose their cultural context as well as Newton's early obsessionwith science (bordering on dementia) that made his revolutionaryvision possible. Just a few of the big ideas covered hereare: Newton's discovery of calculus at age twenty-three Why gravity, one of the greatest human insights of all time, wasin fact a hunch and how it actually works Why it took Newton twenty years after his discovery to reveal tothe world the secret of gravity and planetary motion Ideal for the intelligen
Dr. Carl Sagan takes us on a great reading adventure, offeringhis vivid and startling insight into the brain of man and beast,the origin of human intelligence, the function of our most hauntinglegends--and their amazing links to recent discoveries. "A history of the human brain from the big bang, fifteen billionyears ago, to the day before yesterday...It's a delight." THE NEW YORK TIMES
Carl Sagan, writer and scientist, returns from the frontier totell us about how the world works. In his delightfullydown-to-earth style, he explores and explains a mind-bogglingfuture of intelligent robots, extraterrestrial life and itsconsquences, and other provocative, fascinating quandries of thefuture that we want to see today.
A wide-ranging exploration of our universe -- from "what makesthe wind blow?" to "how was the moon formed?" -- inquestions-and-answer format, written in vintage Asimov style. "Afine introduction to modern astronomical theory." -- LIBRARYJOURNAL
The publication of Darwin’s The Origin of Species in 1859marked a dramatic turning point in scientific thought. The volumehad taken Darwin more than twenty years to publish, in part becausehe envisioned the storm of controversy it was certain to unleash.Indeed, selling out its first edition on its first day, The Originof Species revolutionized science, philosophy, and theology. Darwin’s reasoned, documented arguments carefully advance histheory of natural selection and his assertion that species were notcreated all at once by a divine hand but started with a few simpleforms that mutated and adapted over time. Whether commenting on hisown poor health, discussing his experiments to test instinct inbees, or relating a conversation about a South American burrowingrodent, Darwin’s monumental achievement is surprisingly personaland delightfully readable. Its profound ideas remain controversialeven today, making it the most influential book in the naturalsciences ever written—an important work n
This nostalgic kitexplains how the familiar yellow tub toy became a true icon ofchildhood, and why it’s now so collectible. Featuring 2 classicrubber duckies plus an illustrated book detailing the popularduck’s history, trivia, and trends, it’s an essential for kitschaficionados and a great addition to our very popular line of retroMini Kits?.
We may know that Einstein was the epitome of genius, but howmany of us know what his theory really means, and what itsrealistic implications are? Einstein and Relativity presents adistillation of Einstein's life and work within their historicaland scientific contexts; and offers a truly accessible explanationof the concept that shaped the twentieth century. Just a few of thebig ideas covered here are Einstein's discovery that light is botha particle and a wave; how Einstein proved the existence ofmolecules; why there is no such thing as real time; and howEinstein's brilliance led to his worst nightmare - the atombomb.
Turing and the Computer offers an encapsulation of thegroundwork that led to the invention of the computer as we know itand an absorbing account of the man who helped develop it.Eccentric and principled, Alan Turing would lay aside a brilliantcareer in mathematics to serve his country by breaking German codesduring the Second World War. Openly homosexual, he would later beput on trial on indecency charges and forced to undergo hormonetreatments that wrecked his body and his spirit. But the modernmachine he helped create lives on. Just a few of the big ideasincluded in this riveting book are how Turing mapped out the theoryof computers before a single computer had been conceived, howTuring's Colossus broke the German Enigma codes, and Turing's proofof the existence of artificial intelligence.
