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A surprising, fascinating journey through the experiments that not only unlocked the nature of matter and shaped our understanding of…
the cosmos but also forever changed the way we live within it. "A book about the fundamental problems of physics written from a viewpoint I hadn’t come across before: that of the experimenter. A splendid idea, vividly carried out.” –Philip Pullman, best-selling author of His Dark Materials. Physics has always sought to deepen our understanding of the nature of matter and the world around us. But how do you conduct experiments with the fundamental building blocks of existence? How do you manipulate a particle a trillion times smaller than a grain of sand? How do you cause a proton to sail around a twenty-seven-kilometer-long loop 11,000 times per second? And, crucially, why is all this important? In The Matter of Everything , accelerator physicist Suzie Sheehy introduces us to the people who, through a combination of genius, persistence and luck, staged the experiments that changed the course of history. From the serendipitous discovery of X-rays in a German laboratory to the scientists trying to prove Einstein wrong (and inadvertently proving him right) to the race to split open the atom, these brilliant experiments led to some of the most significant breakthroughs in science and fundamentally changed our lives. They have helped us detect the flow of lava deep inside volcanoes, develop life-saving medical techniques like diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy, and create radio, TV, microwaves, smartphones—even the World Wide Web itself—among countless other advancements. Along the way, Sheehy pulls back the curtain to reveal how physics is really done—not only by theorists with equation-filled blackboards but also by experimentalists with hand-blown glass, hot air balloons and cathedral-sized electronics. Celebrating human ingenuity, creativity and above all curiosity, The Matter of Everything is an inspiring story of discovery and a powerful reminder that progress is a function of our desire to know.Quantum Physics Made Me Do It: A Simple Guide to the Fundamental Nature of Everything
Par Jeremie Harris. 2023
An entertaining and accessible dive into the riveting world described by quantum mechanics, from physicist, AI risk expert, and Hollywood…
"alternative reality" consultant Jérémie Harris.Are human beings immortal? Are apples conscious? Do our legal systems make assumptions about free will that are just plain wrong? Of all the terrific books on quantum physics—from Stephen Hawking to Brian Greene—the questions they never seem to satisfy are the implications of the science. We know that quantum physics is real—our phones and computers wouldn’t work if the science wasn’t right. But what does it all mean?Does it mean that we live in one among a near-infinity of parallel universes? Or that everything that happens in the universe is pre-ordained—right down to what we think and how we act? Or does the science point in a stranger direction—towards the idea that the entire universe is one big mind? If one of these is true, what would it mean for our place in the universe, our immortal souls, and the future of humanity itself?The most basic encounter with quantum physics leads us to a dizzying array of incredible implications, each one more capable than the last of blowing our minds—all of which can be engaged without advanced math or deep knowledge of theory.Enter: Quantum Physics Made Me Do It—a smart, accessible, and engaging adventure through the complex and beautiful world mapped out by modern physics. Jérémie Harris at last offers us a book on quantum physics that the entire universe can enjoy—perhaps together as one big mind.On the origin of time: Stephen hawking's final theory
Par Thomas Hertog. 2023
Stephen Hawking’s closest collaborator offers the intellectual superstar’s final thoughts on the cosmos—a dramatic revision of the theory he put…
forward in A Brief History of Time . "This superbly written book offers insight into an extraordinary individual, the creative process, and the scope and limits of our current understanding of the cosmos."—Lord Martin Rees Perhaps the biggest question Stephen Hawking tried to answer in his extraordinary life was how the universe could have created conditions so perfectly hospitable to life. In order to solve this mystery, Hawking studied the big bang origin of the universe, but his early work ran into a crisis when the math predicted many big bangs producing a multiverse—countless different universes, most of which would be far too bizarre to harbor life. Holed up in the theoretical physics department at Cambridge, Stephen Hawking and his friend and collaborator Thomas Hertog worked on this problem for twenty years, developing a new theory of the cosmos that could account for the emergence of life. Peering into the extreme quantum physics of cosmic holograms and venturing far back in time to our deepest roots, they were startled to find a deeper level of evolution in which the physical laws themselves transform and simplify until particles, forces, and even time itself fades away. This discovery led them to a revolutionary idea: The laws of physics are not set in stone but are born and co-evolve as the universe they govern takes shape. As Hawking’s final days drew near, the two collaborators published their theory, which proposed a radical new Darwinian perspective on the origins of our universe. On the Origin of Time offers a striking new vision of the universe’s birth that will profoundly transform the way we think about our place in the order of the cosmos and may ultimately prove to be Hawking’s greatest legacySolids, liquids, gases, and plasma
Par David A Adler, David A. Adler, Anna Raff. 2019
Packing for Mars for kids
Par Mary Roach. 2022
"What is it like to float weightlessly in the air? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a…
spacewalk? How do astronauts go to the bathroom? Is it true that they don't shower? Can farts really be deadly in space? Best-selling Mary Roach has the answers. In this whip-smart, funny, and informative young readers adaptation of her best-selling Packing for Mars, Roach guides us through the irresistibly strange, frequently gross, and awe-inspiring realm of space travel and life without gravity. From flying on NASA's Weightless Wonder to eating space food, Packing for Mars for Kids is chock-full of first-hand experiences and thorough research. Roach has crafted an authoritative and accessible book that is perfectly pitched to inquiring middle grade readers." -- Provided by publisherStarstruck: A memoir of astrophysics and finding light in the dark
Par Sarafina El-Badry Nance. 2023
In a beautifully written, science-packed, and inspirational memoir, Egyptian-American astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance shares how she boldly carved out a…
place in the field of astrophysics, grounding herself in a lifelong love of the stars to face life’s inevitable challenges and embrace the unknown. As a child, Sarafina El-Badry Nance spent nearly every evening with her father gazing up at the flickering stars and pondering what secrets the night sky held. The daughter of an American father and Egyptian mother who both pushed her toward academic excellence, Sarafina dreamed of becoming an astronomer and untangling the mysteries of the stars overhead. But it wasn’t long before she was told, both explicitly and implicitly, that girls just weren’t cut out for math and science. In Starstruck , Sarafina invites us to consider the cosmos through fascinating science lessons to open each chapter. But she also traces more earthbound obstacles—of misogyny and racism, abuse and intergenerational trauma, anxiety and self-doubt, cancer diagnoses and recovery—she faced along the way. As her career and passion for space brought her from UT Austin to UC Berkeley, and even to a Mars astronaut simulation in Hawai’i, Sarafina learned how to survive—and ultimately thrive—in a space that was seldom welcoming to women, and especially not to women of color. Honest and empowering, Starstruck sits at the intersection of the study of our cosmos—itself constantly changing—and the transformative experience of embracing resilience to pursue one’s passion"The world's leading alien hunter" — New York Times Magazine From acclaimed Harvard astrophysicist and bestselling author of Extraterrestrial comes…
a mind-expanding new book explaining why becoming an interstellar species is imperative for humanity's survival and detailing a game plan for how we can settle among the stars. In the New York Times bestseller Extraterrestrial, Avi Loeb, the longest serving Chair of Harvard's Astronomy Department, presented a theory that shook the scientific community: our solar system, Loeb claimed, had likely been visited by a piece of advanced alien technology from a distant star. This provocative and persuasive argument opened millions of minds internationally to the vast possibilities of our universe and the existence of intelligent life beyond Earth. But a crucial question remained: now that we are aware of the existence of extraterrestrial life, what do we do next? How do we prepare ourselves for interaction with interstellar extraterrestrial civilization? How can our species become interstellar? Now Loeb tackles these questions in a revelatory, powerful call to arms that reimagines the idea of contact with extraterrestrial civilizations. Dismantling our science-fiction fueled visions of a human and alien life encounter, Interstellar provides a realistic and practical blueprint for how such an interaction might actually occur, resetting our cultural understanding and expectation of what it means to identify an extraterrestrial object. From awe-inspiring searches for extraterrestrial technology, to the heated debate of the existence of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, Loeb provides a thrilling, front-row view of the monumental progress in science and technology currently preparing us for contact. He also lays out the profound implications of becoming—or not becoming—interstellar; in an urgent, eloquent appeal for more proactive engagement with the world beyond ours, he powerfully contends why we must seek out other life forms, and in the process, choose who and what we are within the universe. Combining cutting edge science, physics, and philosophy, Interstellar revolutionizes the approach to our search for extraterrestrial life and our preparation for its discovery. In this eye-opening, necessary look at our future, Avi Loeb artfully and expertly raises some of the most important questions facing us as humans, and proves, once again, that scientific curiosity is the key to our survivalThe end of everything: (astrophysically speaking)
Par Katie Mack. 2020
Cosmologist examines five different ways the world could end and explains the science behind those scenarios. The five possible scenarios…
are the Big Crunch where the universe collapses in on itself, two possibilities driven by dark energy, vacuum decay, and colliding with a parallel universe. 2020The equations of life: how physics shapes evolution
Par Charles Cockell. 2018
Astrobiologist presents an argument that evolution is subject to the laws of physics. Pays particular attention to which features of…
life are determined by physical laws and which are products of chance. For senior high and older readers. 2018The order of time
Par Carlo Rovelli. 2018
Physicist and author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics (BR 21539) and Reality Is Not What It Seems (BR 21925)…
presents his views on the concept and science of time. Pays particular attention to the works of Aristotle, Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein. Translated from the original 2017 Italian edition. 2018Mask of the sun: the science, history, and forgotten lore of eclipses
Par John Dvorak. 2017
Exploration of myths, science, and history of eclipses through recorded history worldwide. Discusses the 1925 total solar eclipse that was…
observed by scientists on a dirigible, superstitions about the accomplishment of daily activities during eclipses, the development of astronomy, and more. Includes an epilogue about the 2017 eclipse. 2017Light: a radiant history, from creation to the quantum age
Par Bruce Watson. 2016
Journalist chronicles historical and contemporary explorations into the nature of light, both scientific and artistic. Discusses creation myths, Greek philosophers,…
religious representations, scientific investigations and feuds, filmmaking, and the development of such artistic movements as Romanticism. 2016Reality is not what it seems: the journey to quantum gravity
Par Carlo Rovelli. 2017
Author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics (BR 21539) examines the ways thinking about the universe around us and the…
interpretation of it by physicists have changed since ancient times. Discusses the concept of quantum gravity. Translated from the original 2014 Italian edition. 2016Einstein's masterwork: 1915 and the general theory of relativity
Par John Gribbin. 2016
An astrophysicist examines Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, which he presented in 1915 and which was partially confirmed a…
century later by the detection of gravitational waves. Places the theory into context within Einstein's larger body of work as well as the scientific research being conducted at the time. 2016The universe in your hand: a journey through space, time, and beyond
Par Christophe Galfard. 2016
Physicist, associate of Stephen Hawking, and coauthor of George's Secret Key to the Universe (DB 66970) uses stories to explore…
the concepts of the cosmos, outer space, speed, quantum mechanics, the beginnings of the universe, what is known versus what is unknown, and more. 2015Dark matter and the dinosaurs: the astounding interconnectedness of the universe
Par Lisa Randall. 2015
Physicist examines the nature of dark matter in the universe and hypothesizes its role in the extinction of dinosaurs sixty-six…
million years ago. Explores scientific understandings of the universe, Milky Way, solar system, and conditions for a habitable Earth in the early twenty-first century. 2015Seven brief lessons on physics
Par Carlo Rovelli. 2016
Theoretical physicist expounds the scientific and philosophical implications of the discoveries in physics over the last one hundred years, as…
well as the questions that still face the field. Uses examples from outside of physics to explain such concepts as Einstein's Theory of Relativity. Translated from 2014 Italian edition. Bestseller. 2015Magnificent Principia: exploring Isaac Newton's masterpiece
Par Colin Pask. 2013
Mathematician uses the third edition of Isaac Newton's Principia (1726) and explains the ways it frames his approach to science.…
Discusses Newton's place in scientific history, the Principia's reception by Newton's contemporaries, and the impact of the work on later generations of scientists. 2013Life on the edge: the coming of age of quantum biology
Par Jim Al-Khalili, Johnjoe McFadden. 2014
Molecular geneticist McFadden and physicist Al-Khalili, author of Paradox (DB 75728), present the emerging field of quantum biology. They discuss…
the introduction of quantum mechanics theory into the field of biology and explore investigations into puzzles facing biologists, including the ways migrating birds know where to go, interpreting scents, and gene replication. 2014The science of Interstellar
Par Kip Thorne, Kip S Thorne. 2014
Theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, scientific advisor for Christopher Nolan's film Interstellar, guides readers through the science at work throughout the…
movie. Chapters provide context for each of the film's scientific concepts, in addition to explaining the theory and mechanics of such subjects as wormholes, planet dynamics, and quantum gravity. 2014