BookOdyssey

Σελίδες: 112, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK An original and revelatory journey through the three-billion-year history of slime - a substance upon which we and our world depend. Slime is an ambiguous thing. It exists somewhere between a solid and liquid. It inspires revulsion even while it compels our fascination. It is a both a vehicle for pathogens and the strongest weapon in our immune system. Most of us know little about it and yet it is the substance on which our world turns. Slime exists at the interfaces of all things: between the different organs and layers in our bodies, and between the earth, water, and air in the environment. It is often produced in the fatal encounter between predator and prey, and it is a vital presence in the reproductive embrace between female and male. In this ground-breaking and fascinating book, Susanne Wedlich leads us on a scientific journey through the 3 billion year history of slime, from the part it played in the evolution of life on this planet to the way it might feature in the post-human future. She also explores the cultural and emotional significance of slime, from its starring role in the horror genre to its subtle influence on Art Nouveau. Slime is what connects Patricia Highsmith\'s fondness for snails, John Steinbeck\'s aversion to hagfish, and Emperor Hirohito\'s passion for jellyfish, as well as the curious mating practices of underwater gastropods and the miraculous functioning of the human gut. Written with authority, wit and eloquence, Slime brings this most nebulous and neglected of substances to life. Rich and strange... a deft cultural history of the idea of slime as well as an up-to-the-minute exegesis of its science - Daily Telegraph Σελίδες: 336, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

\'Holgate guides us expertly and with a deft touch along the journey towards the holy grail of unlimited energy for all.\' - JIM AL-KHALILI\'What is nuclear fusion? In clear and accessible language, this book explains the basics and the hope for the future. A valuable addition to the Hot Science series.\' - JOHN GRIBBINCould the Sun hold the key to a future of clean energy? Since the 1950s, scientists have attempted to harness nuclear fusion - the process that creates the Sun\'s energy - to generate near-limitless amounts of electricity. But the fact that we still have no fusion power plants is testament to the complexities of the challenge. Now, the deepening climate crisis means that researchers around the world are in a race to create a mini-Sun here on Earth. The glittering prize is an energy source that emits no greenhouse gases and could solve energy equity and supply issues at a stroke. Sharon Ann Holgate, a former Young Professional Physicist of the Year, tells the compelling story of the ongoing scientific quest for a revolutionary new era of green energy production. Σελίδες: 176, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Technology has fractured democracy, and now there’s no going back. All around the world, the fringes have stormed the palace of the elites and unleashed data miners, dark ads and bots on an unwitting public. After years of soundbites about connecting people, the social media giants are only just beginning to admit to the scale of the problem. We stand on the precipice of an era where switching your mobile platform will have more impact on your life than switching your government. Where freedom and privacy are seen as incompatible with social well-being and transparency. Where your attention is sold to the highest bidder. Our laws don’t cover what is happening and our politicians don’t understand it. But if we don’t fight to change the system now, we may not get another chance. Σελίδες: 336, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0805, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Mark Stevenson has been to the future a few years ahead of the rest of us - and reckons it has a lot going for it. His voyage of discovery takes him to Oxford to meet Transhumanists (they intend to live forever), to Boston where he confronts a robot with mood swings, to an underwater cabinet meeting in the Indian Ocean, and Australia to question the Outback\'s smartest farmer. He clambers around space planes in the Mojave desert, gets to grips with the potential of nanotechnology, delves deep into the possibilities of biotech, sees an energy renaissance on a printer, a revolution in communications, has his genome profiled, and glimpses the next stage of human evolution ... and tries to make sense of what\'s in store. Insightful and often very funny, An Optimist\'s Tour of the Future is a book that tracks one curious man\'s journey to find out what\'s in store. Σελίδες: 256, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0705, Διαστάσεις: 12.6x12.6cm

Master the biology ideas that shape our living world.In a series of 50 accessible essays, JV Chamary introduces and explains the fundamental processes, ideas and theories that are vital to life on Earth.From the mysteries of sex and sleep to mass extinction and immunity, 50 Biology Ideas You Really Need to Know is a complete introduction to the most important biology conceptsin history.Contents include: Evolution, Genes, Homeostasis, Endosymbiosis, Sex, Multicellularity, Nerves, Genetic Drift, Speciation, Convergent Evolution, Pollination, Mimicry, Laws of Inheritance, DNA, Alternative Splicing, Viruses, Epigenetics, Photosynthesis, Cancer, Differentiation, Regeneration, Morphogenesis, Memory, Sleep, Ageing, Consciousness and the Gaia Hypothesis. Σελίδες: 208, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0910, Διαστάσεις: 11x11cm

*FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF A BRIEF HISTORY OF EVERYONE WHO EVER LIVED and HOW TO ARGUE WITH A RACIST* WHAT MAKES US HUMAN?Waging war?Sex for pleasure?Creating art?Mastery of fire?In this thrilling tour of the animal kingdom, Adam Rutherford tells the story of how we became the unique creatures we are today. Illuminated by the latest scientific discoveries, THE BOOK OF HUMANS is a dazzling compendium of what unequivocally fixes us as animals, and reveals how we are extraordinary among them. ***\'Adam Rutherford is a superb communicator, who eruditely explores the borderlands of history, archaeology, genetics and anthropology in this fascinating tour of our species\' DAN SNOW\'This superbly accessible discussion about who we humans really are is important and necessary\' CHRIS PACKHAM\'Charming, compelling and packed with information. I learned more about biology from this short book than I did from years of science lessons\' PETER FRANKOPAN\'An outstandingly clear and witty account that shows beyond doubt how much we are part of the animal world, and yet at the same time how different we have become\' HENRY MARSH Σελίδες: 272, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0514, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

\'A meticulous guide not only to the vagina but to changing perceptions of womanhood\' OBSERVER\'An empowering and enlightening book\' IRISH TIMESThe vagina is the ultimate symbol of female power. Sexual power, creative power and the power to prevent harm. For too long, though, the true extent of vaginal power has been ignored, hidden and misrepresented. Raising the skirt: the unsung power of the vagina reveals this revolutionary view of female genitalia and points the way to a new understanding of what it means to be female. An inspiration for millennia, the vagina is actually a muscular marvel of engineering - sensitive and strong, fluid and flexible. Far from being a passive vessel, female genitalia control the most important role of all: the survival of the species.Originally published as THE STORY OF V: OPENING PANDORA\'S BOX Σελίδες: 400, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0225, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

In this pioneering book Rupert Sheldrake shows how science helps validate seven practices on which all religions are built, and which are part of our common human heritage:· Meditation· Gratitude· Connecting with nature· Relating to plants· Rituals· Singing and chanting· Pilgrimage and holy places. The effects of spiritual practices are now being investigated scientifically as never before, and many studies have shown that religious and spiritual practices generally make people happier and healthier. Rupert Sheldrake summarizes the latest scientific research on what happens when we take part in these practices, and suggests ways that readers can explore these fields for themselves. For those who are religious, Science and Spiritual Practices will illuminate the evolutionary origins of their own traditions and give a new appreciation of their power. For the non-religious, this book will show how the core practices of spirituality are accessible to all, even if they do not subscribe to a religious belief system. This is a book for anyone who suspects that in the drive towards radical secularism, something valuable has been left behind. Rupert Sheldrake believes that by opening ourselves to the spiritual dimension we may find the strength to live more wholesome and fulfilling lives. Σελίδες: 256, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0626, Διαστάσεις: 15.5x15.5cm

A highly entertaining, myth-busting read for anyone with even a passing interest in science. Hot on the heels of the fascinating compendium Everything You Know About London Is Wrong, this next book in the series, written by author Matt Brown in his trademark humourous style, debunks the scientific myths we all take for granted. Does nothing travel faster than the speed of light? Well, in certain circumstances, a winded tortoise can go faster. Are there actually seven colours in a rainbow? Think again. And our author merrily explains why our hair and nails don\'t keep growing after we die and why chemicals in our diet might not be the toxic threats we are led to believe. Covering everything from pseudoscience to phenomena of physics, scandals of space and scientific misquotes, Everything You Know About Science is Wrong shatters a range of illusions we have accepted unquestioningly since childhood and demystifies this most puzzling of subjects. Σελίδες: 176, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0209, Διαστάσεις: 13.6x13.6cm

A groundbreaking book that will transform how we understand ourselves and our families by revealing that everything we thought we knew about genetics is wrong. Your experiences, no matter how seemingly inconsequential - from bullies to crushes to what you eat for dinner - have all left an indelible mark within you. And more importantly, within your genes.Inheritance is a guidebook for change. No longer do we have to settle for what we\'ve been given. We can write our own story.We\'re taught that we don\'t have much of a choice in the matter of what we get or what we give, because our genetic legacy was fixed when our parents conceived us. But that\'s all wrong. Our genes are constantly on the move, some are turning on while others are turning off, all in response to what you\'re doing, what you\'re seeing, and what you\'re feeling. And all of those things can be changed, which means we can change. Genetically. Σελίδες: 272, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0113, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

‘Probably the most readable, exciting and authoritative writer on science we have. A new Lawrence Krauss book always goes to the top of the curious mind’s wish list.’ Stephen Fry “I loved the fight scenes and the sex scenes were excellent.” (Eric Idle) \'In the span of a century, physics progressed from skepticism that atoms were real to equations so precise we can predict properties of subatomic particles to the tenth decimal place. Lawrence Krauss rightly places this achievement among the greatest of all stories, and his book—at once engaging, poetic and scholarly—tells the story with a scientist’s penetrating insight and a writer’s masterly craft.\' (Brian Greene, author of The Elegant Universe, and Director, Center for Theoretical Physics, Columbia University) \"Unlike some very clever scientists, Lawrence Krauss is not content to bask on the Mount Olympus of modern physics.  A great educator as well as a great physicist, he wants to pull others up the rarefied heights to join him. But unlike some science educators, he doesn’t dumb down. In Einstein’s words, he makes it \'as simple as possible but no simpler.\'\"  (Richard Dawkins, author of The Magic of Reality) “In every debate I’ve done with theologians and religious believers their knock-out final argument always comes in the form of two questions: Why is there something rather than nothing? and Why are we here? The presumption is that if science provides no answers then there must be a God. But God or no, we still want answers. In A Universe From Nothing Lawrence Krauss, one of the biggest thinkers of our time, addressed the first question with verve, and in The Greatest Story Ever Told he tackles the second with elegance. Both volumes should be placed in hotel rooms across America, in the drawer next to the Gideon Bible.\" (Michael Shermer, Publisher Skeptic magazine, columnist Scientific American, Presidential Fellow Chapman University, author The Moral Arc.) \"A Homeric tale of science, history, and philosophy revealing how we learned so much about the universe and its tiniest parts.\" (Sheldon Glashow, Nobel Laureate, 1979 in physics) “The Greatest Story Ever Told—So Far ranges from Galileo to the LHC and beyond. It\'s accessible, illuminating, and surprising—an ideal guide for anyone interested in understanding our accidental universe.” (Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction) “College students, hippies, squares, Christians, Muslims, democrats, republicans, libertarians, theists, even atheists—all of us—sit around BS-ing like: ‘So, how did all this, I mean everything, all of us, the whole universe, you know, man, everything, how did this all get here?’ While we were doing that, Lawrence Krauss and people like him were doing the work to figure it out. Then Krauss wrote this great book about it. ‘Wow, man, you mean, like we’re getting closer to really knowing? I guess we’ll have to go back to talking about politics and sex.’” (Penn Jillette, author of Presto!) “Discovering the bedrock nature of physical reality ranks as one of humanity’s greatest collective achievements. This book gives a fine account of the main ideas and how they emerged. Krauss is himself close to the field, and can offer insights into the personalities who have led the key advances. A practiced and skilled writer, he succeeds in making the physics ‘as simple as possible but no simpler.’ I don’t know a better book on this subject.” (Martin Rees, author of Just Six Numbers) “It is an exhilarating experience to be led through this fascinating story, from Galileo to the Standard Model and the Higgs boson and beyond, with lucid detail and insight, illuminating vividly not only the achievements themselves but also the joy of creative thought and discovery, enriched with vignettes of the remarkable individuals who paved the way.  It amply demonstrates that the discovery that ‘nature really follows the simple and elegant rules intuited by the 20th- and 21st-century versions of Plato’s philosophers’ is one of the most astonishing achievements of the human intellect.” (Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor & Professor of Linguistics (Emeritus), MIT) “Charming...  Krauss has written an account with sweep and verve that shows the full development of our ideas about the makeup of the world around us... A great romp.” (Walter Gilbert, Nobel Award, Chemistry, 1980) “History of science with an edge—humorous, personal, passionate, yet intellectually serious and authoritative.” (Frank Wilczek, Nobel Laureate, Physics)In the beginning there was light but more than this, there was gravity. After that, all hell broke loose... This is how the story of the greatest intellectual adventure in history should be introduced - how humanity reached its current understanding of the universe, one that is far removed from the realm of everyday experience. Krauss connects the world we know with the invisible world all around us, which is removed from intuition and direct sensation. He explains our current understanding of nature and the struggle to construct the greatest theoretical edifice ever assembled, the Standard Model of Particle Physics -- and then to understand its implications for our existence.   Writing in the critically acclaimed style of A Universe from Nothing, Krauss celebrates the beauty and wonders of the natural world and details our place within it and how this shapes our understanding of it. Krauss makes this story accessible through profiles of the scientists responsible for these advances, and clear explanations of their discoveries. Krauss takes us on a tour of science and the brilliant personalities who shaped it, often against political and religious indoctrination, enduring persecution and ostracism. Krauss creates a captivating blend of research and narrative to invite us into the lives and minds of these figures,creating a landmark work of scientific history. Σελίδες: 336, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0125, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

Newsweek and Bloomberg popular science and investigative journalist Bryan Walsh explores the history of extinction and offers a cutting-edge examination of existential risk, the dangerous mistakes we have yet to pay for, and concrete steps we can take to protect ourselves and future-proof our civilization.What is going to cause our extinction?How can we save ourselves and our future?End Times answers the most important questions facing humankindEnd Times is a compelling work of skilled reportage that peels back the layers of complexity around the unthinkable-and inevitable-end of humankind. From asteroids and artificial intelligence to volcanic supereruption to nuclear war, 15-year veteran science reporter and TIME editor Bryan Walsh provides a stunning panoramic view of the most catastrophic threats to the human race.In End Times, Walsh examines threats that emerge from nature and those of our own making: asteroids, supervolcanoes, nuclear war, climate change, disease pandemics, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and extraterrestrial intelligence. Walsh details the true probability of these world-ending catastrophes, the impact on our lives were they to happen, and the best strategies for saving ourselves, all pulled from his rigorous and deeply thoughtful reporting and research.Walsh goes into the room with the men and women whose job it is to imagine the unimaginable. He includes interviews with those on the front lines of prevention, actively working to head off existential threats in biotechnology labs and government hubs. Guided by Walsh\'s evocative, page-turning prose, we follow scientific stars like the asteroid hunters at NASA and the disease detectives on the trail of the next killer virus.Walsh explores the danger of apocalypse in all forms. In the end, it will be the depth of our knowledge, the height of our imagination, and our sheer will to survive that will decide the future. Σελίδες: 416, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0825, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

By 1949, the idea of duplicating human thought processes in a computer was starting to surface, as the outgrowth of code-breaking work done by Alan Turing and others in Britain during the Second World War. This ingenious work of speculative scientific fiction reconstructs what might have been said during the animated conversation flowing around Snow\'s rooms that fateful in Cambridge.The quintet\'s debate anticipates all of the basic questions which have surrounded artificial intelligence in the fifty years since. Can a machine think or merely process information? Is the brain simply a symbol-processing machine, as Turing suggests, and if so, what is the nature of meaning? Can there be, as Wittgenstein proposes, no thought without language, and no language without the social interaction of human beings? Σελίδες: 208, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0125, Διαστάσεις: 12.7x12.7cm

In 1966 a group of highly respected aerospace engineers revealed that US scientists were perfecting ways to control gravity. They predicted a breakthrough would come by the end of the decade, ushering in an era of limitless, clean propulsion for a new breed of fuelless transport systems - and weapons beyond our imagination. Of course it never happened. Or did it? Forty years later a chance encounter with one of the engineers who made that prediction forces a highly sceptical aerospace and defence journalist, Nick Cook, to consider the possibility that America did indeed crack the gravity code - and has covered up ever since. His investigations moved from the corridors of NASA to the dark heartland of America\'s classified weapons establishment, where it became clear that half a century ago, in the dying days of the Third Reich, Nazi scientists were racing to perfect a Pandora\'s Box of high technology that would deliver Germany from defeat. History says that they failed. But the trail that takes Cook deep into the once-impenetrable empire of SS General Hans Kammler - the man charged by Adolf Hitler with perfecting German secret weapons technology - says otherwise. In his pursuit of the true facts behind Kammler, Cook finally establishes the truth: America is determined to hang onto its secrets, but the stakes are enormous and others are now in the race to acquire a suppressed technology. Σελίδες: 432, Διαστάσεις: 11x11cm

One of the BBC\'s most anticipated books for 2024An i-D non-fiction book of 2024A Stylist non-fiction book of 2024\'An essential book\' i-DWhat happens when our cultural and artistic lives are dictated to us by an algorithm? What does it mean when shareability supersedes innovation? How can we make a choice when the options have been so carefully arranged for us? From coffee shops to city grids to TikTok feeds and Netflix homepages the world over, algorithmic recommendations prescribe our experiences. This network of mathematically determined choices - the \'Filterworld\' - has taken over, almost unnoticed, as we\'ve grown accustomed to an insipid new normal. But to have our tastes, behaviours, and emotions governed by computers calls the very notion of free will into question. Internationally recognized journalist and New Yorker staff writer Kyle Chayka journeys through this ever-tightening web woven by algorithms. He explores how online and offline spaces alike have been engineered for seamless consumption. How the lowest common denominator is promoted at the expense of the complex, diverse or challenging. How users of technology contend with data-driven equations that promise to anticipate their desires but often get them wrong. How the FIlterworld is determining the very shape of culture itself. Chayka skilfully and compellingly traces this creeping, machine-guided curation that influences not just what culture we consume, but what culture is produced. In doing so, he attempts to answer to the most urgent question currently facing us: is personal freedom ever again possible on the Internet?Filterworld is a fascinating history of the rise of the algorithm and an important investigation into where it could take us next - if we let it. Σελίδες: 304, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

What is really happening in your brain when you use your phone, and how to harness it.We pick up our phones on average 80 times a day, and approximately a quarter of our waking hours are spent in front of a screen. We self-interrupt our work and social lives, forgo sleep, procrastinate important tasks and opt for digital distraction when we’re bored or feel uncomfortable. Worst-case scenario, we’re told phone use is melting our brains, creating a mental health epidemic and machines are taking over the world.But how much of this is true and what can we do about it?NHS neurology doctor and neuroscientist Faye Begeti explains the science behind why we have formed so many fixed and negative habits around our devices. She reflects on both deliberate choices and automatic behaviours, whilst also challenging myths around digital ‘addiction’, the harmfulness of blue light and how dopamine functions in the brain.Rather than recommending a quick-fix digital diet or abstinence – unviable for most people and pointless given the way our brain works – The Phone Fix offers a practical guide, based on neuroscientific techniques, on building supportive digital habits. Begeti shows that technology is not inherently bad or frightening and that by better understanding what is happening in our brains, we can replenish our willpower and improve our focus, forming a healthier relationship with our phones – and therefore the people around us. Σελίδες: 320, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0902, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

*A brand new and updated edition for 2024, including the latest insights on diet and weight management drugs, gene editing, cancer testing, anti-ageing, ultra-processed foods and much more*Professor Tim Spector, number one bestselling author of SPOON FED and FOOD FOR LIFE, reveals the astonishing new science that is changing everything we thought we knew about genes and identity.Since the discovery of DNA, scientists have believed that genes are fixed entities that cannot be changed by environment. Spector\'s pioneering epigenetics studies, and the latest genetic research, show that our genes are more like plastic, able to change shape and evolve, and these changes can be passed on to future generations.This dazzling guide to the hidden world of our genes will make you rethink everything from sexuality to religion, cancer to autism, politics to pubic hair, clones to bacteria, and what it is that makes us all so unique and quintessentially human.Tim Spector\'s book turns genetics on its head. Lucid, surprising and with a very human face. It brings epigenetics alive. It is a great read! Michael Mosley Σελίδες: 352, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0225, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

A TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR\'Engaging and visceral ... Reads like a thriller\' Financial Times\'Riveting and often deeply disturbing ... A punch to the stomach\' Sunday Times\'Ebner has done some gutsy, thought-provoking research\' Sunday Telegraph\'Fascinating and important\' SpectatorBy day, Julia Ebner works at a counter-extremism think tank, monitoring radical groups from the outside. But two years ago, she began to feel she was only seeing half the picture; she needed to get inside the groups to truly understand them. She decided to go undercover in her spare hours – late nights, holidays, weekends – adopting five different identities, and joining a dozen extremist groups from across the ideological spectrum. Her journey would take her from a Generation Identity global strategy meeting in a pub in Mayfair, to a Neo-Nazi Music Festival on the border of Germany and Poland. She would get relationship advice from ‘Trad Wives’ and Jihadi Brides and hacking lessons from ISIS. She was in the channels when the alt-right began planning the lethal Charlottesville rally, and spent time in the networks that would radicalise the Christchurch terrorist. In Going Dark, Ebner takes the reader on a deeply compulsive journey into the darkest recesses of extremist thinking, exposing how closely we are surrounded by their fanatical ideology every day, the changing nature and practice of these groups, and what is being done to counter them. Σελίδες: 368, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0702, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

\'An original, provocative and fascinating new theory by one of the world\'s leading neuroscientists about why the mind wanders - and when and why it\'s good for you\' Daniel GilbertYour brain is noisy. Certain regions are always grinding away at involuntary activities like daydreaming and intrusive thoughts – taking up to forty-seven percent of your waking time. This is mindwandering. Mindwandering is the first popular book to explore the phenomenon of our wandering minds and the cutting-edge new research behind it. Cognitive neuroscientist Moshe Bar combines his decades of research to explain the benefits and the possible cost of mindwandering within the broader context of psychology, neuroscience, psychiatry and philosophy. He provides you with practical knowledge that can help strengthen your relationships with others, increase your concentration at work and reduce your anxiety.\'Bar\'s revelatory, pioneering studies are finally available for everyone to enjoy, so we can optimally direct our states of mind to better align with the moment\' David Eagleman, New York Times-bestselling author of Incognito and Livewired\'Highlights the role of mindwandering in solving problems, inducing happiness and in teaching us to bring the right mind to the right time\' Dr Nancy Etcoff, psychologist at Harvard Medical School\'A gentle and humane book that should be read by everyone interested in the human mind and the human brain\' Andy Clark, Professor of Cognitive Philosophy, University of Sussex Σελίδες: 272, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0404, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

\'LOEB IS AN ASTRONOMICAL SHERLOCK HOLMES\' Washington Post\'A JOY IN CONJECTURE AND AN OMNIVOROUS SPIRIT OF INQUIRY. . . CARL SAGAN WOULD HAVE LIKED THIS BOOK\' The Times In 2017, Avi Loeb, Chair of Harvard\'s Astronomy Department, went public with a theory that shook the scientific community - our solar system has been visited by advanced alien technology. His provocative and persuasive argument (and internationally bestselling book Extraterrestrial) has opened thousands of minds to the existence of intelligent life beyond Earth. This book tackles the huge question of what happens next?Long the stuff of science-fiction, here at last is the science fact. From advances in deep space probes to ongoing searches for extraterrestrial technology in our night sky, through the latest heated debates over the existence of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, Interstellar offers a thrilling, front-row view of the technology and the ideas currently preparing us for contact with alien civilizations. Providing the first realistic and practical blueprint for how that might actually occur, Professor Loeb lays out the profound implications of our becoming - or not becoming - an interstellar species. In an urgent, eloquent appeal for more proactive engagement with the outer universe, 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, Loeb takes us on a mind-bending journey through the furthest reaches of science, space-time, and the human imagination. Interstellar is an eye-opening, necessary look at our future that proves, once again, that scientific curiosity offers the key to our survival.\'Loeb is surely correct. . . scientists studying the vastness of the cosmos should entertain risky ideas more often, for the universe is undoubtedly more wild and unexpected than any extremes conjured by the human imagination\' Economist\'A COMPELLING ARGUMENT FOR A MORE OPEN-MINDED APPROACH TO SCIENCE - A COMBINATION OF HUMILITY AND WONDER\' New Statesman Σελίδες: 256, Έτος Έκδοσης: 1126, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE CASE FOR KETO The shocking truth about sugar: backed by powerful lobbies, entrenched in our lives, and making us very sick indeed. \'Gary Taubes is the best writer on nutrition science in the world. Anyone seeking to understand the role of sugar in our diets should read this book\' Ian Leslie, author of Curious Obesity and diabetes are worldwide epidemics. Evidence increasingly shows that these illnesses are linked to the other major Western diseases: hypertension, heart disease, even Alzheimer\'s and cancer, and that shockingly, sugar is likely the single root cause. Yet the nutritional advice we receive from public health bodies is dangerously out of date. With expert science and compelling storytelling, Gary Taubes investigates the history of nutritional science which, shaped by a handful of charismatic and misguided individuals, has for a hundred years denied the true impact of sugar on our health. He exposes the powerful influence of the food industry and delves into the science of sugar, and finds that its addictive pleasures are resulting in worldwide consumption as never experienced before, to devastating effect. The Case Against Sugar is a revelatory read which will fundamentally change the way we eat. \'Hard-hitting and important... you will find yourself looking at the packet of golden caster in your cupboard and the elderflower cordial in your fridge with new suspicion\' Sunday Times Σελίδες: 384, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

The con artist: from Bernie Madoff to Clark Rockefeller to Lance Armstrong. How do they get away with it? And what keeps us falling for them, over and over again? In The Confidence Game, Maria Konnikova investigates the psychological principles that underlie each stage of the swindle, from the put-up all the way to the fix, and how we can train ourselves to spot a story that isn\'t all it seems. Σελίδες: 352, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERSHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZELONGLISTED FOR THE WELLCOME PRIZEALL IN THE MIND? - Can meditation fend off dementia? - Can the smell of lavender affect the immune system? - Can your thoughts ease physical pain? In Cure, award-winning science writer Jo Marchant travels the world to meet the physicians, patients and researchers on the cutting edge of mind-body medicine, asking how the brain can heal the body and how we can all make changes to keep ourselves healthier. Σελίδες: 384, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

RECOMMENDED AS ONE OF THE TIMES\' BEST SCIENCE BOOKS OF 2021\'With all the talk about testosterone in sex, sports and politics, we need a good explanation of the science and its implications, and this one is outstanding.\' STEVEN PINKER, bestselling author of The Blank Slate\'There are whole books written about the idea that behavioural sex differences are a societal construct and how a male hormone we know influences animal behaviour somehow doesn\'t influence us. Hooven\'s book is a riposte to that silliness - and also a defence of a hormone that isn\'t just about aggression.\' TOM WHIPPLE, THE TIMES, BEST SCIENCE BOOKS OF 2021\'Fascinating, vital, unputdownable.\' JULIE BINDEL\'The definitive book on testosterone . . . A brave and significant book . . . simply fascinating and filled with extraordinary facts.\' EVENING STANDARD\'Testosterone does what all superb popular science must do: it entertains as it educates.\' THE WALL STREET JOURNALThrough riveting personal stories and the latest research, Harvard evolutionary biologist Carole Hooven shows how testosterone drives the behaviour of the sexes apart and how understanding the science behind this hormone is empowering for all.The biological source of masculinity has inspired fascination, investigation and controversy since antiquity. From the eunuchs in the royal courts of ancient China to the booming market for \'elixirs\' of youth in nineteenth-century Europe, humans have been obsessed with identifying and manipulating what we now know as testosterone. And the trend shows no signs of slowing down. Thanks to this history and the methods of modern science, today we have a rich body of research about testosterone\'s effects in both men and women.The science is clear: testosterone is a major, invisible player in our relationships, sex lives, athletic abilities, childhood play, gender transitions, parenting roles, violent crime, and so much more. But there is still a lot of pushback to the idea that it does, in fact, contribute to sex differences and significantly influence behaviour.Hooven argues that acknowledging testosterone as a potent force in society doesn\'t reinforce stifling gender norms or patriarchal values. Testosterone and evolution work together to produce a huge variety of human behaviour, and that includes a multitude of ways to be masculine and feminine.Understanding the science sheds light on how we work and relate to one another, how we express anger and love, and how we fight bias and problematic behaviour to build a fairer society.\'One of the most compelling books on human behaviour I\'ve ever read. Testosterone is a scientific mystery story told with insight, intelligence and panache.\' DANIEL GILBERT, Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Stumbling on Happiness\'Science writing at its best: intriguing, personal, bold, persuasive, and most importantly, transparent. Her gripping account will fascinate, whether you\'re a teenager in the throes of puberty or are just curious about the nature of sex and gender - one of the most important debates of our time.\' RICHARD WRANGHAM, author of The Goodness Paradox\'A fascinating, brave, and brilliant book - the best I\'ve read on the topic.\' STEVE STEWART-WILLIAMS, author of The Ape that Understood the Universe\'A superb and engaging book that delivers the unfiltered truth about testosterone, sex and sex differences, told with clarity and compassion.\' DANIEL E. LIEBERMAN, author of Exercised\'With wit and warmth, Hooven lucidly lays out a formidable scientific case for how and why the sexes are different. Boldly confronting contemporary gender issues, Testosterone speaks directly to why getting human nature right matters for making the world a better place.\' JOE HENRICH, professor of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University and author of The Secret of Our Success\'An approachable introduction to an often misunderstood aspect of human biology.\' Publishers Weekly\'Carole Hooven\'s account ... is subtle, nuanced, and written with the sure touch of a natural storyteller ...Her commitment to science - to good science - is resolute.\' LUKE SLATTERY, WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN\'It is a book I couldn\'t put down. Beautifully written and goes into excellent but largely understandable detail regarding scientific information.\' Steph Richards, co-founder of Steph\'s Place UK, a trans-led human rights organisation Σελίδες: 352, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0726, Διαστάσεις: 12.6x12.6cm

Sam Harris\'s first book, The End of Faith, ignited a worldwide debate about the validity of religion. In the aftermath, Harris discovered that most people - from religious fundamentalists to nonbelieving scientists - agree on one point: science has nothing to say on the subject of human values. Indeed, our failure to address questions of meaning and morality through science has now become the primary justification for religious faith.In this highly controversial book, Sam Harris seeks to link morality to the rest of human knowledge. Defining morality in terms of human and animal well-being, Harris argues that science can do more than tell how we are; it can, in principle, tell us how we ought to be. In his view, moral relativism is simply false - and comes at an increasing cost to humanity. And the intrusions of religion into the sphere of human values can be finally repelled: for just as there is no such thing as Christian physics or Muslim algebra, there can be no Christian or Muslim morality. Using his expertise in philosophy and neuroscience, along with his experience on the front lines of our \'culture wars\', Harris delivers a game-changing book about the future of science and about the real basis of human cooperation. Σελίδες: 384, Διαστάσεις: 12.7x12.7cm

A Guardian Science Book of the Year 2022 ‘When science hits the headlines, Fiona Fox ... is at the heart of the action’ Financial Times ‘This is how to talk about science’ Justin Webb Do you remember the ‘Climategate’ email leak? Or the ‘Frankenfood’-style headlines about the perils of GM foods? What about the time the government sacked its own science advisor for challenging drug laws? Beyond the Hype takes us behind the scenes of some of the most contentious stories in science over the past two decades. From animal research and genetically modified foods to hybrid embryos and a global pandemic, it demonstrates the vital importance of scientists talking to the media – and warns of the damage to public understanding when scientists are silenced on the defining issues of our times PRAISE FOR BEYOND THE HYPE ‘The way the media covers science stories and breakthroughs has never been more important or relevant . . . This book should be recommended reading’ Jim Al-Khalili, presenter of The Life Scientific ‘The pandemic has repeatedly shown the vital necessity for accurate reporting of science . . . Fox provides some riveting stories about the ups and downs of this continuing struggle.’ David Spiegelhalter, author of The Art of Statistics ‘Engaging, illuminating, important’ Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, Director of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism ‘A vivid account of how journalists and scientists interact’ David Willetts, former Minister for Universities and Science ‘A lively insider’s account’ Times Literary Supplement ‘A candid inside account . . . [Fox] reveals how frontline science can be just as messy, complex and feudal as any political drama.’ Anjana Ahuja, co-author of Spike: The Virus Versus the People Σελίδες: 288, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0717, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

OUT NOW: the new book from the bestselling authors and hosts of the wildy popular \'The Skeptics Guide to the Universe\'__________Our predictions of the future are a wild fantasy, inextricably linked to our present hopes and fears, biases and ignorance. Whether they be the outlandish leaps predicted in the 1920s, like multi-purpose utility belts with climate control capabilities and planes the size of luxury cruise ships, or the forecasts of the \'60s, which didn\'t anticipate the sexual revolution or women\'s liberation, the path to the present is littered with failed predictions and incorrect estimations.The best we can do is try to absorb from futurism\'s checkered past, perhaps learning to do a little better.In The Skeptics\' Guide To The Future, Steven Novella and his co-authors build upon the work of futurists of the past by examining what they got right, what they got wrong, and how they came to those conclusions. By exploring the pitfalls of each era, they give their own speculations about the distant future, transformed by unbelievable technology ranging from genetic manipulation to artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Applying their trademark skepticism, they carefully extrapolate upon each scientific development, leaving no stone unturned as they lay out a vision for the future of tomorrow.__________ Σελίδες: 432, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0928, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

Thought the science of the future was all hoverboards and space travel? Think again. Every day, scientists come up with the ingenious solutions and surprising discoveries that will define our future. So here, Jim Al-Khalili and his crack team of experts bin the crystal ball and use cutting-edge science to get a glimpse of what\'s in store. From whether teleportation is really possible (spoiler: it is), to what we\'ll do if artificial intelligence takes over, What\'s Next? takes on the big questions. And along the way, it\'ll answer questions like: Will we find a cure to all diseases? An answer to climate change? Will bionics make us into superheroes? Touching on everything from genetics to transport, and nanotechnology to teleportation, What\'s Next? is a fascinating, fun and informative look at what\'s in store for the human race. Σελίδες: 256, Έτος Έκδοσης: 1005, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

Uncle Tungsten radiates all the delight and wonder of a boy’s adventures, and is an unforgettable portrait of an extraordinary young mind.Oliver Sacks evokes, with warmth and wit, his upbringing in wartime England. He tells of the large science-steeped family who fostered his early fascination with chemistry. There follow his years at boarding school where, though unhappy, he developed the intellectual curiosity that would shape his later life. And we hear of his return to London, an emotionally bereft ten-year-old who found solace in his passion for learning. ‘If you did not think that gallium and iridium could move you, this superb book will change your mind’ – The Times Σελίδες: 352, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0926, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

Science starts to get interesting when things don\'t make sense. Even today there are experimental results that the most brilliant scientists can neither explain nor dismiss. In the past, similar anomalies have revolutionised our world: in the sixteenth century, a set of celestial irregularities led Copernicus to realise that the Earth goes around the sun and not the reverse. In 13 Things That Don\'t Make Sense Michael Brooks meets thirteen modern-day anomalies that may become tomorrow\'s breakthroughs. Is ninety six percent of the universe missing? If no study has ever been able to definitively show that the placebo effect works, why has it become a pillar of medical science? Was the 1977 signal from outer space a transmission from an alien civilization? Spanning fields from chemistry to cosmology, psychology to physics, Michael Brooks thrillingly captures the excitement and controversy of the scientific unknown. Σελίδες: 256, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

\'Engaging and hopeful\' New Scientist A fascinating exploration of how losing our sense of smell can shape our world, and how the global pandemic transformed our understanding of this mysterious sense. When award-winning reporter Paola Totaro lost her sense of smell to Covid in March 2020, her world changed and dulled in an instant. Trapped in a sensory vacuum without fragrance or flavour, she embarked on a journey of discovery to unravel the mysteries – and eccentricities – of the fifth sense. Our sense of smell shapes our everyday experiences in ways we often don’t even notice. Its loss can affect our emotional wellbeing, our relationships, our ability to interpret the world around us – and yet it has long been regarded as the least important of our senses. But almost overnight, Covid changed everything. As it became clear that loss of smell was a key symptom and the number of sufferers exploded, olfactory researchers suddenly found themselves thrust into the spotlight, with more attention, subjects and funding than ever before. On the Scent is the story of a quest for answers, from the theories of ancient philosophers to the cutting-edge laboratories of 21st century neuroscience. It looks at the extraordinary experiences of patients and scientists alike, offering a unique glimpse into the world of those born without smell as well as those who lose it; exploring how smell can be a key indicator of declining physical health; and showing how new research may offer hope to the millions of people worldwide who have suffered sensory loss.   \"An enthralling, elegantly written, and poignant exploration of our most neglected sense, one whose role in human life – in memory, emotion, attachment – has suddenly been made vivid by loss.”  Peter Godfrey-Smith, author of the bestselling OTHER MINDS   \"Such an engaging and pleasurable read which should do a lot to lift smell out of the shadows ... packed with insights and observations that bring this topic to life for everyone\" Professor Barry Smith, Centre for the Study of the Senses, University of London   \"Destined to be a bible for anyone who has lost their sense of smell, whether from Covid or not\" Chrissi Kelly, AbScent Σελίδες: 320, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0621, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

An extraordinarily brave and moving memoir from one of the world\'s most famous whistle-blowers, activists and trans women.In 2013, Chelsea Manning was sentenced to thirty-five years in military prison for the largest leak of classified documents in history. The next day, Chelsea declared her gender identity as a woman and began to transition.In this radically candid memoir, Chelsea recounts how her challenging youth led her to join the US Army. She writes of the fierce pride she took in her work, the risks of the military\'s queer underground and the wider culture of silence and unaccountability. She describes fifty-nine days locked in an iron cage after her fateful decision and the community of solidarity she later discovered in prison. Above all, we see the phenomenal courage and resilience it took to survive and become a global advocate for transparency.\'A terrific read, full of unexpected turns and details that counter many of the assumptions made about Manning\' GUARDIAN \'Brilliantly told\' THE TIMES\'Searing...uplifting...redemptive\' NEW YORK TIMES\'A full and expansive account of Manning\'s life, one which is often harrowing but funny and poignant too\' DAZED Σελίδες: 272, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

Financial Times Book of the Year Telegraph Top 50 Books of the Year Guardian Book of the Year New Statesman Book of the Year ‘Roundly debunks racism’s core lie – that inequality is to do with genetics, rather than political power’ Reni Eddo-Lodge Where did the idea of race come from, and what does it mean? In an age of identity politics, DNA ancestry testing and the rise of the far-right, a belief in biological differences between populations is experiencing a resurgence. The truth is: race is a social construct. Our problem is we find this hard to believe. In Superior, award-winning author Angela Saini investigates the concept of race, from its origins to the present day. Engaging with geneticists, anthropologists, historians and social scientists from across the globe, Superior is a rigorous, much needed examination of the insidious and destructive nature of the belief that race is real, and that some groups of people are superior to others. Σελίδες: 352, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER\'Nerd royalty\' BEN GOLDACRE \'Totally brilliant\' TIM HARFORD\'Required reading across the world\' NEW YORK TIMESFrom the creator of the wildly popular xkcd.com, hilarious and informative answers to important questions you probably never thought to ask.Millions visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe\'s iconic webcomic. Fans ask him a lot of strange questions: How fast can you hit a speed bump, driving, and live? When (if ever) did the sun go down on the British Empire? When will Facebook contain more profiles of dead people than living? How many humans would a T Rex rampaging through New York need to eat a day?In pursuit of answers, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves differential equations and consults nuclear reactor operators. His responses are masterpieces of clarity and hilarity, complemented by comics. They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind, or at least a really big explosion. Σελίδες: 336, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0804, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

**Winner of the Transmission Prize 2019**THE OLD GODS ARE DYING.Giant corporations collapse overnight. Newspapers are being swallowed. Stock prices plummet with a tweet.NEW IDOLS ARE RISING IN THEIR PLACE. More crime now happens online than offline. Facebook has grown bigger than any state, bots battle elections, coders write policy, and algorithms shape our lives in more ways than we can imagine. The Death of the Gods is an exploration of power in the digital age, and a journey in search of the new centres of control. From a cyber-crime raid in British suburbia to the engine rooms of Silicon Valley, pioneering technology researcher Carl Miller traces how power is being transformed, fought over, lost and won. ‘A timely and incisive book that grapples with some of the most significant issues of our time.’ Wired\'Uncovers the fascinating and often hidden characters that are changing the world. Essential reading.\' Jamie Bartlett, author of The People vs Tech‘A magisterial guide to the impact of the digital revolution on our institutions and our lives.’ Anthony Giddens Σελίδες: 400, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm