BookOdyssey

If the world as we know it ended tomorrow, how would you survive?A nuclear war, viral pandemic or asteroid strike. The world as we know it has ended. You and the other survivors must start again. What knowledge would you need to start rebuilding civilisation from scratch?How do you grow food, generate power, prepare medicines, or get metal out of rocks? Could you avert another Dark Ages, or take shortcuts to accelerate redevelopment? Living in the modern world, we have become disconnected from the basic processes and key fundamentals of science that sustain our lives.Ingenious and groundbreaking, The Knowledge explains everything you need to know about everything, revolutionising your understanding of the world. ‘A glorious compendium of the knowledge we have lost in the living…the most inspiring book I’ve read in a long time’ Independent ‘A terrifically engrossing history of science and technology’ Guardianhttp://the-knowledge.org/ Σελίδες: 352, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

An irresistible stocking-filler: a hilarious romp through the science of Christmas.How does snow form? Why are we always depressed after Christmas? How does Santa manage to deliver all those presents in one night? (He has, in fact, little over two ten-thousandths of a second to get between each of the 842 million households he must visit.) This book contains information on how drugs might make us see flying reindeer, how pollution is affecting the shape of Christmas trees and the intriguing correlation between the length of our Christmas card list and brain size. Σελίδες: 352, Διαστάσεις: 13.3x13.3cm

Did you know that stars are seasonal? That Orion is one of the brightest constellations? That a single day on Venus is longer than an entire year on Venus? Space has captivated mankind since the beginning of time. Fifty years ago, Neil Armstrong became the first man to step on the moon and since then our knowledge of astronomy has continued to expand. With so many mysteries yet to be solved, science journalist Abigail Beall takes readers on an astonishing journey though the landscape of space. In The Art of Urban Astronomy, you will be guided through the seasons and learn about the brightest stars and constellations, the myths and legends of astronomy and how to identify star clusters and galaxies with just your eyes or a pair of binoculars. For urban dwellers wrapped up in the rush and bustle of the city, it can be calming and truly valuable to take the time simply to stop, look and reconnect with nature. Packed full of seasonal star charts, constellation charts and fascinating facts, this is the perfect guide for those who have looked up at the night sky and don\'t know where to begin. After reading this book, you\'ll never look up in the same way again. Σελίδες: 224, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0709, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

There is currently huge interest in the question of human nature and identity, and what the human future might look like. Who are we? Why are we here? What is our future? Are we alone? And what can religion bring, alongside biology and anthropology, to these important and exciting questions?The Great Mystery focuses on this fascinating field of study. Alister McGrath, bestselling author and Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University, explores the question of human nature from both scientific and religious perspectives, and weaves together the results to open up and explore some of the deepest and most important questions about who we are, why we matter, and what our future might be. A follow-up to his critically acclaimed Inventing the Universe, in The Great Mystery Alister McGrath once again brings together science with religion to yield an enriched vision of reality, along with rigorous and thoroughly up-to-date scholarship and intellectual accessibility. Σελίδες: 256, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0503, Διαστάσεις: 13.1x13.1cm

Science is a serious business, right? Wrong. Scientists have been participants in the best reality show of all time, with all the highs, lows, bust-ups, and strange personalities of any show on telly today. From Luke O\'Neill - the science teacher you wish you\'d had - this hugely accessible history of science reveals the human stories behind the biggest discoveries.For example, we meet Charles Darwin as he weighs up the pros and cons of marrying his cousin: \'constant companion\' vs \'less money for books\'. Tough call.To Boldly Go Where No Book Has Gone Before covers everything from space travel and evolution to alchemy and AI. Written by one of our leading scientists, this is an insider\'s account that celebrates the joy of science. It is filled with all the juicy bits that other histories leave out. Σελίδες: 368, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

Σελίδες: 224, Έτος Έκδοσης: 1011, Διαστάσεις: 13.5x13.5cm

Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American, invented the radio, the induction motor, the neon lamp and the remote control. His breakthrough came in alternating current, which pitted him against Thomas Edison’s direct current empire and bitter patent battles ensued. But Tesla’s technology was superior and he prevailed. He had no business sense, could not capitalise on this success and his most advanced ideas were unrecognised for decades. Tesla’s personal life was magnificently bizarre. Strikingly handsome, he was germophobic and never shook hands. He required nine napkins when he sat down to dinner. In later years he ate only white food and conversed with the pigeons in Bryant Park. This authoritative and highly readable biography takes account of all phases of this remarkable life. Σελίδες: 336, Διαστάσεις: 14x14cm

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 ANDRÉ SIMON FOOD & DRINK BOOK AWARDS\'Like a new Bill Bryson, she offers an easy sharing of deep knowledge, with humour, where one learns things in a gentle way without it feeling like learning.\' Dan Jago, judge of the André Simon Food & Drink Book Awards\'Hot or cold, caffeinated, alcoholic, sweet or not, this book provides a fascinating cultural history of our favourite drinks, and explores the science (or not) underpinning their many health claims. A wonderful read!\'Dr Giles Yeo, author of Gene Eating\'A truly engaging read. By dispelling common health misconceptions and debunking bad science, Drinkology arms us with information to make better choices about what we drink, not just what we eat.\'Ian Marber\'Very engaging and entertaining . . . a clear guide to everything we need to know about drinks, from water to milk, tea, alcohol and beyond. Dr Willett dispels common myths and fads and sets the record straight . . . allowing us to make fully informed choices. A fascinating deep dive into the science behind everything we drink.\'Elisabeth Cresta and Caroline Day, founders of Fight the Fads Do you really know what you are drinking? Are you sure? We all consume many drinks every day, often without thinking. Perhaps we\'re just thirsty, perhaps we need something to wake us up, perhaps we need something to relax us at the end of the day. But have you ever stopped to wonder what exactly is in that chai latte you\'re guzzling or just what those added electrolytes in your bottled water are supposed to do? Whether it\'s a simple glass of water or early morning espresso, the finest champagne or energy drink the morning after, all drinks have an impact on our body in one way or another. Drinkology distils the scientific evidence to see if we can get to the bottom of questions, such as:Is a regular glass of wine good for our health or not?Should we worry about energy drinks?Is fluoride in our tap water harmful?How do non-dairy milks compare with each other?What\'s the secret to the perfect cup of tea?Are fermented drinks and probiotics the answer to all our worries?Is there such a thing as a \'superdrink\'?Whether you want to discover the true benefits of wellness drinks, find out if sulphites in wine really cause headaches, or are just sick of the pseudoscience behind the marketing of what we consume, this book is for you. Drinkology is a scientific digest of many of the world\'s most popular beverages and may just change the way you drink. Σελίδες: 320, Έτος Έκδοσης: 1112, Διαστάσεις: 15.2x15.2cm

In one hundred lean and incisive statements, Douglas Rushkoff argues that we are essentially social creatures and that we achieve our greatest aspirations when we work together—not as individuals. Yet today society is threatened by a vast antihuman infrastructure that undermines our ability to connect. Money, once a means of exchange, is now a means of exploitation; education, conceived as a way to elevate the working class, has become another assembly line; and the internet has only further divided us into increasingly atomised and radicalised groups. Team Human delivers a call to arms. If we are to resist and survive these destructive forces, we must recognise that being human is a team sport. In Rushkoff’s own words: “Being social may be the whole point”. Harnessing wide-ranging research on human evolution, biology and psychology, Rushkoff shows that when we work together we realise greater happiness, productivity and peace. If we can find others who understand this fundamental truth and reassert our humanity—together—we can make the world a better place to be human. Σελίδες: 256, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0212, Διαστάσεις: 13.7x13.7cm

Humans are extraordinary creatures, with the unique ability among animals to imitate and so copy from one another ideas, habits, skills, behaviours, inventions, songs, and stories. These are all memes, a term first coined by Richard Dawkins in 1976 in his book The Selfish Gene. Memes, like genes, are replicators, and this enthralling book is an investigation of whether this link between genes and memes can lead to important discoveries about the nature of the inner self. Confronting the deepest questions about our inner selves, with all our emotions, memories, beliefs, and decisions, Susan Blackmore makes a compelling case for the theory that the inner self is merely an illusion created by the memes for the sake of replication. Σελίδες: 288, Διαστάσεις: 12.7x12.7cm

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: 0430, Διαστάσεις: 15.3x15.3cm

From the mid-eighteenth century to the early twentieth, a colorful band of amateur naturalists explored the most perilous corners of the planet to discover new life-forms. Amid globe-spanning tales of adventure, Richard Conniff recounts a dramatic historical shift, as humans finally discovered the pantheon of life on Earth-and our place within it. Σελίδες: 464, Έτος Έκδοσης: 1118, Διαστάσεις: 14x14cm

What are we not seeing?Our naked eyes see only a thin sliver of reality. We are blind in comparison to the x-rays that peer through skin, the mass spectrometers that detect the dead inside the living, or the high-tech surveillance systems that see with artificial intelligence.And we are blind compared to the animals that can see in infrared, or ultraviolet, or with 360-degree vision. These animals live in the same world we do, but they see something quite different when they look around. In The Reality Bubble, Ziya Tong illuminates this hidden world and takes us on a journey to examine ten of humanity\'s biggest blind spots. What she reveals is not on the things we didn\'t evolve to see but, more dangerously, the blindness of modern society. Fast-paced, utterly fascinating and deeply humane, this vitally important new book gives voice to the sense we\'ve all had - that there is more to the world than meets the eye. Σελίδες: 384, Διαστάσεις: 13.5x13.5cm

The Short Story of the Universe is a new introduction to the subject of the universe. Covering 130 key components that make it up - from dwarf galaxies and spiral arms to red giants and the planets of the solar sytem - and linking these to the universe\'s structure and the theories that help us understand it, this book simplifies this riveting yet mind-boggling subject, telling the story of how it came into being and how it will eventually be no more. Accessible and concise, generously illustrated throughout, and with all the essential information presented without jargon, readers are given all the tools they need to enjoy the fascinating history of the deepest depths of the universe. Σελίδες: 224, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0830, Διαστάσεις: 15x15cm

The U.S. scientific community has long led the world in research on such areas as public health, environmental science, and issues affecting quality of life. Our scientists have produced landmark studies on the dangers of DDT, tobacco smoke, acid rain, and global warming. But at the same time, a small yet potent subset of this community leads the world in vehement denial of these dangers.Merchants of Doubt tells the story of how a loose-knit group of high-level scientists and scientific advisers, with deep connections in politics and industry, ran effective campaigns to mislead the public and deny well-established scientific knowledge over four decades. Remarkably, the same individuals surface repeatedly - some of the same figures who have claimed that the science of global warming is \"not settled\" denied the truth of studies linking smoking to lung cancer, coal smoke to acid rain, and CFCs to the ozone hole. \"Doubt is our product,\" wrote one tobacco executive. These \'experts\' supplied it. Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway, historians of science, roll back the rug on this dark corner of the American scientific community, showing how ideology and corporate interests, aided by a too-compliant media, have skewed public understanding of some of the most pressing issues of our era. Σελίδες: 368, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0701, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

WINNER OF THE 2015 COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARDWINNER OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2016\'A thrilling adventure story\' Bill Bryson\'Dazzling\' Literary Review \'Brilliant\' Sunday Express\'Extraordinary and gripping\' New Scientist\'A superb biography\' The Economist\'An exhilarating armchair voyage\' GILES MILTON, Mail on Sunday Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) is the great lost scientist - more things are named after him than anyone else. There are towns, rivers, mountain ranges, the ocean current that runs along the South American coast, there\'s a penguin, a giant squid - even the Mare Humboldtianum on the moon. His colourful adventures read like something out of a Boy\'s Own story: Humboldt explored deep into the rainforest, climbed the world\'s highest volcanoes and inspired princes and presidents, scientists and poets alike. Napoleon was jealous of him; Simon Bolívar\'s revolution was fuelled by his ideas; Darwin set sail on the Beagle because of Humboldt; and Jules Verne\'s Captain Nemo owned all his many books. He simply was, as one contemporary put it, \'the greatest man since the Deluge\'.Taking us on a fantastic voyage in his footsteps - racing across anthrax-infected Russia or mapping tropical rivers alive with crocodiles - Andrea Wulf shows why his life and ideas remain so important today. Humboldt predicted human-induced climate change as early as 1800, and The Invention of Nature traces his ideas as they go on to revolutionize and shape science, conservation, nature writing, politics, art and the theory of evolution. He wanted to know and understand everything and his way of thinking was so far ahead of his time that it\'s only coming into its own now. Alexander von Humboldt really did invent the way we see nature. Σελίδες: 496, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0531, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

In Pathfinders: The Golden Age of Arabic Science, Jim al-Khalili celebrates the forgotten pioneers who helped shape our understanding of the world. For over 700 years the international language of science was Arabic. Surveying the golden age of Arabic science, Jim Al-Khalili reintroduces such figures as the Iraqi physicist Ibn al-Haytham, who practised the modern scientific method over half a century before Bacon; al-Khwarizmi, the greatest mathematician of the medieval world; and Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, a Persian polymath to rival Leonardo da Vinci. \'Jim Al-Khalili has a passion for bringing to a wider audience not just the facts of science but its history ... Just as the legacy of Copernicus and Darwin belongs to all of us, so does that of Ibn Sina and Ibn al-Haytham\'  Independent \'He has brought a great story out of the shadows\'   Literary Review \'His command of Arabic and mathematical physics invests his story with sympathy as well as authority\'   Guardian \'A fascinating and user-friendly guide\'   Sunday Telegraph \'This captivating book is a timely reminder of the debt owed by the West to the intellectual achievements of Arab, Persian and Muslim scholars\'   The Times Jim Al-Khalili OBE is Professor of Physics at the University of Surrey, where he also holds the first Surrey chair in the public engagement in science. He was awarded the Royal Society Michael Faraday Prize for science communication in 2007, elected Honorary Fellow of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and has also received the Institute of Physic\'s Public Awareness of Physics Award. Born in Baghdad, Jim was educated in Iraq until the age of 16 and it was there, being taught by Arabic teachers in Arabic that he first heard and learnt about the great Arab scientists and philosophers. Σελίδες: 352, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

Edited and introduced by Bill Bryson, with contributions from Richard Dawkins, Margaret Atwood, Richard Holmes, Martin Rees, Richard Fortey, Steve Jones, James Gleick and Neal Stephenson amongst others, this beautiful, lavishly illustrated book tells the story of science and the Royal Society, from 1660 to the present. Since its inception in 1660, the Royal Society has pioneered scientific discovery and exploration. The oldest scientific academy in existence, its backbone is its Fellowship of the most eminent scientists in history including Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. Today, its Fellows are the most influential men and women in science, many of whom have contributed to this ground-breaking volume alongside some of the world’s most celebrated novelists, essayists and historians. This book celebrates the Royal Society\'s vast achievements in its illustrious past as well as its huge contribution to the development of modern science. With unrestricted access to the Society\'s archives and photographs, Seeing Further shows that the history of scientific endeavour and discovery is a continuous thread running through the history of the world and of society – and is one that continues to shape the world we live in today. Σελίδες: 464, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

This book is about how the wonderful diversity of the universe can arise out of a set of fairly simple basic laws. It is written by an expert in both the fundamental laws and the complex structures that they can produce.\' Stephen Hawking\'s acclaim of Murray Gell-Mann\'s literary debut is typical of the reception the book received on first publication in 1994.From one of the twentieth century\'s greatest scientists comes this unique, highly personal vision of the connections between the basic laws of physics and the complexity and diversity of the natural world. THE QUARK AND THE JAGUAR - the simple and the complex - is an irresistibly engaging and rewarding introduction to the life\'s work of physicist, polymath and Nobel Laureate Murray Gell-Mann. Σελίδες: 416, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

Winner of the Aventis Science Book Prize. \'A scientific detective story, a brilliant cross between Edgar Allan Poe and Gray\'s anatomy\' J G Ballard, New Stateman Books of the Year\'Fascinating\' New Scientist\'Wonderful\' Nature- What is the connection between Paul McCartney, Leonardo Da Vinci and Babe Ruth?- Why are parrots and peacocks left-footed?- Do left-handers behave differently from right-handers?- Why are most people right-handed?- Why are all muppets left-handed?- Why is the heart on the left-hand side of the body?- Why is each side of the human brain so different?RIGHT HAND, LEFT HAND uses sources as diverse as the paintings of Rembrandt and the sculpture of Michelangelo, the behaviour of Canadian cichlid fish and the story of early cartography. Modern cognitive science, the history of the Wimbledon tennis championship and the biographies of great musicians are also used to explain the vast repertoire of \'left-right\' symbolism that permeates our everyday lives. Σελίδες: 480, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0201, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

Foreword by Jonathan Haidt, author of THE RIGHTEOUS MINDAn invaluable guide to understanding the technology that captures our attention with anger.The original internet was not designed to make us upset, distracted, confused, and outraged. But something unexpected happened at the turn of the last decade, when a handful of small features were quietly launched at social media companies with little fanfare. Together, they triggered a cascading set of dramatic changes to how media, politics, and society itself operates-inadvertently creating an Outrage Machine we cannot ignore.Author, designer, and media researcher Tobias Rose-Stockwell shares the defining shifts caused by these technologies, and how they have ignited a society-wide crisis of trust. Drawing from cutting-edge research and vivid personal anecdotes, Rose-Stockwell illustrates how social media has bound us to an unprecedented system of public performance, training us to react rather than reflect, and attack rather than debate.OUTRAGE MACHINE reveals the triggers and tactics used to exploit our anger, unpacking how these tools hack our deep tribal instincts and psychological vulnerabilities, and how they have become opportunistic platforms for authoritarians and a threat to democratic norms everywhere.But this book is not just about the problem. In a story spanning continents and generations, Rose-Stockwell explores how every new media technology disrupts our ability to make sense of the world, from the printing press to the telegraph, from radio to television. OUTRAGE MACHINE situates social media within a historical cycle of confusion, violence, and emerging tolerance. Using clear language and powerful illustrations, this book reveals the magnitude of the challenges we face, while offering realistic solutions and a promising pathway out. Σελίδες: 416, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0711, Διαστάσεις: 15.2x15.2cm

Winner of the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books 2012, the world\'s leading prize for popular science writing. We live in the information age. But every era of history has had its own information revolution: the invention of writing, the composition of dictionaries, the creation of the charts that made navigation possible, the discovery of the electronic signal, the cracking of the genetic code. In ‘The Information’ James Gleick tells the story of how human beings use, transmit and keep what they know. From African talking drums to Wikipedia, from Morse code to the ‘bit’, it is a fascinating account of the modern age’s defining idea and a brilliant exploration of how information has revolutionised our lives. Σελίδες: 544, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

\'A powerful and often lyrical book ... Fascinating and insightful in equal measure\'MARK MIODOWNIK, author of Stuff Matters and Liquid\'Ali\'s enthusiasm for energy infrastructure electrifies this engaging tour of the people and structures that power our modern world\'GAIA VINCE, author of Nomad Century and Adventures in the Anthropocene\'Highly recommend ... a warm and educational read\'ROMA AGRAWAL, author of Built and Nuts and Bolts__________ We rarely think about the energy systems that prop up our existence. With hot water, lighting and digital entertainment all available at the flick of a switch, it\'s easy to underestimate the vast global network that makes these things possible. Growing up in Iraq, Yasmin Ali regularly experienced power cuts - ironic for a country rich in oil and sunshine. Now as an engineer working in energy, Yasmin has a deep appreciation for what these resources mean for our lives. In Power Up she takes us on a journey across the globe to reveal the bigger picture, from solar farms shimmering in the desert to power stations hidden deep in the mountains. We discover where we get energy from, how it is moved and used around the world - and why we need to understand the whole system if we want to transition towards a clean, green future. Power Up is a definitive picture of the intricate world that humanity has built, and a rallying cry to face the challenges of climate change using the power at our fingertips. Σελίδες: 336, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0625, Διαστάσεις: 15.2x15.2cm

The Superluminous Universe reveals, for the first time in English, the incredible insights of French quantum physicist Professor Regis Dutheil. Thanks to the development of particle accelerators, physicists are now able to propel particles (tachyons) at a speed close to that of light (300,000 km per second). At these extreme speeds, the laws that govern our universe no longer apply. Professor Dutheil\'s work has shown that the theory of relativity is not incompatible with that of tachyons, provided that we allow for the possibility of a double reality: that alongside our sub-luminous universe, which follows the law of time, is a superluminous universe. This second reality is another universe, complementary to and symmetrical with ours, governed by superluminous space-time in which light moves 300,000 km/s to infinity. In the superluminous universe, everything is instantaneous. It is possible to conceive of a superluminous being capable of moving from one end of space to the other. This parallel universe consists only of information and consciousness: all information (past, present, future) and the consciousness of all humanity. Professor Dutheil\'s thesis joins the intuitions of ancient philosophers with current quantum physics to blow our current notions of time, of past and present, of the nature of consciousness, of birth and death right out of the water. Σελίδες: 224, Διαστάσεις: 13.5x13.5cm

Why are we here? What\'s the point of existence? On the \'big questions\' of meaning and purpose, Western thought has been dominated by the dichotomy of traditional religion and secular atheism. In this pioneering work, Philip Goff argues that it is time to move on from both God and atheism. Through an exploration of contemporary cosmology and cutting-edge philosophical research on consciousness, Goff argues for cosmic purpose: the idea that the universe is directed towards certain goals, such as the emergence of life. In contrast to religious thinkers, Goff argues that the traditional God is a bad explanation of cosmic purpose. Instead, he explores a range of alternative possibilities for accounting for cosmic purpose, from the speculation that we live in a computer simulation to the hypothesis that the universe itself is a conscious mind. Goff scrutinizes these options with analytical rigour, laying the foundations for a new paradigm of philosophical enquiry into the middle ground between God and atheism. Ultimately, Goff outlines a way of living in hope that cosmic purpose is still unfolding, involving political engagement and a non-literalist interpretation of traditional religion. Σελίδες: 208, Διαστάσεις: 14.4x14.4cm

\'A great idea, beautifully executed.\' Popular Science\'A book of quiet wonder.\' Ian Dunt \'I have learnt (and remembered) so much, and so easily. It\'s the mango ice cream of science books.\' Hilary McKay\'Everything Alom writes is a joy to ponder, his love of science is utterly contagious, the perfect guide through things that might perplex.\' Robin Ince\'A joyful exploration of fundamental questions about our world; Shaha proves that science is for everyone!\' Roma Agrawal\'Friendly, informative and such fun to read.\' Christopher Edge \'Alom Shaha is the science teacher many people will wish they had but didn\'t.\' Philip Ball\'Here is the teacher you\'ll wish you had at school.\' Jim S. Al-Khalili CBE\'A gentle and reassuring journey through school science, perfect for polishing up both long-forgotten knowledge and confidence, and helping everyone to make science a part of their world. Helen Czerski Has a child - or anyone else - ever asked you why the sky is blue? Could you explain why ice cream melts? Have you forgotten why scientists think the universe started with a Big Bang, and do you understand the difference between respiration and breathing?Why Don\'t Things Fall Up? will gently remind you of everything you may have learnt once upon a time, but have somehow forgotten along the way. If you\'ve ever changed the subject when a child has asked for homework help, or if you have the curiosity of a seven year old yourself, or if you know everything but have forgotten the basics or don\'t want to know anything except the basics - then this is the book for you. Using questions asked by children as a starting point, Alom Shaha (who has spent over two decades trying to help people of all ages understand this stuff) takes us on a tour of the \"big ideas\" of science from his unique perspective. His experience as a dad, a teacher and science communicator means he knows exactly what people don\'t know -and especially the misconceptions and other intellectual hurdles which prevent us from grasping key ideas. Combining his proven skill for explaining science with storytelling and flashbacks to school experiments, Why Don\'t Things Fall Up? reminds us that science is not just for scientists - it\'s a human endeavour that enriches all our lives. Σελίδες: 304, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0817, Διαστάσεις: 13.8x13.8cm

Synthesizing thirty years of research, psychologist and science historian, Michael Shermer upends the traditional thinking about how humans form beliefs about the world. Simply put, beliefs come first and explanations for beliefs follow. The brain, Shermer argues, is a belief engine. Using sensory data that flow in through the senses, the brain naturally looks for and finds patterns - and then infuses those patterns with meaning, forming beliefs. Once beliefs are formed, our brains subconsciously seek out confirmatory evidence in support of those beliefs, which accelerates the process of reinforcing them, and round and round the process goes in a positive-feedback loop.In The Believing Brain, Shermer provides countless real-world examples of how this process operates, from politics, economics, and religion to conspiracy theories, the supernatural, and the paranormal. Ultimately, he demonstrates why science is the best tool ever devised to determine whether or not our belief matches reality. Σελίδες: 464, Έτος Έκδοσης: 1220, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

The Short Story of Science is a new introduction to the complete subject of science. Covering 60 key experiments, from Archimedes\' investigations of buoyancy to the discovery of dark matter, and then linking these to the history of science, as well as to the key theories and methods, the book simplifies and explains all the key breakthroughs.Accessible and concise, generously illustrated throughout, and with all the essential information presented without jargon, readers are given all the tools they need to enjoy the fascinating history of scientific knowledge. Σελίδες: 224, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0830, Διαστάσεις: 15.2x15.2cm

The Four Horsemen - War, Pestilence, Famine and Death - first appeared in the Book of Revelations a thousand years ago, but they continue to track us in our own time. This original and inspiring study bycelebrated historian Emily Mayhew traces the advances in science, technology and humanitarianism that are enabling us to take them on, one by one.It begins in Mosul, our oldest surviving city, and the extraordinary coalition created in a matter of days to save its people from the worst horrors of the liberation battle against ISIS. As the city and the humanitarian operation that helped it to survive are restructured for a new age, Mayhew shows other people whose work gives us hope for the future, from the search to find new ways to discover and use antimicrobial medicines and the innovations in preventing the spread of deadly viruses; the laboratory work being taken to protect crops from disease and reduce famine, and why the potato, not the banana is the future; to the unique courage and resolution of those dedicated to securing the rights of the dead and their families.Standing in the way of the Horsemen is what Emily Mayhew calls, \'the most extraordinary alliance ever to come together in defence of our humanity.\' These are the doctors, scientists, statisticians, engineers, peace negotiators, pharmacists, historians, forensic scientists, vaccinators and volunteers who are creating solutions to life and death problems which threaten us all. They are the new heroes of our age and this book is about them. Σελίδες: 320, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0511, Διαστάσεις: 15.2x15.2cm

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY WIRED In this brilliant smart-thinking book about the power and influence of social media, Professor Sinan Aral shows how ‘hyper-socialization’ has profoundly changed us. Why does fake news spread faster than the truth? Do products and ideas become popular because they are good or because they are rated highly online? How does influence actually work and what does it mean to be influential? Which strategies and tactics can help businesses survive and thrive in the New Social Age? Human beings have always been a social species. We’ve been communicating and cooperating with one another since the dawn of time. But today, something is different. Over the last decade, we’ve doused the fire of human interaction with high octane gasoline. We’ve created technologies that massively amplify the ways in which we interact with one another, automated by machine intelligence that is designed to inform, stimulate and entertain us. Together these technologies constitute what Sinan Aral calls the ‘Hype Machine’. Digital platforms like Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter are injecting the influence of peers into our daily decisions, driving the products we buy, how we vote and even who we love. Packed with original research conducted by Aral and his team, The Hype Machine describes the impact of social media on statecraft, politics, voting, business and public health, and shows us how to adapt our society to the hyper-socialized state the Hype Machine has wrought. This is a fascinating book that provides counterintuitive and surprising answers to some of the most hotly debated topics of our connected, digital era, as it impacts society. Σελίδες: 352, Διαστάσεις: 15.3x15.3cm

Nobel laureate Erwin Schrödinger was one of the most distinguished scientists of the twentieth century; his lectures on the history and philosophy of science are legendary. \'Nature and the Greeks\' and \'Science and Humanism\' makes available for the first time in many years the texts of two of Schrödinger\'s most famous lecture series. \'Nature and the Greeks\' offers a comprehensive historical account of the twentieth-century scientific world picture, tracing modern science back to the earliest stages of Western philosophic thought. \'Science and Humanism\' addresses some of the most fundamental questions of the century: what is the value of scientific research? And how do the achievements of modern science affect the relationship between material and spiritual matters? A foreword by Roger Penrose sets the lectures in a contemporary context, and affirms they are as relevant today as when they were first published. Σελίδες: 184, Διαστάσεις: 13.8x13.8cm

In The Glass Cage, Pulitzer Prize nominee and bestselling author Nicholas Carr shows how the most important decisions of our lives are now being made by machines and the radical effect this is having on our ability to learn and solve problems.In May 2009 an Airbus A330 passenger jet equipped with the latest ‘glass cockpit’ controls plummeted 30,000 feet into the Atlantic. The reason for the crash: the autopilot had routinely switched itself off. In fact, automation is everywhere – from the thermostat in our homes and the GPS in our phones to the algorithms of High Frequency Trading and self-driving cars. We now use it to diagnose patients, educate children, evaluate criminal evidence and fight wars. But psychological studies show that we perform best when fully involved in a task, while the principle of automation – that humans are inefficient – is self-fulfilling. The glass cockpit is becoming a glass cage.In this utterly engrossing exposé, bestselling writer Nicholas Carr reveals how automation is affecting our ability to solve problems, forge memories and acquire skills. Rather than rejecting technology, Carr argues that we must urgently rethink its role in our lives, using it to enhance rather than diminish the extraordinary abilities that make us human. Σελίδες: 288, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Electrifying, provocative, and controversial when first published thirty years ago, Donna Haraway\'s \"Cyborg Manifesto\" is even more relevant today, when the divisions that she so eloquently challenges-of human and machine but also of gender, class, race, ethnicity, sexuality, and location-are increasingly complex. The subsequent \"Companion Species Manifesto,\" which further questions the human-nonhuman disjunction, is no less urgently needed in our time of environmental crisis and profound polarization.Manifestly Haraway brings together these momentous manifestos to expose the continuity and ramifying force of Haraway\'s thought, whose significance emerges with engaging immediacy in a sustained conversation between the author and her long-term friend and colleague Cary Wolfe. Reading cyborgs and companion species through and with each other, Haraway and Wolfe join in a wide-ranging exchange on the history and meaning of the manifestos in the context of biopolitics, feminism, Marxism, human-nonhuman relationships, making kin, literary tropes, material semiotics, the negative way of knowing, secular Catholicism, and more.The conversation ends by revealing the early stages of Haraway\'s \"Chthulucene Manifesto,\" in tension with the teleologies of the doleful Anthropocene and the exterminationist Capitalocene. Deeply dedicated to a diverse and robust earthly flourishing, Manifestly Haraway promises to reignite needed discussion in and out of the academy about biologies, technologies, histories, and still possible futures. Σελίδες: 224, Διαστάσεις: 13.3x13.3cm

Memory binds our mental life together. We are who we are in large part because of what we learn and remember. But how does the brain create memories? Nobel Prize winner Eric R. Kandel intertwines the intellectual history of the powerful new science of the mind—a combination of cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and molecular biology—with his own personal quest to understand memory. A deft mixture of memoir and history, modern biology and behavior, In Search of Memory brings readers from Kandel\'s childhood in Nazi-occupied Vienna to the forefront of one of the great scientific endeavors of the twentieth century: the search for the biological basis of memory. Σελίδες: 528, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0108, Διαστάσεις: 14x14cm

A thrilling journey through the recent discoveries in astronomy that point to our cosmic significanceIn The Copernicus Complex, the renowned astrophysicist and author Caleb Scharf takes us on a cosmic adventure like no other, asserting that the age-old Copernican principle is in need of updating. When Copernicus proposed that the Earth was not the fixed point at the center of the known universe (and therefore we are not unique), he set in motion a colossal scientific juggernaut, forever changing our vision of nature. But the principle, Scharf argues, has never been entirely true-we do live at a particular time, in a particular location, under particular circumstances. By bringing together the latest discoveries in cutting-edge astronomy, Scharf shows how many aspects of our cosmic home are genuinely unique, and reveals what it means for our quest to determine whether we are alone in the universe. Σελίδες: 288, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

John Sulston was director of the Sanger Centre in Cambridge from 1993 to 2000. There he led the British arm of the international team selected to map the entire human DNA sequence, a feat that was pulled off in record time by an extraordinary collaboration of scientists. Despite innumerable setbacks and challenges from outside competitors the ultimate success of the project can be attributed in large part to John Sulston\'s own determination, passion and scientific excellence.In this personal account he takes us behind the scenes of one of the largest international scientific operations ever undertaken. He is frank about the competition with Craig Venter and Celera Genomics, which threatened to undermine the international community\'s attempts to make the sequence freely available to everyone. He shares with us his excitement as the project unfolded. And as a pragmatist he reveals his hopes and concerns as to how the information unlocked by the Human Genome Project will affect people\'s lives in the future.The Common Thread is at once a compelling history of this most exciting of scientific breakthroughs and also an impassioned call for ethical responsibility in scientific research. As the boundaries between science and big business increasingly blur, and researchers race to patent medical discoveries, the international community needs to find a common protocol for the protection of the wider human interest. The Common Thread tells a story of our shared human heritage, offering hope for future research and a fresh outlook on our scientific understanding of ourselves. Σελίδες: 352, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm