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Scientific American Library Series book cover 1
Scientific American Library Series book cover 2
Scientific American Library Series book cover 3
Scientific American Library Series
Series · 50
books · 1982-1999

Books in series

Powers of Ten book cover
#1

Powers of Ten

1982

Over 100,000 copies of this spectacular journey have already been sold. In forty-two consecutive scenes, each at a different 'power of ten' level of magnification, readers are taken from the dimension of one billion light years to the realm of the atom. The text and other illustrations depict what we can perceive at each progressively smaller level of magnitude. "A brilliant pictorial and textual embodiment of a wonderful idea." Stephen Jay Gould Videos of Powers of Ten are available from: RITELtd. Cross Tree, Walton Street, Walton in Gordano, Clevedon, Avon BS21 7AW Tel: 01275-340279 Fax: 01275-340327
Human Diversity book cover
#2

Human Diversity

1982

Richard Lewontin explores the complexity of human variation and tackles the controversial Are our personalities and capabilities predetermined by our genes? Answering with a resounding "no," Human Diversity makes the case that biological differences are only a small part of what makes individuals unique - anyone, regardless of race, class, or sex, has the potential to develop virtually any identity within the spectrum of humanity.
The Discovery of Subatomic Particles book cover
#3

The Discovery of Subatomic Particles

1983

This commentary on the discovery of the atom's constituents provides an historical account of key events in the physics of the twentieth century that led to the discoveries of the electron, proton and neutron. Steven Weinberg introduces the fundamentals of classical physics that played crucial roles in these discoveries. Connections are shown throughout the book between the historic discoveries of subatomic particles and contemporary research at the frontiers of physics, including the most current discoveries of new elementary particles. Steven Weinberg was Higgins Professor of Physics at Harvard before moving to The University of Texas at Austin, where he founded its Theory Group. At Texas he holds the Josey Regental Chair of Science and is a member of the Physics and Astronomy Departments. His research has spanned a broad range of topics in quantum field theory, elementary particle physics, and cosmology, and has been honored with numerous awards, including the Nobel Prize in Physics, the National Medal of Science, the Heinemann Prize in Mathematical Physics, the Cresson Medal of the Franklin Institute, the Madison Medal of Princeton University, and the Oppenheimer Prize. In addition to the well-known treatise, Gravitation and Cosmololgy, he has written several books for general readers, including the prize-winning The First Three Minutes (now translated into 22 foreign languages), and most recently Dreams of a Final Theory (Pantheon Books, 1993). He has also written a textbook The Quantum Theory of Fields, Vol.I, Vol. II, and Vol. III (Cambridge).
The Science of Musical Sound book cover
#4

The Science of Musical Sound

1983

Behind the creation of any musical sound lie the complex processes of physics, electronics, mathematics, and human perception. The interplay of these factors is the focus of John R. Pierce's "The Science of Musical Sound", revised edition - a volume that covers the production of a single drumbeat and the wizardry of the latest recording and synthesizing techniques to explore where sound comes from and how we recognize and enjoy it as music
On Size and Life book cover
#7

On Size and Life

1983

Considers the role of shape and size in natural selection, looks at growth, biological structure, and locomotion, and discusses the effect of scale on living organisms
Perception book cover
#8

Perception

1984

In this abundantly illustrated book, the noted psychologist Irvin Rock explores our perception of objects in the world, in art, and in visual illusions. With ingenious experiments devised by himself and other investigators, he explains the amazing riddle of how we manage to turn the ambiguous, everchanging, two-dimensional images that fall on the eye into the rich, constant, three-dimensional world as we see it.
The Second Law book cover
#10

The Second Law

1984

The novelist and physicist C. P. Snow once remarked that not knowing the Second Law of thermodynamics was analogous to never having read a work of Shakespeare's. This profusproductely illustrated volume breaks down the mathematical barriers that have prevented many from understanding this fundamental principle of energy transformation and describes the origin, atomic basis, and wide-ranging applications of this central, unifying description of all natural change. Simply stated, the Second Law recognizes the intrinsic asymmetry in nature. Aspects of this asymmetry can be found all around hot objects cool, but cool objects do not spontaneously become hot; a bouncing ball comes to rest, but a stationary ball does not spontaneously begin to bounce. Oxford professor P. W. Atkins begins his examination of these seemingly random but vitally important phenomena with early observations of the steam engine and traces the deepening understanding that emerged when the atomic basis of the Law was established. He analyzes the Law from a modern viewpoint, enabling us to see how a single, simple idea encompasses all elements of natural change. Atkins explores this idea from its first recognition through its application in engines, refrigerators, and heat pumps to its role as the driving force of chemical reactions and, finally, to the emergence of the exquisitely ordered structures characteristic of life itself. Using striking computer graphics to develop a unified picture of nature, the author shows us how structures are built apparently out of chaos until we grasp the underlying, awesome simplicity of complexity. An appendix details how to program the generation of printouts of the concepts discussed.
A Guided Tour of the Living Cell, Volume One book cover
#11

A Guided Tour of the Living Cell, Volume One

1984

The author guides us on a wondrous journey through the past four billion years, from the formation of the first biomolecules to the complexities of the human mind, from microscopic chains of amino acids and nucleotides to cataclysmic events in distant galaxies, arriving at the compelling conclusion that the universe is strewn with "vital dust" capable of spawning life anywhere under the right conditions. Life and mind are not accidents; they are natural manifestations of matter. At the heart of Vital Dust is the concept of seven increasingly complex "ages" of life on Earth. With each age, de Duve shows the key event that defined the age and the new event that led to the next. He argues that simple, deterministic chemical reactions put life on track but that other mechanisms led inexorably to greater complexity and biodiversity: the development of a lock-and-key system that serves as the universal device of biological recognition at the molecular level; the emergence of a common ancestor of all organisms, from amoebas to humans; the great oxygen holocaust; the conversion of some bacteria into complex cells; and the successive improvements in reproductive strategies that made possible the spectacular diversity of life on Earth.
Mathematics and Optimal Form book cover
#13

Mathematics and Optimal Form

1984

Book by Hildebrandt, Stefan, Tromba, Anthony J.
Einstein's Legacy book cover
#16

Einstein's Legacy

The Unity of Space and Time

1986

A Nobel Laureate relates the fascinating story of Einstein & the development of relativity theory. Perfect for readers without a scientific background, it discusses the meaning of time, gravity & its effect on light, non-Euclidean geometry & the curving of space-time etc. 189 black-&-white illustrations. Preface A Conflict Brought to Light Marking Time E=mc[superscript 2] A Matter of Gravity Geometry & Physics At the Frontier Sources of the Illustrations Index
Islands book cover
#17

Islands

1987

Square Sm Quarto,, PP.230,
Drugs and the Brain book cover
#18

Drugs and the Brain

1986

Looks at the workings of the brain and the nervous system; discusses opiates, stimulants, and hallucinogens; and explains how drugs are used to treat depression, schizophrenia, and brain disorders
Extinction book cover
#20

Extinction

1987

Nice book to add to any collection.
Atkins' Molecules book cover
#21

Atkins' Molecules

1987

In this new edition of the book that was called "the most beautiful chemistry book ever written," Peter Atkins reveals the molecules responsible for the experiences of our everyday life in fabrics, drugs, plastics, explosives, detergents, fragrances, tastes, and sex. Atkins gives a non-technical account of a range of aspects of the world around us, revealing unexpected connections and insight into how it can be understood in terms of the atoms and molecules from which it is built. This new edition has dozens of new molecules, new graphic presentations, and a more accessible account of the molecules themselves. Peter Atkins is SmithKline Beecham Fellow and Tutor in Physical Chemistry at Oxford University. Atkins' research includes the fields of theoretical chemistry, particularly magnetic resonance and the electromagnetic properties of molecules. He spends virtually all his time writing books, which range from bestselling college textbooks to books on science for general audiences, including Galileo's Finger (Oxford, 2003); The Periodic Kingdom (Basic Books, 1997); The Second Law (W.H. Freeman, 1995); and Atoms, Electrons, and Change (W.H. Freeman, 1991). Previous Edition Paperback (W.H. Freeman, 1995) 0-7167-2928-8
Eye, Brain, and Vision book cover
#22

Eye, Brain, and Vision

1988

For over thirty years, Nobel Prize winner David H. Hubel has been at the forefront of research on questions of vision. In Eye, Brain, and Vision, he brings you to the edge of current knowledge about vision, and explores the tasks scientists face in deciphering the many remaining mysteries of vision and the workings of the human brain.
The Science of Structures and Materials book cover
#23

The Science of Structures and Materials

1988

Covers form, tensile strength, tensile failure, metals, animal soft tissues, stiff biological materials, and new artificial materials.
Sand book cover
#24

Sand

1988

Explains how sand is formed, describes its role in geological processes, and discusses sandstone, sand dunes, beaches, and sand as a raw material
The Honey Bee book cover
#25

The Honey Bee

1988

Looks at the history of beekeeping, describes the life cycle of honey bees, and discusses their foraging, flower learning, perception, and navigation
Sleep book cover
#27

Sleep

1989

Explains what is known about the function of sleep in people and animals, discusses sleeping rhythms, and looks at the nature of dreams
From Quarks to the Cosmos book cover
#28

From Quarks to the Cosmos

Tools of Discovery

1989

Particle physicists explore the microworld of the atom; cosmologists study the universe on a large scale. This study follows the merger of these fields as the authors seek to define the "theory of everything". It describes the development of the current views of the nature of space, time, matter and fundamental forces, and explores what these views reveal about the formation of the universe. The text expands on some of the discoveries of 20th-century science, the explorations of inner space and outer space, and of the promises they hold for decoding beginnings, ends and the ultimate laws of nature.
Sexual Selection book cover
#29

Sexual Selection

1989

In Sexual Selection, James and Carol Gould survey the many mating systems and strategies practised by species ranging from microorganisms through insects and birds to humans. The authors begin by questioning why sex is necessary and present the most popular theories that attempt to explain, "Why sex?" "The Goulds write clearly yet with authority...Their book will do nicely for students and others with an interest in the subject." Nature
The New Archaeology and the Ancient Maya book cover
#30

The New Archaeology and the Ancient Maya

1989

Using high-tech equipment, chemical analyses and sampling strategies, archaeologists are learning more about how and why cultures change. Using the study of the Maya as a test case, this book shows how the transformation of archaeology has brought new understanding of past civilizations.
A Journey into Gravity and Spacetime book cover
#31

A Journey into Gravity and Spacetime

1990

Looks at the history of gravitational theories, discusses tides, planetary orbits, space-time, gravity waves, and black holes, and summarizes our current understanding of gravity
Signals book cover
#32

Signals

The Science of Telecommunications

1990

Este ha sido el siglo de las telecomunicaciones. Hemos llegado a un punto en el que hablar directa y cálidamente por teléfono ha sustituido la escritura de cartas amables y quedar a la espera (ansiosa) de la respuesta. El facsímil resulta mucho más útil que el correo urgente. A través de la radio, los discos compactos y la televisión podemos sentir y conectar directamente con gente y eventos muy alejados en el tiempo y en el espacio. Gracias a la telecomunicación nuestro mundo se ha expandido y nosotros con él.
Beyond the Third Dimension book cover
#33

Beyond the Third Dimension

Geometry, Computer Graphics, and Higher Dimensions

1990

This work investigates ways of picturing and understanding dimensions below and above our own. What would a two-dimensional universe be like? How can we even attempt to picture objects of four, five or six dimensions? Such are the questions examined in this text.
The Science of Words book cover
#35

The Science of Words

1991

Examines the three facets of sound, concept, and syntactic role, and discusses the deciphering of an ancient language, generative grammar, and the lexical process in the brain
Atoms, Electrons, and Change book cover
#36

Atoms, Electrons, and Change

1991

A century and a half ago the pioneering physicist and chemist Michael Faraday delivered a celebrated series of lectures that attempted to explain the inner workings of matter through the chemical history of a candle. "There is no better, there is no more open door by which you can enter into the study of natural philosophy", Faraday told his audience. Now the distinguished chemist P.W. Atkins follows in Faraday's footsteps, using his predecessor's deceptively simple theme to show how far we have come in understanding the remarkable chemical reactions that govern everything from how candles burn to how life functions. While Faraday could say little more than that a chemical reaction changes a substance's appearance and properties, chemists today understand reactions in terms of the rearrangement of atoms and electrons. Atkins - tracing the course of a carbon atom released by a flaming candle - explores the complex forces that operate at the atomic and sub atomic levels to drive these rearrangements.
Viruses book cover
#37

Viruses

A Scientific American Library Book

1991

Since the isolation of the first virus in 1892 scientists have made tremendous advances by asking one question at a time and building on the answers. Dr. Levine celebrates the successes that have come from viral studies - the development of a wide range of vaccines, the eradication of smallpox, and the insights into the origins of cancer. He also examines the challenges we still face, with a series of interconnected chapters on the specific viruses behind some of our most urgent public health problems, including the viruses that cause AIDS, influenza, herpes and hepatitis. A concluding chapter on the origin and evolution of viruses touches on some of the most provocative issues in molecular biology today. Viral infections continue to be an immediate health concern of imposing proportions. "Viruses" is written for the general reader eager to know how we study and confront these diseases and where today's research may lead.
Diversity and the Tropical Rain Forest book cover
#38

Diversity and the Tropical Rain Forest

1991

A colorfully illustrated Scientific American Library book for the general reader. Documents the effusive number of both plant and animal species in the tropical rain forest, and explores the interwoven ecological and evolutionary processes behind the diversity. No bibliography. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
Stars book cover
#39

Stars

1992

Stars are the primary converters of matter into energy in the Universe, the ultimate sources and sustainers of life. What appear to be solid, fixed objects in the distant sky are actually turbulent spheres of glowing gas fueled by intense nuclear reactions that create all of the heavier elements and eject them into space. With the exception of hydrogen and helium, the atoms that make up the planets and moons, the Earth, and all forms of life, including ourselves, originated from a dying star somewhere in the vastness of the cosmos. In this elegantly written and illustrated volume from the Scientific American Library, James B. Kaler explores the nature of stars, describing our current knowledge of their origin, variety, distribution, composition, and distinctive histories. Dr. Kaler demonstrates that stars are the key to our comprehension of how the Universe evolved - that the development, death, and birth of stars is intimately associated with our own origins and continued existence. From the calculations of Eratosthenes and Aristarchus to recent estimates of galactic motion and theories about dark matter, Stars charts the development of the science of astronomy. The first half of the book moves from earliest myths and folklore to the initial attempts at sky mapping and measurement; from the revolutionary discoveries of Copernicus, Galileo, Tycho Brahe, Kepler, and Newton, to Hubble's constant of universal expansion and other theoretical milestones; from rudimentary seventeenth-century instrumentation to the massive reflectors, radio telescopes, and satellite observations that continue to expand our knowledge of the heavens. The centerpiece of Stars is, appropriately, its chapter on the Sun. This vivid characterization of the star that sustains life on Earth serves as a starting point for Dr. Kaler's chronicle of the stellar life cycle - a series of chapters that concludes the narrative by describing the predictable development of lower-mass stars like the Sun and the evolution of high-mass stars, whose spectacular deaths generate supernovae, pulsars, neutron stars, and the enigmatic black holes.
Exploring Biomechanics book cover
#40

Exploring Biomechanics

Animals in Motion

1992

Examines the entire range of animal movements. Beginning with humans and other complex animals and ending with single-celled organisms, the book describes and illustrates how animals move. It explains the relation between energy costs and the ability to do work and exert force.
Chemical Communication book cover
#41

Chemical Communication

The Language Of Pheromones

1992

A wounded minnow attempts to rejoin its school and the other minnows scatter in panic; a single beetle finds a pine tree to its liking and soon thousands of beetles swarm that tree and others in the vicinity; a male Syrian golden hamster is drawn along an invisible trail to a burrow where a female hamster awaits him, ready for mating. These animals are responding to received communications, but, as in countless other occurrences in nature, the language is not auditory or visual—it is chemical. Unlike humans, who gather information largely through sight and sound, most living creatures rely heavily on chemical compounds from other organisms for their basic knowledge of the world. Among the various types of these compounds are the chemical signals exchanged between members of the same species that govern social interactions crucial to survival. These signals are called pheromones (from the Greek "pherein"—to carry—and "hormon"—exciting) and they are used to send warnings, establish territorial boundaries, provoke aggression, control sexual behavior, and locate food. In this volume, organic chemist William C. Agosta explores the chemistry of pheromones and the mechanisms by which they orchestrate animal behavior. Professor Agosta details the intricate process of identifying first establishing that some behavior in animals is chemically driven, then isolating pheromones and determining the active components within these sometimes highly complex mixtures. He also demonstrates the value of this growing body of knowledge to our understanding of evolution, ecology, human behavior, and agricultural production. The result is a fascinating look at a research area that brings together investigators, information, technologies, and procedures from the fields of biology, chemistry, and behavioral science. Chemical Communication spans the entire spectrum of life, from simple organisms, such as water molds and brown algae, to insects, birds, fish, reptiles, mammals, and in a provocative final chapter, human beings. Along the way, Dr. Agosta provides dozens of captivating examples of pheromones in certain male red-sided garter snakes, which increase their chances of mating successfully by "impersonating" a female, thus distracting rivals; or the bolas spiders, which capture male moths by hitting them with an adhesive ball on a string after emitting a female moth pheromone that lures the males within range. The book also includes important evidence that pheromones alter physiology as well as behavior. For example, young female mice reach maturity at an accelerated pace after constant exposure to adult male mice.
Molecules and Mental Illness book cover
#44

Molecules and Mental Illness

1993

Millions of Americans suffer from extreme fearlessness, depression, the inability to distinguish the imagined from the real, and a host of other disabling symptoms. In Molecules and Mental Illness, Samuel Barondes explains the biological foundations of mental illnesses and the impact of recent findings on the pharmacological treatment of those illnesses. One of the few psychiatrists with formal training in molecular biology, Barondes offers an unusual perspective on the symptoms and treatment of mental illness. Passages written by patients and their families, describing their illnesses, the frustrations of being diagnosed, and the concessions and adaptations they make are interspersed with Barondes' text and provide a human counterpoint. With biological research playing an increasingly important role in modern psychiatry and the treatment of patients, Molecules and Mental Illness is a timely, important book for patients and professionals alike.
Earthquakes and Geological Discovery book cover
#46

Earthquakes and Geological Discovery

1993

Explores the origins and history of seismology, advancements in earthquake prediction and risk reduction, and seismic geology
Images of Mind book cover
#50

Images of Mind

1994

What happens in the brain when we speak? Learn? Recall memories? Until recently, it was hard to tell. But positron emission tomography (PET) and other brain imaging techniques are radically transforming scientists' ability to see the brain at work and measure the changes that occur. Images of Mind explores the latest applications and future potential of the dynamic field of cognitive neurosciences.
The Animal Mind book cover
#51

The Animal Mind

1999

In this volume, James and Carol Gould go in search of the animal mind. Taking a fresh look at the evidence on animal capacities for perception, thought, and language, the Goulds show how scientists attempt to distinguish actions that go beyond the innate or automatically learned. They provide captivating, beautifully-illustrated descriptions of a number of clever and curious animal behaviors - some revealed to be more or less preprogrammed, some seemingly proof of a well-developed mental life.
Mathematics book cover
#52

Mathematics

The Science of Patterns

1994

To most people, mathematics means working with numbers. But as Keith Devlin shows in Mathematics: The Science of Patterns, this definition has been out of date for nearly 2,500 years. Mathematicians now see their work as the study of patterns real or imagined, visual or mental, arising from the natural world or from within the human mind. Using this basic definition as his central theme, Devlin explores the patterns of counting, measuring, reasoning, motion, shape, position, and prediction, revealing the powerful influence mathematics has over our perception of reality. Interweaving historical highlights and current developments, and using a minimum of formulas, Devlin celebrates the precision, purity, and elegance of mathematics.
The Emergence of Agriculture book cover
#54

The Emergence of Agriculture

1994

In The Emergence of Agriculture, well-known archaeologist Bruce Smith explores the initial emergence and early expansion of agriculture, and the transformations in human society that it made possible.
Investigating Disease Patterns book cover
#57

Investigating Disease Patterns

The Science of Epidemiology

1995

In Investigating Disease Patterns, noted scientists Paul Stolley and Tamar Lasky show us how epidemiologists go about investigating the outbreak and spread of contagious diseases and, also, how they are tackling the greatest health threats of our heart disease, cancer, and environmental and occupational illnesses. Beginning with an historical overview, the authors trace the growth of epidemiology, from the recording of symptoms and the counting of events in the seventeenth century, to the development of a powerful investigative method used to uncover the sources not only of infectious diseases, with their simple origin in a pathogenic microorganism, but also diseases, like cancer, of more complicated origin and many contributing factors. They describe in fascinating detail how, like a detective, the modern epidemiologist pursues the answers to crucial questions about who becomes ill, then applies scientific tools such as statistical analysis and controlled trials to verify those answers. In so doing, epidemiologists both find ways to stop specific outbreaks of disease and deepen our understanding of the disease process. Stolley and Lasky also show how epidemiology has moved beyond its exploration of the biological causes of disease, to study the workings of the health care system itself - to evaluate what works and what doesn't, from a public health campaign such as advertising to encourage the use of seat belts, to a surgical procedure, or a screening test such as mammography.
Gravity's Fatal Attraction book cover
#58

Gravity's Fatal Attraction

Black Holes in the Universe

1995

Richly illustrated with the images from observatories on the ground and in space, and computer simulations, this book shows how black holes were discovered, and discusses our current understanding of their role in cosmic evolution. This second edition covers new discoveries made in the past decade, including definitive proof of a black hole at the center of the Milky Way, evidence that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating, and the new appreciation of the connection between black holes and galaxy formation. There are entirely new chapters on gamma-ray bursts and cosmic feedback. Begelman and Rees blend theoretical arguments with observational results to demonstrate how both approaches contributed to this subject. Clear illustrations and photographs reveal the strange and amazing workings of our universe. The engaging style makes this book suitable for introductory undergraduate courses, amateur astronomers, and all readers interested in astronomy and physics.
Conservation and Biodiversity book cover
#59

Conservation and Biodiversity

1995

As species disappear at an unprecedented rate, scientists work to conserve the Earth's biodiversity. In Conservation and Biodiversity, Andrew Dobson looks at the current state of endangered species management, exploring the economics of different conservation techniques and the practical possibilities for using the environment while sustaining it. Filled with case studies, it is a compelling investigation into a wide range of issues, from the ivory trade in elephants to the sale of rhino horns, from the function of zoos to the reintroduction of species to the wild.
Plants, People, and Culture book cover
#60

Plants, People, and Culture

The Science of Ethnobotany

1996

Using riveting stories of fieldwork in remote villages, the authors show how plants have affected nearly every aspect of our lives, deeply influencing the trajectory of human civilization. Includes illustrations. Paper. Ethnobotany.
Life at Small Scale book cover
#61

Life at Small Scale

The Behavior of Microbes

1998

Mikroorganismen mA1/4ssen - genau wie wir - die verschiedensten Herausforderungen des Lebens meistern: Nahrung suchen, Umweltreize aufnehmen und verarbeiten, sich gegen Feinde verteidigen sowie gegen Rivalen durchsetzen und fA1/4r Nachkommen sorgen. Doch aufgrund ihrer GrAAe (oder Kleinheit) muAten sie oft komplexe Verhaltensmuster entwickeln. Welch A1/4berraschende und bizarre LAsungsstrategien fA1/4r Bewegung, Verteidigung, Fortpflanzung und Kommunikation Mikroorganismen entwickelt haben erklArt David Dusenberry unterstA1/4tzt durch zahlreiche schAne Abbildungen.
Patterns in Evolution book cover
#62

Patterns in Evolution

The New Molecular View

1996

Science journalist and author Roger Lewin shows readers how the tools of biology are transforming the way in which evolution is viewed. The advent of genetic analysis, sometimes of DNA extracted from the remains of creatures that lived thousands of years ago, has enabled scientists to remap the history of life, and has led to findings about evolutionary lineages and aspects of modern animal behaviour.
Cycles of Life book cover
#63

Cycles of Life

Civilization and the Biosphere

1996

A particularly clear and well presented introduction to biogeochemical cycles, explicating the interrelationship of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and living organisms as agents of change in the environment. Smil (U. of Manitoba) demonstrates how microscopic organisms of the ocean affect the atmosphere and follows the life chain to contemporary human society's industrialization and development with its worldwide disruption, specifically focusing on the links among environment, energy, food, population, economy and society that will determine the earth's future. Includes color graphs and photographs. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
The Elusive Neutrino book cover
#65

The Elusive Neutrino

A Subatomic Detective Story

1997

In The Elusive Neutrino: A Subatomic Detective Story, University of Chicago physicist Nickolas Solomey takes his readers through the mind-bending world of particle physics, using research involving neutrinos as a navigational tool. Solomey's discussion spans the history of particle physics from the discovery of radioactivity to present theoretical speculation about the mass and origin of elementary particles. He describes the scientific principles relevant to the neutrino search through the efforts of the scientists who discovered them, sharing their fears and triumphs and making The Elusive Neutrino a human story in addition to a scientific one. He also powerfully demonstrates the synergy of experiment and theory that drives modern science.
Lasers book cover
#66

Lasers

Harnessing the Atom's Light

1997

This text provides a glimpse at the microscopic and macroscopic world of the laser. Using numerous illustrations and examples the authors explain how lasers so tiny that they are invisible to the naked eye, and made of materials built atom by atom to order, are possible.
Consciousness book cover
#67

Consciousness

1998

Book by Hobson, J. Allan
Evolving Brains book cover
#68

Evolving Brains

1999

How did the human brain with all its manifold capacities evolve from basic functions in simple organisms that lived nearly a billion years ago? John Allman addresses this question in Evolving Brains, a provocative study of brain evolution that introduces readers to some of the most exciting developments in science in recent years.
Memory book cover
#69

Memory

From Mind to Molecules

1999

What is memory and where in the brain is it stored? How is memory storage accomplished? Two scientists responsible for some of the fundamental research in the field answer these key questions in Memory, the first book for a general readership to offer an up-to-date, comprehensive overview of memory from molecules and cells to brain systems and cognition.

Authors

John Archibald Wheeler
John Archibald Wheeler
Author · 3 books
John Archibald Wheeler (born July 9, 1911) is an eminent American theoretical physicist. One of the later collaborators of Albert Einstein, he tried to achieve Einstein's vision of a unified field theory. He is also known as the coiner of the popular name of the well known space phenomenon, the black hole.
Steven Weinberg
Author · 15 books

Steven Weinberg (1933-2021) was an American theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics for his contributions with Abdus Salam and Sheldon Glashow to the unification of the weak force and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles. He held the Josey Regental Chair in Science at the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a member of the Physics and Astronomy Departments. His research on elementary particles and physical cosmology was honored with numerous prizes and awards, including in 1979 the Nobel Prize in Physics and in 1991 the National Medal of Science. In 2004 he received the Benjamin Franklin Medal of the American Philosophical Society, with a citation that said he was "considered by many to be the preeminent theoretical physicist alive in the world today." He was elected to the US National Academy of Sciences and Britain's Royal Society, as well as to the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Weinberg's articles on various subjects occasionally appeared in The New York Review of Books and other periodicals. He served as consultant at the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, President of the Philosophical Society of Texas, and member of the Board of Editors of Daedalus magazine, the Council of Scholars of the Library of Congress, the JASON group of defense consultants, and many other boards and committees.

Christian de Duve
Author · 5 books

Christian de Duve (1917-2013) was a Belgian scientist and author. He discovered the cellular components called lysosomes and peroxisomes and researched insulin and glucagon. He was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1974 with Albert Claude and George E. Palade "for their discoveries concerning the structural and functional organization of the cell". Born outside of Belgium, de Duve and his family returned to Belgium when the First World War ended, having fled the country for this reason. He started studying medicine in 1934 at the Catholic University of Leuven and graduated in 1941. Being a gifted student, he started working in the laboratory of professor J.P. Bouckaert who was trying to uncover the mechanism of action of insulin. Believing the answer could be found in biochemistry, de Duve started studying chemistry and graduated in 1946. He was awarded a doctorate in 1945 for his doctoral thesis "Glucose, Insuline et Diabète". He became a professor at the Catholic University of Leuven in 1951 and later at the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL). He started working at the Rockefeller Institute (now Rockefeller University) in 1962 dividing his time between Belgium and the United States. He also worked at the Medical Nobel Institute in Sweden and the University of Washington, USA. He founded the International Institute of Cellular and Molecular Pathology (now known as the de Duve Institute) in Brussels in 1974. He became emeritus professor in Belgium in 1985 and in New York in 1988. He wrote several books on the origin of life and biology.

Vaclav Smil
Vaclav Smil
Author · 36 books
Vaclav Smil Ph.D. (Geography, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences of Pennsylvania State University, 1971; RNDr., Charles University, Prague, 1965), is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and in 2010 was named by Foreign Policy as one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers.
J. Allan Hobson
Author · 10 books
John Allan Hobson is an American psychiatrist and dream researcher. He is known for his research on rapid eye movement sleep. He is Professor of Psychiatry, Emeritus, Harvard Medical School, and Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Larry R. Squire
Author · 3 books
Larry Squire is a Professor of Psychiatry, Neurosciences, and Psychology at the University of California, San Diego.
Peter Atkins
Peter Atkins
Author · 21 books

Peter Atkins is a fellow of Lincoln College, University of Oxford and the author of about 70 books for students and a general audience. His texts are market leaders around the globe. A frequent lecturer in the United States and throughout the world, he has held visiting professor­ships in France, Israel, Japan, China, and New Zealand. He was the founding chairman of the Committee on Chemistry Education of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and was a member of IUPAC’s Physical and Biophysical Chemistry Division. Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Keith Devlin
Keith Devlin
Author · 17 books
Dr. Keith Devlin is a co-founder and Executive Director of the university's H-STAR institute, a Consulting Professor in the Department of Mathematics, a co-founder of the Stanford Media X research network, and a Senior Researcher at CSLI. He is a World Economic Forum Fellow and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His current research is focused on the use of different media to teach and communicate mathematics to diverse audiences. He also works on the design of information/reasoning systems for intelligence analysis. Other research interests include: theory of information, models of reasoning, applications of mathematical techniques in the study of communication, and mathematical cognition. He has written 26 books and over 80 published research articles. Recipient of the Pythagoras Prize, the Peano Prize, the Carl Sagan Award, and the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics Communications Award. He is "the Math Guy" on National Public Radio.
J. E. Gordon
Author · 3 books

James Edward Gordon (UK, 1913–1998) was one of the founders of materials science and biomechanics, and a well-known author of three books on structures and materials, which have been translated in many languages and are still widely used in schools and universities. (wikipedia)

Leon M. Lederman
Author · 5 books
Leon M. Lederman (Ph.D., Columbia University) was Director of The Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, a position he held for ten years. He was the Frank L. Sulzberger Professor of Physics at the University of Chicago. He received the National Medal of Science in 1965 and shared the Wolf Prize in physics in 1982. Dr. Lederman shared the 1988 Nobel Prize in physics for the discovery of the muon neutrino.
Bruce A. Bolt
Bruce A. Bolt
Author · 2 books

From Wikipedia: Bruce Bolt was a Professor of Earth and Planetary Science at the University of California, Berkeley. Professor Bolt was a seismologist known as pioneer of engineering seismology. He served for 15 years on the California Seismic Safety Committee leading public debate on earthquake safety in that state, and acted as a consultant on major projects throughout the world. As well, Bolt published a number of popular and technical books on seismology.

Julian Schwinger
Julian Schwinger
Author · 2 books

Julian Schwinger is an American physicist. In 1965 he was awarded, along with Richard P. Feynman and Sin-Itiro Tomonaga "for their fundamental work in quantum electrodynamics, with deep-ploughing consequences for the physics of elementary particles". Schwinger was a child prodigy, publishing his first physics paper at age 16. He earned a bachelor’s degree (1937) and a doctorate (1939) from Columbia University in New York City, before engaging in postdoctoral studies at the University of California at Berkeley with physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. Schwinger left Berkeley in the summer of 1941 to accept an instructorship at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., and in 1943 he joined the Radiation Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where many scientists had been assembled to help with wartime research on radar. In the fall of 1945 Schwinger accepted an appointment at Harvard University and in 1947 became one of the youngest full professors in the school’s history. From 1972 until his death, Schwinger was a professor in the physics department at the University of California at Los Angeles. Schwinger was one of the participants at the meeting held in June 1947 on Shelter Island, Long Island, N.Y., at which reliable experimental data were presented that contradicted the predictions of the English theoretical physicist P.A.M. Dirac’s relativistic quantum theory of the electron. In particular, experimental data contradicted Dirac’s prediction that certain hydrogen electron stationary states were degenerate (i.e., had the same energy as certain other states) as well as Dirac’s prediction for the value of the magnetic moment of the electron. Schwinger made a quantum electrodynamical calculation that made use of the notions of mass and charge renormalization, which brought agreement between theory and experimental data. This was a crucial breakthrough that initiated a new era in quantum field theory. Richard Feynman and Tomonaga Shin’ichirō independently had carried out similar calculations, and in 1965 the three of them shared the Nobel Prize. Their work created a new and very successful quantum mechanical description of the interaction between electrically charged entities and the electromagnetic field that conformed with the principles of Albert Einstein’s special theory of relativity. Schwinger’s work extended to almost every frontier of modern theoretical physics. He had a profound influence on physics both directly and through being the academic adviser for more than 70 doctoral students and more than 20 postdoctoral fellows, many of whom became the outstanding theorists of their generation.

Andrew P. Dobson
Author · 4 books
British political author and Professor at Keele University. His main interest is population dynamics in birds and mammals as well as parasites and their hosts. He also deals with the application of theoretical ecology in nature conservation biology and for the control of infectious diseases.
Roger Lewin
Roger Lewin
Author · 6 books

Roger Lewin (born 1944) is a British prize-winning science writer and author of 20 books. Lewin was a staff member of New Scientist in London for nine years. He went to Washington, D.C. to write for Science for ten years as News Editor. An example article was "Evolutionary Theory Under Fire", 21, November 1980, vol. 210, pp 883–887. Lewin wrote three books with Richard Leakey. He became a full-time freelance writer in 1989 and concentrated on writing books. In 1989 Roger Lewin won the Royal Society Prizes for Science Books for Bones of Contention. In 2000, Lewin formed Harvest Associates with wife Birute Regine for business consulting. Together they wrote, The Soul at Work: Unleashing the Power of Complexity Science for Business Success, Orion Business Books (1999), republished as Weaving Complexity & Business: Engaging the Soul at Work, Texere (2000). He is a member of the Complexity Research Group at the London School of Economics.

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