Knowledge of the basic ideas and principles of science is fundamental to cultural literacy. But most books on science are often too obscure or too specialized to do the general reader much good.
Science Matters is a rare exception-a science book for the general reader that is informative enough to be a popular textbook for introductory courses in high school and college, and yet well-written enough to appeal to general readers uncomfortable with scientific jargon and complicated mathematics. And now, revised and expanded for the first time in nearly two decades, it is up-to-date, so that readers can enjoy Hazen and Trefil's refreshingly accessible explanations of the most recent developments in science, from particle physics to biotechnology.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
This is the story of a grand scientific quest: the quest for a unifying theory of nature. Writing with dazzling elegance and clarity, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Weinberg retraces the steps that have led modern scientists from relativity theory and quantum mechanics to the notion of superstrings and the idea that our universe may coexist with others. Along the way, he voices the questions that are always present: Why does each explanation of the way nature works point to other, deeper explanations? Why are the best theories not only logical but beautiful? And what implications will a final theory have for our philosophy and religious faith?
Intellectually daring, rich in anecdote and aphorism, Dreams of a Final Theory launches us into a new cosmos and helps us make sense of what we find there.
Heather Couper presents a sweeping history of astronomy, as heard on BBC Radio 4. In this 30-part BBC Radio 4 series, astronomer Heather Couper charts the history of our understanding of the universe. Her journey begins at the beginning as people first gaze in wonder at the life-giving Sun, the wandering planets and the changing phases of the Moon. Along the way we meet the ancient astronomers, as well as many pioneering scientific giants like Galileo, Newton, Halley and Herschel. With the invention of the telescope and the birth of astrophysics the skies were revealed as never before. These and other advances in technology enabled us to land on the Moon, discover distant galaxies, quasars and black holes - and to search for worlds beyond our own. Narrated by Heather Couper with additional readings by Timothy West, Annette Badland, Robin Sebastian, Julian Rhind-Tutt and John Palmer.
In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union voted Pluto out of planethood. Far from the sun, tiny, and eccentric in orbit, it's a wonder Pluto has any fans. Yet during the mounting debate over Pluto's status, Americans rallied behind the extraterrestrial underdog. The year of Pluto's discovery, Disney created an irresistible pup by the same name, and, as one NASA scientist put it, Pluto was "discovered by an American for America." Pluto is entrenched in our cultural, patriotic view of the cosmos, and Neil deGrasse Tyson is on a quest to discover why.
"[A] lighthearted look at the planet....[P]resents the medicine of hard science with a sugarcoating of lightness and humor."-Publishers Weekly
In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union voted Pluto out of planethood. Far from the sun, tiny, and eccentric in orbit, it's a wonder Pluto has any fans. Yet during the mounting debate over Pluto's status, Americans rallied behind this extraterrestrial underdog. The year of Pluto's discovery, Disney created an irresistible pup by the same name, and, as one NASA scientist put it, Pluto was "discovered by an American for America." Pluto is entrenched in our cultural, patriotic view of the cosmos, and Neil deGrasse Tyson is on a quest to discover why. Since he was involved in the first exhibits to demote Pluto, Tyson has received plenty of freely shared opinions from Pluto lovers, including endless hate mail from third graders. In his typically witty way, Tyson explores the history of planet classification and America's obsession with the status of Pluto.
"[Greene] develops one fresh new insight after another...In the great tradition of physicists writing for the masses, The Elegant Universe sets a standard that will be hard to beat." --George Johnson, The New York Times Book Review
In a rare blend of scientific insight and writing as elegant as the theories it explains, Brian Greene, one of the world's leading string theorists, peels away the layers of mystery surrounding string theory to reveal a universe that consists of 11 dimensions where the fabric of space tears and repairs itself, and all matter-from the smallest quarks to the most gargantuan supernovas-is generated by the vibrations of microscopically tiny loops of energy.
Green uses everything from an amusement park ride to ants on a garden hose to illustrate the beautiful yet bizarre realities that modern physics is unveiling. Dazzling in its brilliance, unprecedented in its ability to both illuminate and entertain, The Elegant Universe is a tour de force of science writing-a delightful, lucid voyage through modern physics that brings us closer than ever to understanding how the universe works.
"The report has been difficult to write because it involves something that doesn't officially exist. It is well known that ever since the first flying saucer was reported in June 1947 the Air Force has officially said that there is no proof that such a thing as an interplanetary spaceship exists. But what is not well known is that this conclusion is far from being unanimous among the military and their scientific advisers because of the one word, "'proof'; so the UFO investigations continue." -Captain Edward J. Ruppelt, Former Head of the Air Force Project Blue Book, July 1955.
When weapons builders detonated the first hydrogen bomb in 1952, they tapped into the biggest source of energy in our solar system - the phenomenon that makes the sun shine. Nuclear fusion seems a virtually unlimited source of power, but it has been at the center of a tragic and comic pursuit that has left scores of scientists battered and disgraced. Like the eternal quest to build a perpetual motion machine, the dream of harnessing the energy of a miniature star is irresistible. Not only would a fusion energy device give the world endless electrical power, it would give power to its inventors - financial power, the power of fame, even military might. Right now the world's richest countries are spending billions of dollars trying to build a giant fusion reactor. Yet if history is any guide, the money will not bring the dream of fusion energy within reach. Indeed, the quest for fusion energy has been a failure, generation after generation. Fusion is at the heart of some of the biggest scientific scandals of all time, and Charles Seife traces its story from its beginning into the twenty-first century. Even after fusion scientists face defeat after defeat, they continue trying to put the sun in a bottle, hoping against hope that they will succeed where others have failed. The science of wishful thinking is as strong as ever, and this book is our key to understanding why.
Wie entstand das Weltall? Wie hat es sich entwickelt? Was bringt die Zukunft? Viele neue Beobachtungsergebnisse haben unser Weltbild, wie es noch in den 90er Jahren dargestellt wurde, total verändert, zum Teil sogar auf den Kopf gestellt.
Hochgenaue Messungen der Temperaturfluktuationen der Kosmischen Hintergrundstrahlung durch den Satelliten WMAP und die Beobachtung weit entfernter Supernovae mit Hilfe des Hubble-Space-Teleskops haben die Standardvorstellung von unserem Kosmos verändert. Neben der positiven Botschaft, dass wir jetzt die Parameter unseres Universums sehr genau kennen, werden wir mit der Tatsache konfrontiert, dass unser Universum beschleunigt expandiert und dass die uns bekannte baryonische Materie nur 4 % des Inhalts des Universums ausmacht; von den restlichen 96 % haben wir keine Ahnung, was es sein könnte.
Was sind Gravitationswellen? Was bewirken sie? Wie entstehen sie? Was sind ihre Quellen? Wie weist man sie nach? Warum ist es so schwierig, sie nachzuweisen und was kann man letztendlich aus ihrer Beobachtung Neues lernen?
Wenn alles klappt, wird die Gravitationswellen-Astronomie Einblicke in die energiereichsten Vorgänge im Kosmos ermöglichen. Die ersten großen interferometrischen Gravitationswellen-Detektoren sind in Betrieb.
Sterne werden seit 13 Milliarden Jahren kontinuierlich in Molekülwolken durch Gravitationsinstabilitäten geboren. Wenn im Inneren dieser kollabierenden Gaskugeln Druck und Temperatur hoch genug sind, setzt Energieproduktion durch Kernfusion ein - das normale Leben der Sterne beginnt. Je größer die Sterne sind, desto kürzer leben sie. Wenn durch Fusion keine Energie mehr erzeugt werden kann, sterben sie.
Sterne bis acht Sonnenmassen sind sehr fantasievoll, indem sie wunderschöne, planetarische Nebel bilden, in deren Zentrum als Rest ein Weißer Zwergstern übrig bleibt. Und sie enden spektakulär als Supernova-Explosion mit Neutronensternen oder Schwarzen Löchern als Leichen.
Hier ist die Rede von den großen Männern der griechischen Philosophie, die auf die Frage 'Was ist die Welt' geantwortet haben: Wasser, Luft Feuer, Erde. Es geht um den Anfang der Naturforschung, denn Naturwissenschaften sind die griechische Art über die Natur nachzudenken.
WAS IST DIE WELT?
Die moderne Antwort auf eine alte Frage. Die Welt besteht aus Atomen, die wiederum nicht unteilbar sind sondern aus Neutronen, Protonen und Elektronen bestehen. Das ist aber immer noch nicht elementar. Aus Demokrits Atomen wurden Quarks und Leptonen.
AM ANFANG WAR DIE KRAFT
Vier Grundkräfte regieren die Welt der Dinge: Schwerkraft, starke Kernkraft, schwache Kernkraft und Elektromagnetismus. Das Spiel dieser Kräfte hat alles erschaffen was ist: Galaxien, Sterne, Planeten, Lebewesen und Gehirne.
DER GROSSE ZUSAMMENHANG
Naturwissenschaften können viel, aber nicht alles erklären. Wie hängt in dieser Welt auf diesem Planeten Element mit Element zusammen. Was macht das System Erde aus? Ein Blick über die Fächergrenzen hinaus zur Methodik der Wissenschaft.
Prof. Dr. Harald Lesch ist Professor für Theoretische Astrophysik am Institut für Astronomie an der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität und Professor für Naturphilosophie an der Hochschule für Philosophie in München.
