Describes the origins, development, and impact of inventions in communications, transportation, energy, engineering, medicine, warfare, measurement, agriculture, and industry from cuneiform to fullerenes.
Discusses the scientific and philosophical theories and ideas that have been turning points in modern civilization, highlighting the key figures and cultural perspectives behind each concept.
Discusses the most influential political and social movements and their roles in the history of modern world politics, including liberalism, conservatism, facism, and religious fundamentalism.
There was a time when every voyage contained an element of the unknown. Today, however, the world spreads out before us carefully mapped and plotted. One must credit explorers with this transformation. Readers will devour these tales of explorers who have pushed geographic and personal boundaries, leaving virtually no corner of the globe off limits.
The 100 Most Influential Scientists is part of the Britannica Guide Series that offers a look into 100 scientists from Ancient Greece to the present day. The Britannica Guides series offers an essential introduction to many of the key issues of our time. Clear, accurate, and meticulously researched, the series gives both background and analysis for when you need to know for sure what is really happening in the world, whether you are an expert, student, or traveler.
This volume showcases the valuable achievements of the Romanian technology and industry worldwide. It started from the premise that the history of Romanian technique is scarcely known outside the borders of Romania. The main Romanian contributions to the world’s technological heritage are missing, except for a few names in the field of aviation, from the great encyclopedias and dictionaries published worldwide. This is due, among other reasons, to the insufficient promotion in widely spoken languages of the history of Romanian technology. The multidisciplinary approach of the volumes means that the field of technology had to be split into several branches. The present volume includes the following industries: electrical engineering, energy technology, biomedicine, maritime and rail transport, automotive industry, aviation. The history of engineering societies, of engineering education, of intellectual property, and of inventions, as well as a synopsis of the personalities of Romanian engineering have been tackled in separate chapters. For each field, are engaged the collaboration of authors who have already published a history of their field. Certain chapters were drafted with the aid of specialists who have played the part of policy makers in the elaboration of development strategies for Romania and who are familiar not only with the facts and the history of their field, but also with the ‘philosophy’ behind its development.
Of all the volcanic eruptions that shook the earth, two of the volcano on the Aegean island Thera, modern Santorini, are more important to the modern world than any other. Not only did they lead to the formation of the people known as the Israelites, but indirectly also gave birth to the god of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. The biblical Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt is closely linked to these two eruptions, the second which occurred ca. 1450-1410 BCE during the reign of Amenhotep III, Egypt's golden pharaoh. The fallout of the eruption caused a deadly plague to break out in Egypt and to appease the perceived anger of the gods, Amenhotep ordered all firstborn in Egypt to be sacrificed in fires. His firstborn son, Crown Prince Tuthmosis, was first in line to be sacrificed, but was saved from the fire in the nick of time, an event recorded as the 'burning bush' episode in the Bible. Prince Tuthmosis became the biblical Moses and the events of that followed are now finally revealed. ,
Go behind the scenes and learn how craftsman Aaron Dykstra makes one-of-a-kind bicycles by hand with this nonfiction book that’s full of photographs and illustrations about his process. Aaron Dykstra of Six-Eleven Bicycles in Roanoke, Virginia, got his first job at a small local bike shop when he was fifteen and he spent the majority of his teen years riding and racing bikes. After a stint in the air force, Aaron realized his true passion was on land: making these beautiful machines. This book gives kids a detailed peek into Aaron’s process making steel bike frames with his own hands. Charts, infographics, and bold photographs make this a perfect book for anyone who’s curious about how a bicycle is made. This book also features a brief history of cycling, a timeline, and resources to inspire kids to make their own objects by hand.
The Victorian classical burlesque was a popular theatrical genre of the mid-19th century. It parodied ancient tragedies with music, melodrama, pastiche, merciless satire and gender reversal. Immensely popular in its day, the genre was also intensely metatheatrical and carries significance for reception studies, the role and perception of women in Victorian society and the culture of artistic censorship. This anthology contains the annotated text of four major classical burlesques: Antigone Travestie (1845) by Edward L. Blanchard, Medea; or, the Best of Mothers with a Brute of a Husband (1856) by Robert Brough, Alcestis; the Original Strong-Minded Woman (1850) and Electra in a New Electric Light (1859) by Francis Talfourd. The cultural and textual annotations highlight the changes made to the scripts from the manuscripts sent to the Lord Chamberlain's office and, by explaining the topical allusions and satire, elucidate elements of the burlesques' popular cultural milieu. An in-depth critical introduction discusses the historical contexts of the plays' premieres and unveils the cultural processes behind the reception of the myths and original tragedies. As the burlesques combined spectacular effects with allusions to contemporary affairs, ambivalent and provocative attitudes to women, the plays represent an essential tool for reading the social history of the era.
Technology continues to advance and so do our problems. Two of our biggest threats are global warming and nuclear war, and we must eliminate these threats. Fortunately, cost-effective technology exists to reduce global warming, but we must be smart enough to use it. The author offers a detailed proposal for combating climate change, building a more robust economy by creating jobs, eliminating oil imports, stabilizing energy prices, and cutting back on pollution and its detrimental effects on societyall by using clean, renewable energy. He also tackles reducing the threat of nuclear war, which will require us to tame the savageness of man. This must be done via international institutions, cooperation, and a commitment to shared values. Tackle two of the worlds greatest problemsglobal warming and the threat of nuclear warand consider how to address overpopulation, world hunger, and other problems along the way With Knowledge and Virtue.