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 sound and light, including how the waves travel through different forms of matter, how human senses detect and analyze them, and describes electromagnetic radiation, echolocation, and optics.
Many of the worlds most common processes and interactions are governed by the laws of thermodynamics and mechanics. While the transfer, release, or absorption of heat often accompany chemical reactions or seem inherent to mechanical systems, they are also familiar to anyone who has ever spent time outdoors on a warm day or touched a hot plate. Likewise, any physical bodylarge or small, solid or fluidis subject to a wide range of forces that trigger motion. This detailed compendium explores the foundations and laws of both thermodynamics and mechanics as well as the lives of those individuals who helped advance these fundamental areas of physics.
The Britannica Guide to Genetics is the ideal companion for students or general popular science readers who wish to know the facts behind the latest research and discoveries. After the Introduction from bestselling science writer and geneticist Steve Jones the book covers the entire history of genetics from Gregor Mendels first experiments with peas at the end of the nineteenth century to the announcement of the Human Genome Project in 1998. Throughout the twentieth century new discoveries about the qualities of our genes have been heralded as essential leaps of progress in modern science forcing us to ask how much do our genes determine our personalities? What makes us different from other species? But as we enter the twenty-first century and we have begun to manipulate genes and the genome the questions have changed.
Presents the history of football, describes the rules of the game, and profiles notable players and coaches from the National Football League throughout history.