The Royal Society

The Royal Society

Author: Adrian Tinniswood

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 2019-06-04

Total Pages: 172

ISBN-13: 154167376X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

An engaging new history of the Royal Society of London, the club that created modern scientific thought Founded in 1660 to advance knowledge through experimentally verified facts, The Royal Society of London is now one of the preeminent scientific institutions of the world. It published the world's first science journal, and has counted scientific luminaries from Isaac Newton to Stephen Hawking among its members. However, the road to truth was often bumpy. In its early years-while bickering, hounding its members for dues, and failing to create its own museum-members also performed sheep to human blood transfusions, and experimented with unicorn horns. In his characteristically accessible and lively style, Adrian Tinniswood charts the Society's evolution from poisoning puppies to the discovery of DNA, and reminds us of the increasing relevance of its motto for the modern world: Nullius in Verba-Take no one's word for it.


I Am a Book. I Am a Portal to the Universe

I Am a Book. I Am a Portal to the Universe

Author: Stefanie Posavec

Publisher: Particular Books

Published: 2020-09-03

Total Pages: 112

ISBN-13: 9780241408759

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Hello. I am a book. But I'm also a portal to the universe. I have 112 pages, measuring twenty centimetres high and twenty centimetres wide. I weigh 450 grams. And I have the power to show you the wonders of the world.


Testosterone Rex: Myths of Sex, Science, and Society

Testosterone Rex: Myths of Sex, Science, and Society

Author: Cordelia Fine

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Published: 2017-01-24

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13: 0393253880

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

“Beliefs about men and women are as old as humanity itself, but Fine’s funny, spiky book gives reason to hope that we’ve heard Testosterone rex’s last roar.” —Annie Murphy Paul, New York Times Book Review Many people believe that, at its core, biological sex is a fundamental force in human development. According to this false-yet-familiar story, the divisions between men and women are in nature alone and not part of culture. Drawing on evolutionary science, psychology, neuroscience, endocrinology, and philosophy, Testosterone Rex disproves this ingrained myth and calls for a more equal society based on both sexes’ full human potential.


Establishing the New Science

Establishing the New Science

Author: Michael Hunter

Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd

Published: 1989

Total Pages: 406

ISBN-13: 9780851155067

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Hunter's reputation as one of the foremost students of Restoration science in England can only be further enhanced by this volume.' NATURE For anyone interested in the scientific revolution these essays are compulsory reading. Elegantly written and carefully researched, they are a welcome addition to the already extensive literature on the early years of the Royal Society.'HISTORYIn a series of detailed case studies, Michael Hunter presents a fresh view of the formative years of Britain's oldest scientific institution; The Royal Society of London, founded in 1660.


The Particle at the End of the Universe

The Particle at the End of the Universe

Author: Sean Carroll

Publisher: Dutton

Published: 2013-08-27

Total Pages: 370

ISBN-13: 0142180300

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"The Higgs boson ... is the key to understanding why mass exists and how atoms are possible. After billions of dollars and decades of effort by more than six thousand researchers at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland--a doorway is opening into the mind-boggling world of dark matter and beyond. Caltech physicist and acclaimed writer Sean Carroll explains both the importance of the Higgs boson and the ultimately human story behind the greatest scientific achievement of our time"--Publisher


Adventures in the Anthropocene

Adventures in the Anthropocene

Author: Gaia Vince

Publisher: Milkweed Editions

Published: 2014-10-20

Total Pages: 452

ISBN-13: 157131928X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A science journalist travels the world to explore humanity’s ecological devastation—and its potential for renewal in this “compelling read” (Guardian, UK). We live in times of profound environmental change. According to a growing scientific consensus, the dramatic results of man-made climate change have ushered the world into a new geological era: the Anthropocene, or Age of Man. As an editor at Nature, Gaia Vince couldn’t help but wonder if the greatest cause of this dramatic planetary change—humans’ singular ability to adapt and innovate—might also hold the key to our survival. To investigate this provocative question, Vince travelled the world in search of ordinary people making extraordinary changes to the way they live—and, in many cases, finding new ways to thrive. From Nepal to Patagonia and beyond, Vince journeys into mountains and deserts, forests and farmlands, to get an up close and personal view of our changing environment. Part science journal, part travelogue, Adventures in the Anthropocene recounts Vince’s journey, and introduces an essential new perspective on the future of life on Earth.


Introduction to Glass Science and Technology

Introduction to Glass Science and Technology

Author: James E Shelby

Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry

Published: 2015-11-06

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 1782625119

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book provides a concise and inexpensive introduction for an undergraduate course in glass science and technology. The level of the book has deliberately been maintained at the introductory level to avoid confusion of the student by inclusion of more advanced material, and is unique in that its text is limited to the amount suitable for a one term course for students in materials science, ceramics or inorganic chemistry. The contents cover the fundamental topics of importance in glass science and technology, including glass formation, crystallization, phase separation and structure of glasses. Additional chapters discuss the most important properties of glasses, including discussion of physical, optical, electrical, chemical and mechanical properties. A final chapter provides an introduction to a number of methods used to form technical glasses, including glass sheet, bottles, insulation fibre, optical fibres and other common commercial products. In addition, the book contains discussion of the effects of phase separation and crystallization on the properties of glasses, which is neglected in other texts. Although intended primarily as a textbook, Introduction to Glass Science and Technology will also be invaluable to the engineer or scientist who desires more knowledge regarding the formation, properties and production of glass.


The Epigenetics Revolution

The Epigenetics Revolution

Author: Nessa Carey

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2012-03-06

Total Pages: 353

ISBN-13: 0231530714

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Epigenetics can potentially revolutionize our understanding of the structure and behavior of biological life on Earth. It explains why mapping an organism's genetic code is not enough to determine how it develops or acts and shows how nurture combines with nature to engineer biological diversity. Surveying the twenty-year history of the field while also highlighting its latest findings and innovations, this volume provides a readily understandable introduction to the foundations of epigenetics. Nessa Carey, a leading epigenetics researcher, connects the field's arguments to such diverse phenomena as how ants and queen bees control their colonies; why tortoiseshell cats are always female; why some plants need cold weather before they can flower; and how our bodies age and develop disease. Reaching beyond biology, epigenetics now informs work on drug addiction, the long-term effects of famine, and the physical and psychological consequences of childhood trauma. Carey concludes with a discussion of the future directions for this research and its ability to improve human health and well-being.


Entangled Life

Entangled Life

Author: Merlin Sheldrake

Publisher: Random House

Published: 2020-05-12

Total Pages: 370

ISBN-13: 0525510338

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A “brilliant [and] entrancing” (The Guardian) journey into the hidden lives of fungi—the great connectors of the living world—and their astonishing and intimate roles in human life, with the power to heal our bodies, expand our minds, and help us address our most urgent environmental problems. “Grand and dizzying in how thoroughly it recalibrates our understanding of the natural world.”—Ed Yong, author of An Immense World ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—Time, BBC Science Focus, The Daily Mail, Geographical, The Times, The Telegraph, New Statesman, London Evening Standard, Science Friday When we think of fungi, we likely think of mushrooms. But mushrooms are only fruiting bodies, analogous to apples on a tree. Most fungi live out of sight, yet make up a massively diverse kingdom of organisms that supports and sustains nearly all living systems. Fungi provide a key to understanding the planet on which we live, and the ways we think, feel, and behave. In the first edition of this mind-bending book, Sheldrake introduced us to this mysterious but massively diverse kingdom of life. This exquisitely designed volume, abridged from the original, features more than one hundred full-color images that bring the spectacular variety, strangeness, and beauty of fungi to life as never before. Fungi throw our concepts of individuality and even intelligence into question. They are metabolic masters, earth makers, and key players in most of life’s processes. They can change our minds, heal our bodies, and even help us remediate environmental disaster. By examining fungi on their own terms, Sheldrake reveals how these extraordinary organisms—and our relationships with them—are changing our understanding of how life works. Winner of the Wainwright Prize, the Royal Society Science Book Prize, and the Guild of Food Writers Award • Shortlisted for the British Book Award • Longlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize