What's the likelihood of the impact on earth of debris from outer space? Even near misses can change our climate, while a major impact could be catastrophic, equivalent to that which caused the disappearance of the dinosaurs and the rise of mammalian mastery of the planet. In this fascinating survey of the great collisions and the dangerous close passes of recent and prehistoric times, you'll find detailed chronicles of the effect on our earth of comets, meteors, meteorites, meteor storms, shooting stars, cosmic famous fireballs, UFOs, and other phenomena.
With this book Immanuel Velikovsky first presented the revolutionary results of his 10-year-long interdisciplinary research to the public, founded modern catastrophism - based on eyewitness reports by our ancestors - shook the doctrine of uniformity of geology as well as Darwin's theory of evolution, put our view of the history of our solar system, of the Earth and of humanity on a completely new basis - and caused an uproar that is still going on today. Worlds in Collision - written in a brilliant, easily understandable and entertaining style and full to the brim with precise information - can be considered one of the most important and most challenging books in the history of science. Not without reason was this book found open on Einstein's desk after his death. For all those who have ever wondered about the evolution of the earth, the history of mankind, traditions, religions, mythology or just the world as it is today, Worlds in Collision is an absolute MUST-READ!
Despite decades of study, fundamental aspects of the development of the Earth’s crust remain enigmatic. This book presents geophysical and geological studies obtained from different tectonic structures and geological time intervals. It contains three sections: “Crustal Evolution and Tectonic Problems”, “Geophysical Methods in Geological Applications” and “Seismic Forecasting, Seismotectonics and Geodynamic Evolution of the Himalayan Belt”. Chapters address such topics as the evolution of tectonic structures of Earth, how geophysical and geological data can be used for modelling this evolution, and the geodynamic processes in the Earth’s crust with the present tectonic activity.
‘A mind-altering and exhilarating read’ Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk ‘Of all the popular books on the search for life that are now being published, this one is quite special’ James L. Green, former NASA chief scientist Over the last few decades, space exploration has revolutionised our understanding of our place in the cosmos. We now know that there are many habitable environments within our solar system. Yet a profound question remains: are we alone in the universe? Nathalie A. Cabrol, leading astrobiologist and director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute, takes us to the frontiers of the search for life. This book’s odyssey begins by searching for how life began on Earth in order to understand what’s necessary for life to exist elsewhere. What role did our moon play? And could life on Mars, or another world, have seeded life on Earth? Cabrol continues this dazzling interplanetary tour, illuminating the likeliest places for life in our neighbourhood: Venus, Mars, the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and Pluto. Finally, we seek life beyond our solar system, looking at the recent revolution in the night sky: the realisation that there are millions of exoplanets within our galaxy that could support life. The Secret Life of the Universe is both a comprehensive and authoritative guide to the latest discoveries and an awe-inspiring exploration of what this means for us as humans on Earth today. It’s an exhilarating journey, perfect for anyone who has ever looked up at the stars and wondered what might be out there.
Former Secretary of State William S. Cohen provides a Washington insider point of view in this new political thriller, Collision. Sean Falcone, former National Security Adviser to the president of the United States, attacks a gunman during a mass killing at an elite Washington law firm. A second shooter flees with a laptop containing vital information about an asteroid being mined by an American billionaire and his secret Russian partner. The incident plunges Falcone into a Washington mystery involving the White House, NASA, corrupt Senators, an international crime lord . . . and the possible destruction of all humankind.
This book is divided into two parts. The first part deals with the current understanding of evolution. The second part brings together the scientific picture with various responses to the 'God question'. Science is a powerful discourse; it has unravelled for us the workings of nature, and technology has enabled us to apply the findings in many ways to further knowledge, to perform complex tasks, to further communication, and to make life easier and more exciting. But there are boundaries and limits to science. First, the final models of how nature is working are never the final word: they are always awaiting 'falsification', never blessed with certain 'verification'. Second, the deeper one goes towards hoped-for truth, the more one is confronted with counter-intuitive models such as quantum theory, 'spooky-action' at a distance, the dark energy of the vacuum, the Big Bang etc. Third, science cannot advance beyond the questions accessible by scientific experiment: questions about purpose and God, right and wrong, good and evil, are not accessible to science. Scientific conclusions, however, can then be subjected to reasonable analysis, philosophical reflection, aided perhaps by religious beliefs. Today a dilemma is often offered for consideration: 'either evolution by natural selection, or God and purpose.' Is this delemma a false one? Can purposeful creation and natural selection both be true? Such are the features of evolution, one can argue strongly the case for a purpose. One can at least say belief in God sits well with evolutionary theory. To come to this conclusion we need to extend and improve our image of the God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus. God is intelligent, subtle, powerful- respectful of the freedom with which the divine will has endowed creation itself and homosapiens.
For the general public, magnetism often seems more the province of new age quacks, movie mad scientists, and grade-school teachers than an area of actual, ongoing scientific inquiry. But as Ronald T. Merrill reveals in Our Magnetic Earth, geomagnetism really is an enduring, vibrant area of science, one that offers answers to some of the biggest questions about our planet’s past—and maybe even its future. In a clear and careful fashion, he lays out the physics of geomagnetism and magnetic fields, then goes on to explain how Earth’s magnetic field provides crucial evidence for our understanding of continental drift and plate tectonics; how and why animals, ranging from bacteria to mammals, sense and use the magnetic field; how changes in climate over eons can be studied through variations in the magnetic field in rocks; and much more. Throughout, Merrill peppers his scientific account with bizarre anecdotes and fascinating details, from levitating pizzas to Moon missions to blackmailing KGB agents—a reminder that real science can at times be stranger, and more amusing, than fiction. A winning primer for anyone who has ever struggled with a compass or admired a ragged V of migrating geese, Our Magnetic Earth demonstrates that education and entertainment need not be polar opposites.
The End-of-the-World Delusion is a well-written, thoroughly researched, and very readable book. Deering's lively narrative makes complex and complicated topics accessible to the average reader. He certainly pulled me into his book despite my cynical view of the topic. Deering offers the reader riveting histories of end-of-the world beliefs and covers an extraordinary array of ground in this well-researched book, discussing everything from the Mayan end-of-times predictions, Christian rapture beliefs, pandemics, economic doomsday scenarios, and other apocalyptic predictions. Robert Watson, PhD, author/editor of thirty-four books, including The Presidents' Wives and America's War on Terror People from many different corners of civilization seem to be saying the same thing: the end is near. In The End-of-the-World Delusion, author Justin Deering explores such scenarios, discussing why they are not likely to occur or have any visible impact on this planet within our lifetime. Providing a thorough analysis, Deering chronicles the numerous instances of such predictions throughout history, examines frequent religious and cultural sources of these end-of-world claims, analyzes the sociological and psychological dynamics and dangers, and outlines other forms of end-times beliefs, ranging from religious to pop culture in nature. The End-of-the-World Delusion provides concrete information that helps evaluate these dubious assertions, relates how such beliefs have harmed individuals and society, and talks about why people are inclined to nurture such beliefs in the first place. Setting the record straight by detailing the history of failed doomsdays, Deering shows that nothing can be gained by worrying about the end of time, and that we must learn a lesson from the past, live in the present, and plan for the future.
