Humans have long been fascinated by space exploration, from the earliest NASA probes to the latest journeys toward the distant edges of the solar system. Readers will learn about the discovery of new stars and planets, the ways celestial bodies are formed, and much more. Features: Engaging sidebars highlight important space discoveries Timelines illustrate the ways our knowledge of space has changed over time Glossaries explain difficult scientific terms in a way that makes them easy to understand Eye-catching images give readers an up-close look at the far reaches of space www.factsfornow.scholastic.com
"Discusses the planet Mercury, including observations by ancient cultures, current knowledge of Mercury, and plans for future scientific research and space exploration"--
At the age of 30, Aine Ni Cheallaigh began to develop mysterious symptoms. Her health was eroding and she felt that she was aging faster than everyone around her. Suspecting that toxins were to blame, she had her mercury fillings removed. But restoring her health wasn't going to be that simple. Over the following months, she found herself catapulted into a nightmare of mental and physical illness. Getting the Mercury Out follows this ordinary woman's quest to solve her health mystery. Can she cure a disease that the medical establishment won't even admit is real? Can she find a treatment that will restore her to health and sanity? Sometimes funny, often heart-wrenching, this book is a deeply engaging story of personal struggle and endurance. It's an eye-opener for those who are curious about mercury poisoning, and an absolute must-read for anyone grappling with the desperate search for healing.
A stunning introduction to the first planet in our solar system, utilizing full-color photographs from the Mariner probe. A "fine contribution to science collections." —Kirkus Reviews. Newly updated 2012.
Alternative history with aliens, an immortal misanthrope and SF tropes aplenty The year is 1975 – Robert Oppenheimer has invented the Atomic Engine, the first human has walked on the moon, and Jet Carson and the Eagle Seven have sacrificed their lives to stop alien invaders. Brooklyn, however, just wants to keep his head down, pay his mother’s rent, earn a little scratch of his own, and maybe get laid sometime. Simple pleasures! But life is about to get real complicated when a killer with a baseball bat and a mysterious box of 8-track tapes sets him up for murder. So, his choices are limited – rot away in prison or sign up to defend the planet from the assholes who dropped a meteorite on Cleveland. Brooklyn crosses his fingers and picks the Earth Orbital Forces, believing that after a few years in the trenches – assuming he survives – he can get his life back. Unfortunately, the universe has other plans. Brooklyn is launched into a quest to save humanity, find his true family, and grow as a person – while simultaneously coping with high-stakes space battles, mystery science experiments and the realisation that the true enemies perhaps aren’t the tentacled monsters on the recruitment poster… Or are they? File Under: Science Fiction [ Little Green Men | Injection | Below the Crust | The Truth is out There ]
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun! It may be small, but it is full of extremes. Temperatures range between -300 and 800 degrees Fahrenheit! As it zooms around the Sun every 88 days, the speedy planet is hard to spot. This informative title shows some of the many mysteries scientists have uncovered about Mercury. Its colorful photos, fun facts, and special features are sure to delight any reader interested in space!
One morning in 2000, Dr. Jane Hightower walked into her exam room to find a patient with disturbing symptoms she couldn’t explain. The woman was nauseated, tired, and had difficulty concentrating, but a litany of tests revealed no apparent cause. She was not alone. Dr. Hightower saw numerous patients with similar, inexplicable ailments, and eventually learned that there were many more around the nation and the world. They had little in common—except a healthy appetite for certain fish. Dr. Hightower’s quest for answers led her to mercury, a poison that has been plaguing victims for centuries and is now showing up in seafood. But this “explanation” opened a Pandora’s Box of thornier questions. Why did some fish from supermarkets and restaurants contain such high levels of a powerful poison? Why did the FDA base its recommendations for “safe” mercury consumption on data supplied by Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist extremists? And why wasn’t the government warning its citizens? In Diagnosis: Mercury, Dr. Hightower retraces her investigation into the modern prevalence of mercury poisoning, revealing how political calculations, dubious studies, and industry lobbyists endanger our health. While mercury is a naturally occurring element, she learns there’s much that is unnatural about this poison’s prevalence in our seafood. Mercury is pumped into the air by coal-fired power plants and settles in our rivers and oceans, and has been dumped into our waterways by industry. It accumulates in the fish we eat, and ultimately in our own bodies. Yet government agencies and lawmakers have been slow to regulate pollution or even alert consumers. Why? The trail of evidence leads to Canada, Japan, Iraq, and various U.S. institutions, and as Dr. Hightower puts the pieces together, she discovers questionable connections between ostensibly objective researchers and industries that fear regulation and bad press. Her tenacious inquiry sheds light on a system in which, too often, money trumps good science and responsible government. Exposing a threat that few recognize but that touches many, Diagnosis: Mercury should be required reading for everyone who cares about their health.
The lead vocalist for the iconic rock band Queen, Freddie Mercury's unmatched skills as a songwriter and his flamboyant showmanship made him a superstar and Queen a household name. The author, a rock journalist, conducted more than a hundred interviews with key figures in Mercury's life, to offer this account of one man's legendary life in the spotlight and behind the scenes.
