Quantum
Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness,
by Bruce Rosenblum and Fred
Kuttner
The most successful theory in all of
science--and the basis of one third of our
economy--says the strangest things about
the world and about us. Can you believe
that physical reality is created by our
observation of it? Physicists were forced
to this conclusion, the quantum enigma, by
what they observed in their
laboratories.
Trying to understand the atom,
physicists built quantum mechanics and
found, to their embarrassment, that their
theory intimately connects consciousness
with the physical world. Quantum Enigma
explores what that implies and why some
founders of the theory became the foremost
objectors to it.
You'll never view a football game in
quite the same way again--the ultimate
guide for the millions of impassioned fans
who have turned football into America's
most watched sport . What effect does
altitude have on the flight of a kicked
ball? How do Newton's laws of motion apply
to blocking and tackling? What does the
science of physics reveal to us about the
optimal chase strategies for defensive
backs? In this illuminating , enormously
entertaining book, a physics professor
with a rare gift for making science easy
to understand-and fun-for the lay reader
reveals the unseen natural laws that
govern football. And in so doing, Dr.
Timothy Gay broadens and deepens our
appreciation for the strategic nuances of
this deceptively simple game.
Sheds new light on the extraordinarily
vulnerability of our planet, and on our
capacity to withstand the dramatic changes
Mother Nature has in store for us in the
distant--or not so distant--future.
Thousands of people die every year from
floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes,
hurricanes and typhoons. Yet compared to
what the Earth endured in prehistoric
times-lethal volcanic winters, deadly
asteroid collisions-our civilization has
developed against a backdrop of relative
geological calm. Will this calm last? A
Brief Guide to the End of the World looks
at the frightful prospects that await us
in the 21st century and beyond. Bill
McGuire, a leading expert in the field of
geological hazards, admits that the omens
are less than encouraging. Only 10,000
years after the last Ice Age, the Earth is
sweltering in some of the highest
temperatures it has ever seen.
Overpopulation and the relentless
exploitation of natural resources,
combined with rising temperatures and sea
levels induced by greenhouse gases, are
increasing the likelihood of natural
catastrophes, from continuing El Ninos, to
large-scale glacial melting, to
mega-tsunami. Even more disturbing is the
near certainty that we are headed toward
another asteroid or comet collision on the
scale of the one that wiped out the
dinosaurs. In this provocative and
immensely readable guidebook, McGuire
discusses when these catastrophic events
are likely to take place, how they will
effect our global society, and what we can
do to increase our chances of
survival--from emissions reductions, to
massive geo-engineering schemes, to the
colonization of space. Illustrated with
photographs and diagrams, and backed by
meticulous research, A Brief Guide to the
End of the World sheds new light on the
extraordinarily vulnerability of our
planet, and on our capacity to withstand
the dramatic changes Mother Nature has in
store for us in the distant--or not so
distant--future.
Edited by acclaimed science writer and
physicist James Trefil, the Encyclopedia's
1000 entries combine in-depth coverage
with a vivid graphic format to bring every
facet of science, technology, and medicine
into stunning focus. From absolute zero to
the Mesozoic era to semiconductors to the
twin paradox, Trefil and his co-authors
have an uncanny ability to convey how the
universe works and to show readers how to
apply that knowledge to everyday
problems.
A very
interesting read...
The Pleasure of Finding Things
Out collects short works by Nobel
laureate Richard Feynman, including
interviews, speeches, and articles on such
topics as science in culture and the space
shuttle Challenger disaster.
