Intended for all readers--including magicians, detectives, musicians, orthopedic surgeons, and anthropologists--this book offers a thorough account of that most intriguing and most human of appendages: the hand.
The amazing science behind the search for Earth-like planetsEver since Carl Sagan first predicted that extraterrestrial civilizations must number in the millions, the search for life on other planets has gripped our imagination.
An unparalleled illustrated history of spherical trigonometry from antiquity to todayHeavenly Mathematics traces the rich history of spherical trigonometry, revealing how the cultures of classical Greece, medieval Islam, and the modern West used this forgotten art to chart the heavens and the Earth.
How the father of wind engineering helped make the world's most amazing buildings and bridges possibleWith Wind Wizard, Siobhan Roberts brings us the story of Alan Davenport (1932-2009), the father of modern wind engineering, who investigated how wind navigates the obstacle course of the earth's natural and built environments-and how, when not properly heeded, wind causes buildings and bridges to teeter unduly, sway with abandon, and even collapse.
How two pioneers of math and technology ushered in the computer revolutionBoolean algebra, also called Boolean logic, is at the heart of the electronic circuitry in everything we use-from our computers and cars, to home appliances.
The story of the visionary scientists who invented the futureIn 1969, Princeton physicist Gerard O'Neill began looking outward to space colonies as the new frontier for humanity's expansion.
Humanity's ongoing quest to unlock the secrets of dark matter and dark energyHeart of Darkness describes the incredible saga of humankind's quest to unravel the deepest secrets of the universe.
John Servos explains the emergence of physical chemistry in America by presenting a series of lively portraits of such pivotal figures as Wilhelm Ostwald, A.
Between 1945 and 1953, while the Soviet Union confronted postwar reconstruction and Cold War crises, its unchallenged leader Joseph Stalin carved out time to study scientific disputes and dictate academic solutions.
This book explores the promising potential of plant and microbe-derived compounds in drug discovery, offering insights into safer alternatives to synthetic drugs and highlighting the vital role of natural products in treating diseases with fewer side effects.
Harnessing evolution for more sustainable agricultureAs human populations grow and resources are depleted, agriculture will need to use land, water, and other resources more efficiently and without sacrificing long-term sustainability.
The first book to address nutrition's complex role in biologyNutrition has long been considered more the domain of medicine and agriculture than of the biological sciences, yet it touches and shapes all aspects of the natural world.
A look at one of the most exciting unsolved problems in mathematics todayElliptic Tales describes the latest developments in number theory by looking at one of the most exciting unsolved problems in contemporary mathematics-the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer Conjecture.
The best backyard experiments for hands-on science learningThe Ultimate Book of Saturday Science is Neil Downie's biggest and most astounding compendium yet of science experiments you can do in your own kitchen or backyard using common household items.
The mysterious and remarkable ways that animals navigateWe know that animals cross miles of water, land, and sky with pinpoint precision on a daily basis.
The science of change from cells to cultureCells to Civilizations is the first unified account of how life transforms itself-from the production of bacteria to the emergence of complex civilizations.
How our stone-age brains made modern society, and why it matters for relationships between men and womenAs countless love songs, movies, and self-help books attest, men and women have long sought different things.
Computational physics is a rapidly growing subfield of computational science, in large part because computers can solve previously intractable problems or simulate natural processes that do not have analytic solutions.
This book presents the latest findings on one of the most intensely investigated subjects in computational mathematics--the traveling salesman problem.
Opticsa field of physics focusing on the study of lightis also central to many areas of biology, including vision, ecology, botany, animal behavior, neurobiology, and molecular biology.
Why democracy is the best way of deciding how decisions should be madePragmatism and its consequences are central issues in American politics today, yet scholars rarely examine in detail the relationship between pragmatism and politics.
The story of one of the greatest unsolved problems in mathematicsWhat is the shortest possible route for a traveling salesman seeking to visit each city on a list exactly once and return to his city of origin?
A complete illustrated guide to these enigmatic seabirdsPetrels, albatrosses, and storm-petrels are among the most beautiful yet least known of all the world's birds, living their lives at sea far from the sight of most people.
More stimulating mathematics puzzles from bestselling author Paul NahinHow do technicians repair broken communications cables at the bottom of the ocean without actually seeing them?
The year's finest writing on mathematics from around the worldThis anthology brings together the year's finest mathematics writing from around the world.
Top mathematicians talk about their work and livesFascinating Mathematical People is a collection of informal interviews and memoirs of sixteen prominent members of the mathematical community of the twentieth century, many still active.
A concise guide to representing complex Earth systems using simple dynamic modelsMathematical Modeling of Earth's Dynamical Systems gives earth scientists the essential skills for translating chemical and physical systems into mathematical and computational models that provide enhanced insight into Earth's processes.
As commercial and military spacecraft become more important to the world's economy and defense, and as new scientific and exploratory missions are launched into space, the need for a single comprehensive resource on spacecraft charging becomes increasingly critical.
A comprehensive, self-contained primer on validated numericsThis textbook provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of validated numerics, an emerging new field that combines the strengths of scientific computing and pure mathematics.
A comprehensive introduction to tropical ecologyThis full-color illustrated textbook offers the first comprehensive introduction to all major aspects of tropical ecology.
