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Nature and Science December 2016
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The Unknown Universe: A New Exploration of Time, Space, and Modern Cosmology
by Stuart Clark
A single image calls into question everything we thought we knew about the Big Bang. Taken by the European Space Agency's Planck space probe and representing 440 sextillion kilometers (273 sextillion miles) of space and 13.8 billion years of time, this high-resolution map of cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation took two years to develop, pixel by pixel, and ultimately revealed anomalies that scientists still struggle to explain. Could everything we know about the universe be wrong? Well, it wouldn't be the first time, as science writer Stuart Clark demonstrates in this engaging history of cosmology, which covers the 17th century through the present day.
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| Time Travel: A History by James GleickAs he did in The Information, popular science writer James Gleick weaves together literature, science, and philosophy in this fascinating exploration of time travel in popular culture. Beginning with H.G. Wells’ 1895 novel The Time Machine, which Gleick describes as an attempt to "gin up a plausible-sounding plot device for a piece of fantastic storytelling," the book examines fictional time travel in the context of its scientific underpinnings. From going back in time to prevent one’s own birth to creating alternate timelines, no plot device or paradox goes unexamined in this concise and accessible, yet intellectually wide-ranging discussion. |
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Homo Deus : A Brief History of Tomorrow
by Yuval Noah Harari
From the author of the international bestseller Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind comes an extraordinary new book that explores the future of the human species. Yuval Noah Harari, author of the bestselling Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, envisions a not-too-distant world in which we face a new set of challenges. In Homo Deus, he examines our future with his trademark blend of science, history, philosophy and every discipline in between. Homo Deus explores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the twenty-first century - from overcoming death to creating artificial life. It asks the fundamental questions: Where do we go from here? And how will we protect this fragile world from our own destructive powers? This is the next stage of evolution. This is Homo Deus.
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Wonder women : 25 innovators, inventors, and trailblazers who changed history
by Sam Maggs
You may think you know women's history pretty well. But have you ever heard of... Alice Ball, the chemist who developed an effective treatment for leprosy--only to have the credit taken by a man? What about Mary Sherman Morgan, the rocket scientist whose liquid fuel compounds blasted the first U.S. satellite into orbit? Does Huang Daopo ring a bell? She was the inventor whose weaving technology revolutionized textile production in China--centuries before the cotton gin? Smart women have always been able to achieve amazing things, even when the odds were stacked against them. In Wonder Women, author Sam Maggs tells the stories of the brilliant, brainy, and totally rad women in history who broke barriers as scientists, engineers, mathematicians, adventurers, and inventors. Plus, interviews with real-life women in STEM careers, an extensive bibliography, and a guide to women-centric science and technology organizations--all to show the many ways the geeky girls of today can help to build the future. By the best-selling author of The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy.
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When we are no more : how digital memory is shaping our future
by Abby Smith Rumsey
Our memory gives the human species a unique evolutionary advantage. Our stories, ideas, and innovations--in a word, our "culture"--can be recorded and passed on to future generations. Our enduring culture and restless curiosity have enabled us to invent powerful information technologies that give us invaluable perspective on our past and define our future. Today, we stand at the very edge of a vast, uncharted digital landscape, where our collective memory is stored in ephemeral bits and bytes and lives in air-conditioned server rooms. What sources will historians turn to in 100, let alone 1,000 years to understand our own time if all of our memory lives in digital codes that may no longer be decipherable?In When We Are No More, Abby Smith Rumsey explores human memory from pre-history to the present to shed light on the grand challenge facing our world--the abundance of information and scarcity of human attention. Tracing the story from cuneiform tablets and papyrus scrolls, to movable type, books, and the birth of the Library of Congress, Rumsey weaves a compelling narrative that explores how humans have dealt with the problem of too much information throughout our history, and indeed how we might begin solve the same problem for our digital future. Serving as a call to consciousness, When We Are No More explains why data storage is not memory; why forgetting is the first step towards remembering; and above all, why memory is about the future, not the past.
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Breaking the Chains of Gravity: The Story of Spaceflight Before NASA
by Amy Shira Teitel
Like many of its earliest rockets, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was built from spare parts. Created in 1958, two years before JFK promised to put humans on the Moon, NASA's nascent space program drew on discoveries made by propulsion pioneers such as Romanian physicist Hermann Oberth, whose liquid-fueled rockets inspired hobbyists to risk life and limb during the 1930s, and Wernher von Braun, who ran Nazi Germany's V-2 rocket program before bringing his expertise to the United States. This engaging account of the history of rocketry is sure to keep armchair astronauts glued to the edge of their seats.
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| This Is What You Just Put in Your Mouth? From Eggnog to Beef Jerky, the Surprising Secrets... by Patrick Di JustoHave you ever wondered what's in eggnog? Steak sauce? Chewing gum? For journalist Patrick Di Justo, it was a can of Easy Cheese that sent him a nearly decade-long quest to find out exactly what ingredients comprise the food products we eat. Based on Wired's popular column "What's Inside," this eye-opening book is the result of in-depth research and interviews with CEOs and PR departments as well as scientists, government officials, and lawyers. As a bonus, it also examines the composition of everyday products that we don't (or at least shouldn't) consume, including household cleaners and illegal drugs. |
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Don't eat this if you're taking that : the hidden risks of mixing food and medicine
by Madelyn H. Fernstrom
While no one wants to take medication to treat diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or other ailments, for millions of people, this is a daily reality. Seven out of ten Americans take prescription drugs. But when it comes to food and medicine interactions, what you don't know can harm your health. Don't Eat This If You're Taking That takes the mystery out of food and medications, providing an easy to use guide for anyone taking a medication-short term or long term-and foods to avoid that can interfere with the action of the medication. Readers can easily find a medication, see what foods to avoid, and make some smart swaps. Small diet changes with big health payoffs! An added bonus in each chapter is a "Dietary Supplements Alert" box, providing the most up to date information on interactions with vitamins, minerals and other dietary supplements. We all believe a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products are all part of healthy eating - right? Not always. Consumers can easily personalize their healthiest eating plan to work with not against their medications. That being said, be sure to consult your doctor before changing your health habits!
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| Tasty: The Art and Science of What We Eat by John McQuaidThe tongue has one job: "to distinguish food from everything else." However, the process though which we determine what's edible is complicated, requiring an understanding of, among other areas, microbiology, genetics, and neuroscience. It also requires cleansing one's mental palate by, for example, discarding that diagram of the tongue depicting four distinct regions dedicated to sweet, salty, sour, and bitter flavors (which has no scientific basis) and accepting that, to a large extent, taste is hereditary. If you've ever wondered why and how we eat what we eat, check out Tasty. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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