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Nature and ScienceOctober 2014
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"Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is." ~ Douglas Adams (1952-2001), English writer and humorist, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
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New and Recently Released!
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| The Human Age: The World Shaped by Us by Diane AckermanIn this exploration of the Anthropocene Epoch -- our current geological age, one characterized by the planet-altering activities of humans -- Diane Ackerman, author of An Alchemy of Mind and A Natural History of the Senses, discusses homo sapiens' pivotal and not always benign role in shaping its environment. From reducing biodiversity to changing the climate, humans have made their mark on the Earth...but for how much longer? Lush, lyrical, and highly literate, The Human Age covers some of the same ground as Elizabeth Kolbert's bestselling The Sixth Extinction. |
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| The Fantastic Laboratory of Dr. Weigl: How Two Brave Scientists Battled Typhus... by Arthur AllenThis is the true story of two Polish immunologists, Dr. Rudolf Weigl and his Jewish assistant, Dr. Ludwig Fleck, who were "recruited" by the Nazis to develop a typhus vaccine and who displayed considerable ingenuity under duress. Using his laboratory as a refuge for members of the resistance, Weigl also produced fake vaccines for the German army (while smuggling doses of the real medicine into ghettos and concentration camps). Meanwhile, Fleck -- compelled by the SS to conduct his research in Buchenwald -- falsified data and concealed his real research from his captors. A fascinating tale of science and sabotage during World War, The Fantastic Laboratory of Dr. Weigl should interest readers of both military and science history. |
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| Final Frontier: The Pioneering Science and Technology of Exploring the Universe by Brian CleggAbout 62 miles (100 km) above the Earth's surface, at the Kármán line, outer space begins...and never ends. But how will we get there, given the not-insignificant challenges of launching bodies (human or mechanical) into orbit? In this engaging, accessible book, physicist Brian Clegg, author of How to Build a Time Machine, explores potential advanced technologies that could help us reach the stars -- including nuclear fission, fusion rockets, solar sails, ion thrusters, and mass drivers -- as well as tools to help humans survive and thrive once we reach our destination. However, in the near future, as Clegg points out, the biggest obstacle is money. Space tourism? Private investment? A reality TV show set on Mars? Read on and find out. |
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| A Wolf Called Romeo by Nick JansWhen a lone black wolf appeared in Nick Jans' backyard in Juneau, Alaska, the author and photographer was fascinated but cautious. Well aware that wolves -- despite Romeo's well-documented love of dog toys -- are wild animals, not pets, Jans initially observed Romeo's comings and goings from a safe distance. Gradually, however, the gulf between man and beast narrowed, with Romeo becoming the town's unofficial mascot as well as a steadfast friend to a number of local pooches (including Jans' own Labrador). In addition to documenting Romeo's six-year relationship with Juneau's residents, Jans also discusses larger issues such as wildlife management policies, human incursions into wilderness areas, and the perils of habituation (i.e. when wild animals become accustomed to humans). |
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| Gotham Unbound: An Ecological History of Greater New York by Theodore SteinbergFrom tidal estuary to global metropolis, New York City has undergone constant and dramatic change since Henry Hudson first sighted Manhattan in 1609. Spanning four centuries and countless transformations, this comprehensive natural history of the Big Apple reveals a complex tale of colonialism (Dutch investors "purchased the Island Manhattes" for a mere 60 guilders and drained most of the marshes); urban planning (the English dumped garbage into the water to create more land); ecology (actual wolves once roamed Wall Street) and -- more recently, in the wake of natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy -- reclamation and preservation of a unique and fragile ecosystem that will continue, with our without human intervention, to reinvent itself. |
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Space: The Final Frontier
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| An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris HadfieldAfter watching the Apollo 11 moon landing on television, nine-year-old Chris Hadfield "knew, with absolute clarity" that he wanted to be an astronaut. It was a lofty dream -- for one thing, his native Canada had no space program. Nevertheless, through a combination of luck, pluck, and dogged perseverance, Hadfield achieved his goal, becoming one of his country's few military test pilots before launching an equally distinguished career at NASA, one that culminated in a 146-day mission as Commander of the International Space Station (during which he recorded the world's first music video in space: a version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity"). Don't miss this inspiring memoir, which is also packed with fascinating details about everyday life as an astronaut. |
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| Dreams of Other Worlds: The Amazing Story of Unmanned Space Exploration by Chris Impey and Holly HenryFrom Mariner 4's earliest photographs of Mars in 1965 to Voyager 1's ongoing exploration of interstellar space (37 years and counting), unmanned spacecraft have played a pivotal role in astronomy. In accessible, engaging prose, Dreams of Other Worlds describes 12 missions that have expanded our knowledge of our solar system (Viking, Cassini), our galaxy (Hipparcos, Chandra), and beyond (WMAP, Kepler). Space buffs will be enthralled by this chronicle of scientific discovery. |
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| Voyager: Seeking Newer Worlds in the Third Great Age of Discovery by Stephen J. PyneAccording to environmental historian Stephen J. Pyne, the year 1957 -- which saw the launch of Sputnik -- kicked off the "Third Great Age of Discovery," an era as important to human civilization as the Age of Exploration that sent Columbus and others to the New World. In this "unique and engrossing" book (Publishers Weekly), Pyne focuses on the twin Voyager spacecraft sent to explore the outer solar system and beyond (they'll keep going until they lose power, around 2025) and discusses unmanned space missions in the context of their cultural, technical, and political similarities to earlier geocentric expeditions. |
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| Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier by Neil deGrasse Tyson; edited by Avis LangHumans should be exploring space, argues astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of New York's Hayden Planetarium and a familiar onscreen presence through the TV series NOVA as well as his recent revamp of Cosmos. In three sections, titled "Why," "How," and "Why Not," Tyson discusses how the idea of space exploration inspires individuals and nations, while maintaining that the benefits of scientific discovery far outweigh the costs -- which are less than one might expect, given that the U.S. military's expenditures in just one year are equivalent to NASA's entire 50-year operating budget. Space enthusiasts will devour this engaging essay collection, while NASA skeptics may want to contemplate a world without the agency's technological legacies, including GPS, cordless power tools, and smoke detectors. |
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| Red Rover: Inside the Story of Robotic Space Exploration, from Genesis to the Mars Rover Curiosity by Roger WiensAmong other achievements, geochemist Roger Wiens was instrumental in building the ChemCam, a device -- currently mounted on NASA's Curiosity Rover -- that uses a laser to reveal the mineral composition of Martian rocks. In this memoir, Weins recounts his career in science, discussing personal triumphs and setbacks, as well as exploring the political, financial, and bureaucratic hurdles that routinely hobble space exploration. Red Rover will appeal to anyone fascinated by astronomy, but fans of rovers and robots in particular should also check out Steve Squyres' Roving Mars: Spirit, Opportunity, and the Exploration of the Red Planet. |
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