13 extraordinary essays shed new light on the mysteries of the universe & on one of the most brilliant thinkers of our time.In his phenomenal bestseller A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking literally transformed the way we think about physics, the universe, reality itself. In these thirteen essays and one remarkable extended interview, the man widely regarded as the most brilliant theoretical physicist since Einstein returns to reveal an amazing array of possibilities for understanding our universe. Building on his earlier work, Hawking discusses imaginary time, how black holes can give birth to baby universes, and scientists’ efforts to find a complete unified theory that would predict everything in the universe. With his characteristic mastery of language, his sense of humor and commitment to plain speaking, Stephen Hawking invites us to know him better—and to share his passion for the voyage of intellect and imagination that has opened new ways to understanding the very nature of the cosmos.

    The book takes us from the Greeks' earliest scientific observations through Einstein and beyond in an inspiring celebration of human curiosity. It ends with the quest for the Higgs boson, nicknamed the God Particle, which scientists hypothesize will help unlock the last secrets of the subatomic universe. With a new preface by Lederman, The God Particle will leave you marveling at our continuing pursuit of the infinitesimal.

    The Red Queen answers dozens of other riddles of human nature and culture -- including why men propose marriage, the method behind our maddening notions of beauty, and the disquieting fact that a woman is more likely to conceive a child by an adulterous lover than by her husband. Brilliantly written, The Red Queen offers an extraordinary new way of interpreting the human condition and how it has evolved.

    Now in a new volume of collected essays—his sixth since Ever Since Darwin—Gould speaks of the importance of unbroken connections within our own lives and to our ancestralgenerations. Along with way, he opens to us the mysteries of fish tails, frog calls, and other matters, and shows once and for all why we must take notice when a seemingly insignificant creature is threatened, like the land snail Partula from Moorea, whose extinction he movingly relates.—from the back cover

    The book drives to the heart of the exciting debate on the origins of life and maintenance of order in complex biological systems. It focuses on the concept of self-organization: the spontaneous emergence of order that is widely observed throughout nature Kauffman argues that self-organization plays an important role in the Darwinian process of natural selection. Yet until now no systematic effort has been made to incorporate the concept of self-organization into evolutionary theory. The construction requirements which permit complex systems to adapt are poorly understood, as is the extent to which selection itself can yield systems able to adapt more successfully. This book explores these themes. It shows how complex systems, contrary to expectations, can spontaneously exhibit stunning degrees of order, and how this order, in turn, is essential for understanding the emergence and development of life on Earth. Topics include the new biotechnology of applied molecular evolution, with its important implications for developing new drugs and vaccines; the balance between order and chaos observed in many naturally occurring systems; new insights concerning the predictive power of statistical mechanics in biology; and other major issues. Indeed, the approaches investigated here may prove to be the new center around which biological science itself will evolve. The work is written for all those interested in the cutting edge of research in the life sciences.

    Others feel that the issue of animal consciousness is beyond the scope of science. In Through Our Eyes Only, Marian Stamp Dawkins presents the exciting new evidence in animal behavior that points to the existence of higher consciousness in some species. Here, Dawkins argues that the idea of consciousness in other species has now progressed from a vague possibility to a plausible, scientifically respectable view. Wild vervet monkeys seem to know which members of their group are reliable messengers of danger and which commonly cry wolf; vampire bats often give food to starving companions--but only to those who have helped them in the past. Through Our Eyes Only is an immensely engaging exploration of one of the greatest remaining biological mysteries: the possibility of conscious experiences in other species. Written in a lively style accessible to the general reader, the book aims to show just how near--and how far--we are to understanding animal consciousness.

    The text, under the editorship of Stephen Jay Gould, provides a thorough understanding of the latest research and is accompanied by paintings prepared especially for this book. Never before has our planet's evolution been so clearly, so ingeniously explained. History is marked by disaster. The Book of Lifeexplains how mammals, having survived at least one of these disasters—the impact of a massive comet—luckily inherited the earth. Next came the rise of modern humans, who would shape the world as no creature has. As this fascinating history unfolds, gorgeous illustrations allow us to observe climate changes, tectonic plate movement, the spread of plant life, and the death of the dinosaurs. We discover the chains of animal survival, the causes and consequences of adaptation, and finally the environmental impact of human life.

    In this classic book, the late Marcel Minnaert accompanies the reader on a tour of nature's light and color and reveals the myriad phenomena that may be observed outdoors with no more than a pair of sharp eyes and an enquiring mind. From the intriguing shape of the dapples beneath a tree on a sunny day, to rainbows, mirages, and haloes, to the colors of liquid, ice, and the sky, to the appearance of the sun, moon, planets, and stars - Minnaert describes and explains them all in clear language accessible to the layman. This volume includes 80 new photographs, over half in color, illustrating many of the phenomena - ordinary and exotic - discussed in the book. Most of the new photos are by Pekka Parviainen, the renowned Finnish nature photographer.

    It explores the many external variables that can influence the investigator's success and the specific methods of crime detection and prosecution of law available in today. Fundamentals of criminal investigation–Explores the fundamentals of criminal investigation as practiced by actual police officers on the job. Theory and practice—Blends scientific theories of crime detection with a practical approach to criminal investigation. Duties of both the uniformed officer and criminal investigator–Outlines the duties of each participant while considering the fundamental need for both groups to work in together.  Role of criminal investigator—Emphasizes the role of criminal investigation as a law enforcement responsibility that must be conducted within the framework of the constitution and the practices of a democratic society. Law Enforcement professionals.

    Calvin Clawson, acclaimed author of Conquering Math Phobia, weaves a story of numbers that spans thousands of years. As Clawson so clearly shows, numbers are not only an intrinsic and essential thread in our modern lives, but have always been an integral part of the human psyche - knit into the very fabric of our identity as humans. Clawson travels back through time to the roots of the history of numbers. In exploring early human fascination with numbers, he unearths the clay beads, knotted ropes, and tablets used by our ancestors as counting tools. He then investigates how numeric symbols and concepts developed uniquely and independently in Meso-America, China, and Egypt. As he persuasively argues, the mathematical concepts that arose and flourished in the ancient world enabled the creation of architectural masterpieces as well as the establishment of vast trade networks. Continuing the journey, Clawson brings us to the elegant logic of numbers that soon came to distinguish itself as a discipline and the language of science. From the concepts of infinity contemplated by the Greeks to the complex numbers that are indispensable to scientists on the cutting edge of research today, Clawson breathes life and meaning into the history of great mathematical mysteries and problems. In this spirit of inquiry, he explores, in their times and places, the discovery of numbers that lie outside the province of counting, including irrational numbers, transcendentals, complex numbers, and the enormous transfinite numbers. The personalities and the creative feats surrounding each mathematical invention come alive vividly in Clawson's lucid prose. In this work of breathtaking scope, Clawson guides us through the wonders of numbers and illustrates their monumental impact on civilization.

    Even the most respected scientists today will readily admit that the Big Bang Theory is full of holes. But it takes a new look, like Dark Matter, Missing Planets, and New Comets, to explain not only why the theory is wrong but what to substitute in its place. If you are curious about such things as the nature of matter and the origin of the solar system, but feel inadequately equipped to grasp what modern science has to say about such things, read this book. You will not get the all too common condescending attempt to water down the `mysteries' of modern science into a form intelligible to little non scientist you, but rather a straightforward new theory, logically derived in front of your eyes, which challenges the roots of many of today's complex accepted paradigms, yet whose essence is simple enough to be thoroughly communicated to the intelligent layman without "losing it in the translation."