In ten short chapters of lyrical prose—each one an ode to a breathtaking realm of discovery—Stefan Klein uses everyday objects and events as a springboard to meditate on the beauty of the underlying science. Klein sees in a single rose the sublime interdependence of all life; a day of stormy weather points to the world’s unpredictability; a marble conjures the birth of the cosmos. As he contemplates the deepest mysteries—the nature of reality, dark matter, humanity’s place among the galaxies, and more—Klein encourages us to fall in love with the universe the way scientists do: with a grasp of the key ideas and theories of twenty-first-century physics that bring to life the wonders of, really, everything. You won’t look at a rose—or at our world—the same way again.

    

    But soon, Earth's isolation could come to an end. Over the past two decades, astronomers have discovered thousands of planets orbiting other stars. Some of these exoplanets may be mirror images of our own world. And more are being found all the time.Yet as the pace of discovery quickens, an answer to the universe's greatest riddle still remains just out of reach: Is the great silence and emptiness of the cosmos a sign that we and our world are somehow singular, special, and profoundly alone, or does it just mean that we’re looking for life in all the wrong places? As star-gazing scientists come closer to learning the truth, their insights are proving ever more crucial to understanding life’s intricate mysteries and possibilities right here on Earth.Science journalist Lee Billings explores the past and future of the "exoplanet boom" through in-depth reporting and interviews with the astronomers andplanetary scientists at its forefront. He recounts the stories behind their world-changing discoveries and captures the pivotal moments that drove them forward in their historic search for the first habitable planets beyond our solar system. Billings brings readers close to a wide range of fascinating characters, such as:FRANK DRAKE, a pioneer who has used the world’s greatest radio telescopes to conduct the first searches for extraterrestrial intelligence and to transmit a message to the stars so powerful that it briefly outshone our Sun.JIM KASTING, a mild-mannered former NASA scientist whose research into the Earth’s atmosphere and climate reveals the deepest foundations of life on our planet, foretells the end of life on Earth in the distant future, and guides the planet hunters in their search for alien life.SARA SEAGER, a visionary and iron-willed MIT professor who dreams of escaping the solar system and building the giant space telescopes required to discover and study life-bearing planets around hundreds of the Sun’s neighboring stars.Through these and other captivating tales, Billings traces the triumphs, tragedies, and betrayals of the extraordinary men and women seeking life among the stars. In spite of insufficient funding, clashing opinions, and the failings of some of our world’s most prominent and powerful scientific organizations, these planet hunters will not rest until they find the meaning of life in the infinite depths of space. Billings emphasizes that the heroic quest for other Earth-like planets is not only a scientific pursuit, but also a reflection of our own culture’s timeless hopes and fears.

    In this short book, he provides readers with a fictional account of how a real, new medical technology could revolutionize the future of medicine by curing with sound. THE TUMOR follows the present day experience of the fictional patient Paul, an otherwise healthy 35-year-old father who is diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Grisham takes readers through a detailed account of Paul’s treatment and his family’s experience that doesn’t end as we would hope. Grisham then explores an alternate future, where Paul is diagnosed with the same brain tumor at the same age, but in the year 2025, when a treatment called focused ultrasound is able to extend his life expectancy. Focused ultrasound has the potential to treat not just brain tumors, but many other disorders, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, hypertension, and prostate, breast and pancreatic cancer. For more information, you can visit The Focused Ultrasound Foundation’s website. Here you will find a video of Grisham on the TEDx stage with the Foundation’s chairman and a Parkinson’s patient who brings the audience to its feet sharing her incredible story of a focused ultrasound “miracle.” Readers will get a taste of the narrative they expect from Grisham, but this short book will also educate and inspire people to be hopeful about the future of medical innovation.

    Atoms, ice crystals, grains of pollen, snowflakes, butterfly wings, cloud formations, searing comets, and showers of stars are born, live and die. The unprecedented scope of Heaven & Earth offers an awe-inspiring voyage of discovery through this infinite world that is science - from the smallest particles on the earth's surface to tiny dots in galaxies that are billions of light years away.Revealing the extensive range of matter contained in the cosmos, this book navigates a fascinating trajectory through an unexplored world, to celebrate the immeasurable beauty and countless mysteries of planet earth and the universe. It charts - chapter by chapter - intricate landscapes of increasing scale and distance, captured by microscope, x-ray, satellite and telescope. Each magnificent photograph is accompanied by an extended caption that explains it in detail, offering a dose of scientific information that enables us to associate with it on a human scale.This volume presents a unique and richly illustrated insight into the momentous relation between aesthetics and nature, in the light of nature's magnitude and its complexity of life. The result is the ultimate fusion of art and science, through a sequence of images that are as subtle as they are stupendous.

    There were bacteria in volcanic hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, single-celled algae in Antarctic ice floes, and fungi in the cooling pools of nuclear reactors.But might there be life stranger than the most extreme extremophile? Might there be, somewhere, another kind of life entirely? In fact, scientists have hypothesized life that uses ammonia instead of water, life based not in carbon but in silicon, life driven by nuclear chemistry, and life whose very atoms are unlike those in life we know. In recent years some scientists have begun to look for the tamer versions of such life on rock surfaces in the American Southwest, in a “shadow biosphere” that might impinge on the known biosphere, and even deep within human tissue. They have also hypothesized more radical versions that might survive in Martian permafrost, in the cold ethylene lakes on Saturn’s moon Titan, and in the hydrogen-rich atmospheres of giant planets in other solar systems. And they have imagined it in places off those worlds: the exotic ices in comets, the vast spaces between the stars, and—strangest of all—parallel universes.Distilling complex science in clear and lively prose, David Toomey illuminates the research of the biological avant-garde and describes the workings of weird organisms in riveting detail. His chapters feature an unforgettable cast of brilliant scientists and cover everything from problems with our definitions of life to the possibility of intelligent weird life. With wit and understanding that will delight scientists and lay readers alike, Toomey reveals how our current knowledge of life forms may account for only a tiny fraction of what’s really out there.

    Space is the venue of physics; it's where things exist, where they move and take shape. Yet over the past few decades, physicists have discovered a phenomenon that operates outside the confines of space and time: nonlocality-the ability of two particles to act in harmony no matter how far apart they may be. It appears to be almost magical. Einstein grappled with this oddity and couldn't come to terms with it, describing it as "spooky action at a distance." More recently, the mystery has deepened as other forms of nonlocality have been uncovered. This strange occurrence, which has direct connections to black holes, particle collisions, and even the workings of gravity, holds the potential to undermine our most basic understandings of physical reality. If space isn't what we thought it was, then what is it? In Spooky Action at a Distance, George Musser sets out to answer that question, offering a provocative exploration of nonlocality and a celebration of the scientists who are trying to explain it. Musser guides us on an epic journey into the lives of experimental physicists observing particles acting in tandem, astronomers finding galaxies that look statistically identical, and cosmologists hoping to unravel the paradoxes surrounding the big bang. He traces the often contentious debates over nonlocality through major discoveries and disruptions of the twentieth century and shows how scientists faced with the same undisputed experimental evidence develop wildly different explanations for that evidence. Their conclusions challenge our understanding of not only space and time but also the origins of the universe-and they suggest a new grand unified theory of physics. Delightfully readable, Spooky Action at a Distance is a mind-bending voyage to the frontiers of modern physics that will change the way we think about reality.Long-listed for the 2016 PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award“An important book that provides insight into key new developments in our understanding of the nature of space, time and the universe. It will repay careful study.” —John Gribbin, The Wall Street Journal “An endlessly surprising foray into the current mother of physics' many knotty mysteries, the solving of which may unveil the weirdness of quantum particles, black holes, and the essential unity of nature.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

    People of all ages frequently ask, “How did you find that so quickly?” Well, this book will explain just that! The planets in our solar system, the International Space Station, sunspots, birds, nebula, airplanes, and comets are just some of the items that his book will help you find!If you have been having difficulties enjoying your small telescope, this book is for you. There is something interesting about pretty much everything in outer space and it is exciting how many pop-culture references are derived from things in the night sky! Viewing the stars referenced in Star Trek, or talking about a character in Harry Potter named after a constellation, is just another way to make stargazing that much more fun! I am very excited to share my knowledge of astronomy and I am sure you will enjoy this book for years to come. By working through the 50 items in this book you will achieve a well-rounded understanding of amateur astronomy.

    Relevant psychological principles will help you predict your viewer's emotional reaction to your photographic images, giving you more power, control, and tools for communicating your desired message. Knowing how our minds work helps photographers, graphic designers, videographers, animators, and visual communicators both create and critique sophisticated works of visual art. Benefit from this insight in your work. Topics covered in this book: gestalt grouping, memory and association, space, time, color, contours, illusion and ambiguity, morphics, personality, subliminals, critiquing photographs, and rhetoric.

    Made for the iPad and iPhone, this how-to book features photojournalist and Pulitzer finalist Mary F. Calvert in HD video tutorials and also includes 30 interactive slideshows and guided tours that let you tap, swipe, and slide your way through photography jargon, camera settings, and dozens of common shooting scenarios. "Master Your DSLR Camera" is available only in the Apple App Store.http://betterbook.com/dslr★ Cut Through the Jargon Take advantage of the iPad’s best features by tapping, swiping, and sliding your way through seemingly inaccessible concepts like aperture, shutter speed, focal length and ISO. Explore interactive guided tours of the camera, inside and out, and manipulate camera settings in the book to see the image transform right before your eyes. ★ Conquer Any Scenario Learn professional tricks like how to freeze droplets of water in midair and perfectly blur the background of a bridal photo. Manage movement and light, properly set up your shots, and use our quick-reference cheat sheets to master 25 common shooting scenarios, including: • Children • Pets • Travel & Architecture • Nighttime, Sunsets & Fireworks • Parties & Weddings • Nature & Wildlife • Sports ★ Troubleshooting Learn how to fix common digital photography problems like blurry images, uneven lighting, distortion, and discoloration. THE EXPERTS————————————————————★ Author: DAVID BECKER David is a veteran technology journalist who has covered photography and digital imaging for publications including Wired, CNET, Men’s Journal, and Macworld. ★ Video tutorials by: MARY F. CALVERT Mary who worked eleven years as a staff photographer for The Washington Times, covering Congress, political campaigns, and the White House. Mary was a finalist in 2007 for the Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography for her work in sub-Saharan Africa, and in 2008 was honored with the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award in International Photography for reporting in India. Through in-depth HD video tutorials, Mary helps you take control of your powerful DSLR camera and walks you through how to see the beautiful photos hidden from the untrained eye, while also capturing the moments that could have easily passed you by.

    From the Space Shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA’s new space capsule, Mary Roach takes us on the surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.

    It encourages you to explore every discipline and experiment with different approaches, hone your skills, and find your own personal style.There are two key features that make the book unique. The first is the structure. Almost invariably, photography books parcel up information in such a way that the technical elements of photography are dealt with separately from creative ideas, which in turn are dealt with separately from projects and genres. The Complete Photographer takes a completely different, holistic approach, with insights, ideas, tips, and techniques that focus specifically on each genre.The second unique feature is the "behind-the-scenes" coverage. Where Masterclass showcased the work of a number of professional photographers working in a variety of fields, The Complete Photographer goes further. It shows in step-by-step, photographic detail the planning, setting up, and shooting of 20 superb images taken especially for the book. In a running commentary, each photographer reveals the ideas and inspiration behind the shot, how decisions on location, lighting, camera angle, and props are arrived at, and, where relevant, demonstrates any image manipulation that has been carried out to produce the final image. Galleries of selected works are accompanied by notes on each image and how it was made.As with Digital Photography Masterclass, Tom's tutorials are presented in a highly visual, logical way that makes concepts easy to grasp. Images are grouped together to reveal how different approaches to the same subject can produce dramatically different results. Individual images are analyzed to show why they are successful, and how specific effects are achieved. Side-by-side comparisons highlight common problems and show how to avoid them. Each tutorial includes an assignment that encourages the reader to experiment, think outside the box, and practice new skills.The Complete Photographer will provide inspiration and be a beautiful book to look at, as well as delivering engaging, hardworking content that unlocks the secrets of success for the reader and provides a fascinating insight into the techniques of the professionals.The ContentsPrelims (7pp)general Introduction (2pp)1. Portraits (38pp)Formal and candid, in the studio and outdoors, individuals and groups, children and pets.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)2. Landscape and nature (38pp)Different times of day and weather conditions. From breathtaking vistas to close-ups.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)3. Fashion and street (38pp)Studio set-ups, on location, props and styling. Capturing moments on the city streets.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)4. Wildlife (38pp)On safari and close to home, in the wild and in captivity, up close and in the environment.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)5. Sport (38pp)Key moments, capturing action, the spirit and emotion of the sport.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)6. Documentary (38pp)Finding and telling a story, observation,capturing decisive moments.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)7. Events (38pp)Live music, graduation, wedding, new baby etc.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)8. Travel (38pp)Spirit of place, capturing atmosphere, people. Cultural and social considerations.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)9. Architecture (38pp)Ancient and modern, interior and exterior.Light and angles, details and wide views.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)10. Fine art (38pp)Color and black and white, fine-art printing.Still life, abstracts, nudes, stock photography etc.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)Index/Acknowledgments (11pp)

    Why does music evoke such powerful moods? The answers are at last be- coming clear, thanks to revolutionary neuroscience and the emerging field of evolutionary psychology. Both a cutting-edge study and a tribute to the beauty of music itself, This Is Your Brain on Music unravels a host of mysteries that affect everything from pop culture to our understanding of human nature, including: • Are our musical preferences shaped in utero? • Is there a cutoff point for acquiring new tastes in music? • What do PET scans and MRIs reveal about the brain’s response to music? • Is musical pleasure different from other kinds of pleasure?This Is Your Brain on Music explores cultures in which singing is considered an essential human function, patients who have a rare disorder that prevents them from making sense of music, and scientists studying why two people may not have the same definition of pitch. At every turn, this provocative work unlocks deep secrets about how nature and nurture forge a uniquely human obsession.

    Do you want the calm, clarity, and focus of mindfulness without the trappings of formal meditation practice? This book will provide you with a set of tips and techniques that can guide you in infusing your daily life, as it already is, with exactly that.

    That collaboration would mark the dawn of modern science . . . and end in murder.Johannes Kepler changed forever our understanding of the universe with his three laws of planetary motion. He demolished the ancient model of planets moving in circular orbits and laid the foundation for the universal law of gravitation, setting physics on the course of revelation it follows to this day. Kepler was one of the greatest astronomers of all time. Yet if it hadn't been for the now lesser-known Tycho Brahe, the man for whom Kepler apprenticed, Kepler would be a mere footnote in today's science books. Brahe was the Imperial Mathematician at the court of the Holy Roman Emperor in Prague and the most famous astronomer of his era. He was one of the first great systematic empirical scientists and one of the earliest founders of the modern scientific method. His forty years of planetary observations—an unparalleled treasure of empirical data—contained the key to Kepler's historic breakthrough. But those observations would become available to Kepler only after Brahe's death. This groundbreaking history portrays the turbulent collaboration between these two astronomers at the turn of the seventeenth century and their shattering discoveries that would mark the transition from medieval to modern science. But that is only half the story. Based on recent forensic evidence (analyzed here for the first time) and original research into medieval and Renaissance alchemy—all buttressed by in-depth interviews with leading historians, scientists, and medical specialists—the authors have put together shocking and compelling evidence that Tycho Brahe did not die of natural causes, as has been believed for four hundred years. He was systematically poisoned—most likely by his assistant, Johannes Kepler. An epic tale of murder and scientific discovery, Heavenly Intrigue reveals the dark side of one of history’s most brilliant minds and tells the story of court politics, personal intrigue, and superstition that surrounded the protean invention of two great astronomers and their quest to find truth and beauty in the heavens above.