Earth's Changing Climate


Richard Wolfson - 2007
    Is Earth Warming? 2. Butterflies, Glaciers, and Hurricanes 3. Ice Ages and Beyond 4. In the Greenhouse 5. A Tale of Three Planets 6. Global Recycling 7. The Human Factor 8. Computing the Future 9. Impacts of Climate Change 10. Energy and Climate 11. EnergyResources and Alternatives 12. Sustainable Futures?

We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe


Jorge Cham - 2017
    While they're at it, they helpfully demystify many complicated things we do know about, from quarks and neutrinos to gravitational waves and exploding black holes. With equal doses of humor and delight, they invite us to see the universe as a vast expanse of mostly uncharted territory that's still ours to explore.This entertaining illustrated science primer is the perfect book for anyone who's curious about all the big questions physicists are still trying to answer.

Our Mathematical Universe: My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality


Max Tegmark - 2012
    Our Big Bang, our distant future, parallel worlds, the sub-atomic and intergalactic - none of them are what they seem. But there is a way to understand this immense strangeness - mathematics. Seeking an answer to the fundamental puzzle of why our universe seems so mathematical, Tegmark proposes a radical idea: that our physical world not only is described by mathematics, but that it is mathematics. This may offer answers to our deepest questions: How large is reality? What is everything made of? Why is our universe the way it is?Table of ContentsPreface 1 What Is Reality? Not What It Seems • What’s the Ultimate Question? • The Journey Begins Part One: Zooming Out 2 Our Place in Space Cosmic Questions • How Big Is Space? • The Size of Earth • Distance to the Moon • Distance to the Sun and the Planets • Distance to the Stars • Distance to the Galaxies • What Is Space? 3 Our Place in TimeWhere Did Our Solar System Come From? • Where Did theGalaxies Come From? • Where Did the Mysterious MicrowavesCome From? • Where Did the Atoms Come From? 4 Our Universe by NumbersWanted: Precision Cosmology • Precision Microwave-Background Fluctuations • Precision Galaxy Clustering • The Ultimate Map of Our Universe • Where Did Our Big Bang Come From? 5 Our Cosmic Origins What’s Wrong with Our Big Bang? • How Inflation Works • The Gift That Keeps on Giving • Eternal Inflation 6 Welcome to the Multiverse The Level I Multiverse • The Level II Multiverse • Multiverse Halftime Roundup Part Two: Zooming In 7 Cosmic Legos Atomic Legos • Nuclear Legos • Particle-Physics Legos • Mathematical Legos • Photon Legos • Above the Law? • Quanta and Rainbows • Making Waves • Quantum Weirdness • The Collapse of Consensus • The Weirdness Can’t Be Confined • Quantum Confusion 8 The Level III Multiverse The Level III Multiverse • The Illusion of Randomness • Quantum Censorship • The Joys of Getting Scooped • Why Your Brain Isn’t a Quantum Computer • Subject, Object and Environment • Quantum Suicide • Quantum Immortality? • Multiverses Unified • Shifting Views: Many Worlds or Many Words? Part Three: Stepping Back 9 Internal Reality, External Reality and Consensus Reality External Reality and Internal Reality • The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth • Consensus Reality • Physics: Linking External to Consensus Reality 10 Physical Reality and Mathematical Reality Math, Math Everywhere! • The Mathematical Universe Hypothesis • What Is a Mathematical Structure? 11 Is Time an Illusion? How Can Physical Reality Be Mathematical? • What Are You? • Where Are You? (And What Do You Perceive?) • When Are You? 12 The Level IV Multiverse Why I Believe in the Level IV Multiverse • Exploring the Level IV Multiverse: What’s Out There? • Implications of the Level IV Multiverse • Are We Living in a Simulation? • Relation Between the MUH, the Level IV Multiverse and Other Hypotheses •Testing the Level IV Multiverse 13 Life, Our Universe and Everything How Big Is Our Physical Reality? • The Future of Physics • The Future of Our Universe—How Will It End? • The Future of Life •The Future of You—Are You Insignificant? Acknowledgments Suggestions for Further Reading Index

Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100


Michio Kaku - 2011
    The result is the most authoritative and scientifically accurate description of the revolutionary developments taking place in medicine, computers, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, energy production, and astronautics.In all likelihood, by 2100 we will control computers via tiny brain sensors and, like magicians, move objects around with the power of our minds. Artificial intelligence will be dispersed throughout the environment, and Internet-enabled contact lenses will allow us to access the world's information base or conjure up any image we desire in the blink of an eye.Meanwhile, cars will drive themselves using GPS, and if room-temperature superconductors are discovered, vehicles will effortlessly fly on a cushion of air, coasting on powerful magnetic fields and ushering in the age of magnetism.Using molecular medicine, scientists will be able to grow almost every organ of the body and cure genetic diseases. Millions of tiny DNA sensors and nanoparticles patrolling our blood cells will silently scan our bodies for the first sign of illness, while rapid advances in genetic research will enable us to slow down or maybe even reverse the aging process, allowing human life spans to increase dramatically.In space, radically new ships—needle-sized vessels using laser propulsion—could replace the expensive chemical rockets of today and perhaps visit nearby stars. Advances in nanotechnology may lead to the fabled space elevator, which would propel humans hundreds of miles above the earth's atmosphere at the push of a button.But these astonishing revelations are only the tip of the iceberg. Kaku also discusses emotional robots, antimatter rockets, X-ray vision, and the ability to create new life-forms, and he considers the development of the world economy. He addresses the key questions: Who are the winner and losers of the future? Who will have jobs, and which nations will prosper?All the while, Kaku illuminates the rigorous scientific principles, examining the rate at which certain technologies are likely to mature, how far they can advance, and what their ultimate limitations and hazards are. Synthesizing a vast amount of information to construct an exciting look at the years leading up to 2100, Physics of the Future is a thrilling, wondrous ride through the next 100 years of breathtaking scientific revolution. (From the Hardcover Edition)(Duration: 15:39:15)

How Babies Sleep: The Gentle, Science-Based Method to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night


Sofia Axelrod - 2020
    Newborn babies typically wake every two to three hours, and there’s nothing bleary-eyed, exhausted parents want more than a night of uninterrupted sleep. But while there’s plenty of advice out there, there is nothing that’s based on the latest cutting-edge research about sleep—until now. In How Babies Sleep, Sofia Axelrod, PhD—neuroscientist, sleep consultant, and mother of two—introduces the first baby sleep method that is truly rooted in the science of sleep. After having her first child, Axelrod realized that the typical baby sleep advice conflicted with the actual science of sleep, inlcuding the findings from her mentor’s Nobel Prize–winning sleep lab. She developed her transformative method based on the latest discoveries about our body’s circadian clock and how it is disturbed by light and other external stimuli. After seeing incredible results with her own babies, she has since counseled countless families in her groundbreaking method—which works with babies’ needs and helps little ones learn to self-soothe, fall asleep more easily, and stay asleep through the night. You’ll discover helpful tips that work, and learn: why using a red lightbulb (instead of a regular one) in the nursery at night can minimize wakings; why the age-old advice “don’t wake a sleeping baby” isn’t true; how to create a healthy routine; how to sleep train gently with minimal crying (under two minutes); and so much more in this revolutionary and effective book that will help both you and your baby enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep.

Foundations of Economic Prosperity


Daniel W. Drezner - 2013
    Professor Drezner takes you behind the headlines and into the debates to dispel common myths about prosperity and get at deeper truths. By taking a broad view of economics that includes psychology, sociology, political science, and history, his lectures lead you to fundamental insights about how the modern world works and a deeper understanding of the functioning of the U.S., European, Chinese, and other major economies, as well as an appreciation for the special problems faced by underdeveloped nations. You'll examine dozens of case histories that illustrate what works and doesn't work in the drive to increase economic growth. You'll also learn about intriguing examples of prosperity won or lost, including the Dutch tulip mania in 1637, the era of globalization that started in the 1850s and lasting through World War I, and Ukraine's economic missteps after the breakup of the Soviet Union. As a start on your own road to greater prosperity, take this step to invest in an unparalleled explanation of the prerequisites to achieve it.

When Einstein Walked with Gödel: Excursions to the Edge of Thought


Jim Holt - 2018
    With his trademark clarity and humor, Holt probes the mysteries of quantum mechanics, the quest for the foundations of mathematics, and the nature of logic and truth. Along the way, he offers intimate biographical sketches of celebrated and neglected thinkers, from the physicist Emmy Noether to the computing pioneer Alan Turing and the discoverer of fractals, Benoit Mandelbrot. Holt offers a painless and playful introduction to many of our most beautiful but least understood ideas, from Einsteinian relativity to string theory, and also invites us to consider why the greatest logician of the twentieth century believed the U.S. Constitution contained a terrible contradiction--and whether the universe truly has a future.

A Book of Secrets: Finding Solace in a Stubborn World


Derren Brown - 2021
    By sharing his own moments of anger, frustration, loneliness and loss, Derren reveals how it's possible to find consolation and compassion in our most challenging times.A Book of Secrets is a profound and practical guide to finding value in sadness and strength from what life throws at us - it is from the difficulty of life that we find meaning and grow.

Binocular Highlights


Gary Seronik - 2007
    Each object is plotted on a detailed, easy-to-use star map, and most of these sights can be found even in a light-polluted sky. Also included are four seasonal all-sky charts that help locate each highlight. You don't need fancy or expensive equipment to enjoy the wonders of the night sky. In fact, as even experienced star gazers know, to go beyond the naked-eye sky and delve deep into the universe, all you need are binoculars ? even the ones hanging unused in your closet. If you don't own any, Binocular Highlights explains what to look for when choosing binoculars for star gazing and provides observing tips for users of these portable and versatile mini-telescopes. Sprial-bound with readable paper spine, full color throughout.

The Awakening of HK Derryberry: My Unlikely Friendship with the Boy Who Remembers Everything


Jim Bradford - 2016
    He certainly was not seeking a son, but the small nine-year old boy sporting an overgrown buzz haircut and missing baby teeth desperately needed a dad. The businessman had no clue this boy was born when a car wreck took his mother’s life, or that he had been raised by his grandmother when his alcoholic father abandoned him at age five. He did not know the little boy was blind, had cerebral palsy, and plenty of other problems, or that he spent eighteen solitary hours in the restaurant most weekends while his grandmother worked the cash register. Sixteen years later neither Jim Bradford nor HK Derryberry could have fathomed how much this chance encounter would transform each other’s life. This is Jim’s extraordinary true story of an enduring friendship between a disabled boy with a remarkable hidden gift, and his best friend for life.

Conspiracies & Conspiracy Theories: What We Should and Shouldn't Believe - and Why


Michael Shermer - 2019
    And there is no shortage of subjects: from who really killed JFK to the truth behind 9/11. And then, there are subjects from alien invasions to the Moon landing was simulated - theories that are truly out of this world, which according to some, is flat. Many of these crazy concepts have jumped off the pages or screens to become so pervasive in our culture that thousands - even millions - subscribe to them as reality. Does the idea that millions of Americans buy into conspiracy theories feel like a ... conspiracy? Consider that: 81 percent believes more than one person was responsible for the assassination of John F. Kennedy;One-third of this country believes 9/11 was an "inside job" by the Bush administration; 21 percent believes aliens crash-landed in Roswell and are being hidden in Area 51; andSeven percent believes the Moon landing was faked. What causes people, frequently well-educated and highly regarded people, to advocate these unfounded - often disproven - ideas as reality? And more disturbing, why is the power of conspiracies so compelling - powerful enough to motivate people to act, to even participate in horrific undertakings?In this eye-opening Audible Original, Professor Michael Shermer takes you through some of the most prevalent conspiracy theories of history, giving you a foundational understanding of how and why they came about, who was likely to believe and perpetuate them, and the reality behind the beliefs. Whether you are looking for the truth that is out there; fascinated by the psychology of why people buy into conspiracy theories; or interested in how conspiracy theories shaped and were shaped, by history, this course will provide you with all the tools you need to better understand the pervasiveness of conspiracy theories in our culture.

The 4% Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality


Richard Panek - 2010
      In the past few years, a handful of scientists have been in a race to explain a disturbing aspect of our universe: only 4 percent of it consists of the matter that makes up you, me, our books, and every planet, star, and galaxy. The rest—96 percent of the universe—is completely unknown.   Richard Panek tells the dramatic story of how scientists reached this conclusion, and what they’re doing to find this "dark" matter and an even more bizarre substance called dark energy. Based on in-depth, on-site reporting and hundreds of interviews—with everyone from Berkeley’s feisty Saul Perlmutter and Johns Hopkins’s meticulous Adam Riess to the quietly revolutionary Vera Rubin—the book offers an intimate portrait of the bitter rivalries and fruitful collaborations, the eureka moments and blind alleys, that have fueled their search, redefined science, and reinvented the universe.

Healing the Broken Brain


Mike Dow - 2017
    Mike Dow is a best-selling author, psychotherapist, and relationship expert. So why is he writing a book about stroke?Well, what you probably don’t know about Dr. Mike is that his younger brother, David, is a stroke survivor. What’s more, David’s stroke happened when he only 10 years old. This means most of Dr. Mike’s teenage years were spent witnessing what his family was dealing with trying to find the best treatments for David. He struggled to know what to do to help his brother. He watched helplessly as his brother wrestled with depression, trying to find the motivation to recover on top of the challenges of adolescence. He mourned the loss of what could have been—and he was angry.How his family would have loved to sit down with top experts in stroke to find out what they should be doing and have their questions answered. Now Dr. Mike has the ability to do just that, and he’s doing it so that others in his family’s position don’t have the same struggle.Armed with questions from stroke survivors and their loved ones, Dr. Mike talks with the best clinicians across the country to get over 100 answers you need to know to maximize your recovery.

The Weight of the Nation: Surprising Lessons About Diets, Food, and Fat from the Extraordinary Series from HBO Documentary Films


John Hoffman - 2012
    So how could two-thirds of us fail to measure up when it comes to eating right and exercising? HBO and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences have joined together to bring you the nation’s foremost experts and definitive research on weight and weight loss. The Weight of the Nation explains how we got to this unhealthy place and how we can get to a healthy weight by overcoming the forces that drive us to eat too much and move too little.Three years in the making, The Weight of the Nation answers crucial questions like:--Is there such a thing as the right diet?--Am I doomed to yo-yo for the rest of my life?--How does stress affect my weight?--Is my slow metabolism making me fat?--How does carrying too much weight affect my health?--Why do I eat junk food even though I know it’s unhealthy?--Is exercise enough to help most people maintain an ideal weight?--How can I keep weight off forever?Based on the rich research behind HBO’s documentary series, The Weight of the Nation is the only book that tells it like it is: losing weight is hard, keeping it off is even harder, and there’s no quick fix. Weight loss takes a lot of work and a lifetime commitment, but thousands have done it and this book will show you how.

The Year in Tech, 2021: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review (HBR Insights Series)


Harvard Business Review - 2020