Uncategorized
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Science Past from the issue of November 19, 1960
MERCURY CAPSULE FAILS — Failure of the test shot of the Mercury space capsule and its pilot escape system will not “necessarily” delay putting a man in space, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration reported. NASA has scheduled a manned rocket launch for 1961. The Mercury spacecraft, designed to take an astronaut safely into outer […]
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Physics of the Human Body by Richard P. McCall
Looking at the body as a physics laboratory lends a fresh perspective, from how the properties of light affect eyesight to the fluid dynamics of the circulatory system. A good resource for doctors or the general reader. PHYSICS OF THE HUMAN BODY BY RICHARD P. MCCALL Johns Hopkins Univ., 2010, 301 p., $45.
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The Shape of Inner Space: String Theory and the Geometry of the Universe’s Hidden Dimensions by Shing-Tung Yau and Steve Nadis
Taking another angle on the string theory genre, a Harvard mathematician and a science writer join up to explore the geometry of curled-up universes too small to see. THE SHAPE OF INNER SPACE: STRING THEORY AND THE GEOMETRY OF THE UNIVERSE’S HIDDEN DIMENSIONS BY SHING-TUNG YAU AND STEVE NADIS Basic Books, 2010, 377 p., $30.
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The Instant Physicist: An Illustrated Guide by Richard A. Muller
In this collection of physics-related curiosities, every page flip reveals a basic principle of physics and a humorous cartoon by Joey Manfre. Examples include why wine is radioactive and how much plutonium it takes to build a bomb (enough to fill a coffee mug). THE INSTANT PHYSICIST: AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE BY RICHARD A. MULLER W.W. […]
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ThermoPoetics: Energy in Victorian Literature and Science by Barri J. Gold
For the literary-minded physics aficionado, this book examines literature’s role in shaping and wrestling with emerging ideas of energy and thermodynamics in the Victorian age. THERMOPOETICS: ENERGY IN VICTORIAN LITERATURE AND SCIENCE BY BARRI J. GOLD MIT, 2010, 343 p., $30.
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Present at the Creation: The Story of CERN and the Large Hadron Collider by Amir D. Aczel
The story of the Large Hadron Collider — the biggest and most powerful machine ever built — is told in part from its control room, where scientists are working to re-create the moments immediately after the Big Bang. PRESENT AT THE CREATION: THE STORY OF CERN AND THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER BY AMIR D. ACZEL […]
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Absolutely Small: How Quantum Theory Explains Our Everyday World by Michael D. Fayer
In clear and mostly math-free language, a chemist describes quantum theory in everyday life, relating such tidbits as why blueberries are blue and how a photon can be in two places at once. ABSOLUTELY SMALL: HOW QUANTUM THEORY EXPLAINS OUR EVERYDAY WORLD BY MICHAEL D. FAYER AMACOM, 2010, 383 p., $24.
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Book Review: The Mind’s Eye by Oliver Sacks
Review by Nathan Seppa.
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The Field Guide to Natural Phenomena by Keith Heidorn and Ian Whitelaw
An illustrated tour of everyday events and amazing spectacles, from mirages and meteors to ball lightning. THE FIELD GUIDE TO NATURAL PHENOMENA BY KEITH HEIDORN AND IAN WHITELAW Firefly, 2010, 223 p., $24.95.
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Building a better bomb sniffer
A new handheld device detects TATP, an explosive that is easy to make but hard to detect.
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Super Species by Garry Hamilton
In this cautionary tale, a journalist profiles 20 of the invasive organisms that may one day dominate the planet. SUPER SPECIES BY GARRY HAMILTON Firefly, 2010, 271 p., $35.
