Day the Universe Changed

Day the Universe Changed
Author: James Burke
Publisher: Hachette+ORM
Total Pages: 567
Release: 2009-11-11
Genre: Science
ISBN: 031609191X

The companion volume for the award-winning PBS and BBC series from “one of the most intriguing minds in the western world” (The Washington Post). The Day the Universe Changed presents a sweeping view of the history of science, technology, and human civilization and examines the moments in history when a change in knowledge radically altered man’s understanding of himself and the world around him. James Burke examines eight periods in history when our view of the world shifted dramatically: In the eleventh century, when extraordinary discoveries were made by Spanish crusaders In fourteenth-century Florence, where perspective in painting emerged In the fifteenth century, when the advent of the printing press shook the foundations of an oral society In the sixteenth century, when gunnery developments triggered the birth of modern science In the early eighteenth century, when hot English summers brought on the Industrial Revolution In the battlefield surgery stations of the French revolutionary armies, where people first became statistics In the nineteenth century, when the discovery of dinosaur fossils led to the theory of evolution In the 1820s, when electrical experiments heralded the end of scientific certainty Based on the popular television documentary series, The Day the Universe Changed is a bestselling history that challenges the reader to decide whether there is absolute knowledge to discover—or whether the universe is “ultimately what we say it is.” “A masterful job. The result is a fascinating, focused view that boggles the mind.” —Charleston Evening Post

Day the Universe Changed

Day the Universe Changed
Author: James Burke
Publisher: Hachette+ORM
Total Pages: 564
Release: 2009-11-11
Genre: Science
ISBN: 031609191X

The companion volume for the award-winning PBS and BBC series from “one of the most intriguing minds in the western world” (The Washington Post). The Day the Universe Changed presents a sweeping view of the history of science, technology, and human civilization and examines the moments in history when a change in knowledge radically altered man’s understanding of himself and the world around him. James Burke examines eight periods in history when our view of the world shifted dramatically: In the eleventh century, when extraordinary discoveries were made by Spanish crusaders In fourteenth-century Florence, where perspective in painting emerged In the fifteenth century, when the advent of the printing press shook the foundations of an oral society In the sixteenth century, when gunnery developments triggered the birth of modern science In the early eighteenth century, when hot English summers brought on the Industrial Revolution In the battlefield surgery stations of the French revolutionary armies, where people first became statistics In the nineteenth century, when the discovery of dinosaur fossils led to the theory of evolution In the 1820s, when electrical experiments heralded the end of scientific certainty Based on the popular television documentary series, The Day the Universe Changed is a bestselling history that challenges the reader to decide whether there is absolute knowledge to discover—or whether the universe is “ultimately what we say it is.” “A masterful job. The result is a fascinating, focused view that boggles the mind.” —Charleston Evening Post

Proving Einstein Right

Proving Einstein Right
Author: S. James Gates Jr.
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Total Pages: 411
Release: 2019-09-24
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1541762231

A thrilling adventure story chronicling the perilous journey of the scientists who set out to prove the theory of relativity--the results of which catapulted Albert Einstein to fame and forever changed our understanding of the universe. In 1911, a relatively unknown physicist named Albert Einstein published his preliminary theory of gravity. But it hadn't been tested. To do that, he needed a photograph of starlight as it passed the sun during a total solar eclipse. So began a nearly decade-long quest by seven determined astronomers from observatories in four countries, who traveled the world during five eclipses to capture the elusive sight. Over the years, they faced thunderstorms, the ravages of a world war, lost equipment, and local superstitions. Finally, in May of 1919, British expeditions to northern Brazil and the island of Príncipe managed to photograph the stars, confirming Einstein's theory. At its heart, this is a story of frustration, faith, and ultimate victory--and of the scientists whose efforts helped build the framework for the big bang theory, catapulted Einstein to international fame, and shook the foundation of physics.

Circles

Circles
Author: James Burke
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 298
Release: 2009-11-24
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1439127956

From the bestselling author of The Knowledge Web come fifty mesmerizing journeys into the history of technology, each following a chain of consequential events that ends precisely where it began. Whether exploring electromagnetic fields, the origin of hot chocolate, or DNA fingerprinting, these essays -- which originally appeared in James Burke's popular Scientific American column -- all illustrate the serendipitous and surprisingly circular nature of change. In "Room with (Half) a View," for instance, Burke muses about the partly obscured railway bridge outside his home on the Thames. Thinking of the bridge engineer, who also built the steamship that laid the first transatlantic telegraph cable, causes him to recall Samuel Morse; which, in turn, conjures up Morse's neighbor, firearms inventor Sam Colt, and his rival, Remington. One dizzying connection after another leads to Karl Marx's daughter, who attended Socialist meetings with a trombonist named Gustav Holst, who once lived in the very house that blocks Burke's view of the bridge on the Thames. Burke's essays all evolve in this organic manner, highlighting the interconnectedness of seemingly unrelated events and innovations. Romantic poetry leads to brandy distillation; tonic water connects through Leibniz to the first explorers to reach the North Pole. Witty, instructive, and endlessly entertaining, Circles expands on the trademark style that has captivated James Burke fans for years. This unique collection is sure to stimulate and delight history buffs, technophiles, and anyone else with a healthy intellectual curiosity.

How the Universe Got Its Spots

How the Universe Got Its Spots
Author: Janna Levin
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2023-01-10
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0691232288

Is the universe infinite, or is it just really big? Does nature abhor infinity? In startling and beautiful prose, Janna Levin's diary of unsent letters to her mother describes what we know about the shape and extent of the universe, about its beginning and its end. She grants the uninitiated access to the astounding findings of contemporary theoretical physics and makes tangible the contours of space and time—those very real curves along which apples fall and planets orbit. Levin guides the reader through the observations and thought-experiments that have enabled physicists to begin charting the universe. She introduces the cosmic archaeology that makes sense of the pattern of hot spots left over from the big bang, a pursuit on the verge of discovering the shape of space itself. And she explains the topology and the geometry of the universe now coming into focus—a strange map of space full of black holes, chaotic flows, time warps, and invisible strings. Levin advances the controversial idea that this map is edgeless but finite—that the universe is huge but not unending—a radical revelation that would provide the ultimate twist to the Copernican revolution by locating our precise position in the cosmos. As she recounts our increasingly rewarding attempt to know the universe, Levin tells her personal story as a scientist isolated by her growing knowledge. This book is her remarkable effort to reach across the distance of that knowledge and share what she knows with family and friends—and with us. Highly personal and utterly original, this physicist’s diary is a breathtaking contemplation of our deep connection with the universe and our aspirations to comprehend it.

Twin Tracks

Twin Tracks
Author: James Burke
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 402
Release: 2010-05-11
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1439128758

Twin Tracks is a landmark book of real-world stories that investigates the nature of change and divines as never before the unlikely origins of many aspects of contemporary life. In each of the work's twenty-five narratives, we discover how the different outcomes of an important historical event in the past often come together again in the future. Each chapter starts with an event -- such as the U.S. attack on Tripoli in 1804 -- that generates two divergent series of consequences. After tracking each pathway as it ranges far and wide through time and space, Burke shows how the paths finally and unexpectedly converge in the modern world. Twin Tracks pinpoints the myriad ways the future is shaped, whether by love, war, accident, genius, or discovery. For instance, in "The Marriage of Figaro to Stealth Fighter," Burke's twin tracks start with the composer of the opera and the French spy from whose play he stole the plot. The tracks then encompass, among other things, freemasonry, the War of Independence, Captain Cook, jellyfish, Jane Austen, and audio tape. Ultimately, the convergence of the two Figaro tracks sets the stage for the development of Gulf War Stealth aircraft. Wonderfully accessible and lucidly written, Twin Tracks offers an amusing and instructive new view of the past and the future.

The Last Book in the Universe (Scholastic Gold)

The Last Book in the Universe (Scholastic Gold)
Author: Rodman Philbrick
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2013-03-01
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0545303877

This fast-paced action novel is set in a future where the world has been almost destroyed. Like the award-winning novel Freak the Mighty, this is Philbrick at his very best.It's the story of an epileptic teenager nicknamed Spaz, who begins the heroic fight to bring human intelligence back to the planet. In a world where most people are plugged into brain-drain entertainment systems, Spaz is the rare human being who can see life as it really is. When he meets an old man called Ryter, he begins to learn about Earth and its past. With Ryter as his companion, Spaz sets off an unlikely quest to save his dying sister -- and in the process, perhaps the world.

Notes from the Universe

Notes from the Universe
Author: Mike Dooley
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2007-09-18
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1416558446

What if the Universe were to send you frequent reminders of the absolute power you have over your life? Author Mike Dooley, an interpreter for the Universe, has done exactly that in Notes from the Universe—a collection of empowering, invaluable truths that can be read front to back or opened at random. This first book in the Notes from the Universe trilogy teaches its readers to live a life far richer than they had previously thought imaginable. The Universe is here to remind us that we are in control. To have the life you desire, all you have to do is ask. The secret to manifesting change is not focusing on the how but instead, the end result of what you’re after—the kind of life you want. Then, once you are truly focused, the Universe will conspire on your behalf. Author Mike Dooley has turned over every stone, knocked on every door, and followed every impulse. He has immersed himself in the truths he needed to hear most; these were the kind of lessons he wrote about in his weekly emails. What started in 1998 as a little poem sent out once a week to 38 email addresses has evolved into an inspiring anecdote delivered to over 300,000 subscribers from 169 countries, each receiving a new note from the Universe five days a week. Mike Dooley serves as an interpreter for the Universe. Notes from the Universe begins a three-volume set that is brimful with powerful affirmations that will have you thinking positively, feeling confident, and walking the path to personal success. When readers discover the truths the Universe is unveiling in Notes from the Universe,they will begin living happier, more fulfilling lives.

Journey of the Universe

Journey of the Universe
Author: Brian Thomas Swimme
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 191
Release: 2011-06-28
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0300171900

The authors tell the epic story of the universe from an inspired new perspective, weaving the findings of modern science together with enduring wisdom found in the humanistic traditions of the West, China, India, and indigenous peoples. This book is part of a larger project that includes a documentary film, educational DVD series, and Web site.

Seven Days That Divide the World

Seven Days That Divide the World
Author: John C. Lennox
Publisher: Zondervan
Total Pages: 191
Release: 2011-08-23
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 031049219X

What did the writer of Genesis mean by “the first day”? Is it a literal week or a series of time periods? If I believe that the earth is 4.5 billion years old, am I denying the authority of Scripture? In response to the continuing controversy over the interpretation of the creation narrative in Genesis, John Lennox proposes a succinct method of reading and interpreting the first chapters of Genesis without discounting either science or Scripture. With examples from history, a brief but thorough exploration of the major interpretations, and a look into the particular significance of the creation of human beings, Lennox suggests that Christians can heed modern scientific knowledge while staying faithful to the biblical narrative. He moves beyond a simple response to the controversy, insisting that Genesis teaches us far more about the God of Jesus Christ and about God’s intention for creation than it does about the age of the earth. With this book, Lennox offers a careful yet accessible introduction to a scientifically-savvy, theologically-astute, and Scripturally faithful interpretation of Genesis.