Day the Universe Changed

Day the Universe Changed

Author: James Burke

Publisher: Little, Brown

Published: 2009-11-29

Total Pages: 564

ISBN-13: 031609191X

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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."


Book Synopsis Day the Universe Changed by : James Burke

Download or read book Day the Universe Changed written by James Burke and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2009-11-29 with total page 564 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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."


The Day the Universe Changed

The Day the Universe Changed

Author: James Burke

Publisher: Little Brown & Company

Published: 1985

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 9780316117067

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The companion to a BBC television series probing the origins of Western attitudes and institutions focuses on eight periods in history when a change in knowledge dramatically altered human understanding of ourselves and the world around


Book Synopsis The Day the Universe Changed by : James Burke

Download or read book The Day the Universe Changed written by James Burke and published by Little Brown & Company. This book was released on 1985 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The companion to a BBC television series probing the origins of Western attitudes and institutions focuses on eight periods in history when a change in knowledge dramatically altered human understanding of ourselves and the world around


Proving Einstein Right

Proving Einstein Right

Author: S. James Gates,

Publisher: PublicAffairs

Published: 2019-09-24

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 1541762231

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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.


Book Synopsis Proving Einstein Right by : S. James Gates,

Download or read book Proving Einstein Right written by S. James Gates, and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2019-09-24 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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

Published: 2009-11-24

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 1439127956

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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.


Book Synopsis Circles by : James Burke

Download or read book Circles written by James Burke and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2009-11-24 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.


Probable Impossibilities

Probable Impossibilities

Author: Alan Lightman

Publisher: Vintage

Published: 2022-04-19

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 0593081323

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The acclaimed author of Einstein’s Dreams tackles "big questions like the origin of the universe and the nature of consciousness ... in an entertaining and easily digestible way” (Wall Street Journal) with a collection of meditative essays on the possibilities—and impossibilities—of nothingness and infinity, and how our place in the cosmos falls somewhere in between. Can space be divided into smaller and smaller units, ad infinitum? Does space extend to larger and larger regions, on and on to infinity? Is consciousness reducible to the material brain and its neurons? What was the origin of life, and can biologists create life from scratch in the lab? Physicist and novelist Alan Lightman, whom The Washington Post has called “the poet laureate of science writers,” explores these questions and more—from the anatomy of a smile to the capriciousness of memory to the specialness of life in the universe to what came before the Big Bang. Probable Impossibilities is a deeply engaged consideration of what we know of the universe, of life and the mind, and of things vastly larger and smaller than ourselves.


Book Synopsis Probable Impossibilities by : Alan Lightman

Download or read book Probable Impossibilities written by Alan Lightman and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2022-04-19 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The acclaimed author of Einstein’s Dreams tackles "big questions like the origin of the universe and the nature of consciousness ... in an entertaining and easily digestible way” (Wall Street Journal) with a collection of meditative essays on the possibilities—and impossibilities—of nothingness and infinity, and how our place in the cosmos falls somewhere in between. Can space be divided into smaller and smaller units, ad infinitum? Does space extend to larger and larger regions, on and on to infinity? Is consciousness reducible to the material brain and its neurons? What was the origin of life, and can biologists create life from scratch in the lab? Physicist and novelist Alan Lightman, whom The Washington Post has called “the poet laureate of science writers,” explores these questions and more—from the anatomy of a smile to the capriciousness of memory to the specialness of life in the universe to what came before the Big Bang. Probable Impossibilities is a deeply engaged consideration of what we know of the universe, of life and the mind, and of things vastly larger and smaller than ourselves.


The Last Book in the Universe (Scholastic Gold)

The Last Book in the Universe (Scholastic Gold)

Author: Rodman Philbrick

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Published: 2013-03-01

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 0545303877

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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.


Book Synopsis The Last Book in the Universe (Scholastic Gold) by : Rodman Philbrick

Download or read book The Last Book in the Universe (Scholastic Gold) written by Rodman Philbrick and published by Scholastic Inc.. This book was released on 2013-03-01 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.


Journey of the Universe

Journey of the Universe

Author: Brian Thomas Swimme

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2011-06-28

Total Pages: 191

ISBN-13: 0300171900

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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.


Book Synopsis Journey of the Universe by : Brian Thomas Swimme

Download or read book Journey of the Universe written by Brian Thomas Swimme and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2011-06-28 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.


More Notes From the Universe

More Notes From the Universe

Author: Mike Dooley

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2012-12-11

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 1471105822

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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 and 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. From the lessons he learned, Dooley is now able to share the Universe's wisdom with the world. He serves as an interpreter for the Universe and this second collection of empowering, invaluable truths can be read front to back or at random.


Book Synopsis More Notes From the Universe by : Mike Dooley

Download or read book More Notes From the Universe written by Mike Dooley and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-12-11 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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 and 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. From the lessons he learned, Dooley is now able to share the Universe's wisdom with the world. He serves as an interpreter for the Universe and this second collection of empowering, invaluable truths can be read front to back or at random.


The Universe, Life and Everything

The Universe, Life and Everything

Author: Ton Baggerman

Publisher: Amsterdam University Press

Published: 2017-10-12

Total Pages: 111

ISBN-13: 9048539056

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he way we understand the world we live in is changing. Our traditional understanding is being challenged by developments in physics, including quantum mechanics, and our inability to explain certain complex phenomena such as consciousness. In this book, scholars from a variety of backgrounds discuss how our understanding of our world is expanding to include such phenomena.


Book Synopsis The Universe, Life and Everything by : Ton Baggerman

Download or read book The Universe, Life and Everything written by Ton Baggerman and published by Amsterdam University Press. This book was released on 2017-10-12 with total page 111 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: he way we understand the world we live in is changing. Our traditional understanding is being challenged by developments in physics, including quantum mechanics, and our inability to explain certain complex phenomena such as consciousness. In this book, scholars from a variety of backgrounds discuss how our understanding of our world is expanding to include such phenomena.


How the Universe Got Its Spots

How the Universe Got Its Spots

Author: Janna Levin

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2023-01-10

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 069123227X

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Mixing memoir and visionary science, a leading astrophysicist’s groundbreaking personal account of her life and ideas Is the universe infinite or just really big? With this question, cosmologist Janna Levin announces the central theme of this book, which established her as one of the most direct, unorthodox, and creative voices in contemporary science. As Levin sets out to determine how big “really big” may be, she offers a rare intimate look at the daily life of an innovative physicist, complete with jet lag and the tensions between personal relationships and the extreme demands of scientific exploration. Nimbly explaining geometry, topology, chaos, and string theory, Levin shows how the pattern of hot and cold spots left over from the big bang may one day reveal the size of the cosmos. The result is a thrilling story of cosmology by one of its leading thinkers.


Book Synopsis How the Universe Got Its Spots by : Janna Levin

Download or read book How the Universe Got Its Spots written by Janna Levin and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2023-01-10 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mixing memoir and visionary science, a leading astrophysicist’s groundbreaking personal account of her life and ideas Is the universe infinite or just really big? With this question, cosmologist Janna Levin announces the central theme of this book, which established her as one of the most direct, unorthodox, and creative voices in contemporary science. As Levin sets out to determine how big “really big” may be, she offers a rare intimate look at the daily life of an innovative physicist, complete with jet lag and the tensions between personal relationships and the extreme demands of scientific exploration. Nimbly explaining geometry, topology, chaos, and string theory, Levin shows how the pattern of hot and cold spots left over from the big bang may one day reveal the size of the cosmos. The result is a thrilling story of cosmology by one of its leading thinkers.