Author: Timothy Ferris
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062006541
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 575
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Book Description
An eloquent and accessible journey through our evolving notions of the cosmos from “the best science writer of his generation” (Washington Post). From the second-century celestial models of Ptolemy to modern-day research institutes and quantum theory, our perception of the universe—and out place in it—has changed drastically. This classic book offers a breathtaking tour of astronomy and the brilliant, eccentric personalities who have shaped it through the ages. From the first time mankind had an inkling of the vast space that surrounds us, those who study the universe have had to struggle against political and religious preconceptions. They have included some of the most charismatic, courageous, and idiosyncratic thinkers of all time. In Coming of Age in the Milky Way, Timothy Ferris uses his unique blend of rigorous research and captivating narrative skill to draw us into the lives and minds of these extraordinary figures, creating a landmark work of scientific history.
Author: Timothy Ferris
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1476711755
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 404
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Book Description
In Seeing in the Dark, a poetic love letter to science and to the skies, Timothy Ferris invites us all to become stargazers. He recounts his own experiences as an enthralled lifelong amateur astronomer and reports from around the globe -- from England and Italy to the Florida Keys and the Chilean Andes -- on the revolution that's putting millions in touch with the night sky. In addition, Ferris offers an authoritative and engaging report on what's out there to be seen -- what Saturn, the Ring nebula, the Silver Coin galaxy, and the Virgo supercluster really are and how to find them. The appendix includes star charts, observing lists, and a guide on how to get involved in astronomy. Ferris takes us inside a major revolution sweeping astronomy, as lone amateur astronomers, in global networks linked by the Internet, make important discoveries that are the envy of the professionals. His ability to describe the wonders of the universe is simply magical, and his enthusiasm for his subject is irresistible.
Author: Timothy Ferris
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0684838613
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 406
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Book Description
Summarizes what science has learned about the universe as of the end of the twentieth century, and offers predictions about what may emerge in the near future.
Author: Timothy Ferris
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0684849372
Category : Extraterrestrial anthropology
Languages : en
Pages : 232
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Book Description
Drawn from an original PBS documentary, this book strikingly juxtaposes Hubble Space Telescope photos with cover art from pulp science fiction books, and hand-drawn maps of Mars's canals by astronomer Percival Lowell with the crystal-clear images of the Viking lander. 200 photos.
Author: Timothy Ferris
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 0307574881
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 301
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Book Description
The bestselling author of Coming of Age in the Milky Way delivers fascinating essays on the human mind, the search for extraterrestrial (and thus nonhuman) intelligence, comet strikes as a source of species extinction, near-death experiences, apocalyptic prophecies, information theory, and the origin of laughter. Praise for The Mind’s Sky “It is a joy to read The Mind’s Sky. What a sense of humility in the face of mystery—the spirit of Ulysses, as Tennyson put it, determined ‘to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield’—and sense of poetry too!”—John Archibald Wheeler, physicist, Princeton University “A few chapters into this wonderful book I suddenly realized that I was taking wider views of my own mind’s sky than I have enjoyed in a long time. Ferris illuminates (among other matters) the mysteries of laughter, nirvana, common sense, and Joe Montana. He makes us think big thoughts.”—Jonathan Weiner, author of The Next 100 Years and Planet Earth “One of our best and most imaginative writers, Timothy Ferris has never been afraid to tackle big themes. The Mind’s Sky is a dazzling and provocative synthesis of inner and outer space. This book is sure to be as controversial as it is elegant.”—Dennis Overbye, author of Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos
Author: Timothy Ferris
Publisher: Little Brown & Company
ISBN: 9780316281331
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 859
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Book Description
The writings of more than 60 authors including Isaac Asimov, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Pierre Curie, Primo Levi and James Gleick, are represented in this volume. Each expresses a perspective on the Sciences.
Author: Erin E. Moulton
Publisher: Philomel books
ISBN: 0399164499
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 290
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Book Description
The acclaimed author of "Tracing Stars" delivers a moving story about how a mother's mental illness affects her childrenNand the way her children's band together to get through it.
Author: William H. Waller
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691178356
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 330
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Book Description
A grand tour of our dynamic home galaxy This book offers an intimate guide to the Milky Way, taking readers on a grand tour of our home Galaxy's structure, genesis, and evolution, based on the latest astronomical findings. In engaging language, it tells how the Milky Way congealed from blobs of gas and dark matter into a spinning starry abode brimming with diverse planetary systems—some of which may be hosting myriad life forms and perhaps even other technologically communicative species. William Waller vividly describes the Milky Way as it appears in the night sky, acquainting readers with its key components and telling the history of our changing galactic perceptions. The ancients believed the Milky Way was a home for the gods. Today we know it is but one galaxy among billions of others in the observable universe. Within the Milky Way, ground-based and space-borne telescopes have revealed that our Solar System is not alone. Hundreds of other planetary systems share our tiny part of the vast Galaxy. We reside within a galactic ecosystem that is driven by the theatrics of the most massive stars as they blaze through their brilliant lives and dramatic deaths. Similarly effervescent ecosystems of hot young stars and fluorescing nebulae delineate the graceful spiral arms in our Galaxy's swirling disk. Beyond the disk, the spheroidal halo hosts the ponderous—and still mysterious—dark matter that outweighs everything else. Another dark mystery lurks deep in the heart of the Milky Way, where a supermassive black hole has produced bizarre phenomena seen at multiple wavelengths. Waller makes the case that our very existence is inextricably linked to the Galaxy that spawned us. Through this book, readers can become well-informed galactic "insiders"—ready to imagine humanity's next steps as fully engaged citizens of the Milky Way.
Author: Mark Kidger
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 9780801880261
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 382
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Book Description
Astronomer Kidger has spent his career helping the general public understand the nature of the universe and astronomy. In "Astronomical Enigmas," he offers answers to the questions he is asked most frequently.
Author: Brian Clegg
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 1429987421
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 322
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Book Description
According to a recent survey, the most popular question about science from the general public was: what came before the Big Bang? We all know on some level what the Big Bang is, but we don't know how it became the accepted theory, or how we might know what came before. In Before the Big Bang, Brian Clegg (the critically acclaimed author of Upgrade Me and The God Effect) explores the history of this remarkable concept. From the earliest creation myths, through Hershel's realization that the Milky Way was one of many galaxies, to on-going debates about Black Holes, this is an incredible look at the origins of the universe and the many theories that led to the acceptance of the Big Bang. But in classic scientist fashion Clegg challenges the notion of the "Big Bang" itself, and raises the deep philosophical question of why we might want to rethink the origin of the universe. This is popular science at its best, exploratory, controversial, and utterly engrossing.
