Over the centuries, given that the Pythagoreans in Greece in the course of the 6th century BC regarded as the possibility that Earth was spherical, cosmology has come a long way and has integrated a variety of various fields of science.
Cosmology evolved from the observation of these Greeks who interpreted the natural laws of the heavenly bodies from which, eventually, the Ptolemaic model developed throughout the second century AD. Centuries later, throughout the 16th century, the Copernican program further developed the theories surrounding astronomy and cosmology – followed, in the 20th century, by the theories of special relativity and Albert Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity. Overall, even so, the case for cosmology states that the laws of physics work the very same everywhere and that there is homogeneity throughout the universe.
‘The Holographic Universe’, written by Michael Talbot, tells its story in two parts: the very first part devotes 55 pages to discussing David Bohm’s holographic model of the universe – simplified into everyday language by Talbot. The second part of the book delves into events of the paranormal whilst, at the same time, attempting to rationalise the holographic model. Talbot introduces the reader to Karl Pribram as well as the philosophies of David Bohm.
Chemistry
Chemistry and biochemistry often go hand-in-hand, existing in parallel with other scientific disciplines such as dietetics [the science of food]. McCance and Widdowson, who create ‘The Composition of Foods’ summarises food composition tables and updates much in the way of nutrition as a science. The foreword to the 6th edition has been written by Sir John Krebs while the actual volume itself gives an invaluable source of reference to dieticians and nutritionists the world over.
Meanwhile,’Principles of Biochemistry’ by Nelson D has been described as a ‘modern approach to biochemistry’. Personally, 1 of the best biochemistry books I have ever encountered was that written by Patterson – now, sadly, long given that out of print. I attribute my productive pass in the biochemistry exams to the presence of Patterson which, by the time I had finished with it, was especially dog-eared! Nelson D’s ‘Principles of Biochemistry’ actually is the next very best factor to Patterson and a worthy successor.
Earth Sciences and Geography
Earth sciences are a catch-all term covering a various range of natural sciences from those mentioned above. These relate to the study of the earth and how different parts of it are interlinked to produce that homogenous whole that is the classic feature of the scientific world. If you are interested in the world about you then you may possibly be interested in a lovely book by Gavin Pretor-Pinney. This book ‘The Cloud Collector’s Handbook’ is full of charming images, below which you will locate a short description of each cloud and space for you to record your own sightings. It certainly gives a new connotation to having your head in the clouds!
Education
If you believe about it, there is all the difference in the world between someone who loves school and somebody who loves to learn: it doesn’t necessarily follow that, if you love to find out, then you ought to take pleasure in school. Education, nevertheless, is all about studying for the sheer pleasure of gaining new information. This studying may possibly or may possibly not be associated with school: it can even cover any subject. Evidence of this can be seen in Richard Dawkins’ book ‘The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution’.
Dawkins goes about educating his readers, explaining to them how fossils can be dated accurately, all about plate tectonics etc, prior to going into the particulars of how these may possibly be linked with the global distribution of plants and animals and the effects changes in these physical elements can have on them. Dawkins, whilst creating it clear that he is conscious [and who could not be?] of the great debate on creation v evolution, doesn’t get drawn into the minutiae surrounding this eternal dispute.
Engineering and Technologies
One book that I simply have to suggest is a amazing book written by Jo Marchant. You will discover it in our Science and Nature section under the heading of Engineering and Technologies. The very first thing to say is that this is not some dry and boring technical tome. This book relates the story behind a particularly ancient Greek artefact and what it took to decode its hidden mysteries. The book is called ‘Decoding the Heavens: Solving the Mystery of the World’s First Computer’. I wish Jo Marchant had found a a lot more intriguing title for her book since this title really doesn’t do this book justice.
The book relates the story of the Antikythera Mechanism which has been shown to have amazing capabilities as an astronomical calculator: scientists believe its complexity was at least 1500 years before its time. The Antikythera Mechanism artifact is a good 2,000 years old and was discovered in the course of a dive in 1901. Scientists have been attempting to unravel its secrets ever given that. So, if it is a true-life mystery you are interested, or a book that’s a bit diverse I would strongly recommend this nicely-written and intriguing book of Jo Marchant’s.
There are innumerable other sub-genres to be discovered within our Science and Nature section, covering very an array of subjects. If you are a fan of the border collie, Barbara Sykes writes a delightful treatise on ‘Understanding Border Collies’. This is an exceptional book written by somebody who really does understand the intricacies that go to make up this breed of dog and is an absolute ‘must have’ for all the lovers of border collies out there. Changing from dogs to elephants, I would certainly recommend ‘The Elephant Whisperer: Understanding about Life, Loyalty and Freedom from a Remarkable Herd of Elephants’ – it will actually pull on your heartstrings then have you howling with laughter! Check out all the other alternatives within this section – you will probably amaze your self at the treasure trove of titles hidden inside our internet pages!
Books on science and nature.