Discusses the major issues in science, including the structure of particles within the atom, origins of species, and the birth of the universe. (view table of contents)

This series provides a beginner's guide to a wide range of scientific concepts and topical issues affecting our daily lives. 'Alternative Energy' examines the economic, environmental and political dimensions of the world's energy problems and examines how these issues are being addressed.

Product Description: Making science more accessible than ever before! The Essential Science series makes the difficult and fascinating world of cutting-edge science accessible to everyone with a stimulating mix of lively illustrations and jargon-free text...read more

A fascinating odyssey through the complex world of mathematics, physics, and other scientific fields provides a look at the comparative scale of phenomena, from the infinitely vast to the infinitesmally small, covering such topics as fractals, codes, subatomic particles, galaxies, nanotechnology, and more. Original.

The age of the universe has been one of the great scientific mysteries of our time. This engrossing book tells the story of how the mystery was recently solved. Written by a brilliant science writer who was involved, as a research astronomer, in the final breakthrough, the book provides details of the ongoing controversies among scientists as they groped their way to the truth-that the universe is between 13 and 16 billion years old, older by at least one billion years than the star systems it contains. In clear, engaging language, Gribbin takes us through the history of cosmological discoveries, focusing in particular on the seventy years since the Big Bang model of the origin of the universe. He explains how conflicting views of the age of the universe and stars converged in the 1990s because scientists (including Gribbin) were able to use data from the Hubble Space Telescope that measured distances across the universe. (view table of contents)

The best-selling author of In Search of Schrodinger's Cat presents a collection of essays addressing topics in astronomy, such as supernova explosions, neutron stars, white holes, black holes, and wormholes. Reprint.

For the first time, a renowned science writer describes in detail the tremendous advances in astronomy over the last decade, with an extended essay that sums up the present state of knowledge about the universe, in a comprehensive guide to the cosmos. By the author of Schrodinger's Cat.

Pioneering study of the science behind quantum computing and what the new quantum reality will mean for mankind.      The quantum computer is no longer the stuff of science fiction. Pioneering physicists are on the brink of unlocking a new quantum universe which provides a better representation of reality than our everyday experiences and common sense ever could. The birth of quantum computers -- which, like Schrödinger's famous 'dead and alive' cat, rely on entities like electrons, photons or atoms existing in two states at the same time -- is set to turn the computing world on its head.     In his fascinating study of this cutting-edge technology, John Gribbin updates his previous views on the nature of quantum reality, arguing for a universe of many parallel worlds where 'everything is real'. Looking back to Alan Turing's work on the Enigma machine and the first electronic computer, Gribbin explains how quantum theory developed to make quantum computers work in practice as well as in principle. He takes us beyond the arena of theoretical physics to explore their practical applications -- from machines which learn through 'intuition' and trial and error to unhackable laptops and smartphones. And he investigates the potential for this extraordinary science to create a world where communication occurs faster than light and teleportation is possible.

An investigation into the origin of intelligent life on Earth, includes an exploration of the nature of dark matter, the superstring theory, and the existence of other universes

Product Description: In this easy-to-read series, eminent science writers John and Mary Gribbin look at the lives and work of eight major scientists. Each book is accessible enough to be read for fun but informative enough to appeal to students of science...read more

Explores the intimate relationship between the sun and life on the earth, details the literally earth-shaking impact of solar storms, and reports on recent astrophysical evidence that the sun is menacingly inconstant and is doomed to die

Product Description: Big ideas made simple -- six books in an incredible new series that explains important scientific ideas more clearly than ever before. The internet and other digital technologies have transformed our world, yet many of us have little or no understanding of how they work...read more

As a giant comet plummets toward Earth, the inhabitants of the impoverished, war-ravaged planet cannot decide whether it is the herald of a new age or the sign of their destruction