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Author: David J. Helfand Publisher: Columbia University Press ISBN: 0231558686 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 350
Book Description
Atoms are unfathomably tiny. It takes fifteen million trillion of them to make up a single poppy seed—give or take a few billion. And there’s hardly anything to them: atoms are more than 99.9999999999 percent empty space. Yet scientists have learned to count these slivers of near nothingness with precision and to peer into their internal states. In looking so closely, we have learned that atoms, because of their inimitable signatures and imperturbable internal clocks, are little archives holding the secrets of the past. David J. Helfand reconstructs the history of the universe—back to its first microsecond 13.8 billion years ago—with the help of atoms. He shows how, by using detectors and reactors, microscopes and telescopes, we can decode the tales these infinitesimal particles tell, answering questions such as: Is a medieval illustrated prayer book real or forged? How did maize cultivation spread from the highlands of central Mexico to New England? What was Earth’s climate like before humans emerged? Where can we find clues to identify the culprit in the demise of the dinosaurs? When did our planet and solar system form? Can we trace the births of atoms in the cores of massive stars or even glimpse the origins of the universe itself? A lively and inviting introduction to the building blocks of everything we know, The Universal Timekeepers demonstrates the power of science to unveil the mysteries of unreachably remote times and places.
Author: David J. Helfand Publisher: Columbia University Press ISBN: 0231558686 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 350
Book Description
Atoms are unfathomably tiny. It takes fifteen million trillion of them to make up a single poppy seed—give or take a few billion. And there’s hardly anything to them: atoms are more than 99.9999999999 percent empty space. Yet scientists have learned to count these slivers of near nothingness with precision and to peer into their internal states. In looking so closely, we have learned that atoms, because of their inimitable signatures and imperturbable internal clocks, are little archives holding the secrets of the past. David J. Helfand reconstructs the history of the universe—back to its first microsecond 13.8 billion years ago—with the help of atoms. He shows how, by using detectors and reactors, microscopes and telescopes, we can decode the tales these infinitesimal particles tell, answering questions such as: Is a medieval illustrated prayer book real or forged? How did maize cultivation spread from the highlands of central Mexico to New England? What was Earth’s climate like before humans emerged? Where can we find clues to identify the culprit in the demise of the dinosaurs? When did our planet and solar system form? Can we trace the births of atoms in the cores of massive stars or even glimpse the origins of the universe itself? A lively and inviting introduction to the building blocks of everything we know, The Universal Timekeepers demonstrates the power of science to unveil the mysteries of unreachably remote times and places.
Author: Paul Hopper Publisher: iUniverse ISBN: 1475930534 Category : Fiction Languages : en Pages : 265
Book Description
Long ago, during our era, a gigantic spaceship travels silently through a galaxy far away from our Earth. For more than a hundred generations, the ship has been home to the growlers, a savage species who have never seen their home planet, Kezmara. As the ship continues on it's course, the commander understands his orders are to locate the universal collector - an indestructible object that stores all essential data occurring during each era - on planet Ardon and transport it to Kezmara. However, unbeknownst to the leaders of Kezmara, the commander is about to take matters into his own hands. After the commander issues new orders for the growlers to take control of the collector, enslave the inhabitants of Ardon, and create a new home for themselves, the ship's inhabitants have no idea of what or whom they are about to encounter on the strange planet. Meanwhile on Ardon, the timekeeper and his daughter, Liana, are prepared to do everything in their power to defend the collector, including moving it to another planet. But when the timekeeper discovers his people are not prepared for what they are about to face, he realizes the responsibility for saving the collector lies within him. In this intriguing science fiction tale, a timekeeper and his cohorts risk everything as they battle to save the collector, their species, and their planet from an evil alien force determined to carry out their mission.
Author: Truls Wyller Publisher: Reaktion Books ISBN: 1789142725 Category : Philosophy Languages : en Pages : 153
Book Description
We refer to time constantly, and we compulsively measure its passing—but do we know what it actually is? In What Is Time?, Truls Wyller enquires into time’s complex nature, juxtaposing the latest scientific theories with our personal experience of chronology. The book examines the notion of time in physics, history, religion, anthropology, philosophy, and literature, and Wyller concludes by proposing his own theory of time: that the temporal character of any series of events is essentially practical and derived from human life. Written from a philosophical perspective, What Is Time? gives an accessible, rounded portrait of the nature of time, and it is essential reading for those who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the motion of our everyday existence.
Author: Scott Alan Johnston Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP ISBN: 0228009634 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 304
Book Description
Until the nineteenth century all time was local time. On foot or on horseback, it was impossible to travel fast enough to care that noon was a few minutes earlier or later from one town to the next. The invention of railways and telegraphs, however, created a newly interconnected world where suddenly the time differences between cities mattered. The Clocks Are Telling Lies is an exploration of why we tell time the way we do, demonstrating that organizing a new global time system was no simple task. Standard time, envisioned by railway engineers such as Sandford Fleming, clashed with universal time, promoted by astronomers. When both sides met in 1884 at the International Meridian Conference in Washington, DC, to debate the best way to organize time, disagreement abounded. If scientific and engineering experts could not agree, how would the public? Following some of the key players in the debate, Scott Johnston reveals how people dealt with the contradictions in global timekeeping in surprising ways – from zealots like Charles Piazzi Smyth, who campaigned for the Great Pyramid to serve as the prime meridian, to Maria Belville, who sold the time door to door in Victorian London, to Moraviantown and other Indigenous communities that used timekeeping to fight for autonomy. Drawing from a wide range of primary sources, The Clocks Are Telling Lies offers a thought-provoking narrative that centres people and politics, rather than technology, in the vibrant story of global time telling.
Author: Chad Orzel Publisher: BenBella Books ISBN: 1953295940 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 305
Book Description
2022 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS WINNER — HISTORY: GENERAL ". . . inherently interesting, unique, and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and academic library Physics of Time & Scientific Measurement history collections, and supplemental curriculum studies lists.” —Midwest Book Review "A wonderful look into understanding and recording time, Orzel’s latest is appropriate for all readers who are curious about those ticks and tocks that mark nearly every aspect of our lives." —Booklist “A thorough, enjoyable exploration of the history and science behind measuring time.” —Foreword Reviews It’s all a matter of time—literally. From the movements of the spheres to the slipperiness of relativity, the story of science unfolds through the fascinating history of humanity’s efforts to keep time. Our modern lives are ruled by clocks and watches, smartphone apps and calendar programs. While our gadgets may be new, however, the drive to measure and master time is anything but—and in A Brief History of Timekeeping, Chad Orzel traces the path from Stonehenge to your smartphone. Predating written language and marching on through human history, the desire for ever-better timekeeping has spurred technological innovation and sparked theories that radically reshaped our understanding of the universe and our place in it. Orzel, a physicist and the bestselling author of Breakfast with Einstein and How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog continues his tradition of demystifying thorny scientific concepts by using the clocks and calendars central to our everyday activities as a jumping-off point to explore the science underlying the ways we keep track of our time. Ancient solstice markers (which still work perfectly 5,000 years later) depend on the basic astrophysics of our solar system; mechanical clocks owe their development to Newtonian physics; and the ultra-precise atomic timekeeping that enables GPS hinges on the predictable oddities of quantum mechanics. Along the way, Orzel visits the delicate negotiations involved in Gregorian calendar reform, the intricate and entirely unique system employed by the Maya, and how the problem of synchronizing clocks at different locations ultimately required us to abandon the idea of time as an absolute and universal quantity. Sharp and engaging, A Brief History of Timekeeping is a story not just about the science of sundials, sandglasses, and mechanical clocks, but also the politics of calendars and time zones, the philosophy of measurement, and the nature of space and time itself. For those interested in science, technology, or history, or anyone who’s ever wondered about the instruments that divide our days into moments: the time you spend reading this book may fly, and it is certain to be well spent.
Author: Simon Garfield Publisher: ISBN: 9781782113195 Category : Languages : en Pages : 368
Book Description
Not so long ago we timed our lives by the movement of the sun. These days our time arrives atomically and insistently, and our lives are propelled by the notion that we will never have enough of the one thing we crave the most. How have we come to be dominated by something so arbitrary?The compelling stories in this book explore our obsessions with time. An Englishman arrives back from Calcutta but refuses to adjust his watch. Beethoven has his symphonic wishes ignored. A moment of war is frozen forever. The timetable arrives by steam train. A woman designs a ten-hour clock and reinvents the calendar. Roger Bannister becomes stuck in the same four minutes forever. A British watchmaker competes with mighty Switzerland. And a prince attempts to stop time in its tracks.Timekeepers is a vivid exploration of the ways we have perceived, contained and saved time over the last 250 years, narrated in the highly inventive and entertaining style that bestselling author Simon Garfield is fast making his own. As managing time becomes the greatest challenge we face in our lives, this multi-layered history helps us tackle it in a sparkling new light.
Author: M. Shawn Petersen Publisher: Simon and Schuster ISBN: 1582707081 Category : Juvenile Fiction Languages : en Pages : 363
Book Description
A middle-grade fantasy novel about a half-angel, half-mermaid discovering her identity and fighting to protect the Laws of the Universe and the fate of the realms of land, sea and sky from the forces of evil. From the shore, the sky, and the depths of the sea, an epic adventure awaits. Stella Merriss has never felt like she belonged anywhere—her family was always on the run. During a daring escape her parents suddenly disappear into stormy, shark-infested waters. Alone and unsure of her future, she learns the truth: that she’s actually half angel, half mermaid. Stella has no choice but to join an elite angel apprenticeship program where—despite having to hide her illegal dual nature—she finally feels as though she has found a home. But villainous forces are gathering to strike against Stella’s newfound home and attack the three Timekeepers who spin and weave the fateful Thread of Life. Evil Lord Sylvain and his army will stop at nothing to corrupt the Laws of the Universe and bend them toward his own vile agenda. A child of land, sea, and sky is the only obstacle standing in his way. In this battle between good and evil, Stella and her friends must defend against the armies of Lord Sylvain or see the realms of land, sea, and sky plunged into chaos.
Author: David J. Helfand
Author: David J. Helfand
Author: Paul Hopper
Author: Willis Isbister Milham
Author: Truls Wyller
Author: 
Author: Scott Alan Johnston
Author: Isaac Landman
Author: Chad Orzel
Author: Simon Garfield
Author: M. Shawn Petersen