Posts Tagged ‘science’

Supersymmetry

Friday, February 12th, 2010

book coverSupersymmetry Demystified / Patrick Labelle, McGraw-Hill, 2010

This book is for students of particle physics. It explains the subject using some awe-inspiring formulas. 450 pages.

Get it here at OPL.

The Lives of the Brain

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

book coverThe Lives of the Brain : human evolution and the organ of mind / John S. Allen, Harvard, 2009

The latest research on how the brain works. Hardcover, 300 pages.

Get it here at OPL

The Geek Atlas

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

book coverThe Geek Atlas: 128 Places Where Science & Technology Come Alive, John Graham-Cumming, O’Reilly, 2009

If you are planning a trip, be sure to check this book first and find what interesting places you will be near. Don’t be surprised if you change your itinerary to visit them.

Get it here at OPL

No Small Matter

Monday, January 25th, 2010

book coverNo Small Matter : science on the nanoscale / Felice C. Frankel, George M. Whitesides, Harvard University Press, 2009

Is this an Art Photography book by scientists? Or a Nanotech book for art photographers? You could learn much science from this book, but you will be distracted by the beauty of the photos. Large format hardcover, 150 pages.

Get it here at OPL

Science Under Siege

Sunday, January 17th, 2010

book coverScience Under Siege : defending science, exposing pseudoscience / edited by Kendrick Frazier, Prometheus, 2009

This is a compilation of articles by Carl Sagan, Martin Gardner, and other leading thinkers, about the importance of debunking pseudoscience and discussion of the paranormal.

  1. Science and Skeptical Inquiry
  2. Critical Inquiry and Public Controversies
  3. Understanding Pseudoscience, Investigating Claims: University Prayer Study, Anomalous Cognition, PEAR , Energy Healing , “Dr.” Bearden’s Vacuum Energy, the “Fake Moon Flight”, Magnet Therapy, Oxygen Is Good, Camp Chesterfield, How to “Haunt” a House

Get it here at OPL

NanoFuture

Friday, January 15th, 2010

book coverNanoFuture : what’s next for nanotechnology / J. Storrs Hall ; foreword by K. Eric Drexler, Prometheus Books, 2005.

This excellent book is the best introduction to nanotech I have seen. 300 pages, hardcover.

  1. What is Nanotechnology And Why Is There So Much Confusion About It?
  2. A Handle on the Future: Can You Take These Predictions Seriously?
  3. Current Nanotechnology: Laboratory and Life–and How to Get to the Real Thing from Here.
  4. Nanomachine Design and Analysis: Theory, Current Tools, and the Future.
  5. Nuts and Bolts: The Basics of What a Mature Nanotechnology Will Look Like.
  6. Engines: Making Molecular Machines Go.
  7. A Digital Technology: Atoms are the Bits of the Material World.
  8. Self-Replication: Mechanical Motherhood.
  9. Food, Clothing, and Shelter: A Day in Your Life in the Age of Nanotech.
  10. Economics: How Much Is This Going to Cost?
  11. Transportation: It’s a Very Small World, Indeed.
  12. Space: Where a Much Larger World Awaits.
  13. Robots: For Whatever Work there Is to Be Done.
  14. Artificial Intelligence: Closer than You May Think.
  15. Runaway Replicators: Playing with Fire.
  16. Real Dangers: The Same Old Bad Guys, with Nastier Toys.
  17. Nanomedicine: Fixing What’s Wrong.
  18. Improvements: A Perspective on Transhumanism.
  19. The Human Prospect: Living Happily Ever After.

Get it here at OPL

Ecology and Evolution

Friday, October 30th, 2009

Big Questions in Ecology and Evolution, Thomas Sherratt, Oxford University Press 2009

The field of ecology is advancing rapidly. This book attempts to make research understandable to the layman. It is more about evolution than ecology. Of local interest: the author is a Carleton professor. 300 pages.

Get it here at OPL

the Future of Science

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

What’s next? : Dispatches on the Future of Science / edited by Max Brockman, Vintage Books, 2009

This little compilation of essays is interesting and readable. Almost half of it is about how our minds work. 200 pages.

Get it here at OPL

Think Smart : a Neuroscientist’s Prescription

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

Think Smart : a Neuroscientist’s Prescription for improving your brain’s performance / Richard Restak, Riverhead Books, 2009

Here is a very readable book on how the brain works, and how it improves or degrades based on your mental activities and diet. There is no ‘junk science’ here. Medical science is advancing fast with the use of fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging). 275 pages, hardcover.

Get it here at OPL

Molecular & cell biology for dummies

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

book coverMolecular & cell biology for dummies / René Fester Kratz, Wiley, 2009

Lots of us should be looking to work in Biotech, and this book is a good way to get familiar with the field. 350 pages.

Get it here at OPL