Hugh Aldersey-Williams Knihy

Podtitul: Zvláštní životy prvků. Chemické prvky tvoří všechno ve vesmíru, včetně vás. Lze je uspořádat do krátké a přehledné periodické tabulky, přesto však všechny mají svou osobnost, vlastnosti, silné a slabé stránky. O tom všem pojednává kniha Periodické příběhy, která se však od běžných populárně-naučných knih v jedné zásadní věci liší: nezabývá se jen prvky samotnými, případně historií jejich objevu a využití, ale plasticky ukazuje jejich osudy v lidské společnosti a kultuře. Nedozvíte se jen, kdo a kdy objevil chrom a k čemu se dá použít, ale i to, jak se pod jeho vlivem proměňoval americký automobilový průmysl a jak změnil vnímání sexuality v moderní společnosti. Rovněž se dočtete, že proslulé pařížské „zinkové bary“ ze zinku nejspíše vůbec nebyly, proč je platina dražší než zlato, ačkoli je jí na světě mnohem víc, nebo se naučíte po alchymistickém způsobu uvařit z moči fosfor. Zjistíte také, proč jsou dva chemické prvky pojmenovány po zcela neznámých lidech, zatímco na skutečné velikány chemie se nedostalo, i to, proč vlastně zemřel Napoleon a kdo objevil vůbec nejvíce prvků. Kniha Periodické příběhy odhaluje udivující tajemství a líčí barvitou minulost chemických prvků v lidské kultuře. Má podobu úžasné a objevné cesty, která ukazuje, že příběhy prvků jsou i našimi příběhy a jejich životy jsou trvale a neoddělitelně spjaty s těmi našimi.

If you run a limited company, there is a whole range of legal duties and formalities that you must follow. For the time-pressed company manager this can be a fraught process, as there are severe financial penalties for not complying with the regulations. This is where this book can help. It is ideal for anyone who has taken on the role of company secretary. It provides clear advice on the procedures to follow and paperwork to complete on key issues. Whether it's appointing a director, issuing shares or declaring a dividend, How to Run a Limited Company shows you how to comply with the requirements of Companies House, simply and effectively. Complies with current companies legislation and Company formation, Directors, Company secretary, Registered office, Confirmation Statement, Statutory books, Shares and share capital, Shareholders meetings, Board meetings, Company accounts, Auditors, Business stationery, Mortgages and charges, Dividends, Procedures and template documents. 'Quick cribs' for fast answers on action to take.

Hugh Aldersey-Williams brilliantly reveals the untold story of the Huygens family, movers and shakers of the Dutch Golden Age. Christiaan Huygens was an inventor, observer and thinker. The first person to use mathematical theory to solve scientific problems, he paved the way for modern science methodology. He invented the telescope that discovered Saturn's ring, the clock mechanism that we still use today and actively encouraged the international sharing of these ideas in an age when scientists kept their discoveries close. Christiaan came from a family of multi-talented individuals whose circle included not only leading figures of Dutch society, but artists and philosophers too, such as Rembrandt and Descartes. They lived in a period where science was equal to art and where both those disciplines sought to understand light. Dutch artists used scientific perspective to give their paintings a depth hitherto not seen, Dutch engineers ground lenses into optical devices to aid vision, and the Huygens were a family determined to master, not just practice, these skills. Dutch Light is a beautifully written, narrative portrait of a place and time in science, a period that saw an unprecedented expansion of ideas that changed our understanding of the world. Hugh Aldersey-Williams vividly weaves together the contributions of a number of personalities, connected by family as much as by scientific sympathies.

What are the 50 key events you need to understand to grasp British history?

An experimental account of Sir Thomas Browne, the 17th century physician, philospher and writer, from the acclaimed author of Periodic Tales and Anatomies.

"From Cnut to D-Day: the history and science of the ever-powerful tide explored for the first time. Half of the world's population today lives in coastal regions lapped by tidal waters. On our little island, we live surrounded by water and love to be beside the seaside. But it rises and falls according to rules that are a mystery to almost all of us. To fully grasp the influence of the tide, we must bring together centuries of science but also the literary history and folklore it has inspired: mistaken by Caesar, captured in the art of Turner and now puzzled over by the world's leading researchers. With Aldersey-Williams as our guide, chasing the most feared and celebrated tides around the world, from the original maelstrom in Scandinavia and today's danger-zone in Venice to the 15-metre beasts in Canada, for the first time its effects on our civilization become startlingly clear."--Jacket.

Like the alphabet, the calendar, or the zodiac, the periodic table of the chemical elements has a permanent place in our imagination. But aside from the handful of common ones (iron, carbon, copper, gold), the elements themselves remain wrapped in mystery. We do not know what most of them look like, how they exist in nature, how they got their names, or of what use they are to us. Unlocking their astonishing secrets and colorful pasts, Periodic Tales is a passionate journey through mines and artists’ studios, to factories and cathedrals, into the woods and to the sea to discover the true stories of these fascinating but mysterious building blocks of the universe.

Exploring the enigmatic nature of tides, Hugh Aldersey-Williams combines scientific insights with literary and folkloric references to illuminate their significance. He delves into the history of scientific thought surrounding tidal movements, revealing how this natural phenomenon shapes coastal life. The book offers a captivating journey through the cultural and scientific understanding of tides, making the complex mechanics accessible and engaging for readers.

Including facts, stories and information drawn from across history, science, art and literature - from finger-prints to angel physiology, from Isaac Newton's death-mask to the afterlife of Einstein's brain, this title explores our relationship with our bodies and investigates our changing attitudes to the extraordinary physical shell we inhabit.