Philip Ball je uznávaný vedecký autor, ktorého práca sa zameriava na prepojenie vedy, spoločnosti a ekonomiky. S hlbokým porozumením vedeckým princípom a matematickým modelom skúma, ako možno tieto nástroje aplikovať na pochopenie zložitých spoločenských a ekonomických javov. Jeho písanie vyniká schopnosťou zrozumiteľne vysvetliť komplexné témy a odhaliť skryté vzorce v zdanlivo nesúrodých oblastiach. Ball svojimi textami podnecuje čitateľov k zamysleniu sa nad základnými princípmi, ktoré riadia náš svet.
* All human cultures seem to make music - today and through history. But why they do so, why music can excite deep passions, and how we make sense of musical sound at all are questions that have, until recently, remained profoundly mysterious. Now
Philip Theophrastus Aureolus Bombastus von Hohenheim - known to later ages as Paracelsus - is a man who has been hard to perceive or understand. He has been seen as both a charlatan and as a founder of modern science. This is his biography and it reveals the richness, complexity and chaos of sixteenth century Europe.
Recent advancements in chemistry have led to groundbreaking innovations, such as superconducting ceramics for brain scanners and color-changing fabrics. Chemists are also transforming materials, creating drugs from crude oil, and identifying atmospheric pollutants while seeking solutions for environmental issues. Philip Ball, an editor at Nature, explores these developments, highlighting the versatile applications of buckminsterfullerene molecules, or "buckyballs," in various fields including medicine and electronics, making complex concepts accessible to general readers.
The first fully illustrated history of the chemical elements.
Understanding the human mind and its relation to our experiences has long been a philosophical challenge. How do we approach 'minds' that are not human? Recent scientific advancements have explored the properties of mind across various fields, including zoology, astrobiology, computer science, and neuroscience. Taking a broad view, the author examines minds in plants, aliens, and even God, unifying these multidisciplinary insights to explore the types of minds that might exist in the universe. He argues for a shift away from using the human mind as the standard for all minds, advocating for a consideration of the 'space of possible minds.' By mapping out the properties of mind without prioritizing the human experience, he sheds light on critical questions, such as the moral rights of animals, the implications of AI, and the potential for communication with intelligent aliens. This exploration also addresses profound scientific inquiries about thought, consciousness, and free will. As we learn about the minds of various creatures, from octopuses to chimpanzees, and envision the minds of computers and extraterrestrial intelligences, we gain a broader perspective on our own minds. This ambitious work expands our understanding of the nature and existence of minds, ultimately helping us to better comprehend our own.
Science Book Prize-winning science writer Philip Ball explores the diversity of thinking minds, from the variety of human minds to those of mammals, insects, computers and plants, in a book that brilliantly illuminates how many different ways there are to think and engage with the world; and how particular are our own.
While the natural world is often described as organic, it is in fact structured to the very molecule, replete with patterned order that can be decoded with basic mathematical algorithms and principles. In a nautilus shell one can see logarithmic spirals, and the Golden Ratio can be seen in the seed head of the sunflower plant. These patterns and shapes have inspired artists, writers, designers, and musicians for thousands of years. "Patterns in Nature: Why the Natural World Looks the Way It Does" illuminates the amazing diversity of pattern in the natural world and takes readers on a visual tour of some of the world s most incredible natural wonders. Featuring awe-inspiring galleries of nature s most ingenious designs, "Patterns in Nature" is a synergy of art and science that will fascinate artists, nature lovers, and mathematicians alike."
As part of a trilogy of books exploring the science of patterns in nature, acclaimed science writer Philip Ball here looks at the form and growth of branching networks in the natural world, and what we can learn from them.Many patterns in nature show a branching form - trees, river deltas, blood vessels, lightning, the cracks that form in the glazing of pots. These networks share a peculiar geometry, finding a compromise between disorder and determinism, though some, like the hexagonal snowflake or the stones of the Devil's Causeway fall into a rigidly ordered structure. Branching networks are found at every level in biology - from the single cell to the ecosystem. Human-made networks too can come to share the same features, and if they don't, then it might be profitable to make them do nature's patterns tend to arise from economical solutions.
Colour in art - as in life - is both inspiring and uplifting, but where does it come from?
