Brian Clegg – författare

'Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space.' Douglas Adams, Hitch-hiker's Guide to the GalaxyWe human beings have trouble with infinity - yet infinity is a surprisingly human subject. Philosophers and mathematicians have gone mad contemplating its nature and complexity - yet it is a concept routinely used by schoolchildren. Exploring the infinite is a journey into paradox. Here is a quantity that turns arithmetic on its head, making it feasible that 1 = 0. Here is a concept that enables us to cram as many extra guests as we like into an already full hotel. Most bizarrely of all, it is quite easy to show that there must be something bigger than infinity - when it surely should be the biggest thing that could possibly be. Brian Clegg takes us on a fascinating tour of that borderland between the extremely large and the ultimate that takes us from Archimedes, counting the grains of sand that would fill the universe, to the latest theories on the physical reality of the infinite. Full of unexpected delights, whether St Augustine contemplating the nature of creation, Newton and Leibniz battling over ownership of calculus, or Cantor struggling to publicise his vision of the transfinite, infinity's fascination is in the way it brings together the everyday and the extraordinary, prosaic daily life and the esoteric.Whether your interest in infinity is mathematical, philosophical, spiritual or just plain curious, this accessible book offers a stimulating and entertaining read.

How did we come to understand the force that binds the universe together? In Gravity, Brian Clegg offers a succinct history of gravity from the perspectives of great thinkers including Aristotle, Galileo, Newton, Einstein and today’s leading scientists. He explores theories of general relativity, quantum mechanics and our attempts to link the two, as well as time travel, black holes, string theory and why gravity only works at the speed of light.Gravity is anything but simple, but Brian Clegg has written the most accessible book yet on the subject - the perfect introduction to a complicated theory.

The ultimate non-technical guide to the fast-developing world of quantum computing Computer technology has improved exponentially over the last 50 years. But the headroom for bigger and better electronic solutions is running out. Our best hope is to engage the power of quantum physics. 'Quantum algorithms' had already been written long before hardware was built. These would enable, for example, a quantum computer to exponentially speed up an information search, or to crack the mathematical trick behind internet security. However, making a quantum computer is incredibly difficult. Despite hundreds of laboratories around the world working on them, we are only just seeing them come close to 'supremacy' where they can outperform a traditional computer. In this approachable introduction, Brian Clegg explains algorithms and their quantum counterparts, explores the physical building blocks and quantum weirdness necessary to make a quantum computer, and uncovers the capabilities of the current generation of machines.

Over 50 years ago, astronomers launched the world's first orbiting telescope. This allowed them to gaze further into outer space and examine anything that appears in the sky above our heads, from comets and planets to galaxy clusters and stars. Since then, almost 100 space telescopes have been launched from Earth and are orbiting our planet, with 26 still active and relaying information back to us.As a result of these space-based instruments, such as NASA's iconic Hubble Space Telescope, we know much more about the universe than we did half a century ago. But why is Hubble, orbiting just 540 kilometres above the Earth, so much more effective than a ground-based telescope? How can a glorified camera tell us not only what distant objects look like, but their detailed chemical composition and three-dimensional structure as well? In Eyes in the Sky, science writer Andrew May takes us on a journey into space to answer these questions and more. Looking at the development of revolutionary instruments, such as Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope, May explores how such technology has helped us understand the evolution of the Universe.

'Clear and compact ... It's hard to fault as a brief, easily digestible introduction to some of the biggest questions in the Universe' Giles Sparrow, BBC Four's The Sky at Night, Best astronomy and space books of 2019: 5/5All the matter and light we can see in the universe makes up a trivial 5 per cent of everything. The rest is hidden. This could be the biggest puzzle that science has ever faced.Since the 1970s, astronomers have been aware that galaxies have far too little matter in them to account for the way they spin around: they should fly apart, but something concealed holds them together. That 'something' is dark matter - invisible material in five times the quantity of the familiar stuff of stars and planets.By the 1990s we also knew that the expansion of the universe was accelerating. Something, named dark energy, is pushing it to expand faster and faster. Across the universe, this requires enough energy that the equivalent mass would be nearly fourteen times greater than all the visible material in existence.Brian Clegg explains this major conundrum in modern science and looks at how scientists are beginning to find solutions to it.

The fully updated 2nd edition of this critically acclaimed book covers the exciting developments in light science of the past five years. Light Years is an engaging survey of everything we know of the universe's most enigmatic phenomenon and the remarkable people who have been captivated by it.

This new series of books tackles the biggest topics in science by breaking them up into quick and easy two-to-four-page spreads. "Instant Egghaead Guide: Physics" will explore quantum physics, relativity, and light. It will break down complex ideas to explore why Einstein made some big blunders, how the iPod came to be, and what would it take to make teleportation possible.

Physicists will tell you that four forces control the universe. Of these, gravity may the most obvious, but it is also the most mysterious. Newton managed to predict the force of gravity but couldn't explain how it worked at a distance. Einstein picked up on the simple premise that gravity and acceleration are interchangeable to devise his mind-bending general relativity, showing how matter warps space and time. Not only did this explain how gravity worked - and how apparently simple gravitation has four separate components - but it predicted everything from black holes to gravity's effect on time. Whether it's the reality of anti-gravity or the unexpected discovery that a ball and a laser beam drop at the same rate, gravity is the force that fascinates.

According to a recent survey, the most popular question about science from the general public was: what came before the Big Bang? We all know on some level what the Big Bang is, but we don't know how it became the accepted theory, or how we might know what came before. In "Before the Big Bang", Brian Clegg (the critically acclaimed author of "Upgrade Me" and "The God Effect") explores the history of this remarkable concept. From the earliest creation myths, through Hershel's realization that the Milky Way was one of many galaxies, to ongoing debates about Black Holes, this is an incredible look at the origins of the universe and the many theories that led to the acceptance of the Big Bang. But the idea of Big Bang doesn't so much answer questions as raise new ones. Clegg challenges the notion of the 'Big Bang' itself, and raises the deep philosophical question of why we might want to rethink the origin of the universe. This is popular science at its best, exploratory, controversial, and utterly engrossing.

Anyone can type a few keywords into a search engine. But that’s only the beginning. With Studying Using the Web you can find the right material, check its authenticity, transform it into your own original work and keep up-to-date on essential topics. The book is about how to find the right information, and making the most of it. It shows you how to:know what to look for make the best use of search facilities gather pictures, sounds and more make use of the human side of the internet learn how to test information with a trust CSI kit collect and structure your information effectively make text your own keep up to date. You could stay jogging round the information track. But think how much better you could do with the right technology and skills to harness a leading-edge study machine. Move into the study fast track now.

Anyone can type a few keywords into a search engine. But that’s only the beginning. With Studying Using the Web you can find the right material, check its authenticity, transform it into your own original work and keep up-to-date on essential topics. The book is about how to find the right information, and making the most of it. It shows you how to:know what to look for make the best use of search facilities gather pictures, sounds and more make use of the human side of the internet learn how to test information with a trust CSI kit collect and structure your information effectively make text your own keep up to date. You could stay jogging round the information track. But think how much better you could do with the right technology and skills to harness a leading-edge study machine. Move into the study fast track now.

Science is rightly a fundamental part of primary school education, but that doesn’t make it easy to teach - especially for teachers without a science background. This straight talking book from an experienced science writer and communicator looks at how to make the most of it and give primary school children a good grounding in the topic. Getting Science sets out to engage the sense of wonder. The science in this book is not for the children, but for the adults who have to explain it. Starting with a whirlwind tour of the great milestones of modern science, Getting Science goes on to take each of the main curriculum topics and give it a new twist. It provides the information needed to understand the key topics better and be able to put them across with enthusiasm and energy.This book will help teachers to get children excited by science, to understand science rather than just answer questions. Getting Science makes science fun, approachable and comprehensible to those who just don’t get it.

Are you stuck in a rut? Short of inspiration? Looking for a study guide that’s a break from the norm?This innovative book will give you the tools and techniques you need to work a bit of creative magic into every aspect of your studying.Clegg’s easy-to-read, entertaining book will show you: what the whole creativity business is about why you need to bother with it clever methods to stimulate your brain into action how to come up with a mass of ideas at a moment’s noticeMind stretches and mental workouts will enable you to take effective notes and to absorb and structure information in a way that can easily be recalled.Studying Creatively, the study guide with a difference, will show you how to change your environment to make creative study more effective, it will help you work on your presentation skills - there’s no point having great ideas if you can’t put them across.Good ideas are essential for any student who wants to do well. This invaluable guide, suitable for students from ages fifteen to twenty-one, empowers you with the tools you need to work creatively.

Are you stuck in a rut? Short of inspiration? Looking for a study guide that’s a break from the norm?This innovative book will give you the tools and techniques you need to work a bit of creative magic into every aspect of your studying.Clegg’s easy-to-read, entertaining book will show you: what the whole creativity business is about why you need to bother with it clever methods to stimulate your brain into action how to come up with a mass of ideas at a moment’s noticeMind stretches and mental workouts will enable you to take effective notes and to absorb and structure information in a way that can easily be recalled.Studying Creatively, the study guide with a difference, will show you how to change your environment to make creative study more effective, it will help you work on your presentation skills - there’s no point having great ideas if you can’t put them across.Good ideas are essential for any student who wants to do well. This invaluable guide, suitable for students from ages fifteen to twenty-one, empowers you with the tools you need to work creatively.

Today's managers are faced with many conflicting demands and situations. This book provides practical ways of achieving the impossible:*How can you be a generalist and a specialist?*An individual expert and a 'connected' team player?*Manage more people with less time and fewer resources and be entrepreneurial at the same time?Complete with its own website, which gives further information and links to other sites.The New Skills Portfolio is a groundbreaking new series, published in association with the Industrial Society, which re-defines the core management skills managers and team leaders need to be competitive. Each title is action-focused blending 20th century management initiatives/trends with a new flexible skills portfolio.The Industrial Society is one of the largest public training providers in the UK. It has over 10,000 member organisations and promotes best practice through its publishing, consultancy, training and advisory services. For more information contact their website on www.indsoc.co.uk

Creativity and Innovation for Managers will appeal to any manager responsible for getting more out of a business. Creative thinking, creative problem solving and creative idea generation have become essential business drivers. This book provides an excellent executive briefing for senior management to understand what business creativity is, how it can benefit the company, and how to get the most out of it. It looks at the pitfalls on the road to innovation and the ways to avoid them, pulling together the experiences of key practitioners in the field both in the UK and the US.By concentrating on the essentials, Creativity and Innovation In Brief is a waffle-free approach to creativity, providing a quick action focused and accessible insight into a complex topic.It provides;- a practical approach to business creativity without the hype;- an agenda for making innovation happen in your business- a real world view.

Whatever is needed, from in-depth research material for a report or academic paper, to the telephone number of a company on the other side of the world or what is showing at the local cinema, this guide aims to help readers find the answer on the internet, faster and more easily.

Today's managers are faced with many conflicting demands and situations. This book provides practical ways of achieving the impossible:How can you be a generalist and a specialist?An individual expert and a 'connected' team player?Manage more people with less time and fewer resources and be entrepreneurial at the same time? Complete with its own website, which gives further information and links to other sites. The New Skills Portfolio is a groundbreaking new series, published in association with the Industrial Society, which re-defines the core management skills managers and team leaders need to be competitive. Each title is action-focused blending 20th century management initiatives/trends with a new flexible skills portfolio.The Industrial Society is one of the largest public training providers in the UK. It has over 10,000 member organisations and promotes best practice through its publishing, consultancy, training and advisory services. For more information contact their website on www.indsoc.co.uk

Creativity and Innovation for Managers will appeal to any manager responsible for getting more out of a business. Creative thinking, creative problem solving and creative idea generation have become essential business drivers. This book provides an excellent executive briefing for senior management to understand what business creativity is, how it can benefit the company, and how to get the most out of it. It looks at the pitfalls on the road to innovation and the ways to avoid them, pulling together the experiences of key practitioners in the field both in the UK and the US. By concentrating on the essentials, Creativity and Innovation In Brief is a waffle-free approach to creativity, providing a quick action focused and accessible insight into a complex topic.It provides; - a practical approach to business creativity without the hype;- an agenda for making innovation happen in your business- a real world view.

Climate change. Nuclear devastation. Bio-hazard. The Large Hadron Collider. What do these things have in common? They all have the potential to end our world. Every great scientific creation of man is balanced by an equal amount of danger - there's no progress without risk. "Armageddon Science" is an authoritative look at real mad science at work today, willingly putting life on Earth at risk for the pursuit of knowledge and personal gain. This book explores the reality of the dangers that science poses to the human race, from the classic fear of nuclear destruction to the latest possibilities for annihilation. Combining the science behind those threats with an understanding of the real people responsible and an assessment of the likelihood of the end of the world, this isn't a disaster movie, it's "Armageddon Science".

Acclaimed popular-science writer Brian Clegg and popular TV and radio astronomer Rhodri Evans give us a Top Ten list of physicists as the central theme to build an exploration of the most exciting breakthroughs in physics, looking not just at the science, but also the fascinating lives of the scientists themselves. The Top Ten are: 1.Isaac Newton (1642-1727)2.Niels Bohr (1885-1962)3.Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)4.Albert Einstein (1879-1955)5.James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879)6.Michael Faraday (1791-1867)7.Marie Curie (1867-1934)8.Richard Feynman (1918-1988)9.Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937)10.Paul Dirac (1902-1984)Each of these figures has made a huge contribution to physics. Some are household names, others more of a mystery, but in each case there is an opportunity to combine a better understanding of the way that each of them has advanced our knowledge of the universe with an exploration of their often unusual, always interesting lives. Whether we are with Curie, patiently sorting through tons of pitchblende to isolate radium or feeling Bohr's frustration as once again Einstein attempts to undermine quantum theory, the combination of science and biography humanizes these great figures of history and makes the Physics itself more accessible.In exploring the way the list has been built the authors also put physics in its place amongst the sciences and show how it combines an exploration of the deepest and most profound questions about life and the universe with practical applications that have transformed our lives. The book is structured chronologically, allowing readers to follow the development of scientific knowledge over more than 400 years, showing clearly how this key group of individuals has fundamentally altered our understanding of the world around us.

A fascinating portrait of Albert Einstein in 50 defining facts, from the essential to the trivial, illustrated through 150 stunning infographics.Many people know that Albert Einstein (1879–1955) was the creator of the theory of relativity that revolutionized modern science. What, perhaps, they don't know is that he did not learn to speak until he was 4 years old; that he was asked to become the President of Israel in 1952, but refused; that he was under surveillance by the FBI for 22 years; and that after urging the development of the atomic bomb, he later became a proponent of nuclear disarmament. Biographic: Einstein presents an array of irresistible facts and figures converted into infographics to reveal the scientist behind the science.

An electrifying exploration of Nikola Tesla’s life, work and fame, with 50 irresistible facts and figured converted into infographics to reveal the scientist behind the science. Many people know that Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) was an engineer and inventor, instrumental in developing the alternating-current (AC) electrical system and wireless radio communications we still use today. What, perhaps, they don't know is that he was born during a lightning storm; that when he first arrived in the U.S. he owned 4 cents, his own poems, and a design for a flying machine; that he spoke 8 languages; that he held 300 patents for his inventions; and that he claimed to have invented a death ray that could destroy 10,000 planes at a distance of 250 miles. Biographic Tesla presents an electrifying exploration of his life, work and fame, with an array of irresistible facts and figures converted into infographics to reveal the scientist behind the science.The ‘Biographic’ series presents an entirely new way of looking at the lives of the world’s greatest thinkers and creatives. It takes the 50 defining facts, dates, thoughts, habits, and achievements of each subject, and uses infographics to convey each of them in vivid snapshots.

Is the Brexit vote successful big data politics or the end of democracy? Why do airlines overbook, and why do banks get it wrong so often? How does big data enable Netflix to forecast a hit, CERN to find the Higgs boson and medics to discover if red wine really is good for you? And how are companies using big data to benefit from smart meters, use advertising that spies on you and develop the gig economy, where workers are managed by the whim of an algorithm?The volumes of data we now access can give unparalleled abilities to make predictions, respond to customer demand and solve problems. But Big Brother's shadow hovers over it. Though big data can set us free and enhance our lives, it has the potential to create an underclass and a totalitarian state. With big data ever-present, you can't afford to ignore it. Acclaimed science writer Brian Clegg - a habitual early adopter of new technology (and the owner of the second-ever copy of Windows in the UK) - brings big data to life.