Wiley Science Editions – serie

Many of the things discovered by accident are important in our everyday lives: Teflon, Velcro, nylon, x-rays, penicillin, safety glass, sugar substitutes, and polyethylene and other plastics. And we owe a debt to accident for some of our deepest scientific knowledge, including Newton's theory of gravitation, the Big Bang theory of Creation, and the discovery of DNA. Even the Rosetta Stone, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the ruins of Pompeii came to light through chance. This book tells the fascinating stories of these and other discoveries and reveals how the inquisitive human mind turns accident into discovery. Written for the layman, yet scientifically accurate, this illuminating collection of anecdotes portrays invention and discovery as quintessentially human acts, due in part to curiosity, perserverance, and luck.

The Starflight Handbook A Pioneer's Guide to Interstellar Travel"The Starflight Handbook is an indispensable compendium of the manyand varied methods for traversing the vast interstellar gulf--don'tleave the Solar System without it!" --Robert Forward "Verysensible, very complete and useful. Its good use of references andtechnical 'sidebars' adds to the book and allows the nontechnicaltext to be used by ordinary readers in an easy fashion. I certainlywould recommend this book to anyone doing any thinking at all aboutinterstellar flight or the notion of possibilities of contactsbetween hypothetical civilizations in different stat systems."--Louis Friedman Executive Director, The Planetary Society TheStarflight Handbook is the first and only compendium on planetEarth of the radical new technologies now on the drawing boards ofsome of our smartest and most imaginative space scientists andengineers. Scientists and engineers as well as general readers willbe captivated by its:* In-depth discussions of everything from nuclear pulse propulsionengines to in-flight navigation, in flowing, non-technicallanguage* Sidebars and appendices cover technical and mathematical conceptsin detail* Seventy-five elegant and enlightening illustrations depictingstarships and their hardware

Entertaining and educational activities focusing on the ocean and its creatures. The Ocean Book Aquarium and Seaside Activities and Ideas for all Ages This activity book on the world of the oceans and the living things that inhabit them is filled with experiments, investigations, puzzles, games, and all sorts of fun things to do and learn. The activities were created and contributed by the leading aquatic centers in the United States, including the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, Sea World in Ohio, and many others. The activities are designed to teach by doing, and each one has a high entertainment value. Just a few of the topics covered in The Ocean Book include: Whales Seals Sharks Tides Camouflage Fish Sea Turtles Coral Reefs The Ocean Floor Sealab All the activities are ideal for grades K-6, but older children and adults may just learn a thing or two as well.

A Unique Book on Outdoor Education for Young Children . Nature for the Very Young Nature For the Very Young At school or at home, this lively handbook of inventive and entertaining activities will delight, and educate, children from preschool age to second grade. Nature for the Very Young offers a unique combination of preschool readiness material and learning activities that use nature explorations as a springboard for learning and growing. The lessons are built around background information for the adults and proven learning activities for the children. The teaching aids are presented full scale to facilitate teacher use. Throughout Nature for the Very Young, the material is designed to focus on the basic concepts appropriate to a young child's level of development and ability. These concepts include color recognition, sequencing, body awareness, reading readiness, and other important skills. You will also find invaluable guidance on leading a group of young children on field trips and on keeping the group focused on exploring nature. Whether you are a parent, teacher, day care instructor, camp counselor, or librarian, and no matter what region of the country you live in, Nature for the Very Young offers hours of learning fun, outdoors and indoors.

An idea-packed catalog of projects, activities, and science fun sure to inspire future "Edisons" . The Thomas Edison Book of Easy and Incredible Experiments The Thomas Alva Edison Foundation Thomas Edison patented 1,093 inventions -- and more chemistry experiments than any other scientist ever! This book reflects the fascination that he found in experimentation and presents the best, most popular experiments and projects sponsored by the prestigious Edison Foundation. Here, in one convenient volume, you will find a range of activities from the very simple (for primary or middle grades or individual young scientists at home) to the intriguingly complex (for older students, groups, or an entire class). These experiments require no science background. They utilize inexpensive, easy-to-obtain materials. Most of all, the projects are fun to build, safe and useful, and each provides a good demonstration of important scientific principles in real-life action! Most youngsters and teens can work on the experiments with little supervision, and there are ample ideas for science fairs and "extra credit" projects. Over 100 illustrations are included, plus photos of the legendary inventor himself. Experiments in this book encompass magnetism, electricity, electrochemistry, chemistry, physics, energy, and environmental studies -- topics for varied interests in grades 4 through 11. Throughout, emphasis is on the essence of scientific "tinkering," experimenting for the pure fun of it . activities that lead to satisfying hobbies, new ideas, and learning. Edison himself would surely enjoy this book -- so imagine that you are visiting his laboratory, and let this be your introduction to a world of discovery. .

Is there an objective world, or is everything relative? Do matter, time and space change, or do they remain constant everywhere in the universe? Is there always a relationship between cause and effect, or do some things "just happen?" Many of our basic ideas about the world have been shaped by science--but seldom are such discoveries accepted easily or willingly. Here are seven of the most important ideas in physics--ideas that shattered the assumptions of dogmatists, philosophers and scientists--explained simply and elegantly. And you don't need a background in mathematics or science to enjoy this fascinating book. Seven Ideas That Shook the Universe explores the history of seven important themes in physics: Copernican astronomy, Newtonian mechanics, energy and entropy, relativity, quantum theory, and conservation principles and symmetries. Together these discoveries form the foundation of our understanding of the physical world. Nathan Spielberg and Bryon Anderson explain each concept in a simple, straightforward narrative style, considering each in the context of its times and assessing its impact on the way we think about time, space, matter, even existence itself. For the science lover and the intellectually curious, Seven Ideas That Shook the Universe brings the drama of scientific discovery to vivid life.