Presents the story of how hallucinogenic mushrooms, once shunned in the West as the most pernicious of poisons, came to be the illicit drug of choice. Chronicling the history of the magic mushroom since its use by the Aztecs of Central America, this book takes a humorous look at the drug's popular image and underground culture.
The scientists who first detected the cosmic radiation, that was identified as the afterglow of the big bang, had to admit that it was more by accident than intention. This title explains one of the biggest discoveries in modern science - and presents a picture of what happened next.
Where did the universe come from? Where did we come from? What the hell are we doing here? This work addresses the questions on the nature of the universe, the nature of reality, and the place of life in the universe. It also explains that science is about the down-to-earth things that matter to all of us.
The reflection of your face in a window tells you that the universe is orchestrated by chance. Your TV tells you that the universe had a beginning. This book considers familiar features of the world we know and shows how they can be used to explain profound truths about the ultimate nature of reality.
Look around you. The reflection of your face in a window tells you that the universe is orchestrated by chance. The iron in a spot of blood on your finger tells you that somewhere out in space there is furnace at a temperature of 4.5 billion degrees. Your TV tells you that the universe had a beginning.
In fact, your very existence tells you that this may not be the only universe but merely one among an infinity of others, stacked like the pages of a never-ending book.
Marcus Chown, author of Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You, takes familiar features of the world we know and shows how they can be used to explain profound truths about the ultimate nature of reality. His new book will change the way you see the world: with Chown as your guide, cutting-edge science is made clear and meaningful by a falling leaf, or a rose, or a starry night sky…
Where did we come from? What the hell are we doing here? Is Elvis alive and kicking in another space domain? What's beyond the edge of the Universe? Did aliens build the stars? Can we live forever? This work presents an eye-opening look at the nature of reality and the place of life in the universe.
Did you know that there's so much empty space inside matter that the entire human race could be squeezed into the volume of a sugar cube? Or that you grow old more quickly on the top floor of a building than on the ground floor? This book is a science book discussing such questions.
We now live longer today than at any time in history. In the UK, more people are aged over sixty-five than under sixteen and by 2050, over a third of the developed world will be over sixty. How should we deal with this phenomenon? This book explores the scientific background and the implications of our ageing population.
This is the story of a barnacle found in South America during Darwin's voyage of the Beagle. It tells of how genius sometimes proceeds through indirection - and how one small creature contributed to history's most spectacular scientific breakthrough.
