Falling Felines And Fundamental Physics

Author : Gregory J. Gbur
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 342 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2019-10-22
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780300249071

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Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics by Gregory J. Gbur Pdf

How do cats land on their feet? A “lively, entertaining” look at how the question stumped brilliant minds for centuries—and what was learned along the way (Ars Technica). The question of how falling cats land on their feet has long intrigued humans. In this playful and eye-opening history, physicist and cat parent Gregory Gbur explores how attempts to understand the cat-righting reflex have provided crucial insights into puzzles in mathematics, geophysics, neuroscience, and human space exploration. The result is an engaging tumble through physics, physiology, photography, and robotics to uncover, through scientific debate, the secret of the acrobatic performance known as cat-turning, the cat flip, and the cat twist. You’ll learn the solution—but also discover that the finer details still inspire heated arguments. As with other cat behavior, the more we investigate, the more surprises we discover. “[An] extremely well-written popular science book.” —James Kakalios, author of The Physics of Superheroes “Engrossing.” —Sean Carroll, author of Something Deeply Hidden: Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime

Author : Gregory J. Gbur
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 352 pages
File Size : 41,7 Mb
Release : 2019-10-22
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780300231298

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Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics by Gregory J. Gbur Pdf

How do cats land on their feet? Discover how this question stumped brilliant minds and how its answer helped solve other seemingly impossible puzzles The question of how falling cats land on their feet has long intrigued humans. In this playful and eye-opening history, physicist and cat parent Gregory Gbur explores how attempts to understand the cat-righting reflex have provided crucial insights into puzzles in mathematics, geophysics, neuroscience, and human space exploration. The result is an engaging tumble through physics, physiology, photography, and robotics to uncover, through scientific debate, the secret of the acrobatic performance known as cat-turning, the cat flip, and the cat twist. Readers learn the solution but also discover that the finer details still inspire heated arguments. As with other cat behavior, the more we investigate, the more surprises we discover.

Author : E. B. Manoukian
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 282 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2024-05-02
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 9783031511998

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How Energy Considerations Have Shaped Our Fundamental Modern Theories of Physics by E. B. Manoukian Pdf

Author : F. Marion Crawford
Publisher : BoD – Books on Demand
Page : 53 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 2018-09-20
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9783734031755

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The Upper Berth by F. Marion Crawford Pdf

Reproduction of the original: The Upper Berth by F. Marion Crawford

Author : Emily Coates,Sarah Demers
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 193 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2019-01-01
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 9780300195835

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Physics and Dance by Emily Coates,Sarah Demers Pdf

"A fascinating exploration of our reality through the eyes of a physicist and a dancer--and an engaging introduction to both disciplines. From stepping out of our beds each morning to admiring the stars at night, we live in a world of motion, energy, space, and time. How do we understand the phenomena that shape our experience? How do we make sense of our physical realities? Two guides--a former member of New York City Ballet, Emily Coates, and a CERN particle physicist, Sarah Demers--show us how their respective disciplines can help us to understand both the quotidian and the deepest questions about the universe. Requiring no previous knowledge of dance or physics, this introduction covers the fundamentals while revealing how a dialogue between art and science can enrich our appreciation of both. Readers will come away with a broad cultural knowledge of Newtonian to quantum mechanics and classical to contemporary dance. Including problem sets and choreographic exercises to solidify understanding, this book will be of interest to anyone curious about physics or dance."--Jacket.

Author : Ivo van Vulpen
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 268 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2020-02-18
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780300252460

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How to Find a Higgs Boson—and Other Big Mysteries in the World of the Very Small by Ivo van Vulpen Pdf

The history of particle physics, the hunt for the most elusive particle, and the fundamental questions the search has inspired How did physicists combine talent and technology to discover the Higgs boson, the last piece in our inventory of the subatomic world? How did the Higgs change our understanding of the universe? And now, nearly a decade after its detection, what comes next? Answering these questions, Ivo van Vulpen—a CERN particle physicist and member of the team behind the detection—invites us on a journey to the frontiers of our knowledge. Enjoy van Vulpen’s accessible explanation of the history of particle physics and of concepts like quantum mechanics and relativity—and ponder his inquiries regarding the search for new particles (to explain dark matter), a new force (to combine the existing fundamental forces), and new phenomena (undiscovered dimensions of space). This is a lively account of work at the world’s highest-energy particle accelerator, with inspiring personal reflections on humanity’s discoveries deeper and deeper into the world of the very small.

Author : Roland Ennos
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2023-07-18
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781982196530

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The Science of Spin by Roland Ennos Pdf

A clear and captivating work of popular science that explains rotational force—a basic driver of the universe affecting everything from the cosmos to our own bodies—from the masterful author of The Age of Wood. From the time women first used rotating bobbins to twist thread and men whirled slings around their heads to throw stones, people have found spin fascinating and baffling in equal measure. Now, in The Science of Spin, Roland Ennos shows how rotational motion dominates the workings of the world around us. It has shaped the solar system, galaxies, and black holes. It controls our climate and weather—from the pattern of trade winds through to the local formation of hurricanes and tornadoes. Harnessing the power of spin helped launch civilization, from the first developments of the wheel to the systems that now power the industrial world—propellers, turbines, centrifugal pumps, and electric motors. Even our own bodies are complex systems of rotating joints and levers. But scientists have a tendency to ignore the simple and straightforward. So, 17th-century scientists developed the science of mechanics to explain the phenomenon of the orbit of the planets rather than how machines work. And Newton’s laws have actually limited our understanding of spin because they focus on linear motion rather than on an intuitive grasp of rotation. As a result, few people realize how spin makes our planet habitable, or how it has been tamed by engineers to make our lives more comfortable. In a lively and engaging style, Ennos presents a new approach to mechanics that not only helps us better understand the world, but also reveals unlikely links between tightrope walkers and tyrannosaurs, catapults and tennis players, stunt cars and long jumpers. By opening our minds, he shows how we can all learn to move about more gracefully, play sports more successfully and safely—and ensure that, like cats, we always land on our feet. A highly entertaining and informative read, whether it be natural or engineered, spin is what really makes the world go round.

Author : Tanya Bub,Jeffrey Bub
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 190 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2021-04-13
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780300250121

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Reimagining Time by Tanya Bub,Jeffrey Bub Pdf

A quirky, funny, and accessible blend of science and art that delves into the heart of Einstein's theory of relativity It was a link to his 1905 paper--an early attempt at explaining his revolutionary ideas on space, time, and matter--that drew Tanya Bub into Albert Einstein's imaginative vision of the world. What particularly struck her was how Einstein interwove words and math to create clear visuals illustrating his theories. As an artist, she naturally started doodling as she worked her way through his concepts, creating drawings that intuitively demonstrated Einstein's core principles. In Reimagining Time Tanya Bub teams up with her father, the distinguished physicist Jeffrey Bub, to create a quirky and accessible take on one of science's most revolutionary discoveries. Blending original art and text, they guide readers through Einstein's theory of special relativity to expose truths about our universe: time is relative, lengths get shorter with motion, energy and mass are interchangeable, and the Universe has a speed limit.

Author : R. Shankar
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 523 pages
File Size : 46,9 Mb
Release : 2019-08-20
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780300249583

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Fundamentals of Physics I by R. Shankar Pdf

A beloved introductory physics textbook, now including exercises and an answer key, explains the concepts essential for thorough scientific understanding In this concise book, R. Shankar, a well-known physicist and contagiously enthusiastic educator, explains the essential concepts of Newtonian mechanics, special relativity, waves, fluids, thermodynamics, and statistical mechanics. Now in an expanded edition—complete with problem sets and answers for course use or self-study—this work provides an ideal introduction for college-level students of physics, chemistry, and engineering; for AP Physics students; and for general readers interested in advances in the sciences. The book begins at the simplest level, develops the basics, and reinforces fundamentals, ensuring a solid foundation in the principles and methods of physics.

Author : Emily Anthes
Publisher : Scientific American / Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 2013-03-12
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781429949521

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Frankenstein's Cat by Emily Anthes Pdf

Winner of 2014 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Best Young Adult Science Book Longlisted for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award One of Nature's Summer Book Picks One of Publishers Weekly's Top Ten Spring 2013 Science Books For centuries, we've toyed with our creature companions, breeding dogs that herd and hunt, housecats that look like tigers, and teacup pigs that fit snugly in our handbags. But what happens when we take animal alteration a step further, engineering a cat that glows green under ultraviolet light or cloning the beloved family Labrador? Science has given us a whole new toolbox for tinkering with life. How are we using it? In Frankenstein's Cat, the journalist Emily Anthes takes us from petri dish to pet store as she explores how biotechnology is shaping the future of our furry and feathered friends. As she ventures from bucolic barnyards to a "frozen zoo" where scientists are storing DNA from the planet's most exotic creatures, she discovers how we can use cloning to protect endangered species, craft prosthetics to save injured animals, and employ genetic engineering to supply farms with disease-resistant livestock. Along the way, we meet some of the animals that are ushering in this astonishing age of enhancement, including sensor-wearing seals, cyborg beetles, a bionic bulldog, and the world's first cloned cat. Through her encounters with scientists, conservationists, ethicists, and entrepreneurs, Anthes reveals that while some of our interventions may be trivial (behold: the GloFish), others could improve the lives of many species-including our own. So what does biotechnology really mean for the world's wild things? And what do our brave new beasts tell us about ourselves? With keen insight and her trademark spunk, Anthes highlights both the peril and the promise of our scientific superpowers, taking us on an adventure into a world where our grandest science fiction fantasies are fast becoming reality.

Author : Alain Haché
Publisher : Raincoast Books
Page : 204 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2002
Category : Science
ISBN : 1551925907

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The Physics of Hockey by Alain Haché Pdf

Author : Antonio Ereditato
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 425 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2020-10-20
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780262043861

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Ever Smaller by Antonio Ereditato Pdf

Ideas, theories, experiments, and unanswered questions in particle physics, explained (with anecdotes) for the general reader. The elementary particles of matter hold the secrets of Nature together with the fundamental forces. In Ever Smaller, neutrino physicist Antonio Ereditato describes the amazing discoveries of the “particle revolution,” explaining ideas, theories, experiments, and unanswered questions in particle physics in a way that is accessible (and enjoyable) for the general reader. Ereditato shows us that physics is not the exclusive territory of scientists in white lab coats exclaiming “Eureka” but that its revelations can be appreciated by any reader curious about the mysteries of the universe. Ereditato's overview takes us through a century of particle physics, from the discovery of the components of the atom through an endless procession of subatomic particles—the pion, the muon, the quarks, the W, Z, gluon, Higgs boson, and the mysterious, ubiquitous neutrino (Ereditato's chosen specialty)—interweaving the history of these discoveries with basic explanations of the physics itself as well as the technology behind the discoveries. He considers the particle physicist's impulse to pursue the “ever smaller”—to divide matter into ever more minuscule parts, until reaching the elementary constituents of the universe; explains how Nature likes symmetries; describes the workings of particle accelerators and detectors; demonstrates how to distinguish between three identical quarks; and warns that the ugliest experimental data are more important than the most beautiful theory. With Ever Smaller, Ereditato invites readers to join him in appreciating the beauty of the microcosm.

Author : Gregory J. Gbur
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 289 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2023-04-11
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780300271423

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Invisibility by Gregory J. Gbur Pdf

A lively exploration of how invisibility has gone from science fiction to fact Is it possible for something or someone to be made invisible? This question, which has intrigued authors of science fiction for over a century, has become a headline-grabbing topic of scientific research. In this book, science writer and optical physicist Gregory J. Gbur traces the science of invisibility from its sci-fi origins in the nineteenth-century writings of authors such as H. G. Wells and Fitz James O’Brien to modern stealth technology, invisibility cloaks, and metamaterials. He explores the history of invisibility and its science and technology connections, including the discovery of the electromagnetic spectrum, the development of the atomic model, and quantum theory. He shows how invisibility has moved from fiction to reality, and he questions the hidden paths that lie ahead for researchers. This is not only the story of invisibility but also the story of humankind’s understanding of the nature of light itself, and of the many fascinating figures whose discoveries advanced this knowledge.

Author : Martin Elvis
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 310 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2021-05-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780300231922

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Asteroids by Martin Elvis Pdf

A unique, wide-ranging examination of asteroid exploration and our future in space Human travel into space is an enormously expensive and unforgiving endeavor. So why go? In this accessible and authoritative book, astrophysicist Martin Elvis argues that the answer is asteroid exploration, for the strong motives of love, fear, and greed. Elvis's personal motivation is one of scientific love--asteroid investigations may teach us about the composition of the solar system and the origins of life. A more compelling reason may be fear--of a dinosaur killer-sized asteroid hitting our planet. Finally, Elvis maintains, we should consider greed: asteroids likely hold vast riches, such as large platinum deposits, and mining them could provide both a new industry and a funding source for bolder space exploration. Elvis explains how each motive can be satisfied, and how they help one another. From the origins of life, to "space billiards," and space sports, Elvis looks at how asteroids may be used in the not-so-distant future.

Author : Stanley Rosen
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 292 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2004-01-01
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0300104510

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The Mask of Enlightenment by Stanley Rosen Pdf

This landmark study is a detailed textual and thematic analysis of one of Nietzsche’s most important but least understood works. Stanley Rosen argues that in Zarathustra Nietzsche lays the groundwork for philosophical and political revolution, proposing a change in humanity’s condition that would be achieved by eliminating the decadent existing race and breeding a new race to take its place. Rosen discusses Nietzsche’s systematically duplicitous rhetoric of esoteric messages in Zarathustra, and he places the book in the contexts of Greek, Christian, Enlightenment, and postmodernist thought.