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Seven Pillars of Science: The Incredible Lightness of Ice, and Other Scientific Surprises

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Seven Pillars of Science: The Incredible Lightness of Ice, and Other Scientific Surprises
Authors and Contributors      By (author) John Gribbin
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:160
Dimensions(mm): Height 198,Width 129
Category/GenreGeneral
History of science
Popular science
ISBN/Barcode 9781785788581
ClassificationsDewey:500
Audience
General
Tertiary Education (US: College)
Professional & Vocational

Publishing Details

Publisher Icon Books
Imprint Icon Books
Publication Date 6 January 2022
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

These 'pillars of science' also defy common sense. For example, solid things are mostly empty space, so how do they hold together? There appears to be no special 'life force', so how do we distinguish living things from inanimate objects? And why does ice float on water, when most solids don't? You might think that question hardly needs asking, and yet if ice didn't float, life on Earth would never have happened. The answers to all of these questions were sensational in their day, and some still are. Throughout history, science has been able to think the unthinkable - and Gribbin brilliantly shows the surprising secrets on which our understanding of life is based.

Author Biography

John Gribbin's numerous bestselling books include In Search of Schrodinger's Cat and Six Impossible Things, which was shortlisted for the 2019 Royal Society Science Book Prize. He has been described as 'one of the finest and most prolific writers of popular science around' by the Spectator.

Reviews

[In] the last couple of years we have seen a string of books that pack bags of science in a digestible form into a small space. John Gribbin has already proved himself a master of this approach with his Six Impossible Things, and he's done it again ... [Seven Pillars of Science is] light, to the point and hugely informative. ... It packs in the science, tells an intriguing story and is beautifully packaged. * Brian Clegg, popularscience.co.uk * '[Gribbin] deftly joins the dots to reveal a bigger picture that is even more awe-inspiring than the sum of its parts.' -- Laura Hiscott * Physics World *