Beyond Weird
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Beyond Weird
Author: Philip Ball
language: en
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Release Date: 2020-10-14
“Anyone who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it.” Since Niels Bohr said this many years ago, quantum mechanics has only been getting more shocking. We now realize that it’s not really telling us that “weird” things happen out of sight, on the tiniest level, in the atomic world: rather, everything is quantum. But if quantum mechanics is correct, what seems obvious and right in our everyday world is built on foundations that don’t seem obvious or right at all—or even possible. An exhilarating tour of the contemporary quantum landscape, Beyond Weird is a book about what quantum physics really means—and what it doesn’t. Science writer Philip Ball offers an up-to-date, accessible account of the quest to come to grips with the most fundamental theory of physical reality, and to explain how its counterintuitive principles underpin the world we experience. Over the past decade it has become clear that quantum physics is less a theory about particles and waves, uncertainty and fuzziness, than a theory about information and knowledge—about what can be known, and how we can know it. Discoveries and experiments over the past few decades have called into question the meanings and limits of space and time, cause and effect, and, ultimately, of knowledge itself. The quantum world Ball shows us isn’t a different world. It is our world, and if anything deserves to be called “weird,” it’s us.
Weird Creatures
Weird Creatures explores the fascinating world of bizarre animals and their unique adaptations, offering insights into biological adaptation and evolutionary pathways. The book examines how these unusual species challenge our understanding of life, revealing the biological significance and scientific principles that shaped them. For instance, the blobfish's gelatinous form is perfectly suited for the extreme pressures of the deep sea, while the axolotl retains its larval features into adulthood, a phenomenon called neoteny. The book presents science through clear explanations and engaging examples, tracing the development of scientific understanding from Darwin's theories to modern genetic research. It begins by introducing the concept of biological ""weirdness"" and progresses through case studies organized by themes such as sensory adaptation and extreme environments. Each chapter delves into a specific creature's habitat, characteristics, and evolutionary history, culminating in a discussion of the broader implications for genetics, ecology, and environmental pressures in shaping biodiversity. By studying these ""weird"" species, readers gain crucial insights into the processes that drive evolution and the incredible diversity of life.
Ragnarok
In a world where the old gods of all religions have returned to rule the earth, and North America is ruled by the ancient Norse pantheon, Lucky is the sheriff of Ragged Rock County, where all types of mythical monsters live apart from normal humans. Lucky was appointed to this position by his old college pal, the Norse god Thor. It's a dangerous life but a good one, keeping order among frost-giants, vampires, were-beasts and other frightful creatures, and Lucky does well for his wives and his children. But, in the course of his daily duties on Midgard, his official visits to Asgard, and a series of flashbacks to his college days with Thor, Lucky begins to suspect that all is not as it seems. When the sheriff's station is destroyed by a mysterious and powerful new monster, Lucky is drawn into a web of danger and intrigue and must seek the deeply-hidden truth.