The writers behind New Scientist explore the baffling concept of nothingness from the fringes of the universe to our minds' inner workings.It turns out that nothing is as curious or as enlightening as nothingness itself. What is nothing? Where can it be found? The writers of the world's top-selling science magazine investigate—from the big bang, dark energy, and the void, to superconductors, vestigial organs, hypnosis, and the placebo effect. And they disco...

A rogue planet is speeding its way towards the inner solar system, destined to become a hot Jupiter. It is a scenario that has played out countless times throughout the galaxy, and the result is always that the rocky inner planets are flung into the deep freeze of interstellar space, taking their inhabitants with them.The people in the story are compelled by their character, culture, history, and beliefs to choose a particular path and they have little conscious choice in the matte...

A brilliant scientist has nearly perfected his time machine. His vision is to go back and fix the mistakes of history, eliminating war, hunger, epidemics, and the other scourges of mankind.Naturally, everybody wants to get their hands on the machine and use it to acquire fame, fortune, and power. This includes the current vice president who wants to go back and wipe out everyone who now stands in the way of his path to absolute power.The machine has been tested by sending a...

Where is the closest livable, rocky planet to earth? One with a similar gravity, climate, atmosphere, water and natural resources, non-hazardous space environment, stable axis, and which is not tidally locked? We currently do not know of such a planet, but if we find one, it will be tens if not hundreds or thousands of light years away.Suppose we were able to send probes to candidate planets. Once a probe arrived, it might take hundreds of years to send data back. If humans were th...

"A breath of intellectual fresh air . . . [an] amusing look at how to dispel endemic pseudoscience and conspiracy theories through rational thinking." — Publishers WeeklyAliens. Ley lines. Water dowsing. Conspiracies and myths captivate imaginations and promise mystery and magic. Whether it's arguing about the moon landing hoax or a Frisbee-like Earth drifting through space, when held up to science and critical thinking, these ideas fall flat.In ...

Do multiple versions of ourselves exist in parallel universes living out their lives in different timelines? In this follow up to his bestseller, The Simulation Hypothesis, MIT Computer Scientist and Silicon Valley Game Pioneer Rizwan Virk explores these topics from a new lens: that of simulation theory.If we are living in a simulated universe, composed of information that is rendered around us, then many of the complexities and baffling characteristics of our reality star...

For readers of Michio Kaku and Stephen Hawking, the book readers have acclaimed as "A mega-comprehensive outlook at intelligence as convincing as it is surprising" and "A truly breathtaking forecast on the future of intelligence."With the ongoing advancement of AI and other technologies, our world is becoming increasingly intelligent. From chatbots to innovations in brain-computer interfaces to the possibility of superintelligences leading to the Singularity later ...

This "excellent" popular science book explores just what we—and the things around us—are made of ( Aftenposten, Norway).Some elements get all the attention: glittering gold, radioactive uranium—materials we call "precious" because they are so rare. But what could be more precious than the building blocks of life—from the oxygen in our air to the carbon in all living things?In The Elements We Live By, physicist and award-winning author Anja R...

Award-winning Boston University educator and researcher Muhammad H. Zaman provides a chilling look at the rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, explaining how we got here and what we must do to address this growing global health crisis.In September 2016, a woman in Nevada became the first known case in the U.S. of a person who died of an infection resistant to every antibiotic available. Her death is the worst nightmare of infectious disease doctors and public hea...

Quantum physicist, New York Times bestselling author, and BBC host Jim Al-Khalili offers a fascinating and illuminating look at what physics reveals about the worldShining a light on the most profound insights revealed by modern physics, Jim Al-Khalili invites us all to understand what this crucially important science tells us about the universe and the nature of reality itself.Al-Khalili begins by introducing the fundamental concepts of space, tim...

A Book of Necessary Skills to Help You Function and Thrive in Everyday Life!Do you want to be an independent adult that knows how to live life to its full potential? Do you want to be the one that everyone comes to for advice? You’ve picked up the right book! Full of useful advice and practical skills that everyone should know, this comprehensive how-to guide will provide you with the essential knowledge you need to tackle life’s everyday challenges. From the littl...

This updated edition of the New York Times Notable Book recounts the long hunt for Einstein's predicted gravitational waves—and celebrates their discovery.In February 2016, astronomers announced that they had verified the last remaining prediction of Einstein's general theory of relativity—vibrations in space-time, called gravitational waves. Humanity can now tune in to a cosmic orchestra. We have heard the chirp of two black holes dancing...