"A fascinating and riveting read that really succeeds in bringing you right to the cutting edge of open questions in the earth sciences." —Leon Vlieger, Inquisitive BiologistToday, we know more than ever before about the powerful forces that can cause catastrophe, but significant questions remain. Why can't we better predict some natural disasters? What do scientists know about them already? What do they wish they knew? In Dangerous Earth, marine s...

When viewed from a quiet beach, the ocean, with its rolling waves and vast expanse, can seem calm, even serene. But hidden beneath the sea's waves are a staggering abundance and variety of active creatures, engaged in the never-ending struggles of life—to reproduce, to eat, and to avoid being eaten.With Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime, marine scientist Ellen Prager takes us deep into the sea to introduce an astonishing cast of fascinating and bizarre creatures that make the salty...

Could ancient giant sharks called megalodons still exist in the deep sea? What should you do if stung by a jellyfish? Can we predict lightning strikes and how is climate change affecting hurricanes?With humor, easy-to-understand language, and fun illustrations, marine scientist Ellen Prager and meteorologist Dave Jones use frequently asked and zany questions about the ocean and atmosphere to combat misinformation and make science engaging and understandable for all. From dangerous ...

When viewed from a quiet beach, the ocean, with its rolling waves and vast expanse, can seem calm, even serene. But hidden beneath the sea’s waves are a staggering abundance and variety of active creatures, engaged in the never-ending struggles of life—to reproduce, to eat, and to avoid being eaten. With Hagfish Slime and Lobster Rolls, marine scientist Ellen Prager takes us deep into the sea to introduce an astonishing cast of fascinating and bizarre creatures that make the salty...

Could ancient giant sharks called megalodons still exist in the deep sea? What should you do if stung by a jellyfish? Can we predict lightning strikes and how is climate change affecting hurricanes?With humor and easy-to-understand language, marine scientist Ellen Prager and meteorologist Dave Jones use frequently asked and zany questions about the ocean and atmosphere to combat misinformation and make science engaging and understandable for all. From dangerous marine life, coral r...

A root-and-branch rethinking of how history has shaped the science of genetics.In 1900, almost no one had heard of Gregor Mendel. Ten years later, he was famous as the father of a new science of heredity—genetics. Even today, Mendelian ideas serve as a standard point of entry for learning about genes. The message students receive is plain: the twenty-first century owes an enlightened understanding of how biological inheritance really works to the persistence of an i...

Ranging from math to literature to philosophy, Uncountable explains how numbers triumphed as the basis of knowledge—and compromise our sense of humanity.Our knowledge of mathematics has structured much of what we think we know about ourselves as individuals and communities, shaping our psychologies, sociologies, and economies. In pursuit of a more predictable and more controllable cosmos, we have extended mathematical insights and methods to more and more a...

An outstanding collection guest-edited by the groundbreaking physicist and New York Times–bestselling author of Quantum Supremacy."Scientists and science writers have a monumental task: making science exciting and relevant to the average person, so that they care," writes renowned American physicist Michio Kaku. "If we fail in this endeavor, then we must face dire consequences."From the startlingly human abilities of AI, to the devastating accounts of Califor...

"Every page reveals so many novel hacks you'll be impressing people all over town with your wisdom and soon become noted as some kind of cooking genius." — FoodepediaTV-chef and food journalist Glynn Christian has been making cooks and chefs say Gosh! for over forty years as he shared how ingredients work, demonstrated better techniques and revealed culinary secrets. This handbook collects over 300 of Glynn's "gosh-factor" hacks, explaining how best to hand...

An examination of the Paleolithic and Neolithic communities that inhabited not only the Nile Valley and Delta, but also the Western and Eastern Deserts.The remarkable archaeology of pharaonic Egypt continues to captivate countless people worldwide but evidence for Egypt's prehistoric or Stone Age past has been relatively neglected. This is perhaps understandable, as the archaeology of Stone Age Egypt often seems crude in comparison, and the number of works publishe...

"A captivating primer to the world of viruses that requires zero background in biology . . . a suitable first introduction to this fascinating part of our world." — The Inquisitive BiologistIn 2020, an invisible germ—a virus—emerged and wholly upended our lives. We've now become familiar with the new virus that gave us Covid-19—but viruses also cause a vast range of other diseases, including one disorder that makes people sprout branch-like growths as if t...

This expert guide to plant formation and the origins of life "makes the solar system an even weirder and more wonderful place than it seemed before" ( Wall Street Journal).In 1959, the Soviet probe Luna 3 revealed an astonishing truth: the far side of the moon is an enormous mountainous expanse, completely different from the vast lava-plains on the side facing Earth. But why would the two side of the moon be so different? And what might this tell us about o...