A BOOK ABOUT NOTHING: explore how humanity has conceptualized "nothingness" to make sense of a universe born from a vacuumThe quantum vacuum is a state where virtual particles pop in and out of existence, making it neither "nothing" nor "something," but still the closest we can come to pure nothingness. Physicist and Supermassive author James Trefil leads a tour through the quantum vacuum to explore humanity's attempts to comprehend vacuity and the univers...

In this fascinating book on an exciting and timely topic, James Trefil explores just exactly what it is that is so special about the human mind that sets us so far from all the other animals and that also makes it impossible to design a computer that coul

"Trefil surpasses almost all other scientists writing about science." — The New York Times"Fascinating reading. A mind-stretching book." — John Barkham ReviewsOne of the founders of modern quark theory traverses the eons to bring readers within the first millisecond of the Big Bang. Trefil employs minimal mathematics in this compelling and lucid narrative, which not only offers a remarkable view of the universe's beginnings, but also speculates about its end...

Experience the world's most promising technological innovations and the science behind them in this entertaining photo-rich book.For futurists and sci-tech enthusiasts, every page reveals advances powering our future, with on-site interviews, deep explainers, and helpful visuals.What will our future look like?In The Next Big Thing, meteorologist and science reporter Rob Marciano invites readers to take a journey through the innovations that will change...

Black holes, demystified: follow along the quest to understand the history and influence of one of space science's most fascinating and confounding phenomenaLed by physicist James Trefil and astrophysicist Shobita Satyapal, this book traverses the incredible history of black holes and introduces contemporary developments and theories on still unanswered questions about the enigmatic objects. From the early work of Albert Einstein and Karl Schwarzschild to an inside...

A science book for the general reader that is informative enough to be a popular textbook and yet well-written enough to appeal to general readers. “Hazen and Trefil [are] unpretentious—good, down-to-earth, we-can-explain-anything science teachers, the kind you wish you had but never did.”—The New York Times Book ReviewKnowledge of the basic ideas and principles of science is fundamental to cultural literacy. But most books on science are ...

**The captivating possibilities of extraterrestrial life on exoplanets, based on current scientific knowledge of existing worlds and forms of life2023 Canopus Awards for Interstellar Writing Finalist**It is now known that we live in a galaxy with more planets than stars. The Milky Way alone encompasses 30 trillion potential home planets. Scientists Trefil and Summers bring readers on a marvelous experimental voyage through the possibilities of life--unlike anything we have ...

A radical approach to the environment which argues that by harnessing the power of science for human benefit, we can have a healthier planetAs a prizewinning theoretical physicist and an outspoken advocate for scientific literacy, James Trefil has long been the public's guide to a better understanding of the world. In this provocative book, Trefil looks squarely at our environmental future and finds-contrary to popular wisdom-reason to celebrate.For too long,...

In Science in World History, James Trefil presents a comprehensive, thematic survey of the history of science from its roots in different cultures around the world through to the present day. He explores crucial milestones in scientific development and at the same time examines the enormous social and intellectual changes they initiated.Opening with a discussion of the key elements of modern scientific enterprise, the book goes on to explore the earliest scientific activit...

Black holes, demystified: follow along the quest to understand the history and influence of one of space science's most fascinating and confounding phenomenaLed by physicist James Trefil and astrophysicist Shobita Satyapal, this book traverses the incredible history of black holes and introduces contemporary developments and theories on still unanswered questions about the enigmatic objects. From the early work of Albert Einstein and Karl Schwarzschild to an inside...

Albert Einstein, one of the most prolific scientists of the twentieth century, developed the theory of relativity which was crucial for the advancement of modern physics. Young Einstein identified a paradox between Newtonian Mechanics and Maxwell’s equations which pointed to a flawed understanding of space and time by the scientists of the day. In Relativity, Einstein presents his findings using a minimal amount of mathematical language, but the text can still be challenging for r...

"A marvelous excursion from the beach to the ends of the solar system . . . captivating."—The New York Times"So easy to understand yet so dense with knowledge that you'll never look at waves on a beach the same way again."—San Francisco Chronicle"One of the best popular science books."—The Kansas City Star"Perfect for the weekend scientist."—The Richmond News-LeaderA noted physicist and popular science writer heads for the bea...