Philip Ball je uznávaný vědecký autor, jehož práce se zaměřuje na propojení vědy, společnosti a ekonomiky. S hlubokým porozuměním vědeckým principům a matematickým modelům zkoumá, jak lze tyto nástroje aplikovat na pochopení složitých společenských a ekonomických jevů. Jeho psaní vyniká schopností srozumitelně vysvětlit komplexní témata a odhalit skryté vzorce v zdánlivě nesourodých oblastech. Ball svými texty podněcuje čtenáře k zamyšlení nad základními principy, které řídí náš svět.
Why have all human cultures - today and throughout history - made music? Why does music excite such rich emotion? And how do we make sense of musical sound? This title explores how the research in music psychology and brain science is piecing together the puzzle of how our minds understand and respond to music.
Podtitul: Paracelsus a svět renesanční magie a vědy Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim (1493–1541), známý jako Paracelsus, žil a působil na hranici mezi středověkem a moderní dobou. Byl současníkem Lutherovým a nepřítelem tradičního lékařství, postrachem univerzit („na všech německých školách se nelze naučit více než na trhu ve Frankfurtu“), vojenským ranhojičem a alchymistou. Mýty o něm – počínaje jeho léčením ze záhrobí v Salcburku 19. století až po jeho faustovský obchod s ďáblem s cílem nabýt ztracené mládí – přetrvaly mnohem déle než jeho skutečný příběh. Kdo však byl Paracelsus opravdu, čemu skutečně věřil a co praktikoval?
Recent advancements in chemistry have led to groundbreaking innovations, such as superconducting ceramics for brain scanners and color-changing fabrics. Chemists are also transforming materials, creating drugs from crude oil, and identifying atmospheric pollutants while seeking solutions for environmental issues. Philip Ball, an editor at Nature, explores these developments, highlighting the versatile applications of buckminsterfullerene molecules, or "buckyballs," in various fields including medicine and electronics, making complex concepts accessible to general readers.
The first fully illustrated history of the chemical elements.
Understanding the human mind and its relation to our experiences has long been a philosophical challenge. How do we approach 'minds' that are not human? Recent scientific advancements have explored the properties of mind across various fields, including zoology, astrobiology, computer science, and neuroscience. Taking a broad view, the author examines minds in plants, aliens, and even God, unifying these multidisciplinary insights to explore the types of minds that might exist in the universe. He argues for a shift away from using the human mind as the standard for all minds, advocating for a consideration of the 'space of possible minds.' By mapping out the properties of mind without prioritizing the human experience, he sheds light on critical questions, such as the moral rights of animals, the implications of AI, and the potential for communication with intelligent aliens. This exploration also addresses profound scientific inquiries about thought, consciousness, and free will. As we learn about the minds of various creatures, from octopuses to chimpanzees, and envision the minds of computers and extraterrestrial intelligences, we gain a broader perspective on our own minds. This ambitious work expands our understanding of the nature and existence of minds, ultimately helping us to better comprehend our own.
Science Book Prize-winning science writer Philip Ball explores the diversity of thinking minds, from the variety of human minds to those of mammals, insects, computers and plants, in a book that brilliantly illuminates how many different ways there are to think and engage with the world; and how particular are our own.
While the natural world is often described as organic, it is in fact structured to the very molecule, replete with patterned order that can be decoded with basic mathematical algorithms and principles. In a nautilus shell one can see logarithmic spirals, and the Golden Ratio can be seen in the seed head of the sunflower plant. These patterns and shapes have inspired artists, writers, designers, and musicians for thousands of years. "Patterns in Nature: Why the Natural World Looks the Way It Does" illuminates the amazing diversity of pattern in the natural world and takes readers on a visual tour of some of the world s most incredible natural wonders. Featuring awe-inspiring galleries of nature s most ingenious designs, "Patterns in Nature" is a synergy of art and science that will fascinate artists, nature lovers, and mathematicians alike."
As part of a trilogy of books exploring the science of patterns in nature, acclaimed science writer Philip Ball here looks at the form and growth of branching networks in the natural world, and what we can learn from them.Many patterns in nature show a branching form - trees, river deltas, blood vessels, lightning, the cracks that form in the glazing of pots. These networks share a peculiar geometry, finding a compromise between disorder and determinism, though some, like the hexagonal snowflake or the stones of the Devil's Causeway fall into a rigidly ordered structure. Branching networks are found at every level in biology - from the single cell to the ecosystem. Human-made networks too can come to share the same features, and if they don't, then it might be profitable to make them do nature's patterns tend to arise from economical solutions.
Colour in art - as in life - is both inspiring and uplifting, but where does it come from?
