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Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies?: The Surprising Science of Pregnancy
By Jena Pincott. 2013
Brain Candy for expectant parents! Pregnancy is an adventure. Lots of books tell you the basics—“the baby is the size…
of [insert fruit here].” But pregnant science writer Jena Pincott began to wonder just how a baby might tinker with her body—and vice versa—and chased down answers to the questions she wouldn’t ask her doctor, such as: • Does stress sharpen your baby’s mind—or dull it? • Can you predict your baby’s temperament? • Why are babies born in the darker months of the year more likely to grow up to be novelty-loving risk takers? • Are bossy, dominant women more likely to have boys? • How can the cells left behind by your baby affect you years later? This is a different kind of pregnancy book—thoughtful, fun, and filled with information you won’t find anywhere else.Boltzmann's Atom: The Great Debate That Launched a Revolution in Physics
By David Lindley. 2001
In 1900 many eminent scientists did not believe atoms existed, yet within just a few years the atomic century launched…
into history with an astonishing string of breakthroughs in physics that began with Albert Einstein and continues to this day. Before this explosive growth into the modern age took place, an all-but-forgotten genius strove for forty years to win acceptance for the atomic theory of matter and an altogether new way of doing physics. Ludwig Boltz-mann battled with philosophers, the scientific establishment, and his own potent demons. His victory led the way to the greatest scientific achievements of the twentieth century.Now acclaimed science writer David Lindley portrays the dramatic story of Boltzmann and his embrace of the atom, while providing a window on the civilized world that gave birth to our scientific era. Boltzmann emerges as an endearingly quixotic character, passionately inspired by Beethoven, who muddled through the practical matters of life in a European gilded age.Boltzmann's story reaches from fin de siècle Vienna, across Germany and Britain, to America. As the Habsburg Empire was crumbling, Germany's intellectual might was growing; Edinburgh in Scotland was one of the most intellectually fertile places on earth; and, in America, brilliant independent minds were beginning to draw on the best ideas of the bureaucratized old world.Boltzmann's nemesis in the field of theoretical physics at home in Austria was Ernst Mach, noted today in the term Mach I, the speed of sound. Mach believed physics should address only that which could be directly observed. How could we know that frisky atoms jiggling about corresponded to heat if we couldn't see them? Why should we bother with theories that only told us what would probably happen, rather than making an absolute prediction? Mach and Boltzmann both believed in the power of science, but their approaches to physics could not have been more opposed. Boltzmann sought to explain the real world, and cast aside any philosophical criteria. Mach, along with many nineteenth-century scientists, wanted to construct an empirical edifice of absolute truths that obeyed strict philosophical rules. Boltzmann did not get on well with authority in any form, and he did his best work at arm's length from it. When at the end of his career he engaged with the philosophical authorities in the Viennese academy, the results were personally disastrous and tragic. Yet Boltzmann's enduring legacy lives on in the new physics and technology of our wired world.Lindley's elegant telling of this tale combines the detailed breadth of the best history, the beauty of theoretical physics, and the psychological insight belonging to the finest of novels.ON JUNE 23, 2000, the iron-ore carrier MV Treasure, en route from Brazil to China, foundered off the coast of…
Cape Town, South Africa, spilling 1,300 tons of oil into the ocean and contaminating the habitat of 75,000 penguins. Realizing thJuneat 41 percent of the world’s population of African penguins could perish, local conservation officials immediately launched a massive rescue operation, and 12,500 volunteers from around the globe rushed to South Africa in hopes of saving the imperiled birds.Serving as a rehabilitation manager during the initial phase of the three-month rescue effort, Dyan deNapoli—better known as "the Penguin Lady" for her extensive work with penguins—and fellow volunteers de-oiled, nursed back to health, and released into the wild nearly all of the affected birds. Now, at the tenth anniversary of the disaster, deNapoli recounts this extraordinary true story of the world’s largest and most successful wildlife rescue. When she first entered the enormous warehouse housing most of the 19,000 oiled penguins, the birds’ total silence told deNapoli all she needed to know about the extent of their trauma. African penguins are very vocal by nature, prone to extended fits of raucous, competitive braying during territorial displays and pair-bonding rituals, but these poor creatures now stood silently, shoulder to shoulder, in a state of shock. DeNapoli vividly details the harrowing rescue process and the heartbreaking scenarios she came up against alongside thousands of volunteers: unforgettable images of them laboriously scrubbing the oil from every penguin feather and force-feeding each individually; the excruciatingly painful penguin bites every volunteer received; and the wrenching decisions about birds too ill to survive. She draws readers headfirst into the exhausting physical and emotional experience and brings to life the cast of remarkable characters—from Big Mike, a compassionate Jiu-Jitsu champion with a booming voice, who worked every day of the rescue effort; to a man named Welcome, aka "the Penguin Whisperer," who had the amazing ability to calm any penguin he held in his arms; to Louis, a seventeen-year-old medical student who created a new formula for the highly effective degreaser used by the rescue mission—whose historic and heroic efforts saved the birds from near extinction. The extraordinary international collaboration of scientists, zookeepers, animal rescue groups, and thousands of concerned individuals helped save the African penguins—recently declared an endangered species—from an all-too-common man-made disaster.DeNapoli’s heartwarming and riveting story is not just a portrait of these captivating birds, nor is it merely a cautionary tale about the environment. It is also an inspirational chronicle of how following one’s passion can lead to unexpected, rewarding adventures—and illustrates not only how people from around the world can unite for a greater purpose, but how they can be extraordinarily successful when doing so. The Great Penguin Rescue will inspire readers to believe they can make a differenceFathoms: The World in the Whale
By Rebecca Giggs. 2020
Winner of the 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction * Finalist for the 2020 Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction…
* Finalist for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing AwardA &“delving, haunted, and poetic debut&” (The New York Times Book Review) about the awe-inspiring lives of whales, revealing what they can teach us about ourselves, our planet, and our relationship with other species. When writer Rebecca Giggs encountered a humpback whale stranded on her local beachfront in Australia, she began to wonder how the lives of whales reflect the condition of our oceans. Fathoms: The World in the Whale is &“a work of bright and careful genius&” (Robert Moor, New York Times bestselling author of On Trails), one that blends natural history, philosophy, and science to explore: How do whales experience ecological change? How has whale culture been both understood and changed by human technology? What can observing whales teach us about the complexity, splendor, and fragility of life on earth?In Fathoms, we learn about whales so rare they have never been named, whale songs that sweep across hemispheres in annual waves of popularity, and whales that have modified the chemical composition of our planet&’s atmosphere. We travel to Japan to board the ships that hunt whales and delve into the deepest seas to discover how plastic pollution pervades our earth&’s undersea environment.With the immediacy of Rachel Carson and the lush prose of Annie Dillard, Giggs gives us a &“masterly&” (The New Yorker) exploration of the natural world even as she addresses what it means to write about nature at a time of environmental crisis. With depth and clarity, she outlines the challenges we face as we attempt to understand the perspectives of other living beings, and our own place on an evolving planet. Evocative and inspiring, Fathoms &“immediately earns its place in the pantheon of classics of the new golden age of environmental writing&” (Literary Hub).The Nature of Technology: What It Is and How It Evolves
By W. Brian Arthur. 2009
“More than anything else technology creates our world. It creates our wealth, our economy, our very way of being,” says…
W. Brian Arthur. Yet despite technology’s irrefutable importance in our daily lives, until now its major questions have gone unanswered. Where do new technologies come from? What constitutes innovation, and how is it achieved? Does technology, like biological life, evolve? In this groundbreaking work, pioneering technology thinker and economist W. Brian Arthur answers these questions and more, setting forth a boldly original way of thinking about technology. The Nature of Technology is an elegant and powerful theory of technology’s origins and evolution. Achieving for the development of technology what Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions did for scientific progress, Arthur explains how transformative new technologies arise and how innovation really works. Drawing on a wealth of examples, from historical inventions to the high-tech wonders of today, Arthur takes us on a mind-opening journey that will change the way we think about technology and how it structures our lives. The Nature of Technology is a classic for our times.Experiencing and Envisioning Food: Designing for Change
By Ricardo Bonacho. 2024
Experiencing and Envisioning Food: Designing for Change contains papers on gastronomy, food design, sustainability, and social practices research as presented…
at the 3rd International Food Design and Food Studies Conference (EFOOD 2022, Lisbon, Portugal, 28-30 April 2022). The contributions explore potential solutions to current problems in the food system, and outline scenarios on the future of food and nutrition. The book aims at academics and professionals that interact with the food sector.The Costs of Climate Change Mitigation Innovations: A Pragmatic Outlook
By David S-K. Ting, Jacqueline A. Stagner. 2024
The notion that humanity may be too late to alter climate change could potentially lead to fear and therefore the…
advocacy of implementing radical strategies and/or hastening the execution of certain measures to the extreme. There is evidence that extensive and intensive implementation of some climate change solutions can significantly alter the environment and ecosystems in unintended ways. For example, the microclimate of a field in the proximity and downstream of a closely packed array of wind turbines can be noticeably altered by the modified lower atmospheric fluxes caused by the turbines, which can then negatively affect crop yields. Additionally, some studies have found that large-scale solar fields can result in the modulation of atmospheric circulation, leading to changes in regional precipitation. The Costs of Climate Change Mitigation Innovations: A Pragmatic Outlook provides a forum for discussion on the long-term consequences of various climate strategies. It promotes our striving toward minimizing the potential negative impact of new interventions by performing objective, holistic analyses. The bottom line is that we do not want today's solutions to become tomorrow’s problems.Refinery Products and Product Improvement Processes (Petroleum Refining Technology Series)
By James G. Speight. 2024
This book focuses on the various refinery products, product improvement processes, and solvent processes that are used in the refining…
industry and the processes used in product improvement to ensure products meet sales specifications. This accessible book is written for engineers, scientists, students, and academics wanting an update on crude oil processing and insight into the direction of the industry.Key features:• Describes the development of technologies for a variety of feedstocks, including heavy feedstocks utilizing advanced pre-treatment processing and hydrotreating.• Presents the initial refining processes and prepares for the new changes and evolution of the industry, including the role of biomass in the future refinery. • Analyses catalyst deactivation mechanism for developing optimum technologies for processing feedstocks with low reactivity.• Includes an extensive glossary which will be beneficial for non-technical readers.Mandatory Competencies: APC Essentials (APC Essentials)
By Jen Lemen. 2024
Mandatory Competencies: APC Essentials is the first book in a new series designed to cover what any RICS APC (and…
AssocRICS) candidate or qualified surveyor needs to know about the mandatory competencies.Written by Jennifer Lemen, author of How to Become a Chartered Surveyor and co-founder of one of the UK’s market leading APC training providers, Property Elite, this guide is packed full of bite sized information covering: Ethics, Rules of Conduct and Professionalism Client Care Communication and Negotiation Health and Safety Accounting Principles and Procedures Business Planning Conflict Avoidance, Management and Dispute Resolution Procedures Data Management Diversity, Inclusion and Teamworking Inclusive Environments Sustainability Senior Professional Assessment Mandatory Competencies Submission and Interview Advice Practical and concise, with bullet point checklists and real-life examples and diagrams, this handy guide tells you everything you need to know about the RICS mandatory competencies when studying for your APC or your university exams. Relevant to candidates on all APC pathways, including Commercial Real Estate, Residential, Valuation, Quantity Surveying and Construction, Planning and Development, Building Surveying, Land and Resources, this book will also be a handy reference for qualified surveyors and property professionals. This book will also help you to better support your candidates if you are an APC or AssocRICS Counsellor or Supervisor.With decades of knowledge and proven, common-sense methods from “The Barefoot Farmer,” this practical guide to biodynamic principles and practices…
will appeal to growers of every scale and experience level. In Barefoot Biodynamics, organic grower Jeff Poppen—“The Barefoot Farmer”—combines tales from his personal history in rural Tennessee with the practical applications of biodynamic principles and the deep aspects of the biodynamic methods that continue to make his farm a success today. Jeff’s friendly, direct, and humorous writing will appeal not only to the biodynamic-curious, but also to farmers and gardeners who have experimented with the biodynamic approach and are looking for a deeper understanding of the practice. Rooted in the teachings of biodynamic pioneer Rudolf Steiner, Jeff’s unique insights and deep reflections on “guiding lines” of biodynamic growing are an invaluable resource. Those “guiding lines” include: producing a farm’s fertility using cover crops, compost, and other on-farm inputs enjoying the renewing power of farm festivals augmenting scientific knowledge with the power of observation and intuition avoiding chemical fertilizers understanding that carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen make up 95 percent of the physical structure of plants and are freely available in the air around us enhancing the availability of critical minerals such as silica and lime through good farming practices building humus-rich soil teeming with microbial life using homeopathic preparations to heal and enrich the soil In addition, Jeff walks the reader through the eight lectures on farming given by Steiner in 1924, summarizing important points from each lecture and “translating” them from Steiner’s profound yet sometimes impenetrable vocabulary into plain language. In Barefoot Biodynamics, Jeff provides new insight into these enigmatic lectures, revealing an often overlooked yet cost-effective farming method rooted in common sense.Hedgelands [US Edition]: A wild wander around Britain’s greatest habitat
By Christopher Hart. 2024
On this joyous journey around the wild edges of Britain, celebrated author Christopher Hart takes us through the life, ecology…
and history of the humble countryside hedge and how it is inextricably woven into our language, landscape and culture. Hedges – or hedgerows – have long been an integral part of the British landscape. An ancient, human-made boundary, hedgerows have become a critically important haven for wildlife and are now being recognised as one of the greatest ‘edge’ habitats on Earth. Britain boasts 400,000 kilometres of hedgerows, but has lost 50 per cent of them since the Second World War and their slow deterioration today is becoming a huge threat to the ecosystem. In Hedgelands, Christopher Hart shares the history of the hedge, highlighting the hawthorn and hazel of ancient hedgerows, and reveals its abundance of wildlife, from the elusive dunnock to the iconic nightingale, the industrious hedgehog to the miniscule harvest mouse. He demonstrates how this true environmental hero and powerful climate ally can help rebuild species-rich, resilient havens for birds, mammals and insects. Hedges play a vital role in mature woodland, grassland and even wetland, all of which can offer us much-needed ecological diversity and carbon sequestration. Through rewilding a patch of land in southwest England, Christopher shows us how easy, joyful and rewarding it is to restore even the smallest stretch of hedge. Whether you live in the country or the city, Hedgelands shares how simple actions can make a huge difference to the future of our precious hedges – and environment. “What’s good for us is good for nature, and what’s good for nature is good for us. And nowhere is this more true than in the bustling, flourishing, flowering, fruiting and altogether glorious native British hedge.”—Christopher HartShaping Automated Driving to Achieve Societal Mobility Needs: A Human-Systems Integration Approach (Lecture Notes in Mobility)
By Peter Moertl, Bernhard Brandstaetter. 2024
This edited book describes novel human-systems integration approaches to improve acceptance, safety, and comfort of automated vehicles. Each chapter analyses…
different aspects in the development of automated driving systems such as: assessing needs and opportunities of specific user populations i.e. elderly drivers and truck drivers; creating fluid human-systems interactions in the vehicle to answer specific driver needs; developing an automated driving tutoring application; and identifying benefits of including road infrastructure sensors to support automated driving predictability. A detailed description of the assessment of the above-described solutions in real-world situations is also included. Written by both researchers and professionals, this book offers timely and practice-oriented information concerning the development of automated driving systems that better adapt to the users’ needs.Dieses Buch macht die überraschende Vielfalt der Personen und Tätigkeiten in der Radioaktivitätsforschung sichtbar. Dabei wird der Begriff der wissenschaftlichen…
Arbeit neu konzeptualisiert. Neben die Forschungsarbeit im Labor treten scheinbare Rand-, Neben- und Routinetätigkeiten, die für die Radioaktivitätsforschung als Disziplin von zentraler Bedeutung waren.Badeärzte, Industriechemiker und Bergbaubeamte waren an der Erforschung der neuen Substanzen und Strahlen ebenso beteiligt wie eine vergleichsweise hohe Zahl von Frauen. Die erste umfassende Studie zur deutschsprachigen Radioaktivitätsforschung im vorderen Teil des Buches offenbart die Ausnahmestellung der Hauptstädte Berlin und Wien für die Forschung ebenso wie fruchtbares akademisches Leben in der Provinz; sie zeigt, wie das neue Gebiet an den Hochschulen in die Lehre einzog und welchen Beitrag Professoren, Privatdozenten und Promovierende zur Forschung leisteten. Erstmals wird auch die Bedeutung der Wasseruntersuchungen aufgezeigt, die durch die Hoffnung auf radioaktive Heilquellen angetrieben wurden.Im zweiten Teil werden in internationaler Perspektive unsichtbare und in der Geschichtsschreibung oft wenig beachtete Facetten der „Arbeit mit dem Radium“ untersucht. So mussten Instrumente und radioaktive Präparate überhaupt erst hergestellt und in Umlauf gebracht werden. Auch die Etablierung von Nachweismethoden für Radioaktivität erforderte viel Arbeit, von der niemand sprach. Dienstleistungen wie die Entwicklung therapeutisch nutzbarer Präparate, Gutachtertätigkeiten, die Herausgabe einer Zeitschrift oder die Organisation eines Kongresses werden als integraler Bestandteil der wissenschaftlichen Arbeit in ihrer Bedeutung dargestellt. Eine Reflexion zur Arbeitsorganisation und zum disziplinären Status bündelt die Ergebnisse in einer neuen Gesamtsicht auf die frühe Radioaktivitätsforschung.This book systematically reviews the progress of Explainable Ambient Intelligence (XAmI) and introduces its methods, tools, and applications. Ambient intelligence…
(AmI) is a vision in which an environment supports the people inhabiting it in an unobtrusive, interconnected, adaptable, dynamic, embedded, and intelligent way. So far, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have been widely applied in AmI. However, some advanced AI methods are not easy to understand or communicate, especially for users with insufficient background knowledge of AI, which undoubtedly limits the practicability of these methods. To address this issue, explainable AI (XAI) has been considered a viable strategy. Although XAI technologies and tools applied in other fields can also be applied to explain AI technology applications in AmI, users should be the main body in the application of AmI, which is slightly different from the application of AI technologies in other fields. This book containsreal case studies of the application of XAml and is a valuable resource for students and researchers.Handbook of Materials Circular Economy
By Seeram Ramakrishna, Brindha Ramasubramanian. 2024
This book provides comprehensive and practical information on the design and implementation of circular systems for various industries, with a…
focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors. The scope of the handbook is to cover the materials circularity in a deeper analysis in accordance to ESG used in various industries such as oil and gas, IT, electronics, medicine, textile, and more. The handbook also covers the key principles of the circular economy, including material efficiency, resource conservation, and waste reduction, and how they impact to different industries. It further critically analyses the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing circular systems in these industries, including the framework for new business models and technical innovations, and the potential benefits in terms of environmental protection, social responsibility, and economic competitiveness. In addition to providing practical information, the handbookalso addresses the ESG factors associated with the circular economy exclusively for each industry. This would include the impact of circular systems on the environment, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the protection of biodiversity, as well as the social benefits, such as job creation, and the economic benefits, such as cost savings and increased competitiveness. The ultimate goal of the handbook should be to provide guidance and support in a niche evaluation for the development of a more sustainable and equitable future, where the circular economy is a key enabler.Natural Science and Indigenous Knowledge: The Americas Experience
By Edward A. Johnson, Susan M. Arlidge. 2024
How do we combine the areas of intersection between science and indigenous knowledge, but without losing the totality of both?…
This book's objective is to consider how Indigenous populations have lived and managed the landscape. Specifically, how their footprint was a result of the combination of their empirical knowledge and their culture. The chapters are divided into four groups: The first deals with reintegrating cultures and natural landscapes and the role of kinship and oral tradition. The second group approaches the landscape as a living university of learning and managing, discussing the ethnobotany of how to grow more responsibly, and assess and project the harvest. The third group deals with the managing of fire in an anthropogenic plant community and how to integrate indigenous agriculture in hydrology and dry regions. The fourth group consists of studies of how science and indigenous knowledge can be taught in schools using land-based studies.Horse Crazy: The Story of a Woman and a World in Love with an Animal
By Sarah Maslin Nir. 2020
ONE OF USA TODAY'S &“20 SUMMER BOOKS YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS&”In the bestselling tradition of works by such authors…
as Susan Orlean and Mary Roach, a New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize finalist explores why so many people—including herself—are obsessed with horses.It may surprise you to learn that there are over seven million horses in America—even more than when they were the only means of transportation—and nearly two million horse owners. Acclaimed journalist and avid equestrian Sarah Maslin Nir is one of them; she began riding horses when she was just two years old and hasn&’t stopped since. Horse Crazy is a fascinating, funny, and moving love letter to these graceful animals and the people who—like her—are obsessed with them. It is also a coming-of-age story of Nir growing up an outsider within the world&’s most elite inner circles, and finding her true north in horses.Nir takes readers into the lesser-known corners of the riding world and profiles some of its most captivating figures. We meet Monty Roberts, the California trainer whose prowess earned him the nickname &“the man who listens to horses,&” and his pet deer; George and Ann Blair, who at their riding academy on a tiny island in Manhattan&’s Harlem River seek to resurrect the erased legacy of the African American cowboy; and Francesca Kelly, whose love for an Indian nobleman shaped her life&’s mission: to protect an endangered Indian breed of horse and bring them to America.Woven into these compelling character studies, Nir shares her own moving personal narrative. She details her father&’s harrowing tale of surviving the Holocaust, and describes an enchanted but deeply lonely upbringing in Manhattan, where horses became her family. She found them even in the middle of the city, in a stable disguised in an old townhouse and in Central Park, when she chased down truants as an auxiliary mounted patrol officer. And she speaks candidly of how horses have helped her overcome heartbreak and loss.Infused with heart and wit, and with each chapter named after a horse Nir has loved, Horse Crazy is an unforgettable blend of beautifully written memoir and first-rate reporting.Motherhood, Rescheduled: The New Frontier of Egg Freezing and the Women Who Tried It
By Sarah Elizabeth Richards. 2013
What would happen if we could stop time? A fascinating, inside look at five women who had their eggs frozen…
reveals what it&’s like for them to be free of the constant ticking of their biological clocks.How would you live your life if you could stop your biological clock? If you could be free of the "baby panic" that has tormented an entire generation of women who postponed motherhood to pursue careers or find the right mate? Would you date better? Marry later? Relax more? In Motherhood, Rescheduled, journalist Sarah Elizabeth Richards tells the stories of four women—including herself—who attempt to turn back time by freezing their eggs and chart a new course through their thirties and forties. Their journeys are bumpy, hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, but always rewarding.Just a decade ago, the idea of women freezing their eggs seemed futile or dangerous. But with new advances in medicine, women who choose this route face no higher risk of birth defects in their babies than other women, and pregnancy rates using frozen eggs are approaching those using fresh eggs. At a time when one in five American women between the ages of forty and forty-four is childless and half of those women say they wish they could have children, Richards offers a hopeful message: women approaching the end of their babymaking days do not need to settle, and even twentysomethings who want to prolong their dating years do not need to fret.Richards tells the history of this controversial science, from its moments of premature enthusiasm to the exciting race that led to the big breakthroughs. She also explores the hard facts of egg freezing—from the cost and practical obstacles to the probabilities of success. Above all, she shares the stories of these women, and especially her own, with emotional honesty and compassion, and makes the journey for all ultimately redeeming.Chemistry for the IB MYP 4 & 5: By Concept (MYP By Concept)
By Annie Termaat, Christopher Talbot. 2016
The only series for MYP 4 and 5 developed in cooperation with the International Baccalaureate (IB)Develop your skills to become…
an inquiring learner; ensure you navigate the MYP framework with confidence using a concept-driven and assessment-focused approach presented in global contexts.- Develop conceptual understanding with key MYP concepts and related concepts at the heart of each chapter.- Learn by asking questions with a statement of inquiry in each chapter. - Prepare for every aspect of assessment using support and tasks designed by experienced educators.- Understand how to extend your learning through research projects and interdisciplinary opportunities.This title is also available in two digital formats via Dynamic Learning. Find out more by clicking on the links at the top of the page.Breaking the Time Barrier: The Race to Build the First Time Machine
By Jenny Randles. 2005
IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME.... Once widely considered an impossibility--the stuff of science fiction novels--time travel may finally…
be achieved in the twenty-first century. In Breaking the Time Barrier, bestselling author Jenny Randles reveals the nature of recent, breakthrough experiments that are turning this fantasy into reality. The race to build the first time machine is a fascinating saga that began about a century ago, when scientists such as Marconi and Edison and Einstein carried out research aimed at producing a working time machine. Today, physicists are conducting remarkable experiments that involve slowing the passage of information, freezing light, and breaking the speed of light--and thus the time barrier. In the 1960s we had the "space race." Today, there is a "time race" involving an underground community of working scientists who are increasingly convinced that a time machine of some sort is finally possible. Here, Randles explores the often riveting motives of the people involved in this quest (including a host of sincere, if sometimes misguided amateurs), the consequences for society should time travel become a part of everyday life, and what evidence might indicate that it has already become reality. For, if time travel is going to happen--and some Russian scientists already claim to have achieved it in a lab--then its effects may already be apparent.