Great discoveries in science
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1) DNA and RNA
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English
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DNA and RNA explores Friedrich Miescher's major scientific discovery in 1944 when he isolated DNA for the first time, forever changing our understanding of the building blocks of the human body. The book looks at Miescher's path to isolating DNA and the ways that his work influenced James Watson and Francis Crick, who discovered the double helix in 1957. DNA and RNA describes the many ways that these discoveries are relevant to our lives, as well...
2) Evolution
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English
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Evolution looks at Charles Darwin's extensive and pervasive influence. The book explores the mechanics of evolution before diving deeper into how evolution affects humans, plants, and cells. Evolution also broaches the implications of Darwin's theory, tying in disease mutations and the opposition to the theory.
3) Gravity
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English
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Gravity addresses the natural phenomenon that both philosophers and mathematicians have been curious about for centuries and the science that makes it all possible. It begins in the time of Aristotle, where the book explains why and how the evolution of thought contributed to the understanding of force, acceleration, and resistance-the early pieces to the puzzle of gravity. Once the basics have been established, the text dives headfirst into Albert...
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The Human Genome explores the science and the history behind the specific sequences in our DNA that make us human. Reaching all the way back to the 1850s when Gregor Mendel used his pea plant experiments to solve the mystery of trait inheritance, this book maps out each theory that laid the groundwork to piece together who we are and why. The Human Genome looks at the important medical advances this knowledge has gained us and the social issues surrounding...
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New Frontiers in Astronomy describes critical discoveries that shape the way we look at our universe, such as the Big Bang Theory and the acceleration of the universe. These discoveries paved the way for more recent leaps in the field of astronomy, namely the existence of dark matter. These discoveries also demonstrate the way teams of scientists work simultaneously to prove theories and draw important conclusions.
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Nuclear fusion and fission
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String Theory takes on one of modern physics' most complicated and enthralling candidates for the theory of everything-a possible universal answer to all applied sciences. By examining some of the fundamentals of physics such as electricity, magnetism, and light, as well as how these elements were discovered, the book analyzes how scientists have built the still unproven theory and seeks to effectively explore all the scientific opportunities its...
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The Theory of Relativity traces Albert Einstein's groundbreaking ideas, special and general relativity, from the discoveries in physics that laid their foundation to relativity's application to today's world. The book presents scientific formulas, in-depth explanations of abstract concepts, and a detailed look at how Einstein's theories influence everyday technology, like television and GPS. Along the way, the text demonstrates the importance of theoretical...
9) Antibiotics
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Disease has altered the course of history since the first humans walked the earth. Pandemics have felled empires, decimated populations, and caused untold human suffering. It wasn't until Sir Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin in 1928 that scientists began to understand how to combat disease with antibiotics. This book looks at the scientists who paved the way for Fleming, the mechanics of antibiotics, and the looming challenges of antibiotic...
10) Joan of Arc
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Both a revered heroine and Catholic saint, Joan of Arc played a prominent part in the Hundred Years' War, and is remembered for her bravery both on and off the battlefield. In this title, students will discover the historical backdrop of the time in which Joan of Arc led the French army to victory, and will look at her continued prominence as both a religious and historical figure.
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When Nicolaus Copernicus stated that Earth revolves around the sun, he initiated a centuries-long conflict between proponents of heliocentrism and those that maintained a geocentric view of the universe. The fight to establish the Copernican system, which began in 1543, would have very real consequences for astronomers like Galileo, Kepler, and Newton. This book provides an in-depth look at the development of Copernicus's theory, the effect it had...
12) Electricity
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Over time, Benjamin Franklin's kite and key experiment has taken on mythic proportions. Franklin's experiment established the relationship between lightning and electricity, but it would take the research of Alessandro Volta to discover how humans can generate electrical currents without relying on weather systems. Electricity establishes the history of a scientific discovery that fundamentally changed the way people live their lives. Tracing the...
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From ancient times until the early nineteenth century, many medical practitioners believed that the body contained four humors: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm. Humoral doctrine stated that balancing these humors was the key to health. Then in the mid-1800s, Louis Pasteur, Joseph Lister, and Robert Koch shattered these misconceptions and established our modern understanding of germs. These scientists were pioneers, and their legacy is medical...
14) Semiconductors
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The discovery of electricity fundamentally changed day-to-day life. Yet after electricity's discovery, scientists worked to find the best way to harness electrical currents. Today, semiconductors are known as the key components of transistors and integrated circuits. Semiconductors shows how Michael Faraday paved the way for three men (John Bardeen, William Shockley, and Walter Brattain) to invent transistors, changing history forever. The book investigates...
15) Sun Tzu
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English
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Revered in Asian culture and remembered as an important historical figure, Sun Tzu is known for both his militaristic accomplishments and, notably, as the credited author of The Art of War. This title will allow students to learn about Tzu's unique views and philosophies on war, understand the historical importance of The Art of War, and discover how Sun Tzu's legacy has evolved and changed over time.
16) X-rays
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In 1895, a German scientist named Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered the existence of X-rays. His work led to the 1901 Nobel Prize in Physics, and X-rays would come to play a prominent role in the research of Marie Curie, Henri Bequerel, Thomas Edison, and other towering figures in science and medicine. This edition examines how Roentgen used the scientific method to achieve his aims and the applications of his discovery. The book also explains how...