Books Palmer, Douglas to Pyke, David

Palmer, Douglas

Seven Million Years	Weidenfield & Nicholson, 2005	ISBN: 0297844024
Seven Million Years by Douglas Palmer is packed full of information about the evolution of humans. As well as describing the many of the discoveries of fossil humans, Palmer explains the techniques used to make sense of these fossils, such as radioactive dating. He also looks at our similarity with other primates, especially chimpanzees, and sees what this can tell us about our origins. Later in the book Palmer examines how we came to use tools, and looks at the development of human language and society, as well as showing what genetic tests on present day humans can tell us about how we spread around the planet. Continued..

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Earth Time	Wiley, 2005	ISBN: 0470022213
Those learning geology will learn the names of the geologic periods and these may seem to be 'set in stone'. In 'Earth Time', Douglas Palmer shows that in fact there were many disputes in the process of deciding upon the currently accepted divisions of geological time. The first part of the book looks at the Phanerozoic eon - that is the Cambrian Period to the present, and tells mostly of the history of geology in Britain. The second part is more wide ranging, starting with the formation of the earth, and although it is based on a jorney into the Grand Canyon, in fact it takes a more global view. Continued..

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Panek, Richard

The invisible century - Einstein, Freud and the search for hidden universes	Fourth Estate, 2005	ISBN: 1841152773
In this book Panek compares the work of two very well known scientists - Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud. Freud's work on the unconscious mind is linked to the hidden workings of the universe which Einstein played a part in uncovering - hence the 'Invisible' in the title - although I do think that this analogy is pushed a bit too far. There is also the question of which 'Century' the title refers to. The implication seems to be that it is the 20^th Century - a look at how the work of Einstein an Freud affected future thought. However, I found that more of the book was concerned with the history of their subjects, and that much more could have been written about their influence on later science. Continued..

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Papadimitriou, C

Computational Complexity

Addison Wesley

ISBN: 0201530821

Mentioned in

P vs NP

A comprehensive guide to computational complexity - a good place to find proofs of theorems. However, it isn't that easy to read.

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Park, Robert

Voodoo Science	Oxford University Press, 2000	ISBN: 0198604432
Science plays a huge role in our lives today. Unfortunately this can lead to things being dressed up as science which don't deserve the name. This can happen in several different ways, but Robert Park has introduced the term Voodoo Science to cover all such occurences. In this book he looks at devices which their inventors claim can provide free energy (including cold fusion), at the success of alternative medicine, and at why claims such as the link between EMF and cancer don't go away despite a lack of supporting evidence. He also discusses why people have a tendency to believe in such claims. Continued..

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Parker, Andrew

Seven deadly colours	Free Press, 2005	ISBN: 0743259408
If we want to colour an object then we would generally use some sort of pigment. However, in the natural world there are a surprising number of different mechanisms for producing colour. In this book Andrew Parker looks at the variety of ways in which animals can create colours, and their uses for signalling or camouflage. Each chapter deals with a different colour of the spectrum (with ultraviolet replacing indigo), and poses a problem concerning an animal of that colour. Alternative possibilities are discussed, with the accepted solution being given at the end of the chapter. Overall it is a highly informative book, and is likely to have something of interest for all readers, whatever their current knowledge of the subject. Continued..

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Parry, Vivienne

The truth about Hormones

Atlantic Books, 2005

ISBN: 1843544288

Mentioned in

Full Review

Some adult education colleges offer women's health courses, and if a man should accidentally turn up at one he would probably be rather embarrased. I sometimes had a feeling of this sort while reading this book, since its a book written by a woman and is clearly aimed at women readers. However, further on I felt the book progressed towards its main subject, that is sorting out some of the myths about hormones and treatments based on them. Some, such as HRT are well researched, others such as slimming or anti-aging treatments are less so. Anyone who is contemplating such a treatment or is worried about the effects of hormones in the environment would do well to read this book. Continued..

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Parsons, Paul

The Science of Doctor Who	Icon books, 2006	ISBN: 1840467371
There are quite a number of books explaining the scientific basis of science fiction books and TV programmes. The Science of Doctor Who by Paul Parsons is one of the best of this type of books which I have come across. Parsons not only is aware of plenty of current science, he is also clearly a fan of the series he is writing about. Hence he is able to find plenty of links between what happens in the program and research that is going on in world of scientific research, without it seeming artificial. The book is ideal as a little light reading, and you may learn some new science along the way as a bonus. Continued..

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Pasachoff, Jay

The farthest things in the universe

Cambridge University Press

ISBN: 0521451701

Co-authors

Spinrad,Hyron

Osmer,Patrick

When we look into space, it is natural to try to push our observing techniques in order to see as far as possible. The Farthest things in the universe is an account of what astronomers have found when they do this. The book is composed of four chapters, each written by an expert in the subject. The first chapter, by Jay M. Pasachoff, introduces the reader to the expansion of the universe, and describes the methods used to determine the distances of objects. In the second chapter Ed Cheng describes the Cosmological Microwave background radiation, and looks at what it tells us about the early universe. Continued..

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Peacock, John

Cosmological Physics	Cambridge University Press	ISBN: 0521422701
This book is aimed at advanced undergraduates and new PhD students. It introduces the reader to advanced topics whilst maintaining the structure of a textbook which can be worked through be the student. Similar level textbooks can become a bit abstract, which means that they get harder to follow as you get into them, particular for a reader outside the usual academic environment. Here this problem is avoided by the use of examples from astrophysics to provide material for actual calculations, which help the reader to get to grips with the subject. The book starts with a rapid introduction to tensors, which might be a bit intimidating, but you don't really need to remember the symbolism to proceed with the book. Continued..

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Peebles, P J E

Principles of physical cosmology

Princeton University Press

ISBN: 0691019339

Mentioned in

Cosmic horizons

stretchy space

Standard cosmology textbook

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Pellis, Sergio

The Playful Brain

Oneworld, 2009

ISBN: 9781851686322

Co-author

Pellis,Vivien

Many species of animals spend time playing, both when young and when adult. But is there any point to it. It's easy to assume that it is a way of practicing for more serious activities, but is there any way of testing this? In The Playful Brain: Venturing to the Limits of Neuroscience Sergio and Vivien Pellis describe work which has been done in this area. Continued..

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Pellis, Vivien

The Playful Brain

Oneworld, 2009

ISBN: 9781851686322

Co-author

Pellis,Sergio

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Penrose, Roger

The Road to Reality	Oneworld	ISBN: 0099440687
Penrose explains modern physics using his excellent geometrical intuition. Well worth reading, as long as you can skim over maths you don't understand.

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The Emperor's new mind

Oxford University Press

ISBN: 0192861980

Mentioned in

Consciousness

road to reality

Penrose's well known work where he speculates that Gödel's theorem shows that minds are non-computable, and links this to a new resolution of the quantum measurement problem based on general relativity.

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The large, the small and the human mind	Oxford University Press	ISBN: 0521785723
Roger Penrose is well known for his work on singularities in General relativity, and more recently for his controversial ideas about quantum theory and the mind, as described in his books 'The Emperors New Mind' and 'Shadows of the Mind'. However those books are long and somewhat intimidating for the novice. This is a shorter book dealing with these ideas. One thing I noticed is that Penrose is very skillful in getting a lot of material into a short book, with good use of diagrams. The first chapter is about cosmology, the second about quantum mechanics. These make an excellent non-technical introduction to these subjects. Continued..

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Cycles of time	Bodley Head, 2010	ISBN: 9780224080361
What happened before the big bang? The idea of cyclic universes has a long history, but didn't seem to fit with what we know about the universe. Now, in Cycles of Time: An Extraordinary New View of the Universe Roger Penrose explains a new idea of how the end of one universe could be the start of another. Continued..

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Peterson, Ivars

Newton's Clock: Chaos in the solar system	Freeman, 1993	ISBN: 0716727242
The solar system seems to be the epitome of regularity, but there has always been a doubt about whether it is truly stable in the long term - Newton thought that divine intervention might be required from time to time. This isn't a book about the latest discoveries in astronomy, rather it's a look at the history of how a certain problem has been tackled. Peterson is a skilled author and presents what can be a dry subject in an interesting way, with the use of plenty of illusttrations. For instance although the book is wholly nonmathematical, it gives the reader some understanding of mathematical concepts such as Poincare's maps. Continued..

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The Mathematical Tourist	Freeman, 1988	ISBN: 0716719533
There's much in recent mathmatics that is of interest to the non-specialist - if you know the right place to look. In A Mathematical Tourist: snapshots of modern mathematics, Ivars Peterson, a sicence journalist, investigates some of the recent discoveries and finds all sort of fascinating topics to report on. There are prime numbers and their use in cryptography together with higher dimensional objects and how they apply to managing businesses. The chapter on Twists of Space looks at soap films, topology, new types of crystals and knot theory, with a description of how chemists have tried to create knotted molecules. And there's plenty on fractals, chaos, cellular automata, and a lot more besides. Continued..

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Pierce, Patricia

Jurassic Mary	Sutton, 2006	ISBN: 0750940395
In the early part of the nineteenth century a lone figure could often be seen walking along the shoreline at Lyme Regis. This was Mary Anning searching for fossils, and in Jurassic Mary: Mary Anning and the Primeval Monsters, Patricia Pierce tells her story. Although she was often seen as eccentric, Mary Anning in fact found a substantial proportion of the fossils that were put on display in this period, and in particular some of the large reptiles which advanced the study of paleontology. But, despite Anning's extensive knowledge of the subject, the credit for the discoveries generally went to those learned gentlemen who bought the specimens from her. Continued..

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Pillinger, Colin

Beagle	Faber & Faber, 2003	ISBN: 0571223230
Most of you will know about the Beagle 2 lander, which accompanied the Mars Express spacecraft to Mars, but unfortunately crashed upon landing. You'll also probably have heard of Colin Pillinger, the person who pushed the project through despite many obstacles. In 'Beagle' , written before the crash landing, he explains the motivations for the project - why he felt it had to take place. The work has a 'coffee table book' format - its got lots of pictures and plenty of interesting anecdotes. It would be a pity if the failure of the Beagle lander meant that this book didn't get read. Continued..

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Pinch, Trevor

The Golem:What you should know about science

Cambridge University Press, 1993

ISBN: 0521356016

Co-author

Collins,Harry

I first read The Golem by Harry Collins and Trevor Pinch some years ago, and at the time I thought of it as a useful warning against dogmatism in science. However, on re-reading it, knowing more about the issues involved, I'm not so sure - it's Collins and Pinch who seem to be dogmatic. They set up a strawman version of science composed of certainty, which they then proceed to knock down. This book is certainly an interesting read - cold fusion, spontaneous generation and solar neutrinos are just three of the subjects looked at. However I would advise caution against taking the authors' claims too seriously. Continued..

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Pinker, Steven

The Stuff of Thought	Penguin, 2007	ISBN: 9780713997415
The relationship between language and thought is a topic which has generated a considerable amount of argument. In The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature Steven Pinker shows that a deep look at the ins and outs of language can move us away from empty philosophising and give some valuable insights into the workings of our minds. Continued..

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Poidevin, Robin le

Travels in four dimensions	Oxford University Press, 2003	ISBN: 0198752547
One might expect a book called Travels in four dimensions: The enigmas of space and time to be primarily concerned with the theory of relativity. Einstein does get a look in in Robin Le Poidevin's book, but it is more concerned with other aspects of the philosophy of time. The book is in the science section of my local library, but I feel that it is more of a philosophy book, and that the 'popular science' bits - time travel, multiple universes and the like - are the weakest parts of the book. But what it does well is to introduce the reader to philosophical ideas about time in a clear and readable way. If you've read popular science books about time, but would like to hear more about what philosophers have had to say on the subject then you should give this book a try. Continued..

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Polkinghorne, John

Beyond Science	Cambridge University Press, 1996	ISBN: 0521625084
The relationship between science and religion, and the authority of science on deep philosophical issues are hotly debated topics at present. Unfortunately many of the contributions to this debate don't seem very well thought out, and so it is refreshing to find a book such as 'Beyond Science' in which John Polkinghorne has tried to give a sensible discussion of these issues. Polkinghorne had a career as a particle physicist before becoming ordained as a priest and so is well qualified to look at this area. Continued..

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Pollack, Henry

A World without Ice	Avery, 2009	ISBN: 9781583333570
The collapse of ice sheets and the disappearance of glaciers are two of the the most visible effects of global warming. In A World without Ice Henry Pollack gives an explanation of what is happening to the ice on our planet. Continued..

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Popper, Karl

The self and its brain

Routledge

ISBN: 0415058988

Mentioned in

Consciousness

Co-author

Eccles,John

Sometimes people shake their heads about Popper's 'Dualist' tendencies as he got older. Well, I don't see that dualism is so bad, at least as a possibility. And neither does my brain. However, the book attacks parallelism - largely a non-starter anyway in my view. Also the speculation on the mind-brain connections do seem a bit quaint.

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Pretor-Pinney, Gavin

The wavewatcher's companion	Bloomsbury, 2010	ISBN: 9780747589761
Waves are all about us, so much so that often we won't notice them. In The wavewatcher's companion Gavin Pretor-Pinney points out some of the many examples of waves around us. Continued..

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Primack, Joel R

The view from the center of the universe

Fourth Estate, 2006

ISBN: 0007193521

Mentioned in

Full Review

Co-author

Abrams,Nancy

The Copernican Universe demoted us from a central position and every new discovery seems to highlight our insignificance. Joel Primack and Nancy Abrams think that this process has gone too far. In The view from the center of the universe they show how it is due to an out-of-date mindset, and that recent discoveries rather emphasise our importance in the universe. For instance the fact that 99.5% of the universe seems to consist of either mysterious dark energy or of matter that we can't see doesn't relegate us to the sidelines - it shows that we are in the important bit. Continued..

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Punset, Eduardo

Mind, Life and Universe

Sciencewriters, 2007

ISBN: 9781933392431

Co-author

Margulis,Lynn

Mind, Life and Universe: Conversations with Great Scientists of Our Time contains discussions between Eduardo Punset and a number of well known scientists , taken from interviews made for Punset's TV programme. Continued..

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Pyke, David

Hitler's Gift

Richard Cohen Books, 2000

ISBN: 1860661726

Co-author

Medawar,Jean

Anyone who studies the history of science in the first half of the twentieth century will find a large part was played by German Jewish scientists, many of whom fled to other countries with the coming of the Nazi party. In Hitler's Gift, David Pyke takes the point of view that this was Germany's loss and other countries gain, and tells the stories of many of the scientists involved. The book shows that although the decision to leave may have been obvious with hindsight, at the time it was a difficult one to make. It also shows how being transferred to a different environment gave many of the scientists a fresh start, resulting in many important discoveries. This book will be of interest to any reader who wants a better understanding of the decisions which were made by individuals and governments during this confusing time. Continued..

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