Books Talbot, Michael to Von Baeyer, Hans C

Talbot, Michael

Mysticism and the New Physics	Arkana, 1981	ISBN: 0140193286
I have to say that while I was reading Mysticism and the new physics I didn't feel that it was a particularly well written book. There are several errors in the physics - this isn't where Michael Talbot is being speculative, it's just wrong. Also I felt that he had a tendency just to report on what people have said, rather than putting it together into a consistent narrative. When I got to the end of the book there was a chapter added in the second edition explaining that Talbot originally wrote the book in his early 20's. I felt that this explained a lot - at that age I feel that he didn't have the critical abilities to do the subject justice. However you might find it useful for its reporting on the views of various scientists on the links between mysticism and physics. Continued..

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The holographic universe	HarperCollins, 1991	ISBN: 0586091718
In The holographic universe Michael Talbot looks at the idea that the umverse might be like a hologram in the sense that each part of it contains the whole. Talbot uses the work of well known physicists to support his ideas, in particular that of David Bohm. Sensibly, he doesn't try to rewrite quantum physics - rather the prinicpal theme of the book is the link between these holographic ideas and what we consider to be paranormal events, starting with the mysterious healing powers which some people have. Talbot discusses how this might be related to the ability to percieve a Human Energy Field. Continued..

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Tall, David

The Foundations of Mathematics

Oxford University Press, 1977

ISBN: 0198531656

Mentioned in

Gdel's incompleteness theorem

Co-author

Stewart,Ian

University level mathematics can be a daunting subject, and if you haven't studied maths to this level then you may think that those who have are speaking a different language. Well help is at hand in the form of a short book, The Foundations of Mathematics, by Ian Stewart and David Tall. Continued..

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Algebraic number theory and Fermat's last theorem

AK Peters

ISBN: 1568811195

Mentioned in

fermat undecidable

Co-author

Stewart,Ian

Mostly algebraic number theory, but some coverage of Modular Forms & elliptic curves

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Taylor, Edwin

Exploring black holes

Addison Wesley

ISBN: 020138423X

Mentioned in

Black Holes

Presents the theory of relativity and black holes at a level accessible to science undergraduates or advanced students at school.

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Taylor, Steve

Making Time	Icon books, 2007	ISBN: 9781840468267
Time - you probably think that you never seem to have enough and would like to be able to slow down its rate of passing. If so then maybe you should take a look at Steve Taylor's book: Making Time: Why Time Seems to Pass at Different Speeds and How to Control it Continued..

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Temkin, Owsei

Forerunners of Darwin

John Hopkins, 1959

ISBN: 0801802229

Co-authors

Glass,Bentley

Straus,William J

Forerunners of Darwin is a collection of essays looking at what was written about evolution before Darwin published his theory. Following a substantial introduction, the book has two main parts, dealing with the 18^th and 19^th centuries respectively. The 18^thcentury part has essays on some of the main writers on the subject of this period, such as Maupertuis, Diderot, Linnaeus and Herder. The 19^thcentury part deals less with individual writers, and more with considerations of some of the philososophical ideas of evolution and the objections to them, including plenty of discussion of the idea that 'Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny'. Continued..

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Teresi, Dick

The God particle

Delta

ISBN: 0385312113

Mentioned in

Interstellar travel

Co-author

Lederman,Leon

Aimed at the non technical reader, with plenty of humour. Ledermann looks at the idea of fundamental particles, from the Greeks up to the Higgs boson. This does make the book a bit long, and the description of the Higgs boson (the God particle) doesn't get much of the book. The book would be useful to find out about particle accelerators, on which Lederman is an expert.

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Terzian, Yervant

Carl Sagan's universe

Cambridge University Press

ISBN: 0521576032

Mentioned in

Wormholes

Co-author

Bilson,Elizabeth

A tribute to Carl Sagan, with different authors contributing articles linked to the different areas which he contributed to.

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Thomas, Ted

An introduction to the science of cosmology

Institute of Physics, 2001

ISBN: 0750304057

Mentioned in

stretchy space

Cosmic horizons

Co-author

Raine,Derek

An introduction to the science of cosmology by Derek Raine and Ted Thomas is a concise cosmology textbook aimed at undergrauates, without assuming a background knowledge of astrophysics. The book falls roughly into three parts. The first part describes the observations which cosmologists have to make sense of. These include the redshift indicating the expansion of the universe, the 'missing matter' problem in galaxy dynamics, and the cosmological microwave background radiation. The second part introduces general relativity, and shows how this can be used to model the universe. There are also descriptions of the experimental tests which can be used to choose between such models. Continued..

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Thomson, Keith

The Watch on the Heath	HarperCollins, 2005	ISBN: 0007133138
In his book Natural Theology, William Paley used the analogy of a watch to argue that living things must have had a designer. In The Watch on the Heath Keith Thomson looks at the context in which Paley's arguments were put forward. Thomson describes the work of earlier writers such as John Ray, Thomas Burnet and many more. There's a chapter on how Robert Plot struggled to make sense of fossils and a look at the different ideas of how to explain geological strata. Thomson also looks at those who came after Paley - Lyell, Buckland, and Charles Darwin himself, who was strongly influenced by Paley's book. Continued..

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Thorne, Kip

Black holes and time warps

Picador, 1994

ISBN: 0330331620

Mentioned in

Wormholes

Black holes are well known objects, but their study using general relativity requires some difficult mathematics. In Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein's outrageous legacy Kip Thorne manages to put over some highly theoretical notions without needing any mathematical details - the excellent drawings by Matt Zimet are a great help. Although it is a large book it has a very readable style. It might also serve as a source book for further study, as its biographical details of the main people in the field give a starting point to investigate their work. Its a valuable addition to the bookshelf of anyone who is interested in the development of modern ideas about space and time. Continued..

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Gravitation

Picador

ISBN: 0716703440

Mentioned in

stretchy space

Co-authors

Misner,Charles

Wheeler,John

The standard work from the 1970's on General relativity. Although now somewhat outdated, it still has lots of useful stuff

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Tipler, Frank

The physics of immortality	Macmillan, 1994	ISBN: 0333618645
You might think that if you wanted to live forever then it would be better if the universe didn't collapse to a singularity within a finite time. In The physics of immortality Frank Tipler argues otherwise, that if we manipulate the collapse then we can allow an infinity of events to happen, thus providing the opportunity of eternal life for all. The first part of the book provides that wonderful speculation which, when done by someone such as Tipler who knows his science, will leave a lasting impression in your mind. Unfortunately, after that comes some pseudo-theology of the worst kind. Continued..

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Toffoli, Tommaso

Cellular automata machines

MIT Press, 1987

ISBN: 0262200600

Co-author

Margolus,Norman

Cellular Automata (CA's) such as the Game of Life are well known, but if you want to look further into the subject then you should take a look at Cellular automata machines : a new environment for modeling by Tommaso Toffoli and Norman Margolus. The first part of the book gives a short overview of the field. The book then gets on to the different types of CA's and how they can be implemented, including a look at how to include randomness in your modelling. The third part of the book deals with different physical systems which can be modelled with CA's. These include diffusion, fluid dynamics and ballistic computers as well as collective phenomena such as Ising systems and spin glasses. Continued..

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Tolman, R C

Relativity, thermodynamics and cosmology	Clarendon Press, 1934	ISBN: 0486653838
In the early 1930's general relativity was a fairly new subject, and must have seemed like the domain of just a few. With its clear presentation of the subject Relativity, thermodynamics and cosmology by Richard C Tolman would have made the field accessible to a much larger number of students. At the time it was written the expansion of the universe had just been discovered. A closed universe was the favoured model, but Tolman warns against choices based on wishful thinking. This book will provide a valuable resource for those interested in the development of the early stages of today's cosmology. Continued..

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Townes, Charles

How the laser happened	Oxford University Press, 1999	ISBN: 0195122682
Lasers are to be found everywhere today, but when the proposal of stimulated emission was developed, there was little idea of what it would lead to - it looked like it would just be a way of improving microwave sources. In How the Laser Happened: Adventures of a Scientist Charles Townes tells the story. Continued..

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Trefil, James

Science matters

Cassell, 1993

ISBN: 0304342424

Co-author

Hazen,Robert M

Science is sometimes seen as being difficult - something which only experts need to know about. But anyone who believes this is essentially opting out of playing a full part in today's society. Hazen and Trefil attack this problem by providing an overview of science for the non-scientist in the form of this book. I have to say that it's impressive how much of the basics of science they get into less than 300 pages - physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, biology and ecology are all dealt with. I feel that they have succeeded admirably in their task, and whether read through or used for reference this book deserves a place on the bookshelf of any non-scientist who wants to improve their knowledge in this area. Continued..

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Tudge, Colin

Feeding people is easy	Pari Publishing, 2007	ISBN: 9788890196089
I read this because it looked like a book with a positive outlook about world problems. (Well at first glance it looked like a cookery book, but it isn't). Rather than moaning about what was wrong with the world it would concentrate on showing how the nine billion people who will inhabit this planet can be fed. As I got into the book I modified my opinion somewhat, but it certainly does show that it would be possible to make sure everyone in the world gets what they need to eat - that is Plenty of plants, not much meat and maximum variety - if there was the will to do so. Continued..

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Turney, Chris

Ice, Mud and Blood	Macmillan, 2008	ISBN: 9780230553828
We hear a kit about climate change, but none of us has experienced such changes, and so it can be hard to get a feel for what it may mean, or even to take it seriously. In Ice, Mud and Blood: Lessons from Climates Past Chris Turney shows what has been found out about similar climate swings in the past, and how they affect our current understanding of climate. Continued..

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Turney, Jon

The rough guide to the future	Rough Guides, 2010	ISBN: 9781858287812
What does the future hold for us? It's a question many have pondered, and many different answers have been given. In The rough guide to the future Jon Turney looks at the different predictions which people have made about the future. Continued..

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Turok, Neil

Endless Universe

Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2007

ISBN: 9780297845546

Co-author

Steinhardt,Paul J

The idea that the universe started with a big bang, including a period of inflation, is the consensus view amoungst cosmologists today. However, Paul J Steinhardt and Neil Turok think differently. In Endless Universe: Beyond the Big Bang they describe their alternative, Ekpyrotic model. Here the universe consists of two branes, and what we know as the big bang was actually the result of these colliding. This caused them to move apart, but eventually they will approach each other again, and the whole story will begin again. Hence the universe did not begin with the big bang- this is just one of a possibly infinite number of cycles. Continued..

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Tutt, Keith

The search for free energy	Simon & Schuster	ISBN: 0684866609
Many people have dreamt of being able to produce energy from nowhere. In The Search for free energy Keith Tutt recounts the stories of attempts to achieve this supposedly impossible feat. He looks at cold fusion and at Tesla's attempts to send energy through the air as well as many others. It's a good read, but I felt that Tutt wasn't sufficiently critical of the devices he was describing. When money was involved he (rightly) saw it as a scam, but he didn't seem to accept that people can also push crazy schemes for non-financial reasons. My feeling is that I'll believe in free energy when I see a commercial device. Continued..

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Uglow, Jenny

The Lunar Men	Simon & Schuster	ISBN: 0374194408
This book is about a group of prominent people who came together in the second half of the eighteenth century. They had many things which distinguished them from the ruling class of the time - they were based around Birmingham rather than London or the Oxbridge universities, they rejected the Anglican religion, they believed in science rather than tradition, and made their living from manufacture rather than agriculture. As such they were the forerunners of a new way of life in Britain, helping to start the industrial revolution. In this book Uglow gives a comprehensive description of their lives and their how their activities changed our society. Continued..

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Valentini, Antony

Quantum theory at the crossroads

Cambridge University Press, 2009

ISBN: 0521814219

Co-author

Bacciagaluppi,Guido

The 1927 Solvay conference was a vital event in the development of modern physics. In Quantum Theory at the Crossroads: Reconsidering the 1927 Solvay Conference Guido Bacciagaluppi and Antony Valentini put the conference into context as well as including the papers given there. Continued..

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Van Andel, Tjeerd H.

New Views on an Old Planet	Cambridge University Press, 1985	ISBN: 0521447550
The possibility of global change is much in the news nowadays. In New Views on an Old Planet:A history of global change Tjeerd H. Van Andel looks at the long history of the earth, and at the changes which have taken place. He starts off with the ice ages, and moves on to the longer term effects of continental drift. Later in the book he looks at the evolution of life on earth. This is a non-technical book, but I wouldn't recommend it to the complete beginner in the subject, since Van Andel often highlights some of the disagreements in the subject - he doesn't try to hide them to produce a simpler work Continued..

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van der Poorten, Alfred

Notes on Fermat's Last Theorem

Wiley

ISBN: 0471062618

Mentioned in

fermat undecidable

A series of lectures on different aspects of Fermat's last theorem. Written in an informal style, but be warned - this is the style of one mathematician talking to another.

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van Straten, Michael

The Good Sleep Guide	Kyle Cathie, 1993	ISBN: 1856265390
Sleep is a vital part of life, but it doesn't always come easily. In The Good Sleep Guide Michael van Straten gives plenty of advice on how to improve our sleep. Continued..

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Vare, Ethlie a

Patently female	Wiley, 2002	ISBN: 0471023345
The typical image of an inventor is of a man working alone in his laboratory (which will be something of a mess) thinking up devices which no one has thought of before. In Patently Female Ethlie Ann Vare and Greg Ptacek continue their challenge, started in Mothers of Invention, to this gender stereotype. Continued..

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Varoufakis, Yanis

Game Theory: A critical text

Routledge

ISBN: 0415250951

Co-author

Hargreaves Heap,Shaun P

Game theory has sometimes been claimed to be a natural centrepiece for the study of the social sciences. Game Theory: A critical text, by Shaun P Hargreaves Heap and Yanis Varoufakis, gives an explanation of the theory for social scientists, looking at topics such as the prisoners dilemma, evolutionary games and psychological games, showing in each case how game theory can be applied to social situations. However the book also discusses many of game theory's failings, thus contesting the excessive claims made for the subject. For instance Nash equilibria are described, followed by many examples in which they quite clearly do not agree with the way people actually behave. Continued..

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Vedral, Vlatko

Decoding reality	Oxford University Press, 2010	ISBN: 9780199237692
In 1994 Vlatko Vedral came across the phrase 'Information is Physical', and it had a lasting effect on his life. In Decoding reality: the universe as quantum information he puts forward his thoughts on how information and especially ideas from thermodynamics, underlies all areas of science. Continued..

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Velmans, Max

Understanding Consciousness	Routledge, 2000	ISBN: 0415224926
There are four main philosophical ideas of consciousness, physicalism/materialism, dualism, parallism/epiphenomenalism and mentalism/idealism. The idealist view often goes with a mystical viewpoint, but in Understanding consciousness Max Velmans puts forward a scientifically rigorous version of idealism, which he calls reflexive monism. The first part of the book is an overview of ideas on consciousness. Velmans then goes on to describe his analysis in the second and third parts. I found the book to be easier to read than many books on consciousness and so you might like to give it a try. Continued..

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Venter, J Craig

A Life Decoded	Allen Lane, 2007	ISBN: 9780713997248
Craig Venter has caused quite a stir in the scientific community, in that he turned the sequencing of the Human Genome into something of a race. He has also been criticised for his part in the commercialisation of the genome. In A Life Decoded:My Genome:My Life Venter tells his side of the story. Continued..

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Verma, Surendra

Why aren't they here	Icon books, 2007	ISBN: 1840468068
Extraterrestrial beings are a standard part of science fiction, but in the real world there doesn't seem to be much evidence for them. In Why aren't they here?:The Question of Life on Other Worlds Surendra Verma considers why this should be. His starts with ideas about extraterrestrial life in history, starting with Aristotle, and goes on to look at early examples of extraterrestrials in science fiction. There is then a chapter on the origin of life and the possibility of panspermia followed by a look at what planet environment is needed for life and whether there are any likely candidates. Continued..

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The Little Book of Scientific Principles, Theories and Things	New Holland, 2005	ISBN: 1877069205
In The Little Book of Scientific Principles, Theories and Things Surendra Verma devotes a page to each of 175 scientific topics. Starting with Pythagoras, the book includes such names as Galileo, Charles Darwin, Stephen Hawking and many more besides. Continued..

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Visser, Matt

Lorentzian Wormholes

American Institute of physics

ISBN: 1563966530

Mentioned in

Wormholes

A book on the mathematics of traversable wormholes.

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Von Baeyer, Hans C

Information, the new language of science	Weidenfeld & Nicolson	ISBN: 0297607251
As we are always being told, we are constantly bombarded with information. We have Information technology and Information science to try to deal with it. Hans Von Baeyer's book concerns the philosophy of information - it looks at how we are beginning to see the world in terms of it. The preface describes the inspiration from John A Wheeler's ideas of 'It from Bit', that is the idea that reality can be thought of as pure information. The book is aimed at the non-technical reader. Some of the concepts may be challenging, but no prior knowledge is required of any of the subjects covered. Continued..

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