These are the kinds of things of which naturalists’ dreams are made, and Bjornerud introduces them memorably.
A lively introduction to current concepts in geology, pitched to the undergraduate reader but well suited to generalists as well.
Readers who learned their geology two or three decades back have a little catching up to do: The chronologies have changed, certain theories have changed and indeed the planet itself has changed, for, as Lawrence University geology professor and debut author Bjornerud notes, “the magnitude of human actions on the Earth now matches those of natural agents.” (And more: she notes that humans add 16 times more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than do volcanoes, the next-biggest contributor to the old greenhouse effect.) Bjornerud obliges in this well-paced survey of such things as the rock cycle, thermohaline ocean circulation, and convergent evolution. Those daunted by the formidable language of geology, the stuff in which John McPhee revels, will be pleased by Bjornerud’s plain-English approach, by which, for instance, she likens the Earth to a great recycling system: “There is no natural equivalent of a landfill. Nothing is unusable waste, and nothing will last forever, at least not in any particular form.” Bjornerud covers a lot of ground, so to speak, with the result that some big-picture processes earn rather hasty treatment; pyroclastomaniacs are likely to clamor for more on volcanism, for instance, while fans of continental drift may want a little more plate tectonic action for their buck. Still, such are the shortfalls of surveys, and all the fascinating asides will spur motivated readers to dig deeper on their own. Who knew, for instance, that the oceans may once have been frozen during the period called Snowball Earth, that a little zircon chip from Australia is “the very oldest discovered object native to the Earth,” that the seas of the moon are actually big holes punched into the lunar surface by massive meteorites, and that a rock has only to be ten inches wide to qualify as a boulder?
These are the kinds of things of which naturalists’ dreams are made, and Bjornerud introduces them memorably.Pub Date: May 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-8133-4249-X
Page Count: 256
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2005
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both...
Italian theoretical physicist Rovelli (General Relativity: The Most Beautiful of Theories, 2015, etc.) shares his thoughts on the broader scientific and philosophical implications of the great revolution that has taken place over the past century.
These seven lessons, which first appeared as articles in the Sunday supplement of the Italian newspaper Sole 24 Ore, are addressed to readers with little knowledge of physics. In less than 100 pages, the author, who teaches physics in both France and the United States, cogently covers the great accomplishments of the past and the open questions still baffling physicists today. In the first lesson, he focuses on Einstein's theory of general relativity. He describes Einstein's recognition that gravity "is not diffused through space [but] is that space itself" as "a stroke of pure genius." In the second lesson, Rovelli deals with the puzzling features of quantum physics that challenge our picture of reality. In the remaining sections, the author introduces the constant fluctuations of atoms, the granular nature of space, and more. "It is hardly surprising that there are more things in heaven and earth, dear reader, than have been dreamed of in our philosophy—or in our physics,” he writes. Rovelli also discusses the issues raised in loop quantum gravity, a theory that he co-developed. These issues lead to his extraordinary claim that the passage of time is not fundamental but rather derived from the granular nature of space. The author suggests that there have been two separate pathways throughout human history: mythology and the accumulation of knowledge through observation. He believes that scientists today share the same curiosity about nature exhibited by early man.
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both scientists and general readers.Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-18441-3
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Riverhead
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A magnificent account of a central reality of our times, incorporating deep scientific expertise, broad political and social knowledge, and ethical insight, and Idled with beautifully written biographical sketches of the men and women who created nuclear physics. Rhodes describes in detail the great scientific achievements that led up to the invention of the atomic bomb. Everything of importance is examined, from the discovery of the atomic nucleus and of nuclear fission to the emergence of quantum physics, the invention of the mass-spectroscope and of the cyclotron, the creation of such man-made elements as plutonium and tritium, and implementation of the nuclear chain reaction in uranium. Even more important, Rhodes shows how these achievements were thrust into the arms of the state, which culminated in the unfolding of the nuclear arms race. Often brilliantly, he records the rise of fascism and of anti-Semitism, and the intensification of nationalist ambitions. He traces the outbreak of WW II, which provoked a hysterical rivalry among nations to devise the bomb. This book contains a grim description of Japanese resistance, and of the horrible psychological numbing that caused an unparalleled tolerance for human suffering and destruction. Rhodes depicts the Faustian scale of the Manhattan Project. His account of the dropping of the bomb itself, and of the awful firebombing that prepared its way, is unforgettable. Although Rhodes' gallery of names and events is sometimes dizzying, his scientific discussions often daunting, he has written a book of great drama and sweep. A superb accomplishment.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1986
ISBN: 0684813785
Page Count: 932
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1986
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