Unsolved Mysteries of Science: a Mind-expanding Journey Through a Universe of Big Bangs, Particle Waves, and Other Perplexing Concepts

Jacket Description/Flap: How did life on Earth get started? Are there multiple universes?What is light?Despite the extraordinary scientific advances of the past century----and those the new millennium has already wrought----a great many important mysteries remain unsolved. In the tradition of Paul Aron's celebrated Unsolved Mysteries of American History, this fascinating, lively book delves into twenty-one of the biggest as-yet-unanswered questions in science. Drawing on topics from across the scientific spectrum-from fields as diverse as biology, astronomy, physics, and geology-author John Malone explores unexplained phenomena, ancient and new, and provides the best answers available today. As tantalizing as they are perplexing, here are questions that touch on such current science hot spots as cosmology, evolution, and the human brain, as well as age-old mysteries concerning life on Earth. From "Is There a Missing Link?" to "How Do We Learn Language?" to "How Will the Universe End?" Unsolved Mysteries of Science provides a mind-expanding journey for anyone curious about how the world works. Plus, each concise chapter includes suggestions for further reading, offering the especially curious additional avenues of research. Absorbing and accessible, this thought-provoking book allows readers to join in the tradition of the world's greatest thinkers, from Aristotle to Newton to Einstein, in attempting to unravel the riddles of our wondrous world. Jacket Description/Back: A LIVELY EXPLORATION OF THE BIGGEST QUESTIONS IN SCIENCEHow Did the Universe Begin?The Big Bang has been the accepted theory for decades, but does it explain everything?How Did Life on Earth Get Started?What triggered the cell division that started the evolutionary chain? Did life come from outer space, buried in a chunk of rock?What is Gravity?Newton's apple just got the arguments started, Einstein made things more complicated. Just how does gravity fit in with quantum theory?What Is the Inside of the Earth Like?What exactly is happening beneath our feet, and can we learn enough to help predict earthquakes and volcanic eruptions?How Do We Learn Language?Is language acquisition an inborn biological ability, or does every child have to start from scratch?Is There a Missing Link?The story of human evolution is not complete. In addition to hoaxes such as ""Piltdown Man"" and extraordinary finds such as ""Lucy,"" many puzzles remain. What, in the end, do we mean by a ""missing link""?Biographical Note: JOHN MALONE has authored or ghost-written more than forty books, including Predicting the Future: From Jules Verne to Bill Gates. He lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Table of Contents: Acknowledgments. Introduction. How Did the Universe Begin? How Did Life on Earth Get Started? What Causes Mass Extinctions? What Is the Inside of the Earth Like? What Causes Ice Ages? Were Dinosaurs Warm-blooded? Is There a Missing Link? What Caused the "Big Bang" in Human Culture? How Do We Learn Language? Are Dolphins As Smart As We Are? How Do Birds Migrate? What Is Red? How Did Mayan Astronomers Know So Much? What Is Gravity? What Is Light? Why Is There So Much Quantum Frustration? What Are Black Holes Really Like? How Old Is the Universe? Are There Multiple Universes? How Many Dimensions Are There? How Will the Universe End? Index. Review Citations:

Choice 02/01/2002 pg. 1066 (EAN 9780471384410, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  Malone, John JOHN MALONE has authored or ghost-written more than forty books, including Predicting the Future: From Jules Verne to Bill Gates. He lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.