| Dorling Kindersley’s Essential
Science guides use a stimulating mix of lively illustrations
and expert, jargon-free text to explain the most important scientific
topics of the day. Learn more about the new guides - and read
our fascinating ‘Did you know?’ facts below. |
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The
Human Genome
In this lucid account, Jeremy Cherfas explores the
history of genetic research, from the early theories
of heredity expounded by Mendel, Lamarck and Darwin,
to the pioneering work carried out on genes, chromosomes
and DNA in the 20th century.
This book will also bring you up to date with advances
in gene sequencing and science' s attempts to unravel
the mysteries of the human genome. |
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In the early 1800' s, chemists realised that living
and non-living things contain the same kinds of
atoms and follow the same rules of chemistry. Until
then, many thought that living things contained
an extra ‘vital force' .
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Genes are arranged in order, like beads on a necklace.
The chances of two genes on the same chromosome
being inherited together depend on the distance
between them.
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Is ignorance bliss? In some cases, genetic screening
can provide people with information about their
predisposition to disease that is of real use. However,
this could present people with difficult decisions,
particularly where treatment options are limited.
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Global
Warming
Of all the changes man has made to the environment,
global warming probably poses the greatest threat
to life on our planet.
In this compelling book, Fred Pearce weighs up the
evidence for global warming, examines its probable
impact on our climate, landscapes and eco systems,
and sets out what we can do to prevent it. |
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The effects of rising temperatures can be seen most
dramatically at the poles, where sea ice is melting
earlier and freezing later each year, and where
its overall mass is decreasing.
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Certain gases trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere,
rather like the glass in a greenhouse - hence the
term 'greenhouse effect'.
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The Sahara desert is currently expanding as rainfall
diminishes in much of West Africa.
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The
Expanding Universe
One of the most profound discoveries of science
is that we live in an expanding universe, because
if the Universe is getting larger it must have had
a definite beginning.
Drawing on the most up-to-date ideas and discoveries
in cosmology, Mark A. Garlick charts the history
of the expanding Universe. |
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In the 1960's, two physicists using a radio antenna
discovered that the sky was full of radio noise.
They came to realise that this was the redshifted
remnant of the Big Bang itself - its 'echo'.
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The fusion processes that immense quantities of
energy in a star are the same as those at work in
a hydrogen bomb.
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Physicists are exploring the idea that our own Universe
may be connected to smaller, baby universes by wormholes
or space-time tunnels.
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Food
for the future
Producing enough food for all has been, and continues
to be, one of the greatest challenges faced by any
society.
In this compelling book, Colin Tudge looks at the
science behind the issues, then appraises some of
the global alternatives - from organic farming to
precisely targeted technology. |
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Much fruit farming has become a highly industrialized
affair, requiring enormous amounts of investment
in equipment.
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Riders in the Tour de France three-week cycle race
need 7,000 calories per day.
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To meet increasing needs, fish farming is growing
apace - production more than doubled between 1985
and 2000.
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The
Digital Revolution
We live in an information age, and the ways in which
we store, transmit, and review data are changing
very quickly.
In this accessible, up to the minute guide, popular
science writer Jack Challoner explains the basics
of binary code, how digital devices work, the impact
on our everyday lives, and what developments we
can expect in the future. |
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The Difference Engine, a calculator designed by
Charles Babbage (1791– 1871), is an early precursor
of the modern computer.
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Bank customers make use of digital networks when
they use cash machines.
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High speeds DSL provides fast Internet access, yet
uses the same cables as ordinary telephones and
fax machines.
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How
the Brain Works
The human brain is the single most complex object
in the known Universe.
In this books John McCrone explains what a human
brain does - and what separates it from the brains
of simpler organisms. He also examines, in fascinating
detail, the intricate processing required to create
a single moment of human consciousness. |
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The average brain weighs 1.4kg (3lbs) |
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A newborn baby's brain has cells but not connections.
Only the most instinctive parts of the brain are
already wired. |
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Words may have existed a million years before the
invention of grammar.
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