Astronomy

1. Yuval Noah , Harari

Sapiens [Tenth Anniversary Edition]

New York Times Readers’ Pick: Top 100 Books of the 21st Century The tenth anniversary edition of the internationally bestselling phenomenon that cemented Yuval Noah Harari as one of the most prominent historians of our time—featuring a new afterword from the author. One hundred thousand years ago, at least six human species inhabited the earth. Today there is just one. Us. Homo sapiens. How did our species succeed in the battle for dominance? Why did our foraging ancestors come together to create cities and kingdoms? How did we come to believe in gods, nations, and human rights; to trust money, books, and laws; and to be enslaved by bureaucracy, timetables, and consumerism? And what will our world be like in the millennia to come? In Sapiens, Professor Yuval Noah Harari spans the whole of human history, from the very first humans to walk the earth to the radical—and sometimes devastating—breakthroughs of the Cognitive, Agricultural, and Scientific Revolutions. Drawing on insights from biology, anthropology, paleontology, and economics, and incorporating full-color illustrations throughout the text, he explores how the currents of history have shaped our human societies, the animals and plants around us, and even our personalities. Can we ever free our behavior from the legacy of our ancestors? And what, if anything, can we do to influence the course of the centuries to come? Bold, wide-ranging, and provocative, Sapiens integrates history and science to challenge everything we thought we knew about being human: our thoughts, our actions, our heritage...and our future.

1. Niklas , Kolorz

Die letzten Rätsel des Universums

Die großen Mysterien des Weltalls und unserer Erde: faszinierende Rätsel der Wissenschaft vom Autor des Sachbuch-Bestsellers »(Fast) Alles einfach erklärt«, Niklas Kolorz  Was war vor dem Urknall? Woraus besteht Dunkle Materie? Wie sieht mögliches Leben auf Exoplaneten aus? Science-Star Niklas Kolorz erforscht in seinem neuen Buch  die größten ungeklärten Fragen unseres Universums. Dafür begibt er sich an Orte, an denen die traditionellen Modelle der Physik versagen und die menschliche Vorstellungskraft bis ans Äußerste gefordert ist. Doch die Wissenschaftsgeschichte zeigt: Forschende schaffen es immer wieder, das einst Unglaubliche zu erklären. Niklas Kolorz schildert die bahnbrechenden Versuche, Studien und Modelle, die dabei helfen werden, diese Rätsel zu lösen. Fesselnd, faktenreich und humorvoll lässt er die Wissenschaft am Rand des Universums lebendig werden. In Teil 1 dreht sich alles um den KOSMOS: Wo fängt das Universum an und wo endet es? Was steckt hinter der ominösen Dunklen Energie? Und gibt es Portale, die einen Weg ins Multiversum eröffnen? Teil 2 begibt sich auf die Spur des LEBENS: Wie entsteht Bewusstsein? Könnten wir in einer Simulation leben? Welche Erkenntnisse hat die Astrobiologie über Leben im All? Um die ZUKUNFT geht es in Teil 3: Finden wir irgendwann eine Weltformel? Und können wir sogar in der Zeit reisen? Wieder widmet sich Niklas Kolorz nicht nur den Fakten, sondern auch den Geschichten dahinter. Er verfolgt, wie sich Wissenschaftler*innen der Erklärung des Unerklärlichen widmen, was sie antreibt und wie sie dabei ein ums andere Mal unser Bild vom Universum auf den Kopf stellen. »Was würde passieren, wenn ich in ein Raumschiff steige und mit Überlichtgeschwindigkeit in eine Richtung fliege? Raus aus unserem Sonnensystem, vorbei am schwarzen Loch im Zentrum unserer Milchstraße, raus aus dem Galaxienhaufen der lokalen Gruppe, weit in den Kosmos hinein. Wie weit müsste ich fliegen, bis ich dahin gelange, wo das Universum aufhört und das ... ja was eigentlich beginnt?«

1. Lynne , Peeples

The Inner Clock

How the groundbreaking science of circadian rhythms can help you sleep better, feel happier and improve your overall health.

Climate Change on Mountains

The world is warming up rapidly and this change is most noticeable in mountains with already observable consequences on flora and fauna. This book presents concepts, methodologies and major achievements of recent research in climate change ecology in mountains by placing this research in a historical perspective, that of travelers and naturalists of the Romantic era, and first of all Alexander von Humboldt.There is now a renewed interest, both in academia and beyond, in Humboldt, his writings and his view of nature. But how can we actually make use of his writings? How can we put his philosophy into practice? How can we still learn from past scientific figures and do a better science today? In this book, the author presents how it is possible to succeed in modern science by returning to sources, by renewing the tradition of past polymaths such as Humboldt, and by having a fully humanistic approach in science. He illustrates his point based on his 15-year experience inthe study of the ecological effects of climate change in the tropical Andes, showing how he has incorporated approaches from other disciplines, from different branches of science, from history and the arts to achieve a more comprehensive view of his scientific field. Alongside hard data, discoveries by past naturalists build our understanding of the world but appealing to our emotions makes us want to understand it. In the author¿s view this is a productive and enjoyable way of doing science that speaks to our humanity and also increases our knowledge about nature. This academic cross-over book appeals to a broad audience of students, scientists or, supported by attractive illustrations, to anyone interested in the adventure or making of science, but not necessarily with a scientific background.

1. Sara Imari , Walker

Life as No One Knows It

"What is life? This is among the most difficult open problems in science, right up there with the nature of consciousness and the existence of matter. All the definitions we have fall short. None help us understand how life originates or the full range of possibilities for what life on other planets might look like. In [this book], physicist and astrobiologist Sara Imari Walker argues that solving the origin of life requires radical new thinking and an experimentally testable theory for what life is. This is an urgent issue for efforts to make life from scratch in laboratories here on Earth and missions searching for life on other planets. Walker proposes a new paradigm for understanding what physics encompasses and what we recognize as life"--

1. Jay M , Pasachoff

A Peterson Field Guide to Stars and Planets