A01=Addison Greenwood
A01=Andrew Chaikin
A01=Anne Simon Moffat
A01=Barbara Burke
A01=David Holzman
A01=Elizabeth J. Maggio
A01=Marcia F. Bartusiak
A01=Michelle Hoffman
A01=National Academy of Sciences
A01=T.A. Heppenheimer
Author_Addison Greenwood
Author_Andrew Chaikin
Author_Anne Simon Moffat
Author_Barbara Burke
Author_David Holzman
Author_Elizabeth J. Maggio
Author_Marcia F. Bartusiak
Author_Michelle Hoffman
Author_National Academy of Sciences
Author_T.A. Heppenheimer
Category=PHP
eq_bestseller
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_science
Product details
- ISBN 9780309048934
- Dimensions: 203 x 254mm
- Publication Date: 01 Jan 1994
- Publisher: National Academies Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
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A Positron Named Priscilla is a book of wonder, offering a fascinating, readable overview of cutting-edge investigations by many of today's leading young scientists. Written for anyone who loves science, this volume reports on some of the most exciting recent discoveries and advances in fields from astronomy to molecular biology. This new book is from one of the world's most prestigious scientific institutions, the National Academy of Sciences. The Academy provides an annual forum for the brightest young investigators to exchange ideas across disciplines--an exchange that was the spark for A Positron Named Priscilla. Each chapter is authored by a popular science writer who offers helpful historical perspectives, clear and well-illustrated explanations of current scientific thinking, and previews of future developments. The scope of topics and breadth of discussion ensure interest at all levels. Topics include * Planetary science and the compelling glimpse through the clouded atmosphere of Venus afforded by the spacecraft Magellan. * Astrophysics and the emergence of helioseismology, a new field that allows researchers to probe the interior workings of the sun.
* Biology and what we have learned about DNA in the 40 years since its discovery; our current understanding of protein molecules, the "building blocks" of living systems; and the high-tech search for answers to the AIDS epidemic. * Physics and our new-found ability to move and manipulate individual atoms on a surface. The book also tells the remarkable story of "buckyballs," or buckminsterfullerenes, a form of carbon discovered only a few years ago, that have the potential to be used in a variety of important applications, from superconductivity to nanotechnology. * Mathematics and the rise of "wavelet" theory, and how mathematicians are applying it in sometimes startling ways, from assisting the FBI with fingerprint storage to coaxing the secrets from a battered recording of Brahms playing the piano. * Geosciences and the search for "clocks in the earth" to make life-saving earthquake predictions. A Positron Named Priscilla is a "must" read for anyone who wants to keep up with a broad range of scientific endeavor.
Marcia F. Bartusiak, Barbara Burke, Andrew Chaikin, Addison Greenwood, T.A. Heppenheimer, Michelle Hoffman, David Holzman, Elizabeth J. Maggio, and Anne Simon Moffat for the National Academy of Sciences
