Visions of the Future: Astronomy and Earth Science

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 246 pages
• Published by: Cambridge University Press July 2, 2001
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0521805376
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0521805377
• Book Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Weighs: 14.9 ounces

Product Review
'The book coveys the excitement and enthusiasm of the young authors for their work in Astronomy and Earth Science.' Europe & Astronomy

' you can't deny the excitement the writers felt for what they are doing; and in these secular times such excitement must serve to replace the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom.' Sir Brian Pippard, Times Higher Education Supplement

' for those readers who like to get their teeth into something meaty this could be a good investment.' Alan Longstaff, Astronomy Now

Product Description
What does the future of science hold? Who is making the discoveries that will help shape this future? What areas of research show the greatest promise? Find definitive and insightful answers to such questions as these in the three volumes of Visions of the Future: Astronomy and Earth Science, Chemistry and Life Science, and Physics and Electronics. Representing a careful selection of authoritative articles published in a special issue of Philosophical Transactions--the world's longest-running scientific journal--the chapters explore such themes as:

The Big Bang

Humankind's exploration of the solar system

The deep interior of the Earth

Global warming and climate change

Atoms and molecules in motion

New materials and processes

Nature's secrets of biological growth and form

Understanding the human body and mind

Quantum physics and its relationship to relativity theory and human consciousness

Exotic quantum computing and data storage

Telecommunications and the Internet Written by leading young scientists, the timely contributions convey the excitement and enthusiasm that they have for their research and a preview of future research directions. J.M.T. Thompson is Professor of Nonlinear Dynamics and Director of the Center for Nonlinear Dynamics at University College London. Professor Thompson has published widely on instabilities, bifurcations, catastrophe theory and chaos. He was a Senior SERC Fellow, served on the IMA Council, and, in 1985, was awarded the Ewing Medal of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Currently, he is the Editor of the Royal Society's Philosophical Transactions (Series A) which is the world's longest running scientific journal.

Reader Reviews
I really enjoyed this book. Many of the most up-to-date and exciting areas of astro/geo science are well covered and the state of the art is detailed. Yet to my opinion the fact that the articles are high level publications re-written in an (almost) popular way is problematic for one or two, where the author do not put enough "feeling" in his prose. Comment | | (Report this)