Science Matters: Achieving Scientific LiteracyA science book for the general reader that is informative enough to be a popular textbook and yet well-written enough to appeal to general readers. “Hazen and Trefil [are] unpretentious—good, down-to-earth, we-can-explain-anything science teachers, the kind you wish you had but never did.”—The New York Times Book Review Knowledge of the basic ideas and principles of science is fundamental to cultural literacy. But most books on science are often too obscure or too specialized to do the general reader much good. Science Matters is a rare exception—a science book that is informative enough for introductory courses in high school and college, and yet lucid enough for readers uncomfortable with scientific jargon and complicated mathematics. And now, revised and expanded, it is up-to-date, so that readers can enjoy Hazen and Trefil's refreshingly accessible explanations of the most recent developments in science, from particle physics to biotechnology. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 36
Page xx
... predict which scienceladen issues will dominate the headlines of the future, we know that some surely will. And since every future scientific advance will grow out of the ideas contained in this book, mastering them allows you to deal ...
... predict which scienceladen issues will dominate the headlines of the future, we know that some surely will. And since every future scientific advance will grow out of the ideas contained in this book, mastering them allows you to deal ...
Page 6
... predict eclipses. The existence of Stonehenge, built by people without writing, bears silent testimony both to the regularity of nature and to the ability of the human mind to see behind immediate appearances and discover deeper ...
... predict eclipses. The existence of Stonehenge, built by people without writing, bears silent testimony both to the regularity of nature and to the ability of the human mind to see behind immediate appearances and discover deeper ...
Page 6
... predict eclipses. The existence of Stonehenge, built by people without writing, bears silent testimony both to the regularity of nature and to the ability of the human mind to see behind immediate appearances and discover deeper ...
... predict eclipses. The existence of Stonehenge, built by people without writing, bears silent testimony both to the regularity of nature and to the ability of the human mind to see behind immediate appearances and discover deeper ...
Page 9
... predict the motion of a system just by knowing the forces that act on it. The three laws are stated separately, but they work together like separate gears that run a clock. Like all the fundamental laws that govern science, Newton's ...
... predict the motion of a system just by knowing the forces that act on it. The three laws are stated separately, but they work together like separate gears that run a clock. Like all the fundamental laws that govern science, Newton's ...
Page 11
... predict how the thing will move. Why Newton Would Tell You to Wear a Seat Belt Imagine yourself driving at 60 miles per hour along the freeway when another car forces you off the road. What happens if you smash into a tree head-on ...
... predict how the thing will move. Why Newton Would Tell You to Wear a Seat Belt Imagine yourself driving at 60 miles per hour along the freeway when another car forces you off the road. What happens if you smash into a tree head-on ...
Contents
3 | |
26 | |
THREE Electricity and Magnetism | 44 |
FOUR The Atom | 67 |
FIVE The World of the Quantum | 80 |
SIX Chemical Bonding | 94 |
SEVEN Atomic Architecture | 115 |
NINE The Fundamental Structure of Matter | 153 |
TWELVE Relativity | 194 |
THIRTEEN The Restless Earth | 215 |
FOURTEEN Earth Cycles | 233 |
FIFTEEN The Ladder of Life | 251 |
SIXTEEN The Code of Life | 273 |
EIGHTEEN Evolution | 304 |
NINETEEN Ecosystems | 326 |
Epilogue | 344 |
Other editions - View all
Science Matters: Achieving Scientific Literacy Robert M. Hazen,James S. Trefil No preview available - 2009 |
Science Matters: Achieving Scientific Literacy Robert M. Hazen,James Trefil No preview available - 2009 |
Common terms and phrases
accelerate acid animals atmosphere atoms basic become bonds building called carbon cell century charge chemical clock comes common complex contains created cycle decay Earth effect electrical electrons elements energy evolution example experience fact field force fossil galaxies genes genetic gravity half-life heat hold human hundreds hydrogen idea important kind laws layer light living look magnetic mass materials matter measure metal miles million molecules motion moving nature neutrons nuclear nucleus objects observers occur ocean orbit organisms original oxygen particles physicists physics planet plate positive predict produce properties proteins protons quantum quantum mechanics radiation reactions relativity result rock scientific scientists simple space speed star structure surface temperature theory things thousands tion turn understand universe waves