Showing titles in Earth Sciences

In 1865 a broken Admiral Robert FitzRoy locked himself in his dressing room and cut his throat. His grand meteorological project had failed. Yet only a decade later, FitzRoy’s storm-warning system and ‘forecasts’ would return, the model for what we use today. In an age when a storm at sea was evidence of God’s great wrath, 19th-century meteorologists had to fight against convention and religious dogma.

Why do people believe bunk? And what causes them to embrace such pseudoscientific beliefs and practices? Noted skeptic Massimo Pigliucci sets out to separate the fact from the fantasy in this entertaining exploration of the nature of science, the borderlands of fringe science, and - borrowing a famous phrase from philosopher Jeremy Bentham - the nonsense on stilts.

In Born in Africa, Martin Meredith follows the trail of discoveries about human origins made by scientists over the last hundred years, recounting their intense rivalry, personal feuds, and fierce controversies, as well as their feats of skill and endurance. The results have been momentous. Scientists have identified more than 20 species of extinct humans. They have firmly established Africa as the birthplace not only of humankind but also of modern humans.

Meadowland gives a unique and intimate account of an English meadow’s life from January to December, together with its biography. In exquisite prose, John Lewis-Stempel records the passage of the seasons from cowslips in spring to the hay-cutting of summer and grazing in autumn, and includes the biographies of the animals that inhabit the grass and the soil beneath: the badger clan, the fox family, the rabbit warren, the skylark brood and the curlew pair, among others.

In Powering the Future, Nobel laureate Robert B. Laughlin transports us two centuries into the future, when we’ve ceased to use carbon from the ground. Boldly, Laughlin predicts no earth-shattering transformations will have taken place. Six generations from now, there will still be soccer moms, shopping malls, and business trips. Firesides will still be snug and warm.

What gives the human brain the creative ability that defines us all as individuals? Although the silicon version is hard on its heels, the brain remains the most remarkable computer in existence. Leading us through cognitive theory, neuroscience and Darwinian evolution with his trademark wit and wisdom, Michael Corballis explains what we know - and don't know - about our minds. How do we know if we’re really the top dogs in brain power?

The legendary explorer of the Titanic shares inside stories of danger, suspense, and discovery - plus previously untold stories about his own dyslexia and how it has shaped his life.

Brought to you by Penguin. The year is 1735. Twelve unruly men board ships bound for South America. Their mission? To discover the true shape of the earth. They will be exposed to a wilderness of dangers none can imagine. The survivors won't return for ten years. An almost forgotten moment in...

Griffins, cyclopes, monsters, and giants - these fabulous creatures of classical mythology continue to live in the modern imagination through the vivid accounts that have come down to us from the ancient Greeks and Romans. But what if these beings were more than merely fictions? Through careful research and meticulous documentation, Adrienne Mayor convincingly shows that many of the giants and monsters of myth did have a basis in fact - in the enormous bones of long-extinct species that were once abundant in the lands of the Greeks and Romans.

Einstein's theory of gravity, as beautiful as it is, seems to be in direct contradiction with another theory he helped create: quantum mechanics. From the explosions of neutron stars and the collisions of black holes to the modern scientific process as a means to seek truth and understanding in the cosmos, this audiobook takes the listener on a journey of learning and discovery that has been 100 years in the making.

The Flat Earth Clues book gives you 12 compelling reasons why you should rethink the globe model that you have been taught. Before you were born, before your parents, your grandparents, before you even had a family line. There was the illusion, the trick, the lie that you lived on a small spinning rock flying through space. You thought it was true, because children don't believe in lies. And you grew up, and it was still true, because science is never wrong....

Weather With a Reason explains the atmospheric processes behind clouds, fog, sea breezes, storms, and other familiar conditions. Each episode follows moisture, heat, pressure, terrain, and moving air to make everyday weather easier to understand.

This audiobook is narrated by an AI Voice. It is midnight in Las Vegas, and a beam of light powerful enough to be seen from space is shooting straight up into the desert sky — drawing insects by the hundreds of thousands, and the bats that feed on them, into an ecosystem that exists for no...

Rare Stones of Aotearoa explores the geology, history and enduring mysteries behind some of New Zealand’s most unusual stones. From Goodletite and Aotea Stone to rare sapphires, fuchsite, polychrome schist and fluorescent rocks, each episode follows the evidence through old reports, museum specimens, scientific research and the landscapes where these stones were found. It is a podcast about remarkable rocks, the people who discovered and studied them, and the questions that still remain unanswered. Explore the research, sources and stone guides: https://rarestonesofaotearoa.com/

Want to discover what three Aussie nerds in a Swedish heavy metal bar think about water? Are you fascinated by the impact of AI on water or wondering why water rarely gets the media attention it deserves?Listen to the Australian Water Partnership’s new podcast, Aquaholics, where you’ll be invited to Gali Guwali or ‘speak water’.Join AWP General Manager, Sarah Ransom, Kamilaroi water scientist and academic, Professor Bradley Moggridge, Healthy Land and Water’s Dr Andrew O’Neill as they chat to MC, AWP’s Head of Communication, Kylie Johnson about some of the biggest issues facing ...

Grasp the awe-inspiring geology of Earth's most explosive natural disasters in this accessible earth science guide. Perfect for an engaging commute or a relaxing weekend of learning, this journey pulls you past glowing lava fields and deep into the subterranean forces shaping our globe. Satisfy...

Solve Earth's ultimate scientific cold case and explore the dramatic mass extinction that erased a prehistoric dynasty. Perfect for deep-dive listening on your commute, this mind-expanding investigation transports you to the late Cretaceous right before catastrophe struck. Step into the shoes of...

Uncover the awe-inspiring astronomy and hidden physics of our solar system during your next relaxing walk or commute. Perfect for satisfying your deep curiosity about the natural world, this jargon-free guide transforms complex astrophysics into an inviting, educational escape. Feel the...

Was bedeutet das Ende des Braunkohlenbergbaus für die Erft, das Grundwasser und die Menschen im Rheinischen Revier? In Wasser.Welle. spricht Moderatorin Anna Hecker mit Fachleuten des Erftverbandes über die wasserwirtschaftlichen Herausforderungen des Strukturwandels im Rheinischen Revier. Dabei geht es um den Umbau der Erft, den Wiederanstieg des Grundwassers, Hochwasser- und Starkregenvorsorge sowie um die Frage, wie eine sichere und nachhaltige Wasserwirtschaft der Zukunft aussehen kann. Verständlich, nah an der Region und mit unterschiedlichen fachlichen Perspektiven zeigt Wasser.Welle....

What would happen if New Zealand were cut off from the rest of the world?If the ships stopped arriving tomorrow, could we maintain a comfortable lifestyle for our population? What do we actually have on these islands — and, more importantly, what do we lack?At The End Of The World is a resource-by-resource audit of a country at the end of the supply chain. Each episode takes one of the foundations of modern life and asks a blunt question: can we make this ourselves, or do we only know how to buy it?Season one covers the six things a society runs on — food, shelter, water, energy, minerals ...