The Accidental Scientist

The Accidental Scientist PDF Author: Graeme Donald
Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books
ISBN: 1782430997
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 182

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Book Description
Have you ever wondered how the ideas for some things come about? Surprisingly often it is as much down to chance as a single person's brilliance. The Accidental Scientist explores the role of chance and error in scientific, medical and commercial innovation, outlining exactly how some of the most well-known products, gadgets and useful gizmos came to be. From the jacuzzi to jeans and TNT to Tipp-Ex, this book explores many of the discoveries that we are all so familiar with today, yet have the most interesting origins because of the story behind them. Not all discoveries require brilliance, and as The Accidental Scientist demonstrates, sometimes a special ingredient is needed: luck.

The Accidental Scientist

The Accidental Scientist PDF Author: Graeme Donald
Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books
ISBN: 1782430997
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 182

Get Book

Book Description
Have you ever wondered how the ideas for some things come about? Surprisingly often it is as much down to chance as a single person's brilliance. The Accidental Scientist explores the role of chance and error in scientific, medical and commercial innovation, outlining exactly how some of the most well-known products, gadgets and useful gizmos came to be. From the jacuzzi to jeans and TNT to Tipp-Ex, this book explores many of the discoveries that we are all so familiar with today, yet have the most interesting origins because of the story behind them. Not all discoveries require brilliance, and as The Accidental Scientist demonstrates, sometimes a special ingredient is needed: luck.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm PDF Author: Robert Lefkowitz
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1643136399
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
The rollicking memoir from the cardiologist turned legendary scientist and winner of the Nobel Prize that revels in the joy of science and discovery. Like Richard Feynman in the field of physics, Dr. Robert Lefkowitz is also known for being a larger-than-life character: a not-immodest, often self-deprecating, always entertaining raconteur. Indeed, when he received the Nobel Prize, the press corps in Sweden covered him intensively, describing him as “the happiest Laureate.” In addition to his time as a physician, from being a "yellow beret" in the public health corps with Dr. Anthony Fauci to his time as a cardiologist, and his extraordinary transition to biochemistry, which would lead to his Nobel Prize win, Dr. Lefkowitz has ignited passion and curiosity as a fabled mentor and teacher. But it's all in a days work, as Lefkowitz reveals in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm, which is filled to the brim with anecdotes and energy, and gives us a glimpse into the life of one of today's leading scientists.

Serendipity

Serendipity PDF Author: Royston M. Roberts
Publisher: Wiley
ISBN: 9780471602033
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
Many of the things discovered by accident are important in our everyday lives: Teflon, Velcro, nylon, x-rays, penicillin, safety glass, sugar substitutes, and polyethylene and other plastics. And we owe a debt to accident for some of our deepest scientific knowledge, including Newton's theory of gravitation, the Big Bang theory of Creation, and the discovery of DNA. Even the Rosetta Stone, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the ruins of Pompeii came to light through chance. This book tells the fascinating stories of these and other discoveries and reveals how the inquisitive human mind turns accident into discovery. Written for the layman, yet scientifically accurate, this illuminating collection of anecdotes portrays invention and discovery as quintessentially human acts, due in part to curiosity, perserverance, and luck.

The Accidental Time Machine

The Accidental Time Machine PDF Author: Joe Haldeman
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 144063565X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
NOW IN PAPERBACK-FROM THE AUTHOR OF MARSBOUND Grad- school dropout Matt Fuller is toiling as a lowly research assistant at MIT when he inadvertently creates a time machine. With a dead-end job and a girlfriend who left him for another man, Matt has nothing to lose in taking a time-machine trip himself-or so he thinks.

Happy Accidents

Happy Accidents PDF Author: Morton A. Meyers
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing Inc.
ISBN: 1611451620
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 115

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Book Description
A fascinating and highly accessible look at the surprising role serendipity has played in some of the most important medical discoveries in the twentieth century.

The Inquisitive Cook

The Inquisitive Cook PDF Author: Anne Gardiner
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 9780805045413
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 164

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Book Description
In a light, anecdotal, but highly informative style, seasoned cooking writers reveal the unexpected and always practical science of the kitchen. Covered are such subjects as the amazing alchemy of granules and powders, the astonishing egg, the effects on food of different cooking methods, the biology and psychology of flavor, the remarkable chemistry of doughs, spices, and much, much more. Amusing anecdotes, sidebars and illustrations en-liven the text. Throughout, there are "cook's queries," quick tips, and even recipes that will delight anyone interested in becoming a more knowledgable cook.

New Scientist: The Origin of (almost) Everything

New Scientist: The Origin of (almost) Everything PDF Author: New Scientist
Publisher: Nicholas Brealey
ISBN: 1857889398
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
From what actually happened in the Big Bang to the accidental discovery of post-it notes, the history of science is packed with surprising discoveries. Did you know, for instance, that if you were to get too close to a black hole it would suck you up like a noodle (it's called spaghettification), why your keyboard is laid out in QWERTY (it's not to make it easier to type) or why animals never evolved wheels? New Scientist does. And now they and award-winning illustrator Jennifer Daniel want to take you on a colorful, whistle-stop journey from the start of our universe (through the history of stars, galaxies, meteorites, the Moon and dark energy) to our planet (through oceans and weather and oil) and life (through dinosaurs to emotions and sex) to civilization (from cities to alcohol and cooking), knowledge (from alphabets to alchemy) ending up with technology (computers to rocket science). Witty essays explore the concepts alongside enlightening infographics that zoom from how many people have ever lived, to showing you how a left-wing brain differs from a right-wing one...

Accidental Genius

Accidental Genius PDF Author: Richard Gaughan
Publisher: Thomas Allen Publishers
ISBN: 9780887629525
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
Many of the greatest eureka moments in human history were chance discoveries that led to world-changing inventions and ideas. This book takes you on a tour of the scientific and technological advancements where leaps of faith, unexpected inspiration, and sudden shifts of understanding brought about overnight changes in our perception of the world.

The Accidental Universe

The Accidental Universe PDF Author: Alan Lightman
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307908593
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 108

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Book Description
The bestselling author of Einsteins Dreams explores the emotional and philosophical questions raised by recent discoveries in science with passion and curiosity. He looks at the dialogue between science and religion; the conflict between our human desire for permanence and the impermanence of nature; the possibility that our universe is simply an accident; the manner in which modern technology has separated us from direct experience of the world; and our resistance to the view that our bodies and minds can be explained by scientific logic and laws. Behind all of these considerations is the suggestion--at once haunting and exhilarating--that what we see and understand of the world is only a tiny piece of the extraordinary, perhaps unfathomable whole.

When Science Goes Wrong

When Science Goes Wrong PDF Author: Simon LeVay
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1440639388
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description
Brilliant scientific successes have helped shape our world, and are always celebrated. However, for every victory, there are no doubt numerous little-known blunders. Neuroscientist Simon LeVay brings together a collection of fascinating, yet shocking, stories of failure from recent scientific history in When Science Goes Wrong. From the fields of forensics and microbiology to nuclear physics and meteorology, in When Science Goes Wrong LeVay shares twelve true essays illustrating a variety of ways in which the scientific process can go awry. Failures, disasters and other negative outcomes of science can result not only from bad luck, but from causes including failure to follow appropriate procedures and heed warnings, ethical breaches, quick pressure to obtain results, and even fraud. Often, as LeVay notes, the greatest opportunity for notable mishaps occurs when science serves human ends. LeVay shares these examples: To counteract the onslaught of Parkinson’s disease, a patient undergoes cutting-edge brain surgery using fetal transplants, and is later found to have hair and cartilage growing inside his brain. In 1999, NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter spacecraft is lost due to an error in calculation, only months after the agency adopts a policy of “Faster, Better, Cheaper.” Britain’s Bracknell weather forecasting team predicts two possible outcomes for a potentially violent system, but is pressured into releasing a ‘milder’ forecast. The BBC’s top weatherman reports there is “no hurricane”, while later the storm hits, devastating southeast England. Ignoring signals of an imminent eruption, scientists decide to lead a party to hike into the crater of a dormant volcano in Columbia, causing injury and death. When Science Goes Wrong provides a compelling glimpse into human ambition in scientific pursuit.