The Universe and the Teacup: Mathematics of Truth and Beauty - Softcover

Cole, K.C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0156006561 ISBN 13: 9780156006569

Publisher: Harcourt Brace International, 1999

Synopsis

Mathematics, that breathtaking invention of ours that reveals the tiniest particles of matter and takes us to the outermost reaches of the cosmos, is found by many people to be intimidating. In The Universe and the Teacup, K. C. Cole demystifies mathematics and shows us-with humor and wonderfully accessible stories-why math need not be frightening. Using the O. J. Simpson trial, the bell curve, and Emmy Noether, the nineteenth-century woman scientist whose work was essential for Einstein's theory of relativity, Cole helps us see that more than just being a tool, math is a key to understanding the beauty of everything from rainbows to relativity.

About this title

Review:

"Pure mathematics," Albert Einstein once remarked, "is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas." In The Universe and the Teacup, Los Angeles Times science writer K. C. Cole discusses some of the ways this "poetry" can be used to look at science and other realms of experience.

Mathematics, Cole explains, enables us to "translate the complexity of the world into manageable patterns," whether we're trying to comprehend the risks of smoking or the usefulness of DNA matches in criminal investigations. Cole also looks at how mathematical principles apply inunexpected fields. Without relying on a single equation, Cole's gently humorous prose helps make mathematics unthreatening to laypeople, enabling them to better understand the world in which they live. --Amazon.com

Review:

"Even the most confirmed mathophobe should find it an easy read, and possibly even a fascinating one. . . . Science journalism can be a frustrating craft. . . . K. C. Cole of the Los Angeles Times is one of the best."-The Boston Globe
"A most unusual book, one with no math in it at all . . . Cole's beguiling and lucid book provides fresh insights into the crucial role that mathematics plays in science. . . . With lighthearted wit, she makes clear how numbers alone can explain so much but never all."-San Francisco Chronicle
"Cole helps to teach us that math is more than just a tool to balance our checkbooks. It's the key to understanding the beauty of a rainbow and to discovering our true place in the universe."-Astronomy

About this edition

• Publisher: Harcourt Brace International
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0156006561
• ISBN 13: 9780156006569
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224