GALILEO AND THE DOLPHINS - Hardcover

Berry, Adrian.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 071348067X ISBN 13: 9780713480672

Publisher: Batsford, 1996

Synopsis

What was the one blow that killed half the human race? Was Nostradamus a journalist or a prophet? These and other popular science stories are covered in this book, whose topics range from medicine, meteorology and murder to archaeology, ideology, superstition and space science.

About this title

From the Publisher

Quirky inquiries into the unexplainable
"I read _Galileo and the Dolphins_ with great interest and enjoyment." --Arthur C. Clarke

What did the persecution of Galileo have to do with dolphins? Who was the famous astronomer accused of piracy? Who made a car with an engine the size of a grain of rice?

Discover the true stories behind these and other fascinating questions in this thought-provoking and captivating collection of tales from popular science. From prehistoric "killer trees" to contemporary computer imaging, from the depths of the ocean floor to the farthest reaches of outer space, bestselling author Adrian Berry covers a truly amazing range of topics, time periods, and opinions. Here are enthralling stories of medicine, meteorology, archaeology, astronomy, and philosophy. Each one reveals bizarre and interesting facts intertwined with superstition, intrigue, deceit, and, in some cases, even murder (discover the surprising phenomenon responsible for killing half of the human race).

Berry's wry wit and often skeptical outlet add much to our understanding and enjoyment of these quirky inquiries into the unexplainable. Could a volcano actually have been responsible for the French Revolution? Three million years ago, when the earliest humans looked up into the African skies, did they see the same sun that we do? Is it possible to harness the energy of black holes?

_Galileo and the Dolphins_ even includes a section of brainteasing, fact- and fun-filled quizzes to test your own knowledge of science. Quoting everyone from Nostradamus (journalist or prophet?) to Vice President Al Gore, Adrian Berry has assembled an extraordinary cast of soldiers, scientists, bureaucrats, charlatans, believers, and cynics to support, debunk, or otherwise speculate on the myriad mysteries of our universe, past, present, and future.

From the Back Cover

Discover the true stories behind these and other fascinating questions in this thought-provoking and captivating collection of tales from popular science. From prehistoric "killer trees" to contemporary computer imaging, from the depths of the ocean floor to the farthest reaches of outer space, bestselling author Adrian Berry covers a truly amazing range of topics, time periods, and opinions. Here are enthralling stories of medicine, meteorology, archaeology, astronomy, and philosophy. Each one reveals bizarre and interesting facts intertwined with superstition, intrigue, deceit, and, in some cases, even murder (discover the surprising phenomenon responsible for killing half of the human race).Berry's wry wit and often skeptical outlook add much to our understanding and enjoyment of these quirky inquiries into the unexplainable. Could a volcano actually have been responsible for the French Revolution? Three million years ago, when the earliest humans looked up into the African skies, did they see the same sun that we do? Is it possible to harness the energy of black holes?Galileo and the Dolphins even includes a section of brainteasing, fact- and fun-filled quizzes to test your own knowledge of science. Quoting everyone from Nostradamus (journalist or prophet?) to Vice President Al Gore, Adrian Berry has assembled an extraordinary cast of soldiers, scientists, bureaucrats, charlatans, believers, and cynics to support, debunk, or otherwise speculate on the myriad mysteries of our universe, past, present, and future.adrian berry has been the science correspondent of the Daily Telegraph (London) since 1977. He is the author of twelve science and science fiction books, including The Iron Sun and the bestselling The Next Ten Thousand Years.He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, the Royal Geographical Society, and the British Interplanetary Society. Mr. Berry lives in London with his wife and two children.which clock loses only one second every three million years?was newton the "rapist" of the universe?why are computer designers thinking about the doctrine of the holy trinity?Find out as acclaimed author Adrian Berry reveals the truth about Galileo and the dolphins and much, much more in this fascinating, fun-filled romp through time, space, and the wonders of popular science.

Edition details

• Publisher: Batsford
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 071348067X
• ISBN 13: 9780713480672
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 352