popular works

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popular works

What an Owl Knows

the New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds
2023
"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Genius of Birds and The Bird Way, a brilliant scientific exploration of owls, the most elusive group of birds, and an investigation into why these remarkable and yet mysterious animals exert such a hold on human imagination For centuries, owls have captivated and intrigued us. Our fascination with these mysterious birds was first documented over 30,000 years ago, in the Chauvet cave paintings in southern France, and our enduring awareness and curiosity of their forward gaze and nearly silent flight has cemented the owl as a symbol of wisdom and knowledge, foresight and intuition. But what, really, does an owl know? Though our infatuation goes back centuries, scientists have only recently begun to study these birds in great detail. While more than 270 species exist today, and reside on every continent except Antarctica, owls are far more difficult to find and study than other birds - because while not only cryptic and perfectly camouflaged, owls are most active in the dark of night. Joining scientists on this maddening and elusive treasure hunt, Jennifer Ackerman brings alive the rich biological history of these animals and reveals the remarkable scientific discoveries into their brains and behavior. She explores how, with the modern technology and tools, researchers now know that owls talk all night long - without opening their bills. That that their hoots follow a series of complex rules, allowing them to express needs and desires. That owls duet. They migrate. They use tools. They hoard their prey. Some live in underground burrows, some dine on scorpions. Ackerman brings this research alive with her own personal field observations about owls, and dives deep too into why this bird endlessly inspires and beguiles us. WHAT AN OWL KNOWS is an awe-inspiring and spellbinding journey across the globe and through human history, and a dazzling account of the astonishing health, hunting skills, communication, and sensory prowess that distinguishes the owl from nearly all other birds. An extraordinary glimpse into the mind of these brilliant animals, WHAT AN OWLS KNOWS pulls back the curtain on the the hidden and still undiscovered realities of our shared world"--.

Simply Artificial Intelligence

2023
"Explaining each individual aspect of AI more clearly than ever before, this book outlines the key building-blocks and technological milestones in its history, profiles its most important practical applications--both current and predicted--and explores the numerous ethical debates around AI, and its increasing influence on culture and society"-- Provided by publisher.

Physics

A Very Short Introduction
2019
Looks at physics and the history of its study.

A fan's guide to baseball analytics

why WAR, WHIP, wOBA, and other advanced sabermetrics are essential to understanding modern baseball
2020
Explains how baseball analytics are measured.

Under alien skies

a sightseer's guide to the universe
2023
"On this lively, immersive adventure through the cosmos, [the author] draws ingeniously on both the latest scientific research and his . . . imagination to transport you to ten of the most spectacular sights outer space has to offer"--Publisher.

The last stargazers

the enduring story of astronomy's vanishing explorers
2022
" . . . combines the . . . travels of . . . astronomer Emily Levesque with the misunderstood antics of a scrappy (and shrinking) crew of scientists working with stars and telescopes. She dissects both the romance and the real human curiosity that is so important to our exploration of space. Amidst the lonely quiet of stargazing to wild bears loose in the observatory, these love stories of astronomy show how scientists are going beyond the machines to infuse important creativity and intimate passion into the stars, inspiring future generations to peer skyward in pursuit of the universe's secrets"--Provided by publisher.

Long hard road

the lithium-ion battery and the electric car
2022
"Long Hard Road: The Lithium-Ion Battery and the Electric Car provides an inside look at the birth of the lithium-ion battery, from its origins in academic labs around the world to its transition to its new role as the future of automotive power. It chronicles the piece-by-piece development of the battery, from its early years when it was met by indifference from industry to its later emergence in Japan where it served in camcorders, laptops, and cell phones. The book is the first to provide a glimpse inside the Japanese corporate culture that turned the lithium-ion chemistry into a commercial product. It shows the intense race between two companies, Asahi Chemical and Sony Corporation, to develop a suitable anode. It also explains, for the first time, why one Japanese manufacturer had to build its first preproduction cells in a converted truck garage in Boston, Massachusetts. Building on that history, Long Hard Road then takes readers inside the auto industry to show how lithium-ion solved the problems of earlier battery chemistries and transformed the electric car into a viable competitor. Starting with the Henry Ford and Thomas Edison electric car of 1914, it chronicles a long list of automotive failures, then shows how a small California car converter called AC Propulsion laid the foundation for a revolution by packing its car with thousands of tiny lithium-ion cells. The book then takes readers inside the corporate board rooms of Detroit to show how mainstream automakers finally decided to adopt lithium-ion. Long Hard Road is unique in its telling of the lithium-ion tale, revealing that the battery chemistry was not the product of a single inventor, nor the dream of just three Nobel Prize winners, but rather was the culmination of dozens of scientific breakthroughs from many inventors whose work was united to create a product that ultimately changed the world"--.

Buzzed

the straight facts about the most used and abused drugs from alcohol to ecstasy
2019
Provides a presentation of the scientific facts about commonly abused drugs, including alcohol, caffeine, entactogens, hallucinogens, inhalants, marijuana, nicotine, sedatives, steroids, and stimulants; and includes discussion of their effects on the brain and body.

Happy brain

where happiness comes from, and why
2019
"Examines cutting edge theories on the science of emotion and interviews with people presumed to be 'happy' to investigate where happiness comes from, why humans need it so much, and what it has to do with the human brain"--OCLC.

How space works

2021
"A visual guide to space and the Universe for complete beginners to astronomy. The book starts with an explanation of our view of the Universe from Earth, then takes a tour of the Solar System, the stars and galaxies, and the furthest reaches of space. The last chapter looks at the technology we use to explore the Universe, from the International Space Station to Mars rovers and the new and revolutionary reusable rockets"--Adapted from OCLC.

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