The aim of this book is to explain, carefully but not technically, the differences between advanced, research-level mathematics and the sort of mathematics we learn at school. The most fundamental differences are philosophical, and listeners of this book will emerge with a clearer understanding of paradoxical-sounding concepts such as infinity, curved space, and imaginary numbers. The first few chapters are about general aspects of mathematical thought.

The laws of thermodynamics drive everything that happens in the universe. From the sudden expansion of a cloud of gas to the cooling of hot metal - everything is moved or restrained by four simple laws. This powerful and compact introduction explains what these four laws are and how they work, using accessible language and virtually no mathematics.

Quantum theory is the most revolutionary discovery in physics since Newton. This book gives a lucid, exciting, and accessible account of the surprising and counterintuitive ideas that shape our understanding of the sub-atomic world. It does not disguise the problems of interpretation that still remain unsettled 75 years after the initial discoveries. Uncertainty, probabilistic physics, complementarity, the problematic character of measurement, and decoherence are among the many topics discussed.

The study of geometry is at least 2500 years old, and it is within this field that the concept of mathematical proof first arose. To this day geometry remains a very active area of research in mathematics. This Very Short Introduction covers the areas of mathematics falling under geometry, starting with topics such as Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries, and ranging to curved spaces, projective geometry in Renaissance art, and geometry of space-time inside a black hole. Throughout, Maciej Dunajski outlines the role geometry plays in the broader context of science and art.

This Very Short Introduction presents the field of fluid mechanics by focusing on the underlying physical ideas and using everyday phenomena to demonstrate them, from dripping taps to swimming ducks. Eric Lauga shows how this set of fundamental physical concepts can be applied to a wide range of flow behaviors and highlights the role of fluid motion in both the natural and industrial worlds. This book also considers future applications of fluid mechanics in science.

Following the discovery of the Higgs boson, Frank Close has produced this major revision to his classic and compelling introduction to the fundamental particles that make up the universe. Frank Close takes us on a journey into the atom to examine known particles such as quarks, electrons, and the ghostly neutrino, and explains the key role and significance of the Higgs boson. Along the way he provides fascinating insights into how discoveries in particle physics have actually been made, and discusses how our picture of the world has been radically revised in the light of these developments.

Logic is often perceived as having little to do with the rest of philosophy, and even less to do with real life. In this lively and accessible introduction, Graham Priest shows how wrong this conception is. He explores the philosophical roots of the subject, explaining how modern formal logic deals with issues ranging from the existence of God and the reality of time to paradoxes of probability and decision theory. Along the way, the basics of formal logic are explained in simple, non-technical terms, showing that logic is a powerful and exciting part of modern philosophy.

多様性・意志・感情・寿命・時間… 「生命の原則」を知れば、人生はもっと自由になるーー。生命科学研究者であり、起業家でもある著者がたどりついた、一度きりの人生を迷いなく生きるための思考法! ◎コンテンツ例 ・多様性の本質は「同質性」にある ・「仕事ができない人」は、視野の共有で解決できる ・なぜ、人類は非効率に見える感情を抱えて生きるのか ・利己と利他は対立しない ・生命は「失敗許容主義」を貫いている ◎こんな人にオススメ ・怒りや悲しみなどネガティブな感情に流されたくない ・意志を強く持ち続けたい ・組織作りやビジネスに生命科学の知見を応用したい ・チームや人間関係のことで悩んでいる ・何かに打ち込むための情熱がほしい 私が本書を通じて伝えたいのは、「生命には原理や原則があることを客観的に理解した上で、それに抗うために主観的な意志を活かして行動できる」ということです。生命原則を客観的に理解し、視野を自在に切り替えて思考することで主観を見出し行動に移せば、自然の理に立脚しながらも希望に満ちた自由な生き方が可能となります(はじめにより)。 ◎目次 第1章 生命に共通する原則とは何か ー客観的に捉えるー 第2章 生命原則に抗い、自由に生きる ー主観を活かすー 第3章 一度きりの人生をどう生きるか ー個人への応用ー 第4章 予測不能な未来へ向け組織を存続させるには ー経営・ビジネスへの応用ー 第5章 生命としての人類はどう未来を生きるのか

This Very Short Introduction discusses the key concepts of biochemistry, as well as the historical figures in the field and the molecules they studied, before considering the current science and innovations in the field, and the interaction between biochemistry, biotechnology, and synthetic biology.

Every parent wants two things for their children: One is to have a rich, imaginative life; the other is to have everything they need to be physically healthy. Well, as far as colorful lives and staying healthy are concerned, Short Stories or Kids by Kids Club is just the thing! Using the most famous children's stories—including Aesop's Fables, The Three Little Pigs, Hansel and Gretel, and many more—this book will help your child enrich their life through the magic of storytelling and provide a wonderful, gadget-free sleep routine to help them recover from long, hectic days!

If you move at high speed, time slows down, space squashes up, and you get heavier. Travel fast enough and you could weigh as much as a jumbo jet, be flattened thinner than a CD without feeling a thing - and live forever! As for the angles of a triangle, they do not always have to add up to 180 degrees. And then, of course, there are black holes. These are but a few of the extraordinary consequences of Einstein's theory of relativity.

Games are everywhere: Drivers maneuvering in heavy traffic are playing a driving game. Bargain hunters bidding on eBay are playing an auctioning game. The supermarket's price for corn flakes is decided by playing an economic game. This Very Short Introduction offers a succinct tour of the fascinating world of game theory, a groundbreaking field that analyzes how to play games in a rational way.

In this Very Short Introduction, William Lowrie describes the internal and external processes that affect the planet, as well as the principles and methods of geophysics used to investigate them. From analyses of Earth's deepest interior to measurements made from Earth-orbiting satellites, Lowrie shows how geophysical exploration is vitally important in the search for mineral resources and emphasizes our need to understand the history of our planet and the processes that govern its continuing evolution.

Black holes are a constant source of fascination to many due to their mysterious nature. This Very Short Introduction audiobook addresses a variety of questions, including what a black hole actually is, how they are characterized and discovered, and what would happen if you came too close to one.

The periodic table of elements, first encountered by many of us at school, provides an arrangement of the chemical elements, ordered by their atomic number, electron configuration, and recurring chemical properties, and divided into periodic trends. In this Very Short Introduction audiobook, Eric R. Scerri looks at the trends in properties of elements that led to the construction of the table and shows how the deeper meaning of the table's structure gradually became apparent with the development of atomic theory.