In 1895, a German scientist named Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered the existence of X-rays. His work led to the 1901 Nobel Prize in Physics, and X-rays would come to play a prominent role in the research of Marie Curie, Henri Bequerel, Thomas Edison, and other towering figures in science and medicine. This edition examines how Roentgen used the scientific method to achieve his aims and the applications of his discovery. The book also explains how...

From ancient times until the early nineteenth century, many medical practitioners believed that the body contained four humors: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm. Humoral doctrine stated that balancing these humors was the key to health. Then in the mid-1800s, Louis Pasteur, Joseph Lister, and Robert Koch shattered these misconceptions and established our modern understanding of germs. These scientists were pioneers, and their legacy is medical...

New Frontiers in Astronomy describes critical discoveries that shape the way we look at our universe, such as the Big Bang Theory and the acceleration of the universe. These discoveries paved the way for more recent leaps in the field of astronomy, namely the existence of dark matter. These discoveries also demonstrate the way teams of scientists work simultaneously to prove theories and draw important conclusions.

Disease has altered the course of history since the first humans walked the earth. Pandemics have felled empires, decimated populations, and caused untold human suffering. It wasn't until Sir Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin in 1928 that scientists began to understand how to combat disease with antibiotics. This book looks at the scientists who paved the way for Fleming, the mechanics of antibiotics, and the looming challenges of antibiotic...

Evolution looks at Charles Darwin's extensive and pervasive influence. The book explores the mechanics of evolution before diving deeper into how evolution affects humans, plants, and cells. Evolution also broaches the implications of Darwin's theory, tying in disease mutations and the opposition to the theory.

The field of cell biology is built on a foundation of discoveries stretching back to the earliest descriptions of cell theory in the 1800s. Today, our growing insight into cells and their control of life functions continues to generate advances in areas such as medicine, agriculture, genetics, and reproduction. This book traces the rise of cell biology and explains biological concepts through easy-to-follow text. Sidebars provide biographies of key...

When Nicolaus Copernicus stated that Earth revolves around the sun, he initiated a centuries-long conflict between proponents of heliocentrism and those that maintained a geocentric view of the universe. The fight to establish the Copernican system, which began in 1543, would have very real consequences for astronomers like Galileo, Kepler, and Newton. This book provides an in-depth look at the development of Copernicus's theory, the effect it had...

The Human Genome explores the science and the history behind the specific sequences in our DNA that make us human. Reaching all the way back to the 1850s when Gregor Mendel used his pea plant experiments to solve the mystery of trait inheritance, this book maps out each theory that laid the groundwork to piece together who we are and why. The Human Genome looks at the important medical advances this knowledge has gained us and the social issues surrounding...

Though carbon dating has only been put into practice since the late 1940s, it has since revolutionized the work of archaeologists around the world. Its profound impact has opened the door for scientists to assign accurate timeline data to found objects, enabling them to ask even deeper questions about their work and how it relates to discoveries from across the globe. Through a close examination of the fundamental principles of physics involved in...

The Theory of Relativity traces Albert Einstein's groundbreaking ideas, special and general relativity, from the discoveries in physics that laid their foundation to relativity's application to today's world. The book presents scientific formulas, in-depth explanations of abstract concepts, and a detailed look at how Einstein's theories influence everyday technology, like television and GPS. Along the way, the text demonstrates the importance of theoretical...