Hot Science

Nearly sixty years ago, Nobel Prize-winners Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson stumbled across a mysterious hiss of faint radio static that was interfering with their astronomical observations. In it, they had found the key to unravelling the story of the Big Bang and the origin of our universe. That signal was the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the earliest light in the universe, released 379,000 years after the Big Bang. It contains secrets about what happened during the very first tiny increments of time, which had consequences that have rippled throughout cosmic history, leading to the universe of stars and galaxies that we live in today. This is the enthralling story of the quest to understand the CMB radiation and what it can tell us of the origins of time and space, from bubble universes to a cyclical cosmos-and possibly leading to the elusive theory of quantum gravity itself.

Astrobiology is the emerging field of science that seeks to answer that question. The possibility of life elsewhere in the cosmos is one of the most profound subjects that human beings can ponder. In this book, astrophysicist Andrew May gives an expert overview of our current state of knowledge, looking at how life started on Earth, the tell-tale "signatures" it produces, and how such signatures might be detected elsewhere in the Solar System or on the many "exoplanets" now being discovered by the Kepler and TESS missions. Along the way, the book addresses key questions, including the riddle of Fermi's paradox (Where is everybody?), the crucial role of DNA and water (they're essential to life as we know it, but is the same true of alien life?), and the really big question: When we eventually find extraterrestrials, will they be friendly or hostile?

Even before Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, private companies were exploiting space via communication satellites-a sector that is seeing exponential growth in the internet age. In human spaceflight, too, commercialization is making itself felt. Billionaire entrepreneurs Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson have long trumpeted plans to make space travel a possibility for ordinary people, and those ideas are inching ever closer to reality. At the same time, other companies plan to mine the Moon for helium-3 and asteroids for precious metals. Popular-science writer Andrew May takes an entertaining, in-depth look at the triumphs and heroic failures of our quixotic quest to commercialize the final frontier.

As end-of-the-world scenarios go, an apocalyptic collision with an asteroid or comet is the new kid on the block, gaining respectability only in the last decade of the 20th century with the realization that the dinosaurs were wiped out by just such an impact. Now the science community is making up for lost time, with worldwide efforts to track the thousands of potentially hazardous near-Earth objects and plans for high-tech hardware that could deflect an incoming object from a collision course-a procedure depicted, with little regard for scientific accuracy, in several Hollywood movies. Astrophysicist and science writer Andrew May disentangles fact from fiction in this fast-moving and entertaining account, covering the nature and history of comets and asteroids, the reason why some orbits are more hazardous than others, the devastating local and global effects that an impact event would produce, and-more optimistically-the way future space missions could avert a catastrophe.

Is the Brexit vote successful big-data politics or the end of democracy? Why do airlines overbook, and why do banks get it wrong so often? How does big data enable Netflix to forecast a hit, CERN to find the Higgs boson, and medics to discover if red wine really is good for you? And how are companies using big data to benefit from smart meters, to use advertising to spy on you, and to develop the gig economy, where workers are managed by the whim of an algorithm? The volumes of data we now access can give unparalleled abilities to make predictions, respond to customer demand, and solve problems. But Big Brother's shadow hovers over it. Although big data can set us free and enhance our lives, it has the potential to create an underclass and a totalitarian state. With big data ever present, you can't afford to ignore it. In this book, acclaimed science writer Brian Clegg-a habitual early adopter of new technology (and the owner of the second-ever copy of Windows in the UK)-brings big data to life.

In 2003, Russian physicists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov found a way to produce graphene-the thinnest substance in the world-by using sticky tape to separate an atom-thick layer from a block of graphite. Their efforts would win the 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics, and now the applications of graphene and other two-dimensional substances form a worldwide industry. Graphene is far stronger than steel, a far better conductor than any metal, and able to act as a molecular sieve to purify water. Electronic components made from graphene are a fraction the size of silicon microchips and can be both flexible and transparent, making it possible to build electronics into clothing, produce solar cells to fit any surface, or even create invisible temporary tattoos that monitor your health. Ultra-thin materials give us the next big step forward since the transistor revolutionized electronics. Get ready for the graphene revolution.

When the Apollo astronauts walked on the Moon in 1969, many people imagined Mars would be next. However, NASA's Viking 1, which landed in 1976, was just a robot, and the much-anticipated crewed mission failed to materialize, defeated by a combination of technological and political challenges. Four decades after Viking and almost half a century after Apollo, technology has improved beyond recognition-as has politics. As private ventures like SpaceX seize center stage from NASA, Mars has undergone a seismic shift-it's become the prime destination for future human expansion and colonization. But what's it really like on Mars, and why should anyone want to go there? How do you get there, and what are the risks? Astrophysicist and science writer Andrew May answers these questions and more, as he traces the history of our fascination with the Red Planet.

In this bundle, three “Hot Science” titles by astrophysicist Andrew May take a deep dive into space exploration and our continued and evolving fascination with the cosmos. “Astrobiology” The possibility of life elsewhere in the cosmos is one of the most profound subjects that human beings can ponder. May gives an expert overview of our current state of knowledge, looking at how life started on Earth, the tell-tale signatures it produces, and how such signatures might be detected elsewhere in the Solar System or on the many exoplanets now being discovered by the Kepler and TESS missions. “Destination” Mars Decades after Apollo landed on the moon and Viking 1 landed on Mars, the Red Planet is now the prime destination for future human expansion and colonization. But what's it really like on Mars, and why should anyone want to go there? How do you get there and what are the risks? May answers these questions and more as he traces the history of our fascination with the Red Planet. “The Space Business” Even before Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, private companies were exploiting space via communication satellites, a sector that is seeing exponential growth in the internet age. Billionaire entrepreneurs have long trumpeted plans to make space travel a possibility for ordinary people. Other companies plan to mine the Moon for helium-3 or asteroids for precious metals. May provides an in-depth look at the triumphs and heroic failures of these quixotic quests to commercialize the final frontier.

The Higgs boson is the rock star of fundamental particles, catapulting CERN, the laboratory where it was found, into global spotlight. But what is it, why does it matter, and what exactly is CERN? In the late 1940s, a handful of visionaries were working to steer Europe towards a more peaceful future through science, and CERN, the European particle physics laboratory, was duly born. James Gillies tells the gripping story of particle physics, from the original atomists of ancient Greece through the people who made the crucial breakthroughs to CERN itself, one of the most ambitious scientific undertakings of our time, and its eventual confirmation of the Higgs boson. Weaving together the scientific and political stories of CERN's development, this book reveals how particle physics has evolved from being the realm of solitary genius to a global field of human endeavor, with CERN's Large Hadron Collider as its frontier research tool.

Providing a post-COP26 perspective on the climate emergency, “Hothouse Earth: An Inhabitant's Guide” acknowledges that it is now practically impossible to keep this side of the 1.5°C dangerous climate-change guardrail. The upshot is that we can no longer dodge the arrival of a disastrous, all-pervasive climate breakdown that will come as a hammer blow to global society and economy. Bill McGuire, Professor of Geophysical and Climate Hazards, explains the science behind the climate crisis, painting a blunt but authentic picture of the sort of world our children will grow old in, and our grandchildren grow up in, a world that we catch only glimpses of in today's blistering heatwaves, calamitous wildfires, and ruinous floods and droughts. Bleak though it is, the picture is one we must all face up to, if only to spur genuine action, even at this late stage-to stop a harrowing future from becoming a truly cataclysmic one.

For centuries, economics was dominated by the idea that we are rational individuals who optimize our own "utility." Then, in the 1970s, psychologists demonstrated that the reality is a lot messier. We don't really know what our utility is, and we care about people other than ourselves. We are susceptible to external nudges. And far from being perfectly rational, we are prone to "cognitive biases" with complex effects on decision-making, such as forgetting to prepare for retirement. In this book, David Orrell explores the findings from psychology and neuroscience that are shaking up economics-and that are being exploited by policy-makers and marketers alike to shape everything from how we shop for food to how we tackle societal happiness or climate change. Finally, he asks whether behavioural economics is a scientific revolution or just a scientific form of marketing.

Since the 1950s, scientists have attempted to harness nuclear fusion - the process that creates the Sun's energy - to generate near-limitless amounts of electricity. But the fact that we still have no fusion power plants is testament to the complexities of the challenge. Now, the deepening climate crisis means that researchers around the world are in a race to create a mini-Sun here on Earth. The glittering prize is an energy source that emits no greenhouse gases and could solve energy equity and supply issues at a stroke. Sharon Ann Holgate, a former Young Professional Physicist of the Year, tells the compelling story of the ongoing scientific quest for a revolutionary new era of green-energy production.

Artificial intelligence has long been a mainstay of science fiction, and, increasingly, it feels as if AI is entering our everyday lives, with technology like Apple's Siri now prominent and self-driving cars almost upon us. But what do we actually mean when we talk about AI? Are the sentient machines of 2001 or The Matrix a real possibility, or will real-world artificial intelligence look and feel very different? What has it done for us so far? And what technologies could it yield in the future? AI expert Yorick Wilks takes a journey through the history of artificial intelligence up to the present day, examining its origins, controversies, and achievements, as well as looking into just how it works. He also considers the future, assessing whether these technologies could menace our way of life and how we are all likely to benefit from AI applications in the years to come.

Computer technology has improved exponentially over the last fifty years. But the headroom for bigger and better electronic solutions is running out. Our best hope is to engage the power of quantum physics. "Quantum algorithms" had already been written long before hardware was built. These would enable, for example, a quantum computer to exponentially speed up an information search or crack the mathematical trick behind internet security. However, making a quantum computer is incredibly difficult. Despite hundreds of laboratories around the world working on them, we are only just seeing them come close to "supremacy," where they can outperform a traditional computer. In this approachable introduction to the subject, Brian Clegg explains algorithms and their quantum counterparts, explores the physical building blocks and quantum weirdness necessary to make a quantum computer, and uncovers the capabilities of the current generation of machines.

Entertaining and enlightening, this collection is an insightful guide to how computer science shapes and influences not just our day-to-day lives but also our future. Quantum Computing Computer technology has improved exponentially over the last fifty years, but the headroom for bigger and better electronic solutions is running out. Our best hope is to engage the power of quantum physics. In this approachable introduction, Brian Clegg explains algorithms and their quantum counterparts, explores the physical building blocks and quantum weirdness necessary to make a quantum computer, and uncovers the capabilities of the current generation of machines. Big Data The volumes of data we now access can give unparalleled abilities to make predictions, respond to customer demand, and solve problems, but Big Brother's shadow hovers over it. Though big data can set us free and enhance our lives, it has the potential to create an underclass and a totalitarian state. With big data ever-present, you can't afford to ignore it. Acclaimed science writer Brian Clegg brings big data to life. Artificial Intelligence AI expert Yorick Wilks takes a journey through the history of artificial intelligence up to the present day, examining its origins, controversies, and achievements, as well as looking into just how it works. He also considers the future, assessing whether these technologies could menace our way of life and how we are all likely to benefit from AI applications in the years to come.

Brian Clegg was always fascinated by Isaac Asimov's classic Foundation series of books, in which the future is predicted using sophisticated mathematical modeling of human psychology and behavior. Only much later did he realize that Asimov's "psychohistory" had a real-world equivalent: game theory. Originating in the study of probabilistic gambling games that depend on a random source - the throw of a dice or the toss of a coin - game theory soon came to be applied to human interactions: essentially, what was the best strategy to win whatever you were doing? Its mathematical techniques have been applied, with varying degrees of wisdom, to fields such as economics, evolution, and questions such as how to win a nuclear war. Clegg delves into game theory's colorful history and significant findings and shows what we can all learn from this oft-misunderstood field of study.

On September 14, 2015, after fifty years of searching, gravitational waves were detected for the first time, and astronomy changed forever. Up until then, investigation of the universe had depended on electromagnetic radiation: visible light, radio, X-rays, and the rest. But gravitational waves-ripples in the fabric of space and time-are unrelenting, passing through barriers that stop light dead. At the two 2.5 mile long LIGO observatories in the US, scientists developed incredibly sensitive detectors, capable of spotting a movement 100 times smaller than the nucleus of an atom. In 2015, they spotted the ripples produced by two black holes spiraling into each other, setting spacetime quivering. This was the first time black holes had ever been directly detected-and it promises far more for the future of astronomy.