Wiley Popular Science

This new edition of the critically acclaimed Scientific Companion offers a comprehensive introduction to the physical sciences: physics, astronomy, chemistry, geology, meteorology, biology, atmospheric science, and oceanography. Emiliani traces the evolution of the universe from the Big Bang to the present, explaining the nature of the galaxy, the Earth, inorganic and organic matter, and the development of scientific thought. More than 50 new illustrations appear throughout-from stunning aerial shots of Earth's topography to striking close-ups of the moon provided by NASA. Hundreds of additional photos, charts, maps, and diagrams, plus 35 tables of the most essential facts, figures, and formulas-from Planck's constant to the laws of thermodynamics, from quantum energy levels to Avogadro's number-make The Scientific Companion an ideal desktop reference. Written for the layperson, sufficiently detailed for students, it is the only book of its kind to bridge the gap between works of popular science and college textbooks.

In a thought-provoking and entertaining exploration of The Five Biggest Ideas in Science, authors Charles Wynn and Arthur Wiggins provide a panoramic view of the questions scientists seek to answer about the natural world: * Do basic building blocks of matter exist, and if so, what do they look like? * BIG IDEA #1: Physics' Model of the Atom * What relationships, if any, exist among different kinds of atoms? * BIG IDEA #2: Chemistry's Periodic Law * Where did the atoms of the universe come from,and what is their destiny? * BIG IDEA #3: Astronomy's Big Bang Theory * How is the matter of the universe arranged in planet Earth? * BIG IDEA #4: Geology's Plate Tectonics Model * How did life on planet Earth originate and develop? * BIG IDEA #5: Biology's Theory of Evolution Get set for a lively and informative discussion, as you also learn how to evaluate potential applications of these and other scientific ideas.

This exhilarating survey of the four and half billion years of Earth's history charts both the geological and biological history of the planet. It moves from the origin of the earth's iron core to the formation of today's seven continents, and from the primordial building blocks of life to the evolution of the human form.