{"title":"Series: Science Essentials","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScience Essentials\u003c\/strong\u003e offers a diverse journey through the core ideas shaping our understanding of the world, from the intricacies of the mind and human behaviour to the practicalities of finance and technology. This series bridges varied fields such as philosophy, psychology, business, and computing, inviting readers to explore complex concepts with clarity and insight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhether delving into health, history, or adventure, each title is crafted to illuminate essential knowledge that enriches both professional and personal perspectives. Expect accessible exploration of contemporary themes alongside timeless questions, making \u003cem\u003eScience Essentials\u003c\/em\u003e a trusted companion for curious minds.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"at-the-edge-of-time-by-dan-hooper-9780691206424","title":"At the Edge of Time","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScientists in recent decades have made crucial discoveries about how our cosmos evolved over the past 13.8 billion years. But we still know little about what happened in the first seconds after the Big Bang. \u003ci\u003eAt the Edge of Time\u003c\/i\u003e focuses on what we have learned and are striving to understand about this mysterious period at the beginning of cosmic history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDelving into the remarkable science of cosmology, Dan Hooper describes many of the extraordinary questions that scientists are asking about the origin and nature of our world. Hooper examines how the Large Hadron Collider and other experiments re-create the conditions of the Big Bang, how we may finally discover the way dark matter was formed during our universe's first moments, and how, with new telescopes, we are lifting the veil on the era of cosmic inflation. \u003ci\u003eAt the Edge of Time\u003c\/i\u003e presents an accessible investigation of our universe and its birth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Essential reading for any cosmology enthusiast.’ - Laura Nuttall\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e, BBC Sky at Night\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘[An] informed introduction to ‘the mysteries of our universe's first seconds.’’ - Andrew Robinson\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e, Nature\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Scientists know precious little about what happened when the universe got its start: many cosmologists think space and time underwent an extremely rapid expansion called inflation... Hooper takes readers on a mind-bending expedition through these questions and shows how they all connect to the beginning.’ - Clara Moskowitz\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e, Scientific American\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘If you're mystified and curious about the mysteries of the Universe . . . you won't want to miss this book.’ - Ethan Siegel\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e, Forbes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"NewSouth Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46853998674156,"sku":"9780691206424","price":49.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/2051383482434.jpg?v=1759230576"},{"product_id":"brave-new-arctic-by-mark-c-serreze-9780691173993","title":"Brave New Arctic","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn insider account of how researchers unravelled the mystery of the thawing Arctic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the 1990s, researchers in the Arctic noticed that floating summer sea ice had begun receding. This was accompanied by shifts in ocean circulation and unexpected changes in weather patterns throughout the world. The Arctic's perennially frozen ground, known as permafrost, was warming, and treeless tundra was being overtaken by shrubs. What was going on?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBrave New Arctic\u003c\/em\u003e is Mark Serreze's riveting firsthand account of how scientists from around the globe came together to find answers. In a sweeping tale of discovery spanning three decades, Serreze describes how puzzlement turned to concern and astonishment as researchers came to understand that the Arctic of old was quickly disappearing—with potentially devastating implications for the entire planet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSerreze is a world-renowned Arctic geographer and climatologist who has conducted fieldwork on ice caps, glaciers, sea ice, and tundra in the Canadian and Alaskan Arctic. In this must-read book, he blends invaluable insights from his own career with those of other pioneering scientists who, together, ushered in an exciting new age of Arctic exploration. Along the way, he accessibly describes the cutting-edge science that led to the alarming conclusion that the Arctic is rapidly thawing due to climate change, that humans are to blame, and that the global consequences are immense.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA gripping scientific adventure story, \u003cem\u003eBrave New Arctic\u003c\/em\u003e shows how the Arctic's extraordinary transformation serves as a harbinger of things to come if we fail to meet the challenge posed by a warming Earth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"NewSouth Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46854141116652,"sku":"9780691173993","price":91.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/1727073482434.jpg?v=1759235017"},{"product_id":"natures-compass-by-james-l-gould-9780691140452","title":"Nature's Compass","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe know that animals cross miles of water, land, and sky with pinpoint precision on a daily basis. But it is only in recent years that scientists have learned how these astounding feats of navigation are actually accomplished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith colourful and thorough detail, \u003cem\u003eNature's Compass\u003c\/em\u003e explores the remarkable methods by which animals find their way both near home and around the globe. Noted biologist James Gould and popular science writer Carol Gould delve into the elegant strategies and fail-safe backup systems, the invisible sensitivities and mysterious forces, and incredible mental abilities used by familiar and rare species, as they investigate a multitude of navigation strategies, from the simple to the astonishing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Goulds discuss how animals navigate, without instruments and training, at a level far beyond human talents. They explain how animals measure time and show how the fragile monarch butterfly employs an internal clock, calendar, compass, and map to commence and measure the two-thousand-mile annual journey to Mexico—all with a brain that weighs only a few thousandths of an ounce.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThey look at honey bees and how they rely on the sun and mental maps to locate landmarks such as nests and flowers. And they examine whether long-distance migrants, such as the homing pigeon, depend on a global positioning system to let them know where they are.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUltimately, the authors ask if the disruption of migratory paths through habitat destruction and global warming is affecting and endangering animal species. Providing a comprehensive picture of animal navigation and migration, \u003cem\u003eNature's Compass\u003c\/em\u003e decodes the mysteries of this extraordinary aspect of natural behaviour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"NewSouth Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46854705217772,"sku":"9780691140452","price":89.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/38496529702bca84d0e162a7e9dc508e.jpg?v=1759266171"},{"product_id":"the-little-book-of-string-theory-by-steven-s-gubser-9780691142890","title":"The Little Book of String Theory","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Little Book of String Theory\u003c\/i\u003e offers a short, accessible, and entertaining introduction to one of the most talked-about areas of physics today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eString theory has been called the 'theory of everything.' It seeks to describe all the fundamental forces of nature, encompassing gravity and quantum mechanics in one unifying theory. However, it remains unproven and fraught with controversy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter reading this book, you'll be able to draw your own conclusions about string theory. Steven Gubser begins by explaining Einstein's famous equation E = mc², quantum mechanics, and black holes. He then gives readers a crash course in string theory and the core ideas behind it. In plain English and with a minimum of mathematics, Gubser covers topics such as strings, branes, string dualities, extra dimensions, curved spacetime, quantum fluctuations, symmetry, and supersymmetry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHe describes efforts to link string theory to experimental physics, using analogies that non-scientists can understand. How does Chopin's Fantasie-Impromptu relate to quantum mechanics? What would it be like to fall into a black hole? Why is dancing a waltz similar to contemplating a string duality? Find out in the pages of this book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Little Book of String Theory\u003c\/i\u003e is the essential, most up-to-date beginner's guide to this elegant, multidimensional field of physics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'You will probably finish the book more confused than when you started, but in the best possible way: with profound questions and a desire to learn more.' - \u003ci\u003eNew Scientist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"NewSouth Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46855019200748,"sku":"9780691142890","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/f06574931127b164940030bab673cfb2.jpg?v=1759262445"},{"product_id":"the-little-book-of-black-holes-by-steven-s-gubser-9780691163727","title":"The Little Book of Black Holes","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDive into a mind-bending exploration of the physics of black holes\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBlack holes, predicted by Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity more than a century ago, have long intrigued scientists and the public with their bizarre and fantastical properties. Although Einstein understood that black holes were mathematical solutions to his equations, he never accepted their physical reality—a viewpoint many shared.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis all changed in the 1960s and 1970s, when a deeper conceptual understanding of black holes developed just as new observations revealed the existence of quasars and X-ray binary star systems, whose mysterious properties could be explained by the presence of black holes. Black holes have since been the subject of intense research, and the physics governing how they behave and affect their surroundings is stranger and more mind-bending than any fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter introducing the basics of the special and general theories of relativity, this book describes black holes both as astrophysical objects and theoretical 'laboratories' in which physicists can test their understanding of gravitational, quantum, and thermal physics. From Schwarzschild black holes to rotating and colliding black holes, and from gravitational radiation to Hawking radiation and information loss, Steven Gubser and Frans Pretorius use creative thought experiments and analogies to explain their subject accessibly. They also describe the decades-long quest to observe the universe in gravitational waves, which recently resulted in the LIGO observatories' detection of the distinctive gravitational wave 'chirp' of two colliding black holes—the first direct observation of black holes' existence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Little Book of Black Holes\u003c\/i\u003e takes readers deep into the mysterious heart of the subject, offering rare clarity of insight into the physics that makes black holes simple yet destructive manifestations of geometric destiny.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A concise introduction to one of the Universe's strangest phenomena... It is probably just about right for a person who wants to acquire a rudimentary understanding of black holes, while also being a good introduction and stimulant for someone who might decide to explore further.' - Anthony Toole, \u003ci\u003eWaterstones\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"NewSouth Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47471804481772,"sku":"9780691163727","price":59.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780691163727-the-little-book-of-black-holes.jpg?v=1775255705"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/series-science-essentials.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}