Hitting the Books: How 20th century science unmade Newton's universe

Science is the reason you aren't reading this by firelight nestled cozily under a rock somewhere however, its practice significantly predates its formalization by Galileo in the 16th century. Among its earliest adherents — even before pioneering efforts of Aristotle — was Animaxander, the Greek philosopher credited with first arguing that the Earth exists within a void, not atop a giant turtle shell. His other revolutionary notions include, "hey, maybe animals evolved from other, earlier animals?" and "the gods aren't angry, that's just thunder."While Animaxander isn't often mentioned alongside the later greats of Greek philosophy, his influence on the scientific method cannot be denied, argues NYT bestselling author, Carlo Rovelli, in his latest book, Animaxander and the Birth of Science, out now from Riverhead Books. In in, Rovelli celebrates Animaxander, not necessarily for his scientific acumen but for his radical scientific thinking — specifically his talent for shrugging off conventional notion to glimpse at the physical underpinnings of the natural world. In the excerpt below, Rovelli, whom astute readers will remember from last year's There Are Places in the World Where Rules Are Less Important than Kindness, illustrates how even the works of intellectual titans like Einstein and Heisenberg can and inevitably are found lacking in their explanation of natural phenomena — in just the same way that those works themselves decimated the collective understanding of... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2023-03-12 14:30:52 UTC ]
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Macintyre reveals 20th century's 'greatest woman spy' for Viking

Viking has signed two new books from author Ben Macintyre, with the first revealing unpublished intelligence sources about the 20th century's "greatest woman spy" Ursula Kuczynski. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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London Book Fair 2019: Why Brexit Might Hit British Academic Publishers Hardest

Brexit remains a source of uncertainty for all British publishers, but it has already negatively impacted the academic publishing sector in the U.K. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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France’s BIEF Hit by London Book Fair Transit Delays in Calais’ Brexit Protests

As France's international publishing agency struggles to get its collective stand and books to London in time, the UK's French Institute plans more shows of solidarité in the British capital. The post France’s BIEF Hit by London Book Fair Transit Delays in Calais’ Brexit Protests appeared first... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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DC Universe's expanded comic book catalog includes 'Wonder Woman'

DC Universe only has so many original shows to go around, and that means you'll need something else to do if you're going to justify that subscription. Thankfully, more is on the way. The service has unveiled the first major expansion of its comic... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2019-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Poverty Safari named ‘most rebellious’ 21st century read in Scottish Book Trust poll

Poverty Safari, Darren McGarvey’s memoir about growing up in Glasgow, has topped a readers’ poll of “most rebellious reads of the 21st century”, organised by the Scottish Book Trust. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books News: Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming’ Finally Hits Shelves

The publishing industry might have to think back to Harry Potter’s heyday for a book that has garnered as much attention as the former first lady’s has. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2018-11-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Century signs two-book deal with Emma Kennedy

Century has signed a two-book deal with actress and writer Emma Kennedy, including a "moving, multi-generational" novel called The Box of Dreams. Launching Kennedy's career as a novelist, Arrow deputy publisher Emily Griffin acquired world rights in all languages in two books from Kennedy... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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iBooks Bestsellers: To All the Books That Have Hit #1 Before

Jenny Han's 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' knocks Kevin Kwan's 'Crazy Rich Asians' down to #2 following the lauded release last week of its Netflix adaptation. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PRH dominates Science Book Prize shortlist

Penguin Random House has nearly a clean sweep of titles on the The Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize shortlist. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Montefiores' rabbits get the royal treatment with 20th Century Fox

Santa Montefiore and Simon Sebag Montefiore’s The Royal Rabbits of London is set to be turned into a hybrid-animated live-action feature film by a division of 20th Century Fox. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Octopus buys art and science book to wax lyrical over the Moon

llex Press has acquired "a rich and curious history" of the Moon and what it means to humanity by Alexandra Loske and Robert Massey. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Tim Peake and ESA books to hit shelves this autumn

Penguin Random House imprint Century is to publish two new books from astronaut Tim Peake and The European Space Agency this autumn. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Can science fiction help us prepare for 21st-century warfare?

The novelist Margaret Atwood recently caused a stir when, during an interview with Variety, she said that the 9/11 hijackers “got the idea” to fly planes into buildings from watching “Star Wars.” Atwood, the author of “The Handmaid’s Tale” and other dystopian classics, did not have the facts... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Macmillan Buys US Rights to Cao Wenxuan’s Latest Book from 21st Century Publishing Group

At a special ceremony during the Bologna Book Fair, Macmillan and 21st Century Publishing Group celebrated a new rights deal for Chinese author Cao Wenxuan's book, 'Summer'. The post Macmillan Buys US Rights to Cao Wenxuan’s Latest Book from 21st Century Publishing Group appeared first on... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-03-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children’s Books in China 2018: The Rise of the Pop-Science Segment in China

Mention “pop science” in China and one blockbuster comes to mind: The Magic School Bus. It has remained the #1 children’s title since its launch in 2010, with online retailer Dangdang selling nearly half a million copies in an average year. On Singles’ Day—which is the equivalent of Black Friday... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's Books in China 2018: Guangdong New Century Publishing House

This is the Chinese home of the Wimpy Kid series, which made its first appearance in China in 2009 and has since sold more than 9.2 million copies. The decision to ignore market skepticism (this comics-style series with American humor and school culture was initially deemed unworkable in China)... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Big freeze hits World Book Day, but 'Brain Freeze' tops chart

Tom Fletcher and Shane Devries’s World Book Day title Brain Freeze (Puffin) has nipped into the UK Official Top 50 number one spot, leapfrogging three-week wonder Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (Harper), with 37,879 copies sold through Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why university libraries are tossing millions of books

Struggling to keep up with the increasing digitization of academia, libraries are purging older volumes to make way for study spaces and coffee shops. The act is a radical shift from when the value of a library was measured by the scope of its books.  Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2018-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Best books of 2017: the hits and misses of the publishers’ year

The Man Booker winner, the diary of a junior doctor and the secret lives of cows ... Which books made their publishers proud – and which ones made them envious? Editor-in-chief, Bloomsbury Continue reading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The MIT Press: Books Rooted in Science, but Not Just for Scholars

The MIT press publishes a rich list of trade nonfiction for general readers hungry for knowledge (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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