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A fascinating exploration of the science of the impossible—from death rays and force fields to invisibility cloaks—revealing to what extent such technologies might be achievable decades or millennia into the future.

One hundred years ago, scientists would have said that lasers, televisions, and the atomic bomb were beyond the realm of physical possibility. In Physics of the Impossible, the renowned physicist Michio Kaku explores to what extent the technologies and devices of science fiction that are deemed equally impossible today might well become commonplace in the future.

From teleportation to telekinesis, Kaku uses the world of science fiction to explore the fundamentals—and the limits—of the laws of physics as we know them today. He ranks the impossible technologies by categories—Class I, II, and III, depending on when they might be achieved, within the next century, millennia, or perhaps never. In a compelling and thought-provoking narrative, he explains:
· How the science of optics and electromagnetism may one day enable us to bend light around an object, like a stream flowing around a boulder, making the object invisible to observers “downstream”
· How ramjet rockets, laser sails, antimatter engines, and nanorockets may one day take us to the nearby stars
· How telepathy and psychokinesis, once considered pseudoscience, may one day be possible using advances in MRI, computers, superconductivity, and nanotechnology
· Why a time machine is apparently consistent with the known laws of quantum physics, although it would take an unbelievably advanced civilization to actually build one
Kaku uses his discussion of each technology as a jumping-off point to explain the science behind it. An extraordinary scientific adventure, Physics of the Impossible takes readers on an unforgettable, mesmerizing journey into the world of science that both enlightens and entertains.

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Price: $13.70 [Notify me when price goes down.]

In this illuminating book, the renowned theoretical physicist Lee Smolin argues that fundamental physics -- the search for the laws of nature -- losing its way. Ambitious ideas about extra dimensions, exotic particles, multiple universes, and strings have captured the public's imagination -- and the imagination of experts. But these ideas have not been tested experimentally, and some, like string theory, seem to offer no possibility of being tested. Yet these speculations dominate the field, attracting the best talent and much of the funding and creating a climate in which emerging physicists are often penalized for pursuing other avenues. As Smolin points out, the situation threatens to impede the very progress of science. With clarity, passion, and authority, Smolin offers an unblinking assessment of the troubles that face modern physics -- and an encouraging view of where the search for the next big idea may lead..
Price: $4.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

There is an ill-concealed skeleton in the closet of physics: "As they are currently formulated, general relativity and quantum mechanics cannot both be right." Each is exceedingly accurate in its field: general relativity explains the behavior of the universe at large scales, while quantum mechanics describes the behavior of subatomic particles. Yet the theories collide horribly under extreme conditions such as black holes or times close to the big bang. Brian Greene, a specialist in quantum field theory, believes that the two pillars of physics can be reconciled in superstring theory, a theory of everything.

Superstring theory has been called "a part of 21st-century physics that fell by chance into the 20th century." In other words, it isn't all worked out yet. Despite the uncertainties--"string theorists work to find approximate solutions to approximate equations"--Greene gives a tour of string theory solid enough to satisfy the scientifically literate.

Though Ed Witten of the Institute for Advanced Study is in many ways the human hero of The Elegant Universe, it is not a human-side-of-physics story. Greene's focus throughout is the science, and he gives the nonspecialist at least an illusion of understanding--or the sense of knowing what it is that you don't know. And that is traditionally the first step on the road to knowledge. --Mary Ellen Curtin.
Price: $12.10 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The universe has many secrets It may hide additional dimensions of space other than the familier three we recognize There might even be another universe adjacent to ours, invisible and unattainable . . . for now.

Warped Passages is a brilliantly readable and altogether exhilarating journey that tracks the arc of discovery from early twentieth-century physics to the razor's edge of modern scientific theory. One of the world's leading theoretical physicists, Lisa Randall provides astonishing scientific possibilities that, until recently, were restricted to the realm of science fiction. Unraveling the twisted threads of the most current debates on relativity, quantum mechanics, and gravity, she explores some of the most fundamental questions posed by Nature—taking us into the warped, hidden dimensions underpinning the universe we live in, demystifying the science of the myriad worlds that may exist just beyond our own.

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Price: $5.75 [Notify me when price goes down.]

For two-semester or three-quarter courses in General Chemistry.

The author’s goal in writing this book is to deliver the depth of coverage faculty want with the accessibility and clarity that students need for success. Nivaldo J. Tro’s Chemistry: A Molecular Approach explains difficult chemical concepts in a concise and clear student-centered manner while also providing faculty with the flexibility to go more deeply into many key, often neglected topics, such as electron diffraction, molecular orbital theory, and free-energy changes under non-standard conditions. Chemistry is presented visually throughmulti-level images (macroscopic, molecular and symbolic representations), which helps students see the connections among the formulas (symbolic), the world around them (macroscopic), and the atoms and molecules that make up the world (molecular). Every aspect of this book focuses students on recognizing that the behavior of matter is based on the behavior of atoms and molecules.

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Price: $100.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Quantum field theory is the basic mathematical framework that is used to describe elementary particles This textbook provides a complete and essential introduction to the subject. Assuming only an undergraduate knowledge of quantum mechanics and special relativity, this book is ideal for graduate students beginning the study of elementary particles. The step-by-step presentation begins with basic concepts illustrated by simple examples, and proceeds through historically important results to thorough treatments of modern topics such as the renormalization group, spinor-helicity methods for quark and gluon scattering, magnetic monopoles, instantons, supersymmetry, and the unification of forces. The book is written in a modular format, with each chapter as self-contained as possible, and with the necessary prerequisite material clearly identified. It is based on a year-long course given by the author and contains extensive problems, with password protected solutions available to lecturers at www.cambridge.org/9780521864497..
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Napoleon's Buttons is the fascinating account of seventeen groups of molecules that have greatly influenced the course of history These molecules provided the impetus for early exploration, and made possible the voyages of discovery that ensued. The molecules resulted in grand feats of engineering and spurred advances in medicine and law; they determined what we now eat, drink, and wear. A change as small as the position of an atom can lead to enormous alterations in the properties of a substance-which, in turn, can result in great historical shifts.

With lively prose and an eye for colorful and unusual details, Le Couteur and Burreson offer a novel way to understand the shaping of civilization and the workings of our contemporary world..
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An excellent resource for graduate nursing students in master's and doctoral program in nursing, this text focuses on the knowledge base necessary to guide advanced nursing practice, including both theoretical and philosophical perspectives. Building upon the strong foundation provided by the editor of the first three editions, the late Janet W. Kenney, Philosophical and Theoretical Perspectives for Advanced Practice Nursing presents a carefully chosen sampling of the contemporary literature on philosophy and theory in nursing in a succinct and readable form.

The Fourth Edition has been updated with 11 new chapters with greater emphasis on advanced practice in the new millennium, evidence, values, person-centered care, transformative practice, and global perspectives. The expertly written chapters are diverse in content and form to sustain interest and readability—all offer ample opportunity for reflection and classroom dialogue to explore ideas about the knowledge that guides advanced nursing practice..
Price: $42.25 [Notify me when price goes down.]

By Daniel P. Weeks. This brief text will help you develop a skill that is essential to learning organic chemistry and success in your course. By working through the program, you learn to push electrons to generate resonance structures and write organic mechanisms..
Price: $30.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]