The World's Best Book Summaries
Do you want to learn more about global warming? What are the best books on climate change? Climate change is a pressing issue that politicians and scientists debate. If you want to be more educated about the topic, there are many books written by experts that can give you a better understanding of climate change. Here are eight books on climate change you should read to stay informed.
Why is the cosmos fine-tuned for life? Where is the universe’s missing mass? Why is the expansion of the cosmos speeding up? In a discussion of the origin and history of the universe, Bill Bryson brings up several questions that scientists have yet to answer conclusively. He also shares what some of the answers might be. Keep reading to learn about three intriguing mysteries of the cosmos.
How is it that the universe’s parameters are “just right” to support life? Can science ever solve this mystery? In his book A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson discusses a few of the unknowns and controversies that still exist in the sciences. One of those is the “fine-tuning problem.” Continue reading to learn about the fine-tuning of the universe and why it has many scientists scratching their heads.
What is Neuralink technology? What can this technology do? What are brain-computer interfaces? Neuralink is a medical research company working to develop a safe, effective, and affordable brain-computer interface (BCI). BCIs allow people to control devices such as computers and smartphones with their thoughts, but in theory such devices have extensive applications and possibilities. Read on to learn about Neuralink technology, what it can do, and what the future holds for the company.
What is the critical period of brain development? At what age does the brain become set in stone? Can structural changes happen in the brain after the critical period is over? During the critical period, unused parts of the brain can change themselves to perform functions different from their original functions. In the past, the belief was that once this critical period was over, the brain was set in stone. However, we now know that the brain retains its potential for structural change. Here’s why the brain doesn’t become set in stone once the critical period is over.
What’s the difference between bottom-up processing and top-down processing? How do we use these processes? In Focus, Daniel Goleman explores how you can understand, harness, and improve your attention to have a more productive life and become a more engaged member of society. In his discussion of how to understand attention, he explains bottom-up and top-down processing. Continue reading to learn about these two processes.
Is a lot of mass unaccounted for in the universe? If so, why? Where is it? When author Bill Bryson set out to understand the great scientific discoveries about our universe, he ran into some unsolved mysteries. One of them is the missing mass problem, and he discusses it in his book A Short History of Nearly Everything. Keep reading to learn about missing mass, including the question of whether the mass is actually missing or whether the current theory is off.
What is the localization of brain function theory? What is the problem with the localizationism paradigm? As the name suggests, localization of brain function means that different functions or capabilities of the brain are “located” in certain brain regions. The idea of localization of function is attractive because it’s simple and elegant, but it’s not quite how the brain works. Keep reading to learn about the problem with the localizationism paradigm.
How old is the planet? How do scientists estimate the age of the earth? What assumptions are part of the calculation? In the middle of the twentieth century, scientists developed a system to help them determine the age of rocks. This, along with an assumption about the formation of the solar system, allowed them to estimate the age of the Earth. Keep reading for an exposition of the Earth’s age.
How much do we know about the interior parts of Earth? What are the current theories? Contrary to what you’ll see in sci-fi movies, nobody’s been to the center of the Earth. We can dig only so deep. So, scientists have to resort to some indirect ways of determining what’s far below the Earth’s surface. Continue reading to learn what scientists believe and why.