The book traces the winding route of scientific beginnings, blunders and breakthroughs over the past four millennia, and uncovers the fascinating personalities behind them, their creative processes and their triumphs or tragedies.

The continuing story of eureka moments… The book traces the winding route of scientific beginnings, blunders and breakthroughs over the past four millennia, and uncovers the fascinating personalities behind them, their creative processes and their triumphs or tragedies. Try to imagine life without microchips or the internet of World Wide Web. Pause and reflect on the enormous advantages accruing from the mapping of DNAs ― the Genome Project ― which are helping in treating previously untreatable diseases. The human curiosity continues to thrive, and the 'little globe of sunshine' remains with us, a symbol of those eureka moments that herald scientific breakthroughs.

Kaufman details the incredible true story of science's search for the beginnings of life on Earth and the probability that it exists elsewhere in the universe.

NEW EDITION March 2014Just how the scientific discoveries that have changed our world come about? 'Beginnings, Blunders and Breakthroughs in Science' investigates the eureka moments, the serendipities and the plain errors that have peppered the science's last 2,500 years.Overflowing with wit, insight and information, the book offers chronological account that takes us from ancient Egypt and the earliest reference to 'pi' to the twenty-first century and the discovery that ended the search for the elusive God particle.In 191 short, sharp and simple stories you'll learn, with surprise and delight:- How anaesthesia was discovered at a party- Who, in the sixth century BC claimed that the earth is round- Why the Riemann hypothesis remains mathematics' greatest unsolved problem- Who announced that because Great Britain had 'plenty of messenger boys', it had no need for the telephone- How Vesalius, in 1543, scotched the idea that men have one rib fewer that women- How a sewerage farm odour reducer benefitted medicineThis 63,000-word paperback and Kindle book is an updated version of the print edition of 'The Cause of Mosquitoes' Sorrow: Beginnings, Blunders and Breakthroughs in Science' (2007) which was published in the US as 'Beginnings, Blunders and Breakthroughs in Science'.Surendra Verma is a journalist and author based in Melbourne, Australia. He has published numerous popular science books internationally, which have been translated into twelve languages.

Science is fantastic. It tells us about the infinite reaches of space, the tiniest living organism, the human body, the history of Earth. People have always been doing science because they have always wanted to make sense of the world and harness its power. From ancient Greek philosophers through Einstein and Watson and Crick to the computer-assisted scientists of today, men and women have wondered, examined, experimented, calculated, and sometimes made discoveries so earthshaking that people understood the world—or themselves—in an entirely new way. This inviting book tells a great adventure story: the history of science. It takes readers to the stars through the telescope, as the sun replaces the earth at the center of our universe. It delves beneath the surface of the planet, charts the evolution of chemistry's periodic table, introduces the physics that explain electricity, gravity, and the structure of atoms. It recounts the scientific quest that revealed the DNA molecule and opened unimagined new vistas for exploration. Emphasizing surprising and personal stories of scientists both famous and unsung, A Little History of Science traces the march of science through the centuries. The book opens a window on the exciting and unpredictable nature of scientific activity and describes the uproar that may ensue when scientific findings challenge established ideas. With delightful illustrations and a warm, accessible style, this is a volume for young and old to treasure together.

A Quick Guide to Scientific Principles and Theories A refreshing walk through science... The Little Book of Science explains 175 laws, principles, equations, theories and things that form the foundations of science. It features all the great names in science, including Pythagoras, Galileo, Newton, Darwin and Einstein, as well as more recent contributors such as Rachel Carson, James Lovelock and Stephen Hawking. This little book presents serious science simply, answering questions like: • What is Pythagoras’ Theorem? • What is the difference between circadian rhythms and the popular concept of biorhythms? • What is the Black Hole Theory? • Who developed the World Wide Web? The book is arranged in chronological order. Read it from cover to cover curled up on the couch or dip into it at random when you have a spare moment. It’s an invaluable resource for students of all ages. SURENDRA VERMA is a science writer based in Melbourne. Though he has published several books and numerous articles, he has failed to formulate a hypothesis worthy of including in this book.

Learn all about scientists who changed history in this engaging and colorful board book perfect for inventors-in-training! Asking why. Then making a guess. Asking how. Then proving with tests. Little scientists make great big discoveries. In this follow up to This Little President, This Little Explorer, and This Little Trailblazer now even the youngest readers can learn all about great and empowering scientists in history! Highlighting ten memorable scientists who paved the way, parents and little ones alike will love this discovery primer full of fun, age-appropriate facts and bold illustrations.