Calculus is the key to much of modern science and engineering. It is the mathematical method for the analysis of things that change, and since in the natural world we are surrounded by change, the development of calculus was a huge breakthrough in the history of mathematics. But it is also something of a mathematical adventure, largely because of the way infinity enters at virtually every twist…
The conversation had taken an unexpected turn. It is not often that people compare academic publishing and churchgoing. Nor would many think of using age as a measure of the credibility of an academic journal. Yet Akosua’s witty apercu, offered in an interview about academic publishing practices in Ghana, reveals an important truth. A scholarly journalâ€â€¦
Although (Soddy, Nature 92:399–400,1913)inferred the existence of isotopes early lastcentury, it was not until the discovery of theneutron by (Chadwick, Nature 129:312,1932)that isotopes were understood to result fromdiffering numbers of neutrons in atomicnuclei. (Urey, J Chem Soc 1947:562–581,1947) predicted that different isotopes wouldbehave slightly differently in chemical (andphys…
From the rings of Saturn to the "canals" of Mars and the Great Red Dot of Jupiter, the planets of our Solar System have long fascinated humanity. Featuring many striking photos, this Very Short Introduction offers a fascinating portrait of the unique world of each planet as well as an illuminating discussion of moons, asteroids, and Trans-Neptunian objects. Leading planetary scientist David A. …
Over the past two decades, Canadian international history has slipped its traditional North Atlantic moorings. Studies of Canada’s postwar relation-ships with a waning United Kingdom or an ascendant United States have faded in popularity, replaced with a stream of publications on relations with the decolonized states of Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, countries whose citizens increasingly co…
Wildfires, often called ‘bushfires’ in Australia, are an annual occurrence in Australia, especially in the southeast. Each year they burn thousands of square kilometres of bushland, blazing everything in their way. Some of the physical infrastructure erected or grown by people, such as fencelines, buildings and crops can be rebuilt and replanted, despite the deva…
The importance of music is difficult to overstate. As historian R W Malcolmson noted, it was the most accessible and democratic of the creative arts, with the ability to give expression to a range of fundamental emotions.4 From a different perspective, musicologist, Philip Tagg emphasised how music and dance are ‘particularly suited to expressing the affec…
Recent decades have seen great advances in science and technology that enable us – or, rather, those who have the requisite financial and technological resources – to explore and derive ever more benefits from the marine realm. In some ways, technological developments risk making legal frameworks obso-lete, addressing problems that are no longer pertinent or facilitating …
The Himalaya are world-renowned for their exquisite mountain scenery, ancient traditions, and diverse ethnic groups that tenaciously inhabit this harsh yet sublime landscape. Home to the world's highest peaks, including Mount Everest, and some of its deepest gorges, the region is a trove of biological and cultural diversity. Providing a panoramic overview of contemporary land and life in the Ea…
In a stunningly original look at the American Declaration of Independence, David Armitage reveals the document in a new light: through the eyes of the rest of the world. Not only did the Declaration announce the entry of the United States onto the world stage, it became the model for other countries to follow. Armitage examines the Declaration as a political, legal, and intellectual document…