13 Things That Don't Make Sense : The Most Intriguing Scientific Mysteries Of Our Time

Description

Will we ever find the ninety-six percent of the universe that is missing? Will tomorrow bring an answer to the scientific mysteries of today? While taking readers on an entertaining tour d'horizon of today's strangest scientific findings, Michael Brooks argues that the things we don't understand are the key to what we are about to discover.In 2008, science can only really account for four percent of our universe, and the rest, well, just seems to be missing. The effects of homeopathy don't go away under rigorous scientific conditions. Thirty years on, no one has an explanation for a seemingly intelligent signal received from outer space. The speed of light seems to have changed over the lifetime of the universe. The US Department of Energy is re-examining cold fusion (a nuclear reaction in which atoms release more energy than they consume) because the evidence is too solid to ignore. The placebo effect is put to work in medicine while doctors can't agree on whether it even exists. In an age when science is supposed to be king, scientists are beset by experimental results they simply cannot explain.

Promotion info

Will we ever find the ninety-six percent of the universe that is missing? Will tomorrow bring an answer to the scientific mysteries of today? While taking readers on an entertaining tour d'horizon of today's strangest scientific findings, Michael Brooks argues that the things we don't understand are the key to what we are about to discover.

Reviews

'Fascinating, bang-up-to-date... Like all the best science popularisers, Brooks reawakens us to the astonishing fact of our mere existence, the strangeness of the world around us, and the astonishing amount that science has yet to discover' Christopher Hart, Sunday TimesA" 'Odd data clusters are crime scenes, over which Brooks combs with the reassuring casualness of an expert... to provide riveting cliffhangers of scientific detection... admirable' Steven Poole, GuardianA" 'Entertaining... engagingly written... a worthwhile read for budding explorers of new worlds' Jon Turney, IndependentA" 'Excellent... Brooks is breezy and fun - always readable and never dull... each chapter is a little vessel of delights... Deserves to be up there as one of the best popular science books of 2008/9. Recommended' popularscience.co.ukA" 'Entertaining... engagingly written... a worthwhile read for budding explorers of new worlds' IndependentA" 'Prepare yourself to be entertained and challenged in equal measure' BBC FocusA" 'Sensational... pitch-perfect... The ideas in his book are dizzying' Simon Ings, Sunday TelegraphA"

Author description

Michael Brooks, who has a PhD in quantum physics, is a consultant for New Scientist. His writing has appeared in the Guardian, Independent, Observer and THES.www.13thingsthatdontmakesense.com