The Most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds the most discoveries, is not "Eureka!" but "That's funny..." - Issac Asimov
Who's it for:
For the science-geeks and science-geek wanna-be's (like me). And for the people who like random information.
Chapters:
1. The Missing Universe:
We can only account for 4 percent of the cosmos
2. The Pioneer Anomaly:
Two spacecraft are flouting the laws of physics
3. Varying Constants:
Destabilizing our view of the universe
4. Cold Fusion:
Nuclear energy without the drama
5. Life:
Are you more than just a bag of chemicals?
6. Viking:
NASA scientists found evidence for life on Mars. Then they changed their minds.
7. The Wow! Signal:
Has ET already been in touch?
8. A Giant Virus:
It's a freak that could rewrite the story of life
9. Death:
Evolution's problem with self-destruction
10. Sex:
There are better ways to reproduce
11. Free Will:
Your decisions are not your own
12. The Placebo Effect:
Who's being deceived?
13. Homeopathy:
It's patently absurd, so why won't it go away?
What I like about this book:
It's well written: clear and thorough. It doesn't jump from unrelated topic to unrelated topic within each chapter. And each chapter flows right into the next. Because I can understand it, I feel smart while reading it. The random facts and information that this book will expose you to with such clarity makes it a rare find.
The Official Website of "Thirteen Things That Don't Make Sense"
Your Brain: A User's Guide - Time Magazine Special Edition
"Trying to map the brain has always been cartography for fools. Most of the other parts of the body reveal their workings with little more than a glance. The heart is self-evidently a pump; the lungs are clearly bellows. But the brain, which does more than any other organ, reveals least of all. The 3-lb lump of wrinkled tissue - with no moving parts, no joints or valves - not only serves as the motherboard for all the body's other systems but also is the seat of your mind, your thoughts, your sense that you exist at all. You have a liver, you have your limbs. You are your brain."
Who would enjoy this:
Everybody who is or ever has been curious about existence, the brain, the mind, addiction, disorders, etc.
Chapters:
1. Introduction
A galaxy of human experience lives inside your head
2. Five Paths To The Mind
There is no single route to understanding the brain, as centuries of study have shown.
3. Consciousness
Computers have no idea they're here. You do. What explains the ineffable sense?
4. Learning
Your brain starts outs hungry for knowledge and speands a lifetime satisfying its craving
5. Postcards from the Brain
Technology is allowing us to produce better and better pictures of the mind at work.
6. Disorders
It's a terrible thing when a mind breaks down, but there are ways to fix what ails it.
7. Maturing
Muscles and bones simply age, but the brain grows wiser and better with the years
8. The Face of Genius
We can't define what a genius is, but we know when we see it. A gallery of the greats.
9. Memory
Data storage seems unexciting until your own ability to recall things seems to go on the fritz.
10. Morality
We are the best of animals, and we are the worst. The brain drives us to be both.
11. The world within
Amateurs and pros have had their go at understanding the brain - for science and profit
12. Addiction
Even the brightest brains make terrible choices when chemistry hijacks reason
13. Healing
Doctors aren't the only ones who can make you well. Part of any cure may be within you
What I like about this book:
Technically, it's a special edition magazine, so it's a collection of articles from Time Magazine. Therefore, it's a quick read. And if you can read Time, you can read this. The great thing about it is the variety of the topics. And it covers nearly every topic. Uses visuals and charts & is in full color.
More info @ this site: Click Here
And this article: Click here
...More & better info to come :)
