Tom Jackson

"The refrigerator may seem mundane nowadays, but it is one of the wonders of twentieth-century science--lifesaver, food preserver, social liberator. Part historical narrative, part scientific decoder, Chilled looks at early efforts to harness the cold at the ice pits of Persia (Iranians still call their fridges the "ice pit") and ice harvests on the Regents Canal. As people learned more about what cold actually was, scientists invented machines for...

Which is the densest element? Which has the largest atoms? And why are some elements radioactive? From the little-known uses of gold in medicine to the development of the hydrogen bomb, this is a fresh new look at the Periodic Table. Combining cutting edge science with fascinating facts and stunning infographics, this book looks at the extraordinary stories of discovery, amazing properties and surprising uses of each elements, whether solid, liquid...

Do you want to understand the history and forces that created our planet and are still shaping it today? Through 100 pivotal milestones, this gorgeous reference book and timeline shows how our planet evolved from a disk of dust left behind by a young Sun and how it is constantly altered by events such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. The accessible text describes the Earth's ever-changing layers and what researchers have learned about...

An essential guide to milestone developments in astronomy, telling the story of our ideas about space, time, and the physics of the cosmos--from ancient times to the present day. From planets and stars to black holes and the Big Bang, take a journey through the wonders of the universe. Featuring topics from the Copernican Revolution to the mind-boggling theories of recent science, The Astronomy Book uses flowcharts, graphics, and illustrations to...