The Climate Cure: Solving the Climate Emergency in the Era of COVID-19 by Tim Flannery

$24.99 AUD

Category: Science

Australians are witnessing an unprecedented government response to crisis-swift decisive action to avert catastrophe. And the advice of scientists has informed every step of the way. But for decades the advice of scientists on the impending catastrophe that climate change will bring has been ignored, di smissed and even ridiculed. Renowned climate scientist Tim Flannery takes aim at those in government and in the fossil fuel industries for their inaction and lies in response to calls to address the very real and immediate threats posed by climate change. Threats that are now upon us, as the 2019/20 Australian bushfires and floods have shown. Flannery sees 2020 as a turning point. He explores the measures at our disposal to reduce CO2 emissions. He looks at the ways carbon can be drawn out of the atmosphere and safely stored to stabilise atmospheric carbon levels. And he demands a new approach that puts tackling climate change in the hands of the scientists who can lead the way. The Climate Cure is an action plan for survival, a call for government policies that, like its COVID-19 response, rise to the very real climate challenges we face. There is reason for optimism-if we act now. ...Show more

Fight for Planet A by Craig Reucassel

$34.99 AUD

Category: Science

What we can do when there's no planet B. Based on the hit ABC series - don't leave earth without it Most Australians accept that climate change is real, but many don't know what to do about it and feel powerless to make a difference. In Fight for Planet A, the book of the ABC series of the same name, Cr aig Reucassel shows that it isn't as scary as we think, and we can make a difference to help protect the world for future generations. The Chaser comedian and presenter of War on Waste sets out solutions and practical day-to-day changes we can make to reduce our carbon footprint, as well changes our governments need to make without further delay. Find out: - Why 'avoid, renew, reduce and offset' should be the new Insta mantra - Why solar and a thing called Green Power can cut your carbon footprint, even if underfloor heating and hydroponics are your thing - How the government's substantial investment in discussion papers means we lag behind most of the world when it comes to low-emission cars - How electric cars have more grunt than your average muscle car - Why Australians pay coal mining companies more than $1 billion a year 'to help with their diesel bills' - How long we could power our homes on the emissions generated by our favourite cuts of beef. Featuring a few shocking statistics to make you sit up and take notice, plus many more pro-active tips and strategies for everyday people who want to make a difference, A Fight for Planet A is for anyone who has no Planet B - which is most of us. ...Show more

The Secret Life of Stars: Astrophysics for Everyone by Lisa Harvey-Smith

$34.99 AUD

Category: Science

The Secret Life of Stars takes us on a cosmic journey to meet some of the weirdest, most extreme and enigmatic stars in the universe.‘Astrophysics made fun!’Pam Melroy, former astronaut and space shuttle commander‘The most enjoyable stroll through the cosmos’Gerry Griffin, f ormer flight director, Apollo Mission ControlWe all know the Sun, the powerhouse of our solar system, but what about Luyten’s Flare, the Rosino-Zwicky Object or Chanal’s variable star? For those whose curiosity takes them far beyond Earth’s atmosphere, The Secret Life of Stars offers a personal and readily understood introduction to some of the Galaxy’s most remarkable stars.Each chapter connects us to the various different and unusual stars and their amazing characteristics and attributes, from pulsars, blue stragglers and white dwarfs to cannibal stars and explosive supernovae. With chapter illustrations by Eirian Chapman, this book brings to life the remarkable personalities of these stars, reminding readers what a diverse and unpredictable universe we live in and how fortunate we are to live around a stable star, our Sun. ...Show more

The Next Great Migration - The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move by Sonia Shah

$29.99 AUD

Category: Science

'Rich with eclectic research and on-the-ground reporting, Shah's book presents us with a dazzlingly original picture of our relentlessly mobile species' NAOMI KLEIN'Fascinating . . . Likely to prove prophetic in the coming months and years' OBSERVER'A dazzling tour through 300 years of scientific histor y' PROSPECT'A hugely entertaining, life-affirming and hopeful hymn to the glorious adaptability of life on earth' SCOTSMANWe are surrounded by stories of people on the move. Wild species, too, are escaping warming seas and desiccated lands in a mass exodus. Politicians and the media present this upheaval of migration patterns as unprecedented, blaming it for the spread of disease and conflict, and spreading anxiety across the world as a result. But the science and history of migration in animals, plants, and humans tell a different story. Far from being a disruptive behaviour, migration is an ancient and lifesaving response to environmental change, a biological imperative as necessary as breathing. Climate changes triggered the first human migrations out of Africa. Falling sea levels allowed our passage across the Bering Sea. Unhampered by borders, migration allowed our ancestors to people the planet, into the highest reaches of the Himalayan Mountains and the most remote islands of the Pacific, disseminating the biological, cultural and social diversity that ecosystems and societies depend upon. In other words, migration is not the crisis - it is the solution. Tracking the history of misinformation from the 18th century through to today's anti-immigration policies, The Next Great Migration makes the case for a future in which migration is not a source of fear, but of hope.   ...Show more

Is the Moon Upside Down? by Greg Quicke

$29.99 AUD

Category: Science

During his younger days working as a bush mechanic and pearl diver in remote WA, Greg Quick spent countless nights lying in a swag and staring at the stars. That daily distraction grew into a passion that has seen him become one of Australia's best known and most engaging astronomers. In recent years Gr eg - aka 'Space Gandalf' - has taken on cult status among audiences via his appearances alongside Professor Brian Cox in the hit TV series Stargazing Live. Greg's practical explanations of the complexities of space have also earned him respect from astronomers around the world. Is The Moon Upside Down?is an absorbing guided tour of the cosmos as seen through Greg's eyes. Unlike many of his peers who studied at university he offers a unique and refreshing perspective on astronomy that was instead forged on cliff tops outside Alice Springs, in the endless expanse of the Great Sandy Desert, on the floor of the Indian Ocean and in his own front yard in Broome. No matter what mysteries you've pondered about Earth's astral dance with the Sun, planets, Moon and the stars, it's guaranteed Greg has thought about them too, and the answers can be found in the pages of this book.   ...Show more

Stephen Hawking by Leonard Mlodinow

$35.00 AUD

Category: Science

An icon of the last fifty years, Stephen Hawking seems to encapsulate genius- not since Albert Einstein has a scientific figure held such a position in popular consciousness. In this enthralling memoir, writer and physicist Leonard Mlodinow tells the story of his friend and their friendship, offering an intimate account of this giant of science. The two met in 2003, when Stephen asked Leonard if he would consider writing a book with him, the follow up to the bestselling A Brief History of Time. As they spent years working on a second book, The Grand Design, they forged a deep connection and Leonard gained a much better understanding of Stephen's daily life and struggles - as well as his compassion and good humour. Together they obsessed over the perfect sentence, debated the physics, and occasionally punted on Cambridge's waterways with champagne and strawberries. In time, Leonard was able to finish Stephen's jokes, chide his sporadic mischief, and learn how the hardships of his illness helped forge that unique perspective on the universe. By weaving together their shared story with a clear-sighted portrayal of Hawking's scientific achievements, Mlodinow creates a beautiful portrait of Stephen Hawking as a brilliant, impish and generous man whose life was not only exceptional but also genuinely inspiring. ...Show more

There Are Places in the World Where Rules Are Less Important Than Kindness - And Other Thoughts on Physics, Philosophy and the World by Carlo Rovelli

$35.00 AUD

Category: Science

One of the most inspiring and counter-intuitive thinkers of our age, the bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, transforms the way we think about the world with his reflections on science, history and humanity In this collection of writings, the logbook of an intelligence always on the mo ve, Carlo Rovelli follows his curiosity and invites us on a voyage through science, history, philosophy and politics. Written with his usual clarity and wit, these pieces range widely across time and space: from Newton's alchemy to Einstein's mistakes, from Nabokov's butterflies to Dante's cosmology, from travels in Africa to the consciousness of an octopus, from mind-altering psychedelic substances to the meaning of atheism. Charming, pithy and elegant, this book is the perfect gateway to the universe of one of the most influential scientists of our age. ...Show more

Invention of Surgery by David Schneider

$34.99 AUD

Category: Science

The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking): Five Ways the Universe Might End (but Don't Panic) by Katie Mack

$39.99 AUD

Category: Science

We know the universe had a beginning. But what happens at the end of the story? With lively wit and wry humour, astrophysicist Katie Mack takes us on a mind-bending tour through each of the cosmos' possible finales: the Big Crunch, Heat Death, Vacuum Decay, the Big Rip and the Bounce. Guiding us throug h major concepts in quantum mechanics, cosmology, string theory and much more, she describes how small tweaks to our incomplete understanding of reality can result in starkly different futures. Our universe could collapse in upon itself, or rip itself apart, or even - in the next five minutes - succumb to an inescapable expanding bubble of doom. This captivating story of cosmic escapism examines a mesmerizing yet unfamiliar physics landscape while sharing the excitement a leading astrophysicist feels when thinking about the universe and our place in it. Amid stellar explosions and bouncing universes, Mack shows that even though we puny humans have no chance of changing how it all ends, we can at least begin to understand it. The End of Everything is a wildly fun, surprisingly upbeat ride to the farthest reaches of all that we know. ...Show more

The Best Australian Science Writing 2020 by Sara Phillips (Editor)

$32.99 AUD

Category: Science

The annual collection – now in its tenth year – celebrating the finest voices in Australian science writing.Can fish feel pain? Does it matter if a dingo is different from a dog? Is there life in a glob of subterranean snot? Science tackles some unexpected questions. At a time when the world is buffeted by the effects of a pandemic, climate change and accelerating technology, the fruits of scientific labour and enquiry have never been more in demand. Who better to navigate us through these unprecedented days than Australia's best science writers.Now in its tenth year, this much-loved anthology selects the most riveting, entertaining, poignant and fascinating science stories and essays from Australian writers, poets and scientists. In their expert hands such ordinary objects as milk and sticky tape become imbued with new meaning, while the furthest reaches of our universe are made more familiar and comprehensible.With a foreword from Nobel laureate and immunologist Peter C Doherty, this collection brings fresh perspective to the world you thought you knew. ...Show more

What Is Life? Understand Biology in Five Steps by Sir Paul Nurse

$24.99 AUD

Category: Science

Life is all around us, abundant and diverse. It is truly a marvel. But what does it actually mean to be alive, and how do we decide what is living and what is not? After a lifetime of studying life, Nobel Prize-winner Sir Paul Nurse, one of the world's leading scientists, has taken on the challenge of d efining it. Written with great personality and charm, his accessible guide takes readers on a journey to discover biology's five great building blocks, demonstrates how biology has changed and is changing the world, and reveals where research is headed next. To survive all the challenges that face the human race today - population growth, pandemics, food shortages, climate change - it is vital that we first understand what life is. Never before has the question 'What is life?' been answered with such insight, clarity, and humanity, and never at a time more urgent than now. 'Paul Nurse is about as distinguished a scientist as there could be. He is also a great communicator. This book explains, in a way that is both clear and elegant, how the processes of life unfold, and does as much as science can to answer the question posed by the title. It's also profoundly important, at a time when the world is connected so closely that any new illness can sweep from nation to nation with immense speed, that all of us - including politicians - should be as well-informed as possible. This book provides the sort of clarity and understanding that could save many thousands of lives. I learned a great deal, and I enjoyed the process enormously.' -Sir Philip Pullman 'A nearly perfect guide to the wonder and complexity of existence.' -Bill Bryson 'Nurse provides a concise, lucid response to an age-old question. His writing is not just informed by long experience, but also wise, visionary, and personal. I read the book in one sitting, and felt exhilarated by the end, as though I'd run for miles - from the author's own garden into the interior of the cell, back in time to humankind's most distant ancestors, and through the laboratory of a dedicated scientist at work on what he most loves to do.' -Dava Sobel ...Show more

Novacene by James Lovelock

$19.99 AUD

Category: Science

At 100-years-old, the originator of the Gaia theory welcomes the takeover of artificial intelligence, and offers a mischievous, wit-filled, and scientifically backed vision of a future epoch in which humans and AI together will help the Earth survive--no extraterrestrial influence necessary. Far from v isions of green bodied extraterrestrials, the violent machine takeovers found in Sci Fi, and pods of the mega-wealthy fleeing to Mars, Wollaston Medal winner James Lovelock explores the Novacene--a new age in which beings will emerge from existing artificial intelligence systems. Leaving the Anthropocene--the age in which humans acquired planetary-scale technologies--behind, the Novacene introduces beings that will think 10,000 times faster than we do and they will regard us as we now regard plants. Still in need of planetary cooling systems to defend them from the sun, these hyperintelligent beings will be as dependent on the health of the planet as we are--making us partners in defending Gaia. Perhaps, he speculates, the Novacene could even be the beginning of a process that will finally lead to intelligence suffusing the entire cosmos. At the age of 100, James Lovelock has produced the most important and compelling work of his life. ...Show more