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Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
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33607002653908 | Palouse Heritage Collection | 001.9 DARLING | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
Acerbic dark humour meets hardcore science in this mind-boggling exploration of the nine worst ways the world could end
Which will get us first? The supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park? An asteroid hurtling through outer space? Black holes from CERN gobbling up the solar system? An army of deranged nanobots? Or - who knows - alien invasion?
Armed with lavish illustrations and their one-of-a-kind "Catastrophometer", Dr David Darling and Dr Dirk Schulze-Makuch introduce the disasters you never saw coming, unpicking the science that makes them genuine possibilities, and providing everything from survival tips to danger ratings. So sit back, face the inevitable, and discover the delights of the nine oddest ways the world could end.
Author Notes
Dr David Darling is an astronomer, freelance science writer, and creator of one of the most popular online encyclopedias of space and astrobiology. He is the author of the bestselling Equations of Eternity . Dr Dirk Schulze-Makuch is Professor in Astrobiology at Washington State University. His research has been widely published in media ranging from academic journals to The New Scientist . Together they are the authors of the critically-acclaimed We Are Not Alone .
Reviews (1)
Library Journal Review
Astronomer and freelance writer Darling (Gravity's Arc: The Story of Gravity from Aristotle to Einstein and Beyond) and Schulze-Makuch (astrobiology, Washington State Univ.; Voids of Eternity: Alien Encounter) serve up a hearty dose of knowledge seasoned with humor. Readers have nine chapters to delve into, each covering its own "megacatastrophe," e.g., nanotechnology, earthquakes, near-earth objects, and disease. Each chapter concludes with the authors' "catastrophometer" rating, a numberÅbetween one and ten, measuring that particular event's likelihood of occurring within the next 100Åyears. Darling and Schulze-Makuch provide the most current scientific data available on each potential catastrophe and explain why they are unlikely to occur. Verdict Readers will enjoy taking a look into the science behind the disasters so often in the news. Clear and informative, this book is recommended for all readers of popular science.-Michael D. Cramer, Schwarz BioSciences, Research Triangle Park, NC (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.