Electric Universe by David Bodanis

Electric Universe by David Bodanis

The bestselling author of E=mc2 weaves tales of romance, divine inspiration, and fraud through an account of the invisible force that permeates our universe--electricity--and introduces us to the virtuoso scientists who plumbed its secrets.

For centuries, electricity was seen as little more than a curious property of certain substances that sparked when rubbed. Then, in the 1790s, Alessandro Volta began the scientific investigation that ignited an explosion of knowledge and invention. The force that once seemed inconsequential was revealed to be responsible for everything from the structure of the atom to the functioning of our brains. In harnessing its power, we have created a world of wonders--complete with roller coasters and radar, computer networks and psychopharmaceuticals.

In Electric Universe, the great discoverers come to life in all their brilliance and idiosyncrasy, including the visionary Michael Faraday, who struggled against the prejudices of the British class system, and Samuel Morse, a painter who, before inventing the telegraph, ran for mayor of New York City on a platform of persecuting Catholics. Here too is Alan Turing, whose dream of a marvelous thinking machine--what we know as the computer--was met with indifference, and who ended his life in despair after British authorities forced him to undergo experimental treatments to "cure" his homosexuality.

From the frigid waters of the Atlantic to the streets of Hamburg during a World War II firestorm to the interior of the human body, Electric Universe is a mesmerizing journey of discovery.

DAVID BODANIS studied mathematics, physics, and history at the University of Chicago, and for many years taught Oxford University's Intellectual Tool-Kit course. He is the author of numerous publications, including The Secret Mansion, which was turned into the PBS NOVA documentary Einstein's Big Idea, and E=mc2, which was adapted into the PBS NOVA documentary Einstein's Big Idea. He is also a futurist and business counselor who has worked for the Royal Dutch Shell Scenario Prediction section, modeling economic futures, as well as the World Economic Forum's future planning unit. He has spoken at TED conferences and the World Economic Forum in Davos, and he most recently assisted in the running of an international research for the UK Treasury on the future of high-frequency trading. The Financial Times, the Guardian, and the New York Times have all featured Bodanis' work. He is based in London.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780307335982
ISBN 10	0307335984
Title	Electric Universe
Author	David Bodanis
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Random House USA Inc
Year published	2006-02-28
Number of pages	320
Prizes	Winner of New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age 2006
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.