The Universe and the Teacup by Kc Cole

The Universe and the Teacup by Kc Cole

Mathematics, the most robust and breathtaking creation of the human mind, reveals the tiniest particles that make up our world and takes us to the farthest points of the universe. Its power is daunting. In this work, the author seeks to demystify mathematics using real-life concepts such as risk, scale, cause-and-chance and probability to help us to break the mind barrier; in its elegance, maths simplifies problems so we can understand and solve them. Our search for the truths of the universe could not succeed without it. Einstein's theory of relativity would never have worked had it not been for a little-known woman mathematician who, in the 19th century, discovered the crucial importance of symmetry to maths and physics. The story of Emmy Noether and Albert Einstein ends in an amazing journey that begins in the human mind and finishes at the edges of the universe.

'THE UNIVERSE AND THE TEACUP stands blissfully apart from all the recent books that have tried to analyse, exploit or quell the epidemic fear of mathematics' - Dava Sobel, author of LONGITUDE

'An elegant study of the way maths can provide solutions to everyday problems always highly readable' - Simon Singh, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH (author of FERMAT'S LAST THEOREM)

'After reading it, I predict you'll find yourself 'seeing' little nuggets of mathematics shining out at you pretty much everywhere' Robert Matthews, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

'This book is a romp through the world of mathematics and science.' INDEPENDENT

Full of fascinating insights, this book shows that maths can be fun. FOCUS

'"Pure mathematics," Albert Einstein once remarked, "is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas." In The Universe and the Teacup, Los Angeles Times science writer K. C. Cole discusses some of the ways this "poetry" can be used to look at science and other realms of experience.

Mathematics, Cole explains, enables us to "translate the complexity of the world into manageable patterns," whether we're trying to comprehend the risks of smoking or the usefulness of DNA matches in criminal investigations. Cole also looks at how mathematical principles apply inunexpected fields. Without relying on a single equation, Cole's gently humorous prose helps make mathematics unthreatening to laypeople, enab

K C Cole is a science writer and editor at the LOS ANGELES TIMES. She is the recipient of the 1995 American Institute of Physics Award for Best Science Writing.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780349111193
ISBN 10	0349111197
Title	The Universe and the Teacup
Author	K C Cole
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Little, Brown Book Group
Year published	1999-03-04
Number of pages	234
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.