"The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets" is a book written by Simon Singh, published in 2013. It explores the mathematical concepts and ideas that are woven into the episodes of the long-running animated television series "The Simpsons." Singh, a popular science writer, delves into how various mathematical theories and principles are cleverly integrated into the show's humor and storytelling. The book discusses topics such as calculus, game theory, and probability, using specific examples from "The Simpsons" episodes to illustrate these concepts.
"The Unimaginable Mathematics of Borges' Library of Babel" is a concept that stems from Jorge Luis Borges’ short story "The Library of Babel," which imagines an infinite library containing every possible book consisting of a certain number of characters. In his narrative, Borges describes the library as containing an infinite number of hexagonal rooms, and within these rooms are shelves filled with books that contain every combination of letters, spaces, and punctuation marks.
"Billions and Billions" is a phrase popularized by the late astrophysicist Carl Sagan, primarily in reference to the vastness of the universe and the immense numbers involved in scientific concepts. It gained public attention through Sagan’s television series "Cosmos" and his book "Pale Blue Dot." The phrase is often used colloquially to emphasize large quantities or to denote something on an astronomical scale.
"Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy" is a popular science book written by physicist Kip S. Thorne, published in 1994. In the book, Thorne explores the concepts of black holes, wormholes, and time travel, delving into both the theoretical physics behind these phenomena and their implications for our understanding of the universe.
"Chaos: Making a New Science" is a popular science book written by James Gleick, published in 1987. The book explores the concept of chaos theory, which revolutionized various fields of study by highlighting how complex systems can exhibit unpredictable and seemingly random behavior, even when governed by deterministic laws.
"Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs" is a book authored by physicist Lisa Randall, published in 2015. In this work, Randall explores the intriguing intersection of astrophysics and paleontology, proposing a theory that connects dark matter—a mysterious, invisible substance that makes up a significant portion of the universe—with the extinction events of dinosaurs, particularly the impact that led to the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs around 66 million years ago.
"Fundamentals: Ten Keys to Reality" is a book by physicist and author A. M. (Alfred) E. H. R. White, in which he explores fundamental concepts in physics and their implications for understanding the universe. The book presents ten key principles that serve as foundational elements in our comprehension of reality, blending physics, philosophy, and insights from various scientific fields.
"Mars and the Mind of Man" is a book by science fiction author and futurist David Brin, published in 1992. The book explores the relationship between humanity and the planet Mars, focusing on both the scientific and cultural aspects of Mars exploration. Brin delves into the implications of potential human colonization of Mars, the search for extraterrestrial life, and how our understanding of Mars reflects our own human nature and aspirations.
The phrase "Physicist and Christian" generally refers to a person who identifies as both a physicist—a scientist who specializes in the study of physics, which is the natural science that studies matter, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related concepts of energy and force—and a Christian, someone who follows the teachings of Jesus Christ and adheres to the Christian faith. The relationship between science and religion, particularly Christianity, has been a topic of extensive discussion and debate.
"Physics for Future Presidents: The Science Behind the Headlines" is a book written by Richard A. Muller, a physicist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley. The book aims to provide a concise and accessible overview of the fundamental principles of physics in the context of contemporary issues and challenges that political leaders, particularly presidents, may face. Muller explores a range of topics, including energy policy, global warming, nuclear weapons, and the implications of scientific advances on society.
"The Cosmic Landscape" refers to a concept introduced by theoretical physicist Leonard Susskind in his book titled *The Cosmic Landscape: String Theory and the Illusion of Intelligent Design*, published in 2005. In this work, Susskind explores the implications of string theory and the multiverse concept, particularly how they relate to the fine-tuning of the fundamental parameters of our universe.
"The End of Time" is a book written by physicist and philosopher Julian Barbour, first published in 1999. In this work, Barbour presents a unique perspective on time and its nature, questioning the conventional understanding of time as a linear progression of past, present, and future events. Barbour argues that time does not exist in the traditional sense; instead, he posits that what we perceive as time is merely a sequence of changing states or "nows.
"The Birth and Death of the Sun" typically refers to the life cycle of the Sun, our star, which is modeled through the processes of stellar evolution. **Birth of the Sun:** The Sun was born about 4.6 billion years ago from the gravitational collapse of a region within a large molecular cloud composed of gas and dust. This process led to the formation of a protostar, which eventually accumulated enough mass to start nuclear fusion in its core.
"The Cosmic Connection" is a work by the well-known astronomer Carl Sagan, first published in 1973. The book is a blend of science, philosophy, and humanity's place in the universe. It explores themes like the nature of the universe, the potential for extraterrestrial life, and the interconnectedness of all things, emphasizing how humans are part of a larger cosmic context. Sagan delves into topics such as evolution, the development of intelligence, and the importance of scientific inquiry.
Biological dispersal refers to the movement of organisms from one location to another, which can affect their distribution, population dynamics, and community structure. This process can occur at various scales and involves different modes of movement, such as: 1. **Seed Dispersal**: In plants, seeds may be dispersed by natural means such as wind, water, or animals.
Biological exponential growth refers to a pattern of population growth where the number of individuals in a population increases rapidly over time under ideal environmental conditions. This phenomenon occurs when resources are abundant and environmental factors do not limit reproduction and survival. Key characteristics of biological exponential growth include: 1. **Rapid Growth Rate**: When conditions are favorable, populations can grow at a constant rate, resulting in a doubling of the population size over regular intervals.
"The Flying Circus of Physics" is a book written by Jearl Walker, first published in 1975. It presents various physics concepts through a collection of amusing and thought-provoking problems and scenarios. The book is unique in its approach, as it uses a whimsical style to make complex physical principles more accessible and engaging for readers. The title suggests a playful exploration of physics, evoking images of a circus that features surprising, entertaining, and often counterintuitive demonstrations of physical phenomena.
"The Mysterious Universe" can refer to various topics, including the vastness and complexity of the cosmos as a subject of scientific inquiry and philosophical contemplation. It often encompasses questions about the nature of dark matter and dark energy, the potential for extraterrestrial life, black holes, the origins of the universe, and the laws of physics that govern cosmic phenomena.
"The Trouble with Physics: The Rise of String Theory, the Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next" is a book written by physicist Lee Smolin, published in 2006. In this work, Smolin critically examines the state of theoretical physics, particularly focusing on string theory, which had been gaining prominence as a leading candidate for a unified theory of physics.
"Three Roads to Quantum Gravity" is a book written by physicist Lee Smolin, published in 2001. In this work, Smolin explores various approaches to developing a theory of quantum gravity—an area of theoretical physics that seeks to reconcile the principles of quantum mechanics with those of general relativity, which describes gravity.
Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project
Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
Intro to OurBigBook
. Source. We have two killer features:
- topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculusArticles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
- a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
- a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.Figure 1. Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page. View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivativeVideo 2. OurBigBook Web topics demo. Source. - local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
- to OurBigBook.com to get awesome multi-user features like topics and likes
- as HTML files to a static website, which you can host yourself for free on many external providers like GitHub Pages, and remain in full control
Figure 2. You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either OurBigBook.com or as a static website.Figure 3. Visual Studio Code extension installation.Figure 5. . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally. Video 3. Edit locally and publish demo. Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension. - Infinitely deep tables of contents:
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact