Book Description

In Secrets of Cold War Technology, Gerry Vassilatos reveals that "Death Ray" technology has been secretly researched and developed since the turn of the century. Included are chapters on H. C. Vion, the developer of auroral energy receivers; Dr. Selim Lemstrom's pre-Tesla experiments; the early beam weapons of Grindell-Mathews; John Hettenger and his early beam power systems; Ulivi Turpain and others.

Learn about Project Argus, Project Teak and Project Orange; EMP experiments back in the '60s; why the Air Force directed the construction of a huge ionospheric "backscatter" telemetry system across the Pacific just after World War II; why Raytheon has collected every patent relevant to HAARP over the past few years; and much more pertinent information on hidden Cold War technology. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Interesting introduction to a new technology era.
First chapters are about Tesla vs Marconi fight. Sorry but I've never been so deep interested in Marconi's life so I can't compare him with that huge cience man called Tesla.
At following chapters it's possible to find a lot of really interesting introductory info about war- free energy - weapons- business, civilian and military search. Maybe 50 or more pages could be drawn by avoiding unnecessary author comments.
Any way I recomend any science free energy search interested people to read this book.

...
Whoever proofed this text seemingly wasn't paying much attention to their work; there are a fair number of typographical errors throughout the book.

Editorial mistakes aside, this book provides a detailed and truthful history of wave and impulse technologies and weapons tested or employed by industry and/or military between the late 19th century and today.

The first chapters provide accounts of Nikola Tesla's aetheric energy/impulse experiments of the late 1800s. There's enough information here to bore anybody with a physics or engineering background (unlike myself), but it's a neccessary introduction to the remainder of the book. Consipracy theories regarding wave-based mind control and communications "blackout" technologies are clarified or disproved, and the frightful capabilities of real EMP and ray weapons are revealed. The last few chapters discussing HAARP/IRI and related projects are brief but informative; I expected much more information based on the title. A thorough bibliography which cites patent information is included to support the author's statements.

The book has its shortcomings, but to discuss the topics and projects covered in the text in greater scientific detail would require hundreds of additional pages. I recommend this book to anybody with an amateur interest in Cold War weapons technology, and as an introduction to Teslian technology and the history of wave radio.

A true history
Secrets shines the light of clarity and understanding on a subject most often clouded in conspiratist hysteria. Much of the book does center on the actions of Tesla, but there can be no explication of mankinds technological potentials and future without mention of the paths ALREADY laid out before us upon which we PUBLICALLY have not tread. Read this book and KNOW.

Oscillations of Vassilatos
The first half of the book is nothing but Tesla. A far too long history lesson for the rest of the book. The second half of the book does deal with cold war tech, but the HAARP project, mentioned in the title, only appears briefly.

According to Mr. Vassilatos, every technology in use is a pale imitation of, failed attempt at, or based upon a Teslian patent. I was surprised when fire wasn't included as an invention of Tesla's.

There are whole chapters which read as if a second author wrote them. Ghost writers aren't bad, but these chapters didn't fit.

The editing is THE WORST I have ever seen (I read over 30 books a year). The author is redundant in handling the material. The book could easily have been 50-100 pages shorter and still covered all the discussions. Misspelled words were so common, they shattered what continuity the story did have. If I was the author, I would be mad as hell at the way this book was published. As a reader, I am never going to buy another book published by Adventures Unlimited Press, assuming the text mistakes are theirs.

I liked the info about Tesla and the included bibliography. ... Read more

Book Description

How can you teach your students about atoms with a sealed shoebox?
What kind of liquid defies Newton's law of viscosity?
Just how biodegradable are biodegradable materials?

Doing labs to bring to life the science standards your students must meet is easy with Team Science.

The stereotype of the lonely scientist, a recluse in his or her lab, couldn't be more false-real science is a team activity. Your students will relish taking official laboratory "roles" as they perform the science labs in Team Science. You'll delight in classroom-tested labs-complete with specific directions for organizing your class into independent, creative groups-reproducible handouts, and six "extra effort" projects.

These 34 hands-on experiments are designed to be completed in one class period (about 40 minutes from set up to clean up) and will help you reinforce concepts in earth, life, and physical sciences. ... Read more

Book Description

Science Fair Projects for Elementary Schools offers step-by-step instructions for a hands-on learning experience for children in grades 2-5 who are doing science fair projects. Curiosity Bug, a friendly companion, guides the student through every step of a science fair project: finding and researching a topic, developing a controlled experiment, making graphs, and designing a display. Curiosity Bug's sample project provides the child with a detailed example, and worksheets allow the child to work comfortably with his or her own data. Subsequent chapters include two sample projects in each field of science (animals and insects, plants, chemistry, the environment, and microscopes). These are perfect starter projects presented in cookbook style with complete instructions and resources. The child can choose one, follow the procedures given, and plug in his or her data and results. "Science Fair Projects for Elementary Schools" also provides examples of graphs, ideas for display, and opportunities for further research. Each chapter also includes ten other project ideas and a list of related children's books. A final section provides parents, teachers, and librarians with sample letters, forms, and layouts to facilitate setting up a science fair. This book is sure to spark any student's interest in the intriguing, absorbing world of science. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Necessity for young scientists!
Science Fair.....What is it? This book tells you that and much more, step-by-step. It is the best introduction to participating in and organizing a Science Fair that I've seen. Written with elementary age students in mind, SCINECE FAIR PROJECTS FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS by Patricia Wee,is also aimed at the adults envolved with these students and is extremely helpful telling them what needs to be done to succeed. Everything you need to know is right here and "Curiosity Bug" actually talks the students through every step of a project. Lots of Project ideas are included, too. It's a wonderful guide for students, teachers, and parents. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Not Just Animals Suffer
Finally, voices against animal experimentation that the medical establishment will not successfully derogate! In this book, scientists and science-minded readers will find exhaustive proof that research and testing that uses animals is not only cruel, but also senseless and dangerous. It's high time someone uncovered how often funds allocated to useless animal-modeled research keep people sick, and how often animal-modeled data make people suffer and even die. Written by a doctor and a veterinarian, Sacred Cows and Golden Geese addresses the topic comprehensively, intelligently, and in a style most readers will appreciate. The Greeks' book should upend misinformation perpetrated by the many, many organizations and businesses that profit from this wholly unscientific convention. As the book explains, delirium over dollars perpetuates animal experimentation. The Greeks write that they regularly debate animal experimenters and animal experimentation lobbyists. Maybe this book will put one of those debates on national television so the public can appreciate the scope of danger and deception animal experimentation exposes us to. I look forward to the Greeks' next book, which they say will cover even more medical disciplines. Everyone should read Sacred Cows and Golden Geese.

why is so little careful criticism of this book to be found?
Animal experimentation is often called a "necessary evil." As the other reviewers say, this book blows the lid off the common claim that animal experimentation is, in fact, "necessary". The Greeks carefully argue that animal experimentation is not (and never has been) necessary for human health and medical progress and that, in fact, human health and safety is often compromised by animal experimentation. Thus, it is only an "evil," for both animals and humans (except for those who profit greatly from it).

Unfortunately, there is little criticism of this book in the literature: carefully read the book and then search for rebuttals. You won't find much. This is not surprising since Dr. Greek often attempts to debate those who make their living on animal experimentation, but more often than not, they won't show up for the debate. Some scientists whine and get emotional about Greek's book, but nobody seriously responds to the Greek's arguments. Nobody provides a scientific case in defense of animal research that is comparable in quality or sophistication to the case against. Animal researchers have, so far, utterly failed at defending what they do from a scientific perspective. Their attempts at doing moral philosophy are even worse. This is unfortunate and one wishes that they would do a better job.

...

The Greeks should hit the Lab!
The Greeks believe computer models and in-vitro work with isolated cells can solve our health problems. Perhaps they are right. But then, I suggest they hit the Lab and show this line of research is feasible. If they can do so, GREAT! I am pretty sure they will then get the attention of Washington to shift funding to such models. Until then, let Science work of us and wait patiently for the Greeks to cure cancer on their PC, or by drawing on the back of their napkin.

Regarding their qualifications: I quick search on www.pubmed.gov shows that "Anesthesiologist Ray Greek and veterinarian Jean Swingle Greek" (as they present their credentials) have produced a total of 0 (yes, that's a ZERO) pieces of research and 8 opinion letters sent to various scientific journals arguing against animal research.

It seems weird that someone without any research experience can write such a book...

best book on the subject--clear, cold-blooded logic
This book stands virtually alone as a well-reasoned defense against vivisection (a.k.a. animal research). The authors make no appeals to emotion. They do not deny that animal research is sometimes cruel. However, compassion and cruelty have nothing to do with their argument.

Greek and Greek-a medical doctor/ veterinary team-argue that animal research hurts people. They point out the countless ways in which animals differ from humans. Veterinarians know that, although the same drugs are used in multiple species, these drugs behave differently and achieve different results in different kinds of animals. Mammals are alike only on the level of gross anatomy. Biochemically, even rats and mice differ enormously, to say nothing of humans and mice.

Tracing the history of western medicine, Greek and Greek show how animal models for disease became part of the expected protocol. They show how these models have hindered doctors and scientists far more than they have helped. They point out that nearly all major breakthroughs in medicine have been initiated not by study in animal models, but by autopsy and clinical studies. Careful observation of human beings by doctors and caretakers has, time and again, led to medical breakthroughs which are later "confirmed" or "substantiated" by animals research. The vivisectionists then claim the laurels for these discoveries when the animals were, in fact, superfluous. Greek and Greek also point out the tremendous harm that animal models have caused. Such models lead to a sense of false confidence that drugs will not be harmful or that the risk is low. In fact, the recall rate for drugs is 50%. Fifty percent have adverse, unexpected side affects after they are loosed on a population that has trusted in animal models. 50% is the toss of a coin! Millions upon millions of dollars are poured into animal tests yearly.

In addition, animal models have slowed the recall of harmful drugs. Thalidomide is one of many examples. This drug causes hideous birth defects in humans, but no birth defects in rats, mice, most rabbits, guinea pigs, and other animals. Doctors realized that the drug was causing birth defects and warned the company, but thalidomide could not be recalled until an animal model was found in which the drug caused birth defects! So thalidomide remained on the market, causing children to be born with flippers, until an obscure species of rabbit was found who also produced deformed kits when given the drug. Only then could thalidomide be recalled!

Greek and Greek show how the idea of the animal model is based on greed and bureaucracy, not good science. They explain that, while scientists of the past were primarily wealthy people doing a hobby they enjoyed, today's scientists are required to continually produce statistically significant results in order to keep their jobs. Just to graduate with a PhD requires a candidate to perform meaningful research. Under these conditions, the temptation to reach for something quick, easy, and difficult-to-disprove are enormous. Rats and mice fit the bill. They breed rapidly, are easy to house, and it takes a long time to show that the result of research in rats does not actually have any useful application for human beings. Clinical students in human beings, on the other hand, can take decades. In addition, human beings are far less corporative than rats, and there are limits to what you can legally do to them and what they will allow you to do. The catch, of course, is that clinical studies in human beings actually produce useful results, whereas animal models very often lead nowhere. Yet university professors anxious to keep their jobs and young students desperate to get their degrees continue to reach again and again for cheap and easy research models. In addition, huge companies manufacture expensive equipment for miniature surgeries on rats, dogs, cats, birds, mice, monkeys, goats, guinea pigs, rats, and all manner of other beasts. These creatures require all manner of housing, some of it vary expensive, and human-type surgeries on them require very specialized and expensive instruments. Animal models are a multimillion dollar industry.

With today's technology, even many clinical studies could be circumvented by using invetro methods. Human cells can be cultivated on a Petri dish or in a test tube and then exposed to various drugs. There is no reason to keep using the clumsy and inaccurate barometer of four-legged creatures.

Greek and Greek fill much of their book with one example after another. Their research is superb. I began the book as a skeptic and ended it as a believer. I have a degree in biology, and I could find nothing wrong with their research. I passed the book on to one of my college biology professors. He was impressed and decided to start including the material in his ethics course.

Whether you are a member of the medical community or merely a consumer, I strongly recommend this book. Whether you agree with all of the Greeks' conclusions or not, they certainly make some valid points and have taken pains with their research. Read the book.

Eye Opening and Logical
After reading this book, I was horrified to learn just how wasteful and archaic live animal research is. I also began to realize just how ridiculously illogical it is. What is the value of using a mouse or monkey model for medical research when it is *humans* that the research is supposed to be benefit?

This also makes great reading because as, one reviewer already put it, it doesn't tackle the ethics of animal research or at least not in the way most would expect it to. There is no room for the reader to whine "I hate that little bunnies are killed but how are we going to cure caaaanncer?". The Greeks deftly show that no, animal research will not cure cancer, at least for humans. ... Read more

Book Description

This practical manual represents a comprehensive, up-to-date compilation of useful chemical ecology techniques and references. Written from the viewpoint of the practitioner, this book and its companion volume on bioassays describe apparatus and methods, providing detailed discussions of the advantages and limitations of various techniques. Taken together, the volumes provide the information required to isolate and identify biologically active chemicals mediating inter- and intraspecific interactions between organisms from most of the major taxa.Methods in Chemical Ecology: Chemical Methods describes both macro- and microscale techniques, paying particular attention to the problems inherent in working with microscale samples. The book is arranged in a logical sequence, beginning with chapters on the initial extraction and purification of compounds, and progressing through methods used in identification of chemical structures, including both instrumental and microchemical methods. The book finishes with chapters on the separation of enantiomers, and the use of electrophysiological techniques. Coverage includes descriptions of both cutting-edge methods such as solid phase microextraction, and methods that have been in common use for a decade or more.With minimal use of technical jargon, this volume is designed as an indispensable reference manual for graduate students as well as experienced researchers. This volume will also serve as a valuable reference book for researchers in many related disciplines, including natural-products chemistry, ecology, botany/plant sciences, zoology, entomology, marine biology and ecology, and pharmacology. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Exploratorium in San Francisco is"a museum of science, art, and human perception founded in 1969 by physicist Frank Oppenheimer. The mission of the Exploratorium is to create innovative learning environments, programs, and tools for exploration that help people of all ages, origins, and geographic locations use their natural curiosity to learn about the world around them." And if you've ever been there, you know that this ambitious mission statement is fulfilled in spades. It is an extraordinary place that I try to visit every time I go to San Francisco.

This delightful book allows you to create your own Exploratorium at home. It's got loads of experiments that, in the best Exploratorium tradition, are fun and highly educational (as an aside, by following one of the exercises, I was able to makea styrofoam airplane that looks suspiciously like the Amazon.com Books logo--and it flies!). Highly Recommended for the curious and playful of any age. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good Fun and Good Science!
Many science experiment books out there either have bad science in them, poorly designed experiments, or unclear directions (or, unfortunately, all three). This book has great experiments that are easy and fun to do. And, the science behind the experiments is accurate and clearly explained. As a scientist, science teacher, and parent, this book is the first one my list of recommendations!

Experiments for "Bring Your Kids to Work" Day
I ordered several books to prepare for the experiments I wanted to present for the "Bring Your Kids to Work" Day. This was, by far, the most useful and most interesting book I received. You can use the experiments listed in the book, and tailor them for younger or older children very easily. I'm going to order the sequel, "Science Explorer, Out and About," today!

The best and easiest book of its kind!
I am an elementary school teacher and the mother of three young children so I have read a lot of books that say they are filled with easy-to-do science experiments but this is by far the best of its kind that I have read. Within the first two hours my kids and I did three of the experiments AND had a great time together AND learned something! ... Read more

Book Description

Is science beautiful? Yes, argues acclaimed philosopher and historian of science Robert P. Crease in this engaging exploration of history’s most beautiful experiments. The result is an engrossing journey through nearly 2,500 years of scientific innovation. Along the way, we encounter glimpses into the personalities and creative thinking of some of the field’s most interesting figures.

We see the first measurement of the earth’s circumference, accomplished in the third century B.C. by Eratosthenes using sticks, shadows, and simple geometry. We visit Foucault’s mesmerizing pendulum, a cannonball suspended from the dome of the Panthéon in Paris that allows us to see the rotation of the earth on its axis. We meet Galileo—the only scientist with two experiments in the top ten—brilliantly drawing on his musical training to measure the speed of falling bodies. And we travel to the quantum world, in the most beautiful experiment of all.

We also learn why these ten experiments exert such a powerful hold on our imaginations. From the ancient world to cutting-edge physics, these ten exhilarating moments reveal something fundamental about the world, pulling us out of confusion and revealing nature’s elegance. The Prism and the Pendulum brings us face-to-face with the wonder of science. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Beauty prizes
The "war" of the humanities against science has been long and arduous. According to Crease, the revelations of science in the 18th and 19th Centuries led the Romanticists to claim nature's wonders had been diluted or destroyed by the "mechanics". He refutes those assertions with an expressive study of ten "beautiful" experiments. Crease isn't arguing for a redefinition of "beauty" in this book. On the contrary, he shows how beauty's normally accepted role in human life can be suitably applied to science's accomplishments.

He admits outright to his own surprise at a researcher's exclamation over a "beautiful" experiment. The novelty of the assertion led him to query many scientists on which experiments might be so considered. The responses both surprised and gratified him. The result of his survey is this excellent book. The ten selected range from the means to first measure the earth to the realization that electrons can be in two places at once. A combination of good science and fine writing, coupled with an astute historical sense make this book a treasure.

What makes an experiment "beautiful"? Crease sets three criteria: depth, efficiency and definitiveness. "Depth" implies something fundamental about the world is revealed by the experiment. Certainly, measuring the globe using shadows in sunlight qualifies that criterion. "Efficiency" means the result is general enough to preclude having to do the experiment in a different manner to gain the same results. "Definitiveness" suggests that anyone can understand both the experiment and its value. Clearly, his ten choices show how these criteria work. Following the descriptive essay, Crease then explains the "beauty" aspect of it in the appropriate scenario, whether music, graphic art or theatre.

Of the ten, the two of the title are symbolic: Newton's breakdown and recombination of sunlight with prisms and Foucault's use of a pendulum to verify the Earth's rotation. Newton's demonstration has probably been castigated by the humanities more than anything else in science. "Unweaving the Rainbow" was the causus belli of the Victorian Romanticists their assault on science. Crease readily dismisses such obscurantism in explaining how valuable an exercise Newton's analysis of light proved. By extending the experiment from breaking down light to recombining it, Newton showed how research, like creating a painting, must reach beyond first results. There is, Crease notes, even a moral lesson in the exercise.

Foucault's pendulum conveys a reality about our world we cannot perceive otherwise. Awed by the realization that only our planet's rotation can force the pendulum to describe a circle while swaying from its mount, Crease applauds the teachers who bring their students to observe it. The experience is so profound, Crease describes it as a manifestation of "sublime beauty". It is clearly an experiment beyond an exercise in either pure mechanics or reasoning. Seeing the swinging orb successively tumbling a set of pegs forces a reconsideration of how we perceive the universe. What else, he asks, might greater perception have in store? This book challenges all who feel their perception of either science or beauty is complete. It is a worthwhile read for anyone asking, at any level, about the world they inhabit. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Beautiful Book...Beautiful Minds...Beautiful Experiments
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The author, Robert Crease, a professor of philosophy and historian, sums up this entire book (that has ten chapters with a separate introduction and conclusion) by telling us to "think of this book as a special kind of gallery [of science experiments]." He goes on to say that "this gallery contains [ten experiments] of rare beauty, each with its own [experimental] design, distinct materials, and unique appeal. You will not like everything equally, for your background, experience, education, and personal taste will incline you to prefer some [experiments] over others."

These experiments were chosen by conducting a poll. The author asked readers of a certain international science magazine what they thought were the most beautiful science experiments. Then the author selected the ten most frequently mentioned candidates. (By the way, the author admits that his "poll, to be sure, was unscientific.")

The ten experiments, from oldest to more recent, are as follows:

(1) An ancient experiment that uses a shadow, a measuring tool, and junior high school geometry. ("It is so simple and instructive that it is reenacted annually, almost 2,500 years later, by school children all around the globe.")

(2) A 400-year-old experiment that was demonstrated on the surface of the Moon in August of 1971 by one of the Apollo 15 astronauts.

(3) "The first modern scientific experiment [done by the same person of (2) above], in which an investigator...planned, staged, and observed a series of actions in order to discover a mathematical law."

(4) A three-centuries-old experiment that the author describes as "a landmark in the history of science [since it reveals a new aspect of nature] and a sensational demonstration of the experimental method."

(5) "A measurement experiment that stood out by [its] extreme degree of precision." (The laboratory where this experiment was first performed was in the same lab where Watson and Crick discovered - many years later - the structure of DNA.)

(6) This experiment was "a classic example of the successful use of analogy in science."

(7) An experiment that uses "one of the simplest devices in science" and enables you "to watch the Earth turn."

(8) A century-old experiment (actually a series of experiments) that was "a defining moment in our electronic age." (This experiment, in my opinion, was rather messy and not really that beautiful.)

(9) An experiment that "marked the birth of modern particle physics." (This is my favorite experiment of these ten.)

(10) This experiment's result "is one of the most awesome and arresting human experiences." (This was the most frequently selected experiment in the poll.)

Throughout the book, two main questions are indirectly answered. These questions are as follows:

(i) "What does it mean for experiments, if they can be beautiful?"

(ii) "And what does it mean for beauty, if experiments can possess it?"

(Both these questions, as well, are given thorough treatment in the book's conclusion.)

Each of the book's ten chapters concludes with a short "interlude." Many of these interludes deal directly or indirectly with beauty in science. For example, there are interludes that have the following titles: "Why Science is Beautiful" and "Does Science Destroy Beauty?" But other subjects are covered in these interludes such as experiment versus demonstration and science & culture. Be sure to read the interlude entitled "The Newton-Beethoven Comparison."

The last chapter has a "Runners-Up" interlude. These are experiments that did not make it into the author's ten-best list.

The conclusion of this book is entitled "Can Science Still be Beautiful?" It details the author's "personal candidate for the most beautiful experiment" and, as already mentioned, gives comprehensive answers to the two main questions stated above.

This book is very easy to read (and the 25 illustrations throughout this book aid in that ease) and assumes no science background. You are given a wealth of historical and biographical information of all major persons involved in each experiment. The only prequisite, I feel, that's needed to read this book is inquisitiveness and curiosity.

What I especially enjoyed about this book is that throughout it we are given some examples of the actual writings of the experimenters (as well as those who admired them and those who did not). One of my favorite writings is as follows: "It was quite the most incredible event that has ever happened to me in my life. It was almost as incredible as if you fired a 15-inch (artillery) shell at a piece of tissue paper and it came back and hit you."

My only complaint is with the book's subtitle: "The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments in Science." Remember that the poll to obtain these ten experiments was unscientific. Thus, I feel that this subtitle is unjustified and perhaps misleading. Therefore, the book's subtitle should more accurately read "Ten Beautiful Experiments in Science."

In conclusion, this is somewhat of a unique book that attempts to explain how science can be beautiful and illustrates this idea with ten beautiful experiments. This book allows the reader to experience science's beauty, mystery, and wonderment. As well, the reader gets to experience the thrill of discovery!!

**** 1/2

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would have been perfect, but my copy was misproduced.
I have a strong background in physics, and I've always been a great lover of science popularization books. I do like the way that this book is written.

But the publisher botched the production! My copy was missing pages 9 to 42, therefore all of chapter two was gone.

Maybe its best to wait for the second printing to be sure this doesn't happen to you...

Good summary of great discoveries
This book was an interesting an fun review of significant scientific discoveries. It provides more detail than I have read about these discoveries, and it left me wanting to find even more detail through other sources.

This book is written for a technical audience, but it does not overwhelm the non-technical reader with a lot of numbers and equations.

A little more techinical detail is needed
This is a good book and was worth my time to read it. I did learn a number of things. I would have rated this book with five stars if more of the technical aspects of the experiments had been discussed. The interludes between chapters didn't interest me at all and in my opinion was space that could have been used to provide more scientific detail. When all is said and done though, this is a good book. ... Read more

Book Description

The Newspaper Truss (A Learning CD) .. Walk across a newspaper bridge !!A Fun Project, CD contains PowerPoint Modules to learn about engineering using simple geometry, video clips of first project, suggestions for your own project.Section with links to cool web sites, including the Library of Congress search engine, and the new video game of bridge design, The West Point Bridge Designer.Contains detailed information from the Library of Congress, including history, pictures and drawings of 5 different types of bridges.

All material is for young learners (Grades 9-12) or anyone interested in the everyday structures around them.Perfect for science club, science fair, or special projects by anyone. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the definitive guide to designing and building warrior robots like those seen on BattleBots, Robotica, and Robot Wars. It walks robot enthusiasts of all ages step-by-step through the design and building process, enabling them to create any number of customized warrior robots. With a strong emphasis on safety, chapters include designing a robot, choosing materials, radio control systems, electric motors, robot batteries, motor speed controllers, gasoline engines, and drive trains. Clear instructions are accompanied by photos, line drawings, and detailed diagrams throughout. For inspiration, a color section showcases a variety of glorious fighting machines along with their stats. Profiles of well-known designers and builders also enliven the text. For beginners, there is machine shop 101 and robot physics, and, of course, chapters on weaponry that include spinner robots, thwackbots, cutting blade robots, lifters, and chameleon robots. When the bot of their dreams is built, suggestions on where to compete and game-day strategies and tactics help readers take the next step. An extensive resource section lists parts suppliers, pertinent Web sites, a radio frequency chart, and a glossary. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great robot combat book for beginners
This book is a must read for those new to the sport and who are interested in R/C robot combat tournaments. It primarily focuses on the basics of robot construction, from locomotion to weapon systems to robot fighting styles. Basic robot physics, tactics and acquiring sponsorship are covered as well. It also presents the issues involved with putting on your own tournament. There are helpful tips from a large assortment of knowledgeable people including top builders, vendors, tournament organizers and more. If you are new to the sport, it is an indispensable source of helpful information. Many 'newbie' mistakes can be avoided with the experience gained from the book. If you have already had lots of robot combat exposure you should recognize most of the material as fundamental, yet it can still be an interesting and informative read. ... Read more

Book Description

How do you make a clock out of an ice cube? Send messages using bubbles? Make money using a tube that waltzes? This collection of curious and offbeat science experiments provides the answers to these and thirty-six other fascinating questions. Accomplished physicist and science writer Neil A. Downie covers a range of phenomena, from the rocking and rolling that drives a waltzing tube; to the fluid mechanics of a coffee-cup rev counter and biceps made from balloons; to the simple chemistry of red–hot batteries and wet solar cells. For each experiment, he provides historical anecdotes about the relevant phenomena, a list of equipment, detailed instructions, and a full explanation—requiring only high-school mathematics—of the science behind the procedure. For those intrigued by any experiment, he includes follow-up suggestions, which describe ways to tinker with the initial "recipe."

This collection of lively experiments, with complete explanations and simple mathematics, will appeal to high–school science teachers, inveterate tinkerers, amateur scientists, or anyone looking for a project for the next science fair. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent!
Ink Sandwiches, Electric Worms, and 37 Other Experiments for Saturday Science is a great book. Good experiments with detailed explantions. One downfall might be a little complicated for grades 1-8. ... Read more

Book Description

In this classic bestseller, Paul de Kruif dramatizes the pioneering bacteriological work of such scientists as Leeuwenhoek, Spallanzani, Koch, Pasteur, Reed, and Ehrlich. This seventieth anniversary edition features a new introduction by F. Gonzalez-Crussi. Index. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Microbe Hunters
I first read this book when I was in grammar school (K-6 level)and found it absolutely fascinating. I couldn't put it down. As a graduate of UC-Berkeley (BA, MS in biology), I highly recommend it not only to aspiring scientists, but to all who enjoy 'mysteries' - true life mysteries! When I was a med student at Albany Medical College, we took physiology and pharmacology in the "T-Smith" building. Theobald Smith was a grad of AMC. You will find his story here in "Ticks and Texas Fever". My copy is falling apart, but I consider it an old friend. It is one book that should be in everyone's library. I disagree (as one reviewer said) that it is "racist". I also disagree that it is not for youngsters. Get this book and treasure it!

An entertaining account of the founders of microbiology.
This book should put all other science stories to shame! First published in 1926, de Kruif elegantly and creatively describes the life and times of microbe hunters, from the very first man to peer into a lense and see the "wretched beasties." The stories are humerous, includes the family influences and accidental occurances with each discovery. A great addition for any science or medical buff! Also enjoyable but a little more tough to read "The Hot Zone" and "The Andromeda Strain" and "The Comming Plauge". I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!! :

Transition in Time
"The Microbe Hunters" charts the amazing shift in medical knowledge from both the historical and philisophical viewpoints. Dr. de Kruif's genius lies in the fact that he can transform the highly technical jargon of medicine into a compelling story of men versus nature. It is very readable!
He maps the course that men such as Pasture and Koch blazed into the realm of scientific methodology that is still revered today. You will feel the heat of the battle as the individuals depicted herein challenged the conventional wisdom of their day and transformed medicine from superstition to a healing art.
I was first introduced to the book in a class on microbiology, but obtained a true education in how curiosity, dedication and perserverance on the part of a few pioneers changed our view of nature forever. This book is a must read for anyone wanting to undrstand numan nature or the strange and wonderful word of pathogens. As a college professor I recomend this book to anyone who wants to find the inspiration for education in one book.

Ripping good stories, better than any fiction
Wonderful book, lively prose, vivid descriptions of the dawn of modern medicine as it was developed in army hospitals, jungles, swamps, and cramped attic "laboratories." And lines like "... the fundemental sadness of Pasteur's life, ....the crown of thorns that madmen wear whose dream it is to change a world in the little seventy years they are allowed to live."

Too bad descriptions of blacks as "darkies" (1924) will keep this book out of the hands of some kids. But come on, these scientists risked their lives and very often died trying to cure the sick in Africa. So can we can cut them a little slack for not being as gloriously enlightened as us, even if they were infintely braver ?

People familiar with biethics or medicine will see a world where many ethical questions that had not been defined. For instance, informed consent and double blind trials were hardly known - almost *none* of the experimental treatments could be done legally today, even though the researchers often used themselves as subjects and died.

One of the best accounts...
I read it when I was a teenager. I still find it perhaps the best account on the early microbe discoverers. Chapters on Van Leeuwenhoek (first thing I did when I arrived in Holland was to look for his house, in Delft...), Spallanzani and Pasteur are masterpieces in itself. Hard to put down. ... Read more

Book Description

Making science more accessible than ever before!

The Essential Science series makes the difficult and fascinating world of cutting-edge science accessible to everyone with a stimulating mix of lively illustrations and jargon-free text. Important scientific theories are explained clearly in these authoritative guides that feature cross-references, glossaries, and thorough indexes. ... Read more

Book Description

Advanced LabVIEW Labs provides a structured introduction to LabVIEW-based laboratory skills. The book can be used as a stand-alone tutorial or as a college-level instructional lab text. The reader learns the LabVIEW programming language while writing meaningful programs that explore useful data analysis techniques (numerical integration and differentiation, least-squares curve-fitting, Fast Fourier Transform) and the mechanics of computer-based experimentation using National Instruments DAQ and GPIB boards.During the course of the book, the reader constructs and investigates the proper usage of several computer-based instruments including a digitizing oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer and PID temperature control system as well as learns to control an instrument through the General Purpose Interface Bus. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

OUTSTANDING book to learn LabView basics
This book is a fantastic hands-on introduction to LabView, probably the best book on this topic a beginner can find. It is extremely clearly written, very well edited (i.e., there are practically no mistakes), and it has excellent illustrations for each step in the process of building VIs.

The book was developed by the author as a student manual for the class he taught. However, it is written so well that I do not understand why a student who has such a book needs an instructor at all. It consists of 12 chapters, all very practical. The first chapter gives a brief introduction to the LabView interface and its editing tools and introduces very simple VIs illustrating the while loop and the waveform chart. Chapters 2 through 8 teach increasingly complicated VIs which utilize the waveforem graph, XY graph, For loop, Formula node, operations with data files and character strings, shift registers, and case and sequence structures. The reader learns how to create arrays of data, perform mathematical operations on them, save them in files and read from files, and how to plot them. There are many practical tips how to navigate the LabView interface quickly and efficiently. Chapters 8 and 9 introduce the advance analysis VIs (included only in the "full" but not in the "base" labview package) and demonstrate how to program nonlinear least squares fitting and Fast Fourier Transform. Finally, the last 3 chapters teach programming of data acquisition boards - analog to digital conversion (digitizing oscilloscope), digital to analog conversion (PID temperature control), and GPIB control of instruments. While the book covers only the essentials of labview, the topics covered and the examples presented are extremely useful, and they all a must to know to program in LabView.

The book comes without a CD, but it is not necessary as the book describes the process of building of each VI so accurately and in so detailed way that it is very easy to follow the guidelines.

The book came out in 1999 and most likely was written using LabView 4. Three more versions of LabView came out since that time. It turned out that using it with newer versions of LabView is quite straightforward. The small changes that were introduced after the version 4 sometimes make it necessary to change the VIs slightly, but it is easy to figure out what changes are required using the error messages and LabView help. For instance, newer versions of LabView require that the conditional terminal in the While loop be wired; Replace Array Element is now called Replace Array Subset; there is no need to construct Global Variables using a while loops' shift registers (although it is interesting to learn how this can be done), etc. I counted only 10 small changes which had to be done to the programs on the first 220 pages of the book - and no errors or typos whatsoever!

To run the programs in Chapters 1-7 any LabView version will do; to run the programs in Ch. 8 and 9 one needs "Full" package (the "base" one does not contain the advanced analysis VIs); and finally, for the last 3 chapters one needs a computer with DAQ and GPIB boards. However, the book is so well written that you can read the text,look through the VI diagrams, and learn from this even if you do not have the proper software or hardware.

The book is very detailed, but at the same time everything that is in there is necessary; there are no off-topic discussions or jokes - almost 400 pages of straight-to-the-topic presentation.

The bottom line is that it is a fantastic introduction to LabView for beginners, which I can highly recommend. Well deserved five stars - and an example for the other authors how such books should be written!

Start here!
I needed a new software platform for data acquisition following the demise of an older platform. All of my friends at various national laboratories were using LabVIEW so it was a natural choice. I then started looking for a "directed tutorial" that would get me up to speed for data acquisition without first mastering the vast multitude of LabVIEW features (until I really needed them). I found Essick's book to be head and shoulders above the other novice-level books I tried (which were helpful but were taking too long). My undergraduate research students now first encounter LabVIEW with the guidance of this clear, concise, and well-written book. It would also be my first choice as a textbook for a class on LabVIEW (or on data acquisition techniques in general). I recommend this book very highly.

Great book !
I bought the book last week and since then I can't stop reading it and going through the well presented Labs. I find the book very interesting, well written ,to the point and clear. It will get you up to speed with Labview quickly. I own other Labview books but this is the only one that I didn't find boring or confusing. This is definitely a book I would recommend to all the students who want to learn Labview in a short period of time and also to the instructors; it can be a great teaching tool ! Finally, the price is ...very affordable. Great book ! ... ... Read more

Book Description

Engineering curricula are notoriously demanding.One way to make the material easier to grasp and more fun to learn is to emphasize the experimental or "hands-on" aspects of engineering problems.This unique book is about learning through active participation in laboratory experiments, and it specifically aims to dispel some of the mystery so many students associate with the study of thermodynamics and heat transfer. In it, the author presents a collection of experiments in heat transfer and thermodynamics contributed by leading engineering educators. The experiments have been tested, evaluated, and proved successful for classroom use. Each experiment follows the same step-by-step format, which includes theobjective of the experiment, apparatus needed, procedure,suggested headings, and references.The experiments use apparatus that is easily built or attainable. Among the topics covered are heat conduction, convection, boiling, mixing, diffusion, radiation, heat pipes and exchangers, and thermodynamics.The book will be especially useful as a companion to standard heat transfer and thermodynamics texts. ... Read more

Book Description

Half a million years ago our ancestors learned to make fire from scratch. They crafted intricate tools from stone and brewed mind-altering elixirs from honey. Their descendants transformed clay into pottery, wool into clothing, and ashes into cleansers. In ceramic crucibles they turned rock into metal, metal into colored glazes, and glazes into glass. Buildings of brick and mortar enshrined books of parchment and paper. Kings and queens demanded ever more colorful clothing and accessories in order to out-class clod-hoppers and call-girls. Kingdoms rose and fell by the power of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. And the demands of everyday folk for glass and paper and soap stimulated the first round of chemical industrialization. From sulfuric acid to sodium carbonate. From aniline dyes to analgesic drugs. From blasting powder to fertilizers and plastics. In a phrase, “from Caveman to Chemist.”

Caveman Chemistry is an experiential exploration of chemical technology from the campfires of the stone age to the plastic soft-drink bottle. An experiential exploration? Not only will you learn about these technologies, you will learn to recreate them. Instructions are given for making bronze from metal ores; glass from sand, ashes, and limestone; paper from grass or straw; soap from fat; alcohol from honey; photographs from egg whites; chlorine from salt water and celluloid from cotton.

Your guides on this journey are the four alchemical elements; Fire, Earth, Air and Water. These archetypical characters deliver first-hand accounts of the births of their respective technologies. The spirit of Fire, for example, was born in the first creature to cultivate the flame. This spirit passed from one person to another, from one generation to another, from one millennium to another, arriving at last in the pages of this book. The spirit of Earth taught folks to make tools of stone, the spirit of Air imparted knowledge of units and the spirit of Water began with the invention of “spirits.” Having traveled the world from age to age, who can say where they will find their next home? Perhaps they will find one in you. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Amazing I-dea
I just finished reading the book, and even though I admit I haven't gotten my hands "black with charcoal" on even a single project, this was probably the best science book I have ever read.

The author's style was weird and entertaining, the concepts were well explained (though I had to go over chapter 7 a few times).

I even learned an answer to a question I had as a child that no one knew how to answer (why did it hurt when I bit down on aluminum?).

I was truly amazed at the evolution of history of chemicals and how industries came to be built from virtually nothing - and not only that, but how you can make the same chemicals and projects at home.

I plan to read the book again and try some of the experiments.

I wish I had had a course based on this book in college, in high school, in elementary school - at any point.

In short, if you are interested in understanding the basic chemical processes in the world around you and their history, where common products you buy from the store come from and how to make them on your own, and of course, how to make fire, paper, pharmaceuticals, and explosives - then this is the book for you.

Learning Chemistry the interesting way
II took a chemistry class way back in high school and found it a complete bore. All we learned about was numbers and letters. Every once and a while the teacher would do a cool experiment like throwing liquid nitrogen on the floor but nothing really made sense. Though high school chemistry bored me to tears I still had a bit of interest in the subject so I decided to investigate. My investigation led me to this book and I have to say this book not only makes chemistry sensible but it also makes it extremely interesting and personable. Never before did I ever think that the plastic industry today was built from a gunpowder foundation. If you are at all interested by chemistry read this book and that intimidating Periodic Table of Elements will be tranformed into fire, alcohol, gunpowder, and acid. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to understand chemistry instead of just memorizing boring chemical equations.

Great book for cool projects
Not being a student of chemistry did not prevent me from making some awesome projects presented in this book. It gives history, method, and the chemistry behind 28 useful and fun projects. The four characters (earth, wind, fire, and water) give the book an organization that I have not seen before in a chemistry text. Also, and perhaps the most interesting, the book is full of jokes, funny stories, and song bits that keep the reader laughing and wrapped into the projects. I enjoyed the book and projects that come along with it, and would recommend it to anybody, even the non-chemistry types like myself. Enjoy! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (12)

excellent account of human experimentation
What struck me as I was reading this book was the fact that human experimentation, as gruesome as it was in the past, may still be going on without our even knowing it. The author does a good job of telling us about things we probably never heard of, but an even better job of telling us what we may expect in the future. I found the chapters on ethnic weapons and future medical research especially good. If you believe this kind of thing is in our past and can't happen again, think again. Since 9/11, the government is racing to find defenses against bio and chemical weapons, and human experiments will once again be needed in the name of "national security." This is an excellent read. Scary stuff, but the appendices and references tell it all.

Disturbing but excellent
A lot of readers may find this book disturbing. Some may find it unbelievable. Critics, especially those who believe that governments don't do things like this, might take issue with the author's style, which is basically to expose horror after horror and lay open the reality of human experimentation as it has been practiced and is still being practiced today. For those of us who want to know and be vigilent so that these practices never happen again, In the Name of Science is a book that will keep you riveted. From the opening chapters, which describe experiments with chemical and biological agents to the last two chapters, which describe ethnic weapons and what the future holds to the more than 100 pages of appendices (declassified documents, letters, memos, etc.), Goliszek does a good job of detailing what many of us don't want to hear but need to. It's a book that everyone ought to read.

Rehash of few sources:a real injustice to real investigators
This is an extremely superficial book on medical experimentation. Most of his material could come
from Jay Katz's massive book on human experimentation that was published in 1972 or from summaries; anything since Katz are from selected other sources that are treated briefly. There is no original research here, very little analysis of human experiments, and the stealing and summarizing of
other peoples work. He ignores completely the four year long hearings of the Kennedy Sub-committee that led to the 1974-1979 examination of medical experiments. He also ignores completely much of the work of the Nationaol Commission of the 1990's. The Commission was primarily a whitewash of human experiments, but an analysis of the flaws, in light of reality, would have helped move this book a little way from the superficial treatment Goliszek gives us. Let me give a couple of examples. Goliszek talks about radiation experiments on humans by way of a summary of Eileen Welsome's book, The Plutonium Files; Welsome's book is a comprehensive treatment of parts of radiation experiments; the author ignores completely, however, the very detailed work of Martha Stephens, The Treatment, about radiation treatments in Cincinnati, Ohio
that is, like Welsome's, a model of how research should be carried out. Goliszek's treatment is a superficial treatment that is misleading because he presents material that has been known about, and analyzed rather than summarized as Goliszek does in his work, for 60 years or so. To really know what is happening, and has happened, in medical research, read the original researchs and analysis. Skip Goliszek altogether as a waste of time, and an impediment to a real understanding of medical experiments. One other point: Amazon oftens hypes a book such as Goliszek's to promote sales. This seems to be one of those cases.

Thomas Patterson
Deming New Mexico

Covers scientific side effects from early to modern times
Science has always had its dark side, always having a cost to the development of life-saving technologies and solutions to human problems. In The Name Of Science covers scientific side effects from early to modern times, covering everything from Medieval disease treatment to modern gene therapy. Ethics and social issues are considered in light of these revelations about discovery, experimentation, and science's side effects.

Controversial, Scary, Entertaining, and Enlightening
I can understand why people will either praise this book as a landmark work that everyone ought to read or criticize it because it includes a lot of information that makes us pretty darn uncomfortable with what we have done. Not surprisingly, the critics seem to not want to know or to not want to believe that we are still capable of such things. Very narrowminded. For those of us who truly want to know, In The Name of Science is a well-documented book that will send a chill up your spine. As one leading authority on Gulf War Syndrome and government activity has said, "It is the book I wish I had written . . . everyone in this country needs to read this book." I absolutely agree. Despite some naysayers who may find it too dark or too cynical, it should be required reading for anyone wishing to be enlightened as well as entertained. ... Read more