Book Description

Patch clamping is a widely applied electrophysiological technique for the study of ion channels; membrane proteins that regulate the flow of ions across cellular membranes and therefore influence the physiology of all cells.

Patch Clamping aims to cover the basic principles and practical applications of this important technique. Starting with a review of the history of patch clamping, the text then goes on to cover the basic principles, platforms, equipment and environmental control, and will also include coverage of preparation types, recording modes and analysis of results.

• This book will explain the basic principles and practical application of patch clamp electrophysiology.
• Written in a non-technical style to ensure its broad appeal to novice users
• Takes a practical approach
• This self-contained guide provides everything a practising patch clamp electrophysiologist needs to know to master this technique, including an overview of membrane biophysics, standard experimental design, data analysis, and technical concerns

Reviews (1)

The first of its kind
I'm giving this book a high rating because it fills a niche for which no other text exists: An absolute beginner's guide to patch-clamping. Yes, you could read Neher & Sakmann's hefty "Single Channel Recording" but, for the complete novice patch-clamper, it's a bit overwhelming.

So, you walk into a patch-clamp lab, there's a million different things on the rig and you're feeling very confused. The microscope is much more complex than the microscope you remember from high school, there's cabling literally everywhere, and everybody keeps mentioning how important it is not to disturb the "voodoo" shielding.

Where do you start? What do all those instruments do? Will I ever patch a cell on my own? This is the book for you.

The book does an excellent job explaining the main components on a patch-clamp rig (and advice for setting up your own if you're just starting up a lab) and gives detailed instructions on whole-cell patch clamp techniques. (I have not evaluated the single-channel techniques but they too seem quite well written.) Also, many simple "equivalent circuit" diagrams are given so that you can understand what you're measuring. You will patch successfully after reading this book!

My only criticism is that the book is a bit skimpy on what to do after you've got the cell patched. Only a few voltage-clamp techniques are explored and there is very little on experiments using dual recordings.

Otherwise, it's an excellent book. If you're new to patch-clamping, this is (literally) the only book for you. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good Book if You're Beyond Basics
I've been programming for about two years. Most of my training in Labview is by trial-and-error and reading the examples that came with Labview. I've written over 3 dozen programs for my present employer.

As for books, I have many of them. This book in particular, is aimed to the advanced user. Don't expect to learn how to write programs with this book. For a graphical programming language, this book has very little graphics or pictures.

What you can expect is to hone your applications so that they are easier for the end user, easier to maintain and separates 'working' VIs from 'expert' VI. Many little tricks in this book (such as setting preferences, using state machines, and yes, Active X) will make your applications run faster with less overhead.

If you're looking for a book to show you more programming techniques, with actual examples, I'd opt for Essick's "Advanced LabVIEW Labs" (an intermediate book) or Johnson's "LabVIEW Graphical Programming" (more advanced). If you're looking for ways to separate yourself from programmers that make 'working' VIs, then this book by Bitter et al. is for you.

Great info on several topics
This is an excellent intro into some of the advanced features of LV. It covers basic features, state machines (one of the best chapters), application structure, drivers, exception handling, multithreading, OOP, and unfortunately Active X (chpaters to skip). The info is excellent, and I think it is well worth the cost and time to read. It also comes with a great CD.

The only bad part is more than 20% of the book is devited to Active X. This is a huge kick in the pants to platform independence. While I am working on NT (by force, not by choice) I try to avoid any technonogy that supports ... you know, the M word.

An excellent book for advanced LabVIEW users
An excellent book for LabVIEW program designers and programmers! Especially for LabVIEW users with several years experience and try to learn more new software techniques. The authors introduced many concepts and techniques in C/C++ such as ActiveX, COM, DCOM etc. The OOA, OOD and design pattern are also combined with LabVIEW programming. There are many useful examples in the book. I recommend this book to all LabVIEW users.

When you need to know about Labview...
Definitely read this book. It offers step by step instructions for basic functionality and also descriptive graphics which enhance the comprehension. It is by far the most far-reaching and intelligent book I have read about this tool. ... Read more

Book Description

This extremely lively-and intricately researched-book is a rousing romp through the history of inventions and their inventors through time, from the tiny paperclip-coined "the world's most valuable invention"-to the massive jet engine; from mastermind Leonardo DaVinci, to quirky, colorful, dual-cyclone-vacuum-cleaner inventor James Dyson.It could be called an "Encyclopedia of Inventions," but it feels like too much fun for this kind of appellation. Far from a stodgy compendium, this book provides the dates, details, and stories of how some of the most interesting and useful objects have been invented through time, presented in a colorful retro format and with a lively sense of humor. It fills a much-needed niche in the series of National Geographic reference books: consider it the pause that refreshes. The information is as equally authoritative as our other reference titles, but in this title you get another angle on the technical stuff-heavy on history and anecdote that accompanies the science of invention. Nine chapters are divided thematically and reveal how gadgets and gizmos have affected all aspects of our daily lives.They are: Around the House, In the Office, At the Doctor's, Getting Around, Cutting Edge, Eating and Drinking, Spare Time, Inventions Without Wings, and Patent Numbers.Entries include objects as diverse as the disposable diaper, zipper, hair dryer, photocopier, artificial heart, disposable syringe, intelligence test, hub gears, collapsible scooters for the handicapped, beta blockers, Viagrar, and the traffic light. The subjects covered range from the absurd to the life-saving, from the high-tech based on years of research and testing to the accident. The Post-it note, a product of the genius of Arthur Fry in 1974, was the lemonade of a failed attempt at making a strong glue. Fry succeeded in making a glue that didn't stick, and an invention that did. Percy Shaw's 1930s invention of road safety reflectors, called cat's eyes, was the product of a late night drive in Halifax where he was alerted to his veering off the road by the reflection of his headlights in a cat's eyes. The book's compelling and colorful layout-which mixes fun facts called "did you know", timelines, and photographs-offers a discrete entry with each spread, breaking down the scores of information into bite-sized bits for easy digestion. This reference book succeeds in making learning entertaining and fun. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A Brief Version of "A Brief History"
The title "Stephen Hawking's Universe" may give you the wrong impression about this book, because one would naturally associate Stephen Hawking with more in-depth scientific theories. However, this book is in fact no more than an introduction to the histories and discoveries of our universe. That is, it is more of a "tell-tale" than an explanation type of book, and should not be compared with books like "A Brief History of Time" (by Stephen Hawking himself).

In terms of presentation, this book does a great job in showing us the discoveries made by various scientists of the past and present in a fairly logical order. The beautiful illustrations used also contribute in helping the readers to understand and to maintain interest in the contents. Nevertheless, at times the author does seem to lose focus on the topics, and they become slightly more difficult to follow. Quite often you have to read on a couple of pages (or even chapters) before you are taken back on track.

To summarise, the book provides a clear outline of human's knowledge of the universe in a very graphical manner, and would be suited to those new to such concepts. However, if you are expecting explanation of greater depths, then you will probably be disappointed.

Best book describing the best cosmological principles
Stephen Hawking's universe is one of the very few books of its kind. It describes the complex and beautiful picture of our cosmos as presented by the most famous living scientist of the world. This book will prove helpful and informative for all those who are concerned with the universe and also with Professor Hawking.
Stephen Hawking's universe is such a book which tends to describe a difficult subject with simplicity and ace. Thus any one out there who is intrested in cosmology and is waiting for a new arrival the please do have a look at this one.

Beware! You will be dumber after reading this!
I've always enjoyed Stephen Hawking's writings, as in them he clearly explains things without condescendingly simplifying them, mixes humor with science, and conveys the awe and thrill of scientific discovery. However, once I got past the forward of this book (the only part written my Hawking), I could see that this book was a complete failure. I should have known when someone got me the book; Filkin is a total non-scientist and I now know is scientifically illiterite.

I was first confronted with horrid and sometimes malicious (or at least maddeningly stupid) terminology errors. For example, throughout the book, a brown dwarf is said to be a cooled-down white dwarf. WRONG! A brown dwarf is a starlike object too small to start thermonuclear fusion, so it produces heat and light by contracting; this is the definition according to the International Astronomical Union, the body which defines all astronomical, astrophysical, and cosmological terminology. This is just one of many such errors.
The terminology I had the biggest problem with was the wrongful (indeed, gratuitous) use of the word "creationism." It is relatively apparent that Filkin means the idea that the universe was created at some time, but it is still the wrong word. Either it was placed in there by Filkin (I think unlikely) or the publishers (more likely) to cave to the 45% of this backwards country which seriously believes creationism (in the sense of what the word really means), or (maybe a little more likely)used without thinking. This leads to my next big problem with the book.

Rather than sticking to the science, or at least pointing out how science sharply contrasts with "faith," Filkin spends a large amount of time talking about how science and religion (specifically Christianity) go hand-in-hand. He even makes up malicious falsities, frequently claiming that science at least partially supports Christianity (actually, he said it supporst "creationism"), and that important discoveries were held up by the dogma of "atheist scientists." One particularly despicable example is his claim that after Hubble discovered the Hubble flow, its reality and logical conclusions were denied and held back by "atheist scientists," being unwilling to accept the idea that the universe began (and hence doesn't violate the 2nd law of thermodynamics). Nothing could be further from the truth! The Hubble flow was looked upon very skeptically for over a decade because the original measurements put the age of the universe as less than the then-known age of the Earth.

Lastly, there are the contradictory statements. Filkin often makes statements contrary to the 'evidence' he supports it with, if there is any. One example is as follows: "churchgoing" scientist were shunned and forced to hide their beliefs from the 18th to the 20th centuries because (a) they believed in a moment of creation despite the official church policy that the universe was infinite, (b) the "atheist scientists" believed, like Newton, that the universe was infinite, and (c) these two beliefs (the church's and the atheist concepts) are different. If you were paying attention, you'd know these beliefs are NOT different, and hence not in conflict.

I put the book down after a few chapters of being frustrated not learning anything, frequently needing to correct Filkin, and seeing a creationist-propagandist's dream come true (regardless of what Filkin meant, I've seen quotes from this book paraded around by creationists). Finally, I would like to point out my disgust with Hawking for having a book like this sold with his stamp of approval.

Fabulous book
This book starts with Ptolemy, proceeds to Galileo and eventually to Einstein and Planck. Any one who has ever been interested in science will love this book.

A grave disappointment
As a fan of Stephen Hawking, I was anxious to read this work - looking forward once again to his humorous and "banally-esoteric" approach to science. But I was gravely disappointed. My own fault really, for not reading the editorials, the reviews... or even the jacket!

If I'd only glanced at the bottom of the jacket I would have known that Hawking (whose photo and name are the most dominant features on the cover) had only written the forward to this book, and nothing else. Go figure.

But in spite of that, I began to eat from it greedily, expecting that it would at least resemble the familiar and palatable taste of a Hawking work. I was wrong of course. So then I felt sort of cheated. I guess I resent being hoodwinked. But then maybe I'm just too sensitive.

Apparently, David Filkin's approach to literary science is to be condescendingly simple. Which is okay if you promote it that way. But if you fire your intentions from the ramparts of Stephen Hawking's identity, I think it'd be best to run somewhat parallel to his reader's level of awareness, and allow us the dignity of licking the wounds of our own self-esteems as they occur.

The book attempts to be a chronological outline of scientific discovery. At times though, it becomes almost predictable - and as a result, boring. At other times, it wanders (Hawking wanders too, but he does so for good reasons, and usually has me laughing before he's back on track). Further moments are occupied with repetition, contradiction and redundancies - not to mention a maddening penchant for patting my head, and saying, "I know you didn't understand that, so here's a simpler explanation".

I had the nagging feeling that Filkin was being careful not to overburden the reader with science. Or at least the kind of science that requires explaining. Sure, I'm not a whiz at chemistry, and I flunked calculus twice, but at least give me a chance to feel stupid where I fully expect to. Don't tread softly on me if you think I won't understand it, especially if you're representing Stephen Hawking for Pete's sake!

Don't get me wrong - I am not a Stephen Hawking fanatic with a get-even agenda (I've had my moments with portions of Hawking's work a time or two also). My exasperation is purely clinical - I expect to get what I pay for. Or at least what I see on the cover.

Not recommended ... Read more

Book Description

The accurate measurement of temperature is a vital parameter in many fields. A critically important aspect of applying any temperature sensor is that of traceable calibration - a concept that has been developed to ensure that all measurements made are accurate and legally valid.
This timely new edition reflects the marked move towards ISO accreditation in measurement laboratories internationally, and the ever increasing emphasis on adequate uncertainty analysis for measurements in accredited laboratories to conform to national and international bodies, and the SI and Metric treaty.
· Fully revised and updated to incorporate the latest trends and developments in measurements and calibration
· Provides information concurrent with the latest ISO Quality Standards for assessing the uncertainty of measurement sensors
· Offers detailed converage of traceability, how to make traceable measurements and how to design, carry out and report calibration
· Unique emphasis on possible problems in the field, and provision of practical advice on how to recognise and treat errors.
An essential reference resource for practising and training engineers, scientists and technicians in accredited test and calibration laboratories involved in temperature measurement and calibration.

... Read more

Reviews (2)

all you want to know about temperature calibration
This one book covers alot of ground in enought detail to keep most of us happy...I havent found a single source which covers all the main bases this well.

Informative book - wider than title implies
This book not only covers temperature trace ability but also covers subjects like how a temperature sensor's construction will affect the long-term stability of measurements. However information about how the associated measurement equipment is constructed and how it affects the long-term temperature measurement stability is not thoroughly discussed.

Some parts of the trace ability aspect are limited, for example, how error tolerance build up affects the finial specs, which can be claimed.

Good introductory book, easy to read. ... Read more

Book Description

This handbook of valuable information extracted from laboratory manuals published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press is presented in an easy-to-use format.It contains invaluable reference data, never before assembled in one handy package.It has been assembled from extensively field-tested manuals, ensuring accuracy and reliability, by two scientists with extensive and diverse experience of laboratory practice. ... Read more

Book Description

Most scientists live in a "publish or perish" environment, but few would describe themselves as brilliant (or enthusiastic) writers. Coming to the aid of all those wishing to improve the quality of their scientific writing -- established researchers and aspiring students alike -- three experienced authors/scientists from differing backgrounds and cultures have compiled this classic guide.
This new edition has been completely revised to reflect dramatic changes in communication over the past 15 years. The primary emphasis is on writing techniques, accurate expression, adherence to accepted standards, and above all clarity, but the authors also venture into communication technology and organizational as well as ethical aspects of science. Numerous appendices and a particularly comprehensive index complete this highly useful book.

"The authors have a passion, not only for clarity and economy of style, but also for precision and consistency."
(Nature)

"A wealth of information contained in a single book of manageable proportions. Students reporting on a simple laboratory experiment and their teachers preparing a paper or lecture will both find this book a constant companion."
(European Science Editing)

"The book under reviewclaims, 'we know of no book as broad in its coverage, as critical in its analysis of existing trends, and as international in its scope'. This claim is immodest but accurate."
(Trends in Pharmacological Sciences)
... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Art of Scientific Writing
The newest edition of The Art of Scientific Writing is a terrific resource for scientific and other writers alike. It offers information on preparing scientific works, ie books, dissertations, journal articles and reports, in addition to providing writing techniques, offering layout and design suggestions. The authors thoroughly cover several topics to help readers develop a sense of scientific writing, including figures and tables to clarify text selections. The chapters are divided by subcategory, which makes it easy to navigate through the book to find a topic. Because there are significant new scientific developments almost daily, a chapter on collecting and citing literature is included. The authors make suggestions throughout the book, such as how to build one's own literature collection, why abstracts are pertinent to articles and dissertations, and how to correctly space formulas within a document. Chapters included are Reports, Dissertations, Journal Articles, Books, Writing Techniques, Formulas, Figures, Tables and Collecting and Citing the Literature. Appendices offer further information on Reference Formats, Selected Quantities, Units and Constants, The 20 Commandments of Electronic Manuscripts, and Conversion Tips. The Art of Scientific Writing has a complete index listing every topic in the book, which assists in finding a topic quickly. By HF Ebel, C Bliefert, WE Russey. ... Read more

Book Description

Most people in research are elevated into managerial positions because of their skills as scientists and their political acumen, not necessarily because of managerial training or experience. Helping to fill this need for managerial training, author Jerald Silverman shares the valuable information he's gained from over 25 years experience managing a laboratory animal facility. He takes proven managerial concepts and adapts them to the laboratory animal facility setting. Whether you are a manager in training or you are looking for help in applying the basic concepts of managing a laboratory animal facility, this book helps you fulfill the unique responsibilities of assessing needs, communicating effectively, and establishing goals with people from many different academic and skill levels. ... Read more

Book Description

This book offers a comprehensive introductory treatment of the organic laboratory techniques for handling glassware and equipment, safety in the laboratory, micro- and miniscale experimental procedures, theory of reactions and techniques, relevant background information, applications and spectroscopy. ... Read more

Book Description

This practical resource presents modern, statistical methods for accelerated testing including test models, analyses of data, and plans for testing. Each topic is self-contained for easy reference. Coverage is broad and detailed enough to serve as a text or reference. This handy book features real test examples along with data analyses, computer programs, and references to the literature. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great companion volume to Applied Life Data Analysis
I agree with the previous reviewer that this is the definitive classic in accelerated life testing. It's a great companion volume to Dr. Nelson's "Applied Life Data Analysis" which remains one of the best reliability textbooks ever written. I have noticed that all major reliability and accelerated testing programs use this book as their main reference - proof of the books usefulness. My only compaint is with the publishers for the steep price - now that they're bringing out a lower cost version of Applied Life Data Analysis, I hope they'll bring out a low-cost or paperback version of this classic as well.

best statistical account of accelerated testing
Nelson is a private consultant who has worked on countless practical problems in reliability from his consulting practice and previous employment at General Electric. He is an excellent lecturer and writer. His earlier book "Applied Life Data Analysis" was considered to be one of the best texts on reliability.

This book is very thorough in its treatment of all aspects of accelerated testing and is filled with many good references. Nelson carefully defines the mathematical models which consist of two components, (1) an acceleration function which describes how the mean lifetime changes as a function of the acceleration factor and (2) a probability distribution that explains the random variability of outcomes at each acceleration factor. A particular mean function could be the Arrhenius relationship and the probability distribution could be exponential. Hence there is not a single Arrhenius acceleration model but rather an Arrhenius-exponential, an Arrhenius-lognormal or an Arrhenius-Weibull model. The book is filled with interesting theory and examples. Nelson provides excellent practical guidance based on his wealth of experience. ... Read more

Book Description

Confocal and Two-Photon Microscopy
Foundations, Applications, and Advances
Edited by Alberto Diaspro

Confocal and two-photon fluorescence microscopy has provided researchers with unique possibilities of three-dimensional imaging of biological cells and tissues and of other structures such as semiconductor integrated circuits. Confocal and Two-Photon Microscopy: Foundations, Applications, and Advances provides clear, comprehensive coverage of basic foundations, modern applications, and groundbreaking new research developments made in this important area of microscopy.

Opening with a foreword by G. J. Brakenhoff, this reference gathers the work of an international group of renowned experts in chapters that are logically divided into balanced sections covering theory, techniques, applications, and advances, featuring:

• In-depth discussion of applications for biology, medicine, physics, engineering, and chemistry, including industrial applications
• Guidance on new and emerging imaging technology, developmental trends, and fluorescent molecules
• Uniform organization and review-style presentation of chapters, with an introduction, historical overview, methodology, practical tips, applications, future directions, chapter summary, and bibliographical references
• Companion FTP site with full-color photographs
• The significant experience of pioneers, leaders, and emerging scientists in the field of confocal and two-photon excitation microscopy

Confocal and Two-Photon Microscopy: Foundations, Applications, and Advances is invaluable to researchers in the biological sciences, tissue and cellular engineering, biophysics, bioengineering, physics of matter, and medicine, who use these techniques or are involved in developing new commercial instruments. ... Read more

Book Description

A classic of elementary relativistic pedagogy! This straight- forward book introduces readers to the conceptually tricky subject of relativity in understandable terms. The writing is crisp and clearly written by someone who is aware of the conceptual difficulties that nonscientists have in coming to grips with relativity. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

also good for "specialists"-to-be too
I'm writing this review based on my impressions of this book when I read it 9 years ago as an undergraduate physics major at Berkeley. We used it in an honors sophmore-level physics class for physics majors. I'm know a physics grad-student at UCSB. I want to dissavow the impression you might have that this is just a light-weight, pop-science book. This book is very axiomatic and it really tries to "prove" relativity to the reader. The beginning chapters will motivate the postulates of special relativity (eg: "the speed of light is the same in all reference-frames"), and you will learn how to DERIVE the Lorentz transformations from them. (...which is the major thrust of the book. On a side note: topics like why E=mc^2 aren't discussed until the end.) This is why we used it in our class. The students taking the regular Berkeley physics class only memorized the Lorentz transformations and plugged them in blindly. I felt we learned a great deal more than they did. I think this book is billed as a descriptive introduction to relativity for non-specialists because it's clear and easy to read (although perhaps a bit verbose), and because doesn't use any fancy math, just basic geometry (right-triangles, the pythagorean theorem). This doesn't mean it should be shuned by specialists-to-be. This was my first introduction to relativity and at the time, I felt completely satisfied with my understanding of the material after reading it.

An Essential Guide to Modern Physics
This book was astounding. I had my share of knowledge in physics: Newtonian Mechanics, Electrodynamics and Magnetism, Optics, etc. This book took my preconceived ideas of how the Universe worked and all but threw them out the window.

Mermin's description of why the old physical model is inadequate was very descriptive and informative - even for someone with a highschool physics background. Numerous examples and analogies bring to understanding many difficult and abstract concepts. As for the skeptic . . . well, he deals with them in the later part of the book (I was one of them).

This book reads like a Science Fiction novel. Yet the topics presented could not be more real.

We have Einstein to thank for the Principles and Theories of Special Relativity, and Mermin to thank for communicating them to the general population.

I recommend this book to everybody; physicist or not. You cannot fool youself into thinking you have an understanding of the universe until you read and comprehend the topics covered in this book.

Enjoy!

Great for starters
have to thank Dr. Mermin for being able to interpret and discuss such, in a sense, complex matters effectively and efficiently; great for beginners, like myself, to have a philosophical approach. some of the problems presented are, in fact, not easy. ... Read more

Book Description

The second edition of an international bestseller, this book provides veterinary specialists as well as veterinary and biomedical researchers with detailed information about laboratory animal genetics, diseases, health monitoring, nutrition, and environmental impact on animal experiments. Completely revised and updated, Volume I now contains expanded coverage of topics such as procedures in genetic engineering, surgical techniques, and humane endpoints and the treatment of pain and suffering in laboratory animals. It includes a new, streamlined chapter that combines the review of alternative techniques to animal experimentation such as the use of isolated organs, cell cultures, and computer simulations. ... Read more

Book Description

Celestron's NexStar telescopes were introduced in 1999, beginning with their first computer controlled "go to" model, a 5-inch. More models appeared in quick succession, and Celestron's new range made it one of the two dominant manufacturers of affordable "go to" telescopes. Michael Swanson's online discussions with literally thousands of NexStar owners made it clear that there was a desperate need for a book such as this - one that provides a complete, detailed guide to buying, using and maintaining NexStar telescopes. Although this book is highly comprehensive, it is suitable for beginners - there is a chapter on "Astronomy Basics" - and experts alike. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Comprehensive. Concise. Practical.
This is excellent. This text provides all the information you will need to troubleshoot your nexstar system. I have recommended that it be shipped with each nexstar telescope sold.
Celestron could save a lot of time answering questions if they would do so.

Indispensable!
If you are looking to use a Celestron Nexstar computer guided GOTO telescope and mount, then this book will take you through every stage of setup, operation and maintenance, in a very user-friendly and readable manner. For the novice astronomer, the first chapter provides a thorough 40-page introduction on basic observational astronomy. Additional elements include chapters on astronomical software, connecting a PC, photography and planning your observations. In short, very highly recommended.

Wonderful resource!
This book is a must have for any owner of a NexStar series telescope. I've owned my NexStar11 GPS for almost three years and find Mike's book very informative and well written. It's wonderful to have a such an incredibly detailed resource at your fingertips. No matter if you are thinking of buying or already own a NexStar telescope, I highly recommend you add this book to your library.

celestron 9.25 user
I recently purchased a Celestron 9.25" Nexstar telescope. The scope is great but the owner's manual that came with it leaves a lot to be desired. After just a quick scan of Swanson's book, I discovered several useful tips that I have already put to use (e.g., how to position the index marking decal that had come off; the Nexstar Resource site; and the availability of a template from Starizona for making it easier to put the scope on the tripod). Anyone thinking about buying a Celeston Nexstar scope should consider purchasing this book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In this intellectually challenging book, Nobel laureate Ilya Prigogine tackles some of thedifficult questions that bedevil physicists trying to provide an explanation for the world we observe. How isit, for instance, that basic principles of quantum mechanics--which lack any differentiation betweenforward and backward directions in time--can explain a world with an "arrow of time" headedunambiguously forward? And how do we escape classical physics' assertion that the world is deterministic?In a sometimes mathematical and frequently mind-bending book, Prigogine explores deterministic chaos,nonequilibrium thermodynamics, and even cosmology and the origin of the universe in an attempt to reachan explanation that can reconcile physical laws with subjective reality. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A compelling case for a new worldview
As an earlier reviewer said this book provides a solution to three of the most important problems in science: 1. time's arrow 2. the measurement problem in QM 3. The existence of freewill (and the the death of the absolute determinism of Newton and Einstein). Although the book is short, I think he provided a compelling outline for the solution of all three problems. At times understanding his solutions requires understanding some advance concepts from math and physics. However, I believe an intelligent layman could skim these parts and still follow his presentation. (There is a glossary at the back of the book.)

I wish that Prigogine could have discussed in more detail the philosophical (and perhaps even religious) consequences of this work, which there are many, but few are explored and none are explored in depth. One consequence he does explore briefly is that it appears that "time precedes existence!" And at the end of the book, he also briefly addresses the worldview that emerges from his work. He says: "What is emerging is an 'intermediate' description that lies somewhere between the two alienating images of a deterministic world and an arbitrary world of pure chance. ... As we follow along the narrow path that avoids the dramatic alternatives of blind laws and arbitrary events, we discover that a large part of the concrete world around us has until now 'slipped through the meshes of the scientific net,'to use Alfred North Whitehead's expression."

I give the book my higest recommendation and hope in sequels Prigogone and his co-workers can explore the technical details (textbook level) and the philosophical consequences (layman level) of this very important and exciting work.

Tightening the Science Net Meshes. But Still Missing Much!
In a world gone crazy with Bohr's "observer-driven collapse of the wave function", Everett's surreal "many-worlds theory", and Einstein's discomforting "reversibility of time-flow direction", Prigogine stands as possibly the sole (or last?) defender of commonsensical notions of time in physics (which equals to say, of sanity!). He is the Champion of Time, bow, arrow, and all! His weapon: a "bow" of decades of successes (including a Noble Prize) in nonequilibrium thermodynamics. His ammunition, a quite peculiar arrow: the arrow of time. But just as happens with many literary characters, not only his virtue but also his vice may spring out of the very same source; in his case, his "sane" notions about Nature...

This book will very likely prove readable by most general readers, like myself, provided the technical parts are carefully skipped, and the central ideas are correctly spotted. It truly presents essential insights to issues like: the emergence of complexity; self-organization; the nature of matter; determinism vs probability; and the validity of time symmetry in both quantum mechanics and classical mechanics equations. As to issues like the actual existance of a flow and arrow (direction) of time (which, by the way, is the very subject of the book) and the existence of free will, the book may be too far from conclusive...

It seemed to me (only top experts could really tell for sure) that Prigogine showed compelling evidence supporting the idea that, contrary to the prevailing notions in the field of physics, there is time asymmetry both in quantum mechanics and in classical mechanics. And also, that reality at both these levels is not deterministic, but truly probabilistic. He further showed that determinism should be replaced by a probabilistic account of events both in situations where we have finite knowledge about the initial conditions and in situations where we have infinite knowledge (we are done with Laplace's Demon at last!). This alone is already a breakthrough, even though probably not news to well-informed members of the physical sciences community.

I found Prigogine a little bit contradictory (it might be that Nature itself is contradictory in this regard) when talking about determinism/time-reversibility. Sometimes, I got the impression that it only exists in idealized (non-real) situations, and sometimes I understood it as if it does exist in certain specific (real) situations.

I also found his rejection of Gödel's time-reversible interpretation of Einstein's equations far too emotional, instead of being based on experimental-mathematical grounds. As far as I know, this viewpoint, too, has experienced considerable growth over the last 10 years or so (the studies about CTC - closed timelike curves), and it seems to be a quite respectable field of inquiry. Time-flow reversibility does not seem less crazy to me than the fact that we have to use imaginary numbers (that is, numbers that do not exist at all!) in theories that deal with some very basic properties and behaviors of matter, like quantum mechanics and chaos.

Even though physicists usually equal time symmetry (in physical equations) to time-flow reversibility, and asymmetry to irreversibility, I don't see why this has to be so. Nor does this book clarifies this issue any further to the layman (it is interesting to point out in this regard that even the probabilistic collapse of the wave function is considered by the prevailing views of physicists to be symmetrical/reversible, according to Penrose in The Empreror's New Mind). Our suspicions and complaints about the mysterious nature of time are very much justified: space gives us 3 dimensions, bidirectional and with no compulsory flow. Time, on the other hand, gives us just 1 dimension, unidirectional and with compulsory flow. At best, we can slow it down, by traveling close to the speed of light (quite comforting, isn't it?).Time alone is responsible for most of our losses in life (unless you get exiled or something...). I think that, interpreting "time symmetry" as "time reversibility", scientists have actually tried to solve the unsolvable.

In our quest to understand the Universe, we often find three kinds of questions: first, those that can be proved or disproved, like the old statements "The Sun revolves around the Earth" (disproved), and "The Moon revolves around the Earth" (proved). Second, questions that can be proved, but not disproved, like the existance of God or of life after death. Third, questions that cannot be either proved or disproved, like the existance of consciousness in other human beings than ourselves (or in dogs) and (to me) the actual existance of time flow.

Prigogine says that in this book he tried to follow (or discover?) a "narrow path" between utter determinism and total randomicity, probably hoping to find room for free will in between. Although I think he did a brilliant work, I feel that he got stuck in this Narrow Path. His work refutes determinism, but instead of presenting phenomena or advancing mechanisms to support free will, it only casts us into the depths of utter chance. In spite of that, when talking about self-organization in dissipative structures, Prigogine passes on the idea of "choice", even saying (more than once) that "matter begins to see" and that "the system chooses". This might ascribe to nature at its most basic structure the properties of "life" and maybe even of "consciousness", which might mean that we are at the verge of a revigorated return to the ancient ideas of hilozoism and panpsychism. Furthermore, this blurs the limits between emergence and reductionism, for it is very difficult to take a sound reductionist stand (or emergencionist stand) if we don't know what to expect of the world around us (we can't tell if something is emerging or just "arising").

Prigogine's appeal for sanity is both his virtue and his weakness, in a Universe that pays little heed to human's logic and causality. A Universe in which, regardless of being dictated by an authoritarian God or determined by blind and cold laws of nature, the only theory that may account for all that there is is the familiar and provincial B.I.S.O. theory. Namely: Because I Say So!

New physics for 21st century
I did buy this book some time ago and then I was fascinated. I studied the basis of his theory, but unfortunately, Prigogine passed away recently, before I can discuss with he some topics in more detail.

The greater part of the book is written in a natural style, but some sections are highly mathematical even for the majority of scientists! This mathematical presentation has a curious explaining. There are several version of Prigogine's theory, but the first versions had been "abandoned", and then Prigogine details the new approach: "Star-unitary theory for LPS outside of Hilbert space".

An earlier reviewer said that the book provides a solution to three of the most important problems in science: (1) Time's arrow. (2) The measurement problem in QM. (3) The existence of freewill. Precisely, I am working in those and other questions, and I do not believe that claim was completely correct (and perhaps Prigogine believed the same, because in his last communication, said me "The questions that you ask are very difficult."). In my opinion, the novel theory is conflictive both in mathematical and physical details, but I consider that, at least, the aim of the School is correct one. Irreversibility and uncertainty are two fundamental features of our universe. I see that orthodox physics (including particle physics and the so-called String-M theory) is incorrect and/or inapplicable. I believe that, whereas other "popular" books (The Quark and The Jaguar, The Elegant Universe, etc.) should be "relics" in 21st century physics, Prigogine's book will be then a basic work.

The contributions of Prigogine's physics to the understanding in other disciplines, as chemistry, are not clear. In fact, I believe that the impact of recent Prigogine's ideas into fundamental chemistry has been "insignificant", because his revolutionaries ideas in physics are an outcome of their previous chemical investigations (Nobel Prize for Chemistry). For example, in his complex spectral theory, energy is an imaginary quantity, and this is in direct conflict with standard quantum theory postulates. However, in theoretical chemistry, one always defines a transition state by means of an imaginary frequency. As said Prigogine in a recent Solvay conference, "all of Chemistry deals with irreversible processes". I cannot say the same of physics.

The book is very good one, but I disagree in one point. When one writes a scientific paper for publication in a specialized journal (as Physical Review), one can write about everything. Referees and other scientist can either accept or reject your work in scientific grounds. When one writes a popular book for non-expertises, one must be the most "neutral" possible. If this is not possible, one must to "alert" to the reader. This book is not neutral and, in some restricted sense, shows several theories and ideas as been of broad acceptance or current use in science. Of course, this overemphasizes the scientific status of the so-called Brussels School and minimizes the importance of other interesting points of view. In my opinion, this is not a correct attitude. For example, the "diagrammatic" method developed by Brussels School in the 60's (and illustrated in the book) is broadly not used by scientific community. See, for example, "Nonequilibrium Statistical Mechanics" by Robert Zwanzig for a view in more standard formalisms. In addition, I also must say that some previous Prigogine's ideas in dissipative structures, kinetic potentials, etc. are not standard, and other, as the "universal" criterion of evolution (following production of entropy), was experimentally shown to be false. Of course, other contributions of called Brussels School are simply impressive, for example the extension of scattering theory of particle physics to more general situations of chemical kinetics. Effectively, you have read fine, orthodox S-matrix of "fundamental" physics can be derived as an idealized asymptotic version valid for typical accelerator experiments! I am sorry, but I must said that Chemistry is not applied QED.

Conclusion: The book describes an excellent philosophical view in a "new" physics, and for this reason it may be a central piece on your collection. Nevertheless, I consider that the scientific way proposed is a little conflictive and some mathematics may be modified!

All of this has been said before
If you want a simple, elegant, responsible, well-informed book on the origin of the macroscopic arrow of time and on how time-revesibility at the microscopic level resolves many of the quantum paradoxes, read Physics Prof. Victor Stenger's "Timeless Reality". You will get much more out of it.

A Crucial Piece of the Puzzle
Many people presume that the integration of various domains of science into a single unified "superscience" will ultimately show that everything reduces to physics. In fact, one earlier reviewer of "The End of Certainty" closed his review saying, "Biology is, in the end, physics."

There is a way in which biology could be "reduced" to physics, but only if we learn to define "physics" very differently than we do today. Prigogine shows why biology CANNOT be reduced to context-independent, deterministic contemporary physics. (Read Robert Rosen's "Essays on Life Itself" for the most profound and fundamental explanation, based on non-integrable, complex, "impredicative loops of efficient causation".)

"The End of Certainty" is an important work because it points toward a revolutionary realignment of fundamental physical principles, theoretical perspectives, and even scientific methodology. In fact, it draws together many of the crucial elements that ultimately will result in the inevitable emergence of a fundamentally transformed model of scientific epistemology. It's an important snapshot of a pivotal stage in the evolution of scientific knowledge.

There has not been a coherent major shift in the foundational paradigms of physical science since the emergence of relativity and quantum physics in the early 20th century. The pioneers of those physical models, if not the models themselves, behaved as feuding brothers from the start. That disputatious relationship is perhaps best typified by Einstein's famous rebuke of the indeterminacy of quantum physics: "God does not play dice with the universe."

As usual, the enhanced perspective offered by an additional century of scientific enterprise shows us that neither side in the quantum dispute had an exclusive lock on the truth. If nothing else, Prigogine's work is a masterfully conceived reminder that we are fortunate to live in a time when a vastly larger shift in scientific world-view is imminent.

This book's importance derives from its elegant (though highly technical) presentation of so many of the founding elements of what Erwin Schrödinger predicted would constitute a "new type of physical law". In fact, the controversy between Einstein's perspective and the views of quantum physicists like Schrödinger-a controversy that once commanded so much attention-has faded into an historical amusement. Instead, our advantage in standing on their shoulders is that, with the benefit of teachers like Ilya Prigogine, we can see beyond their semantic squabbles. It turns out that their views were congruent in at least one significant respect: both Einstein and Schrödinger knew that contemporary physics is inadequate to explain more complex phenomena...like biological life.

That congruence is obvious in comparing Schrödinger's statement-"We must be prepared to find a new type of physical law prevailing in (the structure of living matter)."-with Einstein's equivalent assertion-"One can best feel in dealing with living things how primitive physics still is." Their scientific integrity and humbling lack of intellectual arrogance put all of contemporary physics on notice to expect the revolution whose epistemological lineage runs straight through Prigogine, who drops the other shoe in "The End of Certainty" when he irrevocably shatters the myth of time-reversible real-world processes. In doing so, he permanently exorcises "Laplace's demon", Pierre-Simon de Laplace's mythical entity that would be able, if physical processes were reversible and the precise position and momentum of every particle in the universe were known at any instant in time, to calculate the entire past history and future evolutionary state of the universe.

You'll sense the evolution of physics itself when Prigogine delivers some founding concepts of the new physics: time-irreversibility, far-from-equilibrium metastability, and the self-organizing nature of complex systems. He writes, "Once we include these concepts, we come to a new formulation of the laws of nature, one that is no longer built on certitudes, as is the case for deterministic laws, but rather on possibilities."

"The End of Certainty" is somewhat easier to assimilate than Prigogine's earlier works. Nevertheless, if you don't have a formal background in physics, you might find some parts of this book to be fairly rough going. Don't let that discourage you; focus on Chapter 1, Sections I through III. You'll find phenomenal insights there, like Prigogine's explanation of Henri Poincaré's proof that contemporary physics' belief in reversible, closed-system, deterministic modeling actually precludes the arrow of time, obviates self-organization, and prohibits the existence of life itself. In short, Prigogine shows that Poincaré proved that biology CANNOT be reduced to contemporary physics, and he even proved why (the existence of Poincaré resonances). It's an exquisitely beautiful insight.

"The End of Certainty" is not a deeply controversial book, at least not among credible scientific minds. Prigogine's work is revolutionary in many ways, but it is neither disputatious nor provocatively unorthodox. It's too rigorously tied to mainstream science to suffer the kind of rejection that a less credible or less elegantly constructed work would invite. Even if it is not fully understood by contemporary physicists, neither is it seriously challenged or disputed. His work is so overwhelmingly supported by empirical underpinnings as to be incontestable. The Nobel Prize committee concurred; as a Nobel Laureate for his work in dissipative systems, Prigogine is well respected in the world of cutting edge physics. He's the E.F. Hutton of the new physics; when he talks, serious scientists listen.

A final word: Don't sweat it if you're intimidated by some of the mathematics and graphics in "The End of Certainty". Don't worry about what you might be missing if you don't assimilate every bit of it. I didn't have to get it all on the first reading, and neither do you. In fact, you don't need to understand any of the mathematics or geometry to get value out of the non-technical portions of the text, which constitute the majority of the book. The only prerequisites for getting value from this book are literacy, an open mind, moderate intelligence, and a burn to understand the natural world. If you qualify, you're in for an illuminating perspective when you read it. ... Read more

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Essentials of Research Design and Methodology contains practical information on how to design and conduct scientifc research. Packaged in the engaging Essentials format, students and practitioners in the behavioral sciences and related disciplines will gain important insight into identifying research topics and variables and selecting research approaches, as well as data collection and assessment strategies, interpretation methods, and important ethical and legal considerations. Perfect for courses on research design, this volume is also must-reading for anyone conducting research as well as consumers of research data. ... Read more