The Miraculous from the Material
Understanding the Wonders of Nature
-
- USD 11.99
-
- USD 11.99
Descripción editorial
A gorgeously illustrated exploration of the science behind the universe’s most stunning natural phenomena—from atoms and parameciums to rainbows, snowflakes, spider webs, the rings of Saturn, galaxies, and more
Nature is capable of extraordinary phenomena. Standing in awe of those phenomena, we experience a feeling of connection to the cosmos. For acclaimed physicist and novelist Alan Lightman, just as remarkable is that all of what we see around us—soap bubbles, scarlet ibises, shooting stars—are made out of the same material stuff and obey the same rules and laws. This is what Lightman calls “spiritual materialism,” the belief that we can embrace spiritual experiences without letting go of our scientific worldview.
Pairing 36 beautiful, full-color photos evoking some of nature’s most awe-inspiring phenomena with accessible and lyrical personal essays, The Miraculous from the Material explores the fascinating science underlying the natural world. Why do rainbows make an arc? Why does a particular waterfall at Yosemite National Park sometimes glow like it’s on fire? How does a hummingbird fly? The world has so many things to marvel at—and the science is just as fascinating.
Lightman’s imagination travels from the world of atoms and molecules to the animal kingdom, from places like Ha Long Bay, Vietnam and the Grand Canyon out to the solar system and beyond, illuminating the majesty of the cosmos and the remarkable science behind it. The Miraculous from the Material is a stunning, soaring ode to the beauty and wonder around us, and the perfect holiday gift for photography aficionados, life-long learners, and admirers of the natural world.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this reverent survey, Lightman (The Transcendent Brain), a humanities professor at MIT, delves into the science behind awe-inducing phenomena. Exploring the forces that give rise to glaciers, volcanoes, and other distinctive geological formations, Lightman describes how over 30 million years ago, tectonic plates in the American southwest "slid over each other" and created high plateaus that were then carved out by the Colorado River, forming the Grand Canyon. Other entries zoom in on everyday phenomena, as when Lightman explains that sunsets appear red because air molecules scatter blue light and sunlight has to pass through more of Earth's atmosphere later in the day than it does at noon. Elsewhere, Lightman trains his attention on flora and fauna (hummingbirds must flap their wings 50 times per second to stay alight), as well as the cosmos (the moon's pull on Earth has slowed the planet's rotation, increasing its own momentum in turn and gradually pushing the satellite farther away). Lightman's veneration of the natural world is palpable (of the aurora borealis he writes, "As the greenish blue lights swim and shimmer high in the sky, we are reminded we are tiny creatures in a vast universe"), and the bountiful photos underscore the beauty of his subjects. Readers will marvel at the eye-opening science. Photos.
