Author Description

This fascinating and diverse compilation of essays from the Royal Institution provides a glimpse of some of the most exciting research from today's scientific community. Its complete and wide-ranging coverage addresses topics such as the global increase in asthma and allergies, the phenomenon called El Nino, and Robert Matthews' highly entertaining analysis of Murphy's Law. In addition, the book contains an informative discussion by Simon Conway Morris (author of the best-selling Crucible of Creation) on fossils of the Burgess Shale and the chances of other life in the Universe. Also discussed are the scientific exploration of the human voice, Big Bang, whether a place can be found in the Big Bang theory for a Creator, and neurodegenerative diseases, or "brain killers," such as Alzheimers and schizophrenia. This book is both scholarly and entertaining and will appeal to a wide audience, including scientists as well as the general reader.