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What do scientists actually do? Is science "e;value-free"e;? How has science evolved through history? Where is science leading us? "e;Introducing Philosophy of Science"e; is a clear and incisively illustrated map of the big questions underpinning science. It is essential reading for students, the general public, and even scientists themselves.

Rupert Sheldrake's theory of morphic resonance challenges the fundamental assumptions of modern science. A world-famous biologist, Sheldrake proposes that all self-organizing systems, from crystals to human societies, inherit a collective memory that influences their form and behaviour. Rather than being ruled by fixed laws, nature is essentially habitual. All human beings draw upon a collective human memory, and in turn contribute to it. Even individual memory depends on morphic resonance rather than on physical memory traces stored within the brain. Morphic resonance works through morphic fields, which organize the bodies of plants and animals, coordinate the activities of brains, and underlie mental activity. Minds are extended beyond brains both in space and time. This fully-revised and updated edition of The Presence of the Past summarizes the evidence for Dr Sheldrake's controversial theory, reviews new research, and explores its implications for biology, chemistry, physics, psychology and sociology. In place of the mechanistic worldview that has dominated biology since the nineteenth century, this book offers a revolutionary alternative, and opens up a new understanding of life, minds and evolution.

Jacques Lacan is now regarded as a major psychoanalytical theorist alongside Freud and Jung, although recognition has been delayed by fierce arguments over his ideas. Written by a leading Lacanian analyst, "e;Introducing Lacan"e; guides the reader through his innovations, including his work on paranoia, his addition of structural linguistics to Freudianism and his ideas on the infant 'mirror phase'. It also traces Lacan's influence in postmodern critical thinking on art, literature, philosophy and feminism. This is the ideal introduction for anyone intrigued by Lacan's ideas but discouraged by the complexity of his writings.

What is time? The 5th-century philosopher St Augustine famously said that he knew what time was, so long as no one asked him. Is time a fourth dimension similar to space or does it flow in some sense? And if it flows, does it make sense to say how fast? Does the future exist? Is time travel possible? Why does time seem to pass in only one direction?These questions and others are among the deepest and most subtle that one can ask, but "e;Introducing Time"e; presents them - many for the first time - in an easily accessible, lucid and engaging manner, wittily illustrated by Ralph Edney.

If a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, does it cause a tornado in Texas?Chaos theory attempts to answer such baffling questions. The discovery of randomness in apparently predictable physical systems has evolved into a science that declares the universe to be far more unpredictable than we have ever imagined.Introducing Chaos explains how chaos makes its presence felt in events from the fluctuation of animal populations to the ups and downs of the stock market. It also examines the roots of chaos in modern maths and physics, and explores the relationship between chaos and complexity, the unifying theory which suggests that all complex systems evolve from a few simple rules.This is an accessible introduction to an astonishing and controversial theory.

Fractals are the geometry of the natural world. They're about the broken, wrinkled, wiggly world- the uneven shapes of nature, unlike the idealised forms of Euclidean geometry. We see fractals everywhere; indeed, we are fractals ourselves.Fractal geometry is an extension of classical geometry which can make precise models of physical structures, from ferns to galaxies. It can describe the shape of a cloud as precisely as an architect can describe a house.Introducing Fractals traces the historical development of this mathematical discipline, explores its descriptive powers in the natural world, and then looks at the applications and the implications of the discoveries it has made.As John Archibald Wheeler,protg of Niels Bohr, friend of Albert Einstein and mentor of Richard Feynman has said, 'No one will be considered scientifically literate tomorrow, who is not familiar with fractals.'

'It's a paradox but this was one of the most chilling books I've read this year. It's the definitive guide to where we're heading' ANTHONY HOROWITZ'The Earth is already in a dangerous phase of heating. Many scientists admit privately to actually being "e;scared"e; by recent weather extremes. But the public doesn't like pessimism, so we environment journalists hint at future optimism. This book provides a more steely-eyed view on how we can cope with a hothouse world.' - ROGER HARRABIN, former BBC Environment Analyst'This accessible and authoritative book is a must-read for anyone who still thinks it could be OK to carry on as we are for a little bit longer, or that climate chaos might not affect them or their kids too badly.' MIKE BERNERS-LEE is a professor at Lancaster University, founder of Small World Consultancy and author of There is No Planet B: A Handbook for the Make or Break Years'If you read just one book about the menace of climate breakdown, make it this one.' - TIM RADFORD, Climate News NetworkWe inhabit a planet in peril. Our once temperate world is locked on course to become a hothouse entirely of our own making.Hothouse Earth: An Inhabitant's Guide provides a post-COP26 perspective on the climate emergency, acknowledging that it is now practically impossible to keep this side of the 1.5(deg)C dangerous climate change guardrail. The upshot is that we can no longer dodge the arrival of disastrous, all-pervasive, climate breakdown that will come as a hammer blow to global society and economy.Bill McGuire, Professor of Geophysical and Climate Hazards, explains the science behind the climate crisis and for the first time presents a blunt but authentic picture of the sort of world our children will grow old in, and our grandchildren grow up in; a world that we catch only glimpses of in today's blistering heatwaves, calamitous wildfires and ruinous floods and droughts. Bleak though it is, the picture is one we must all face up to, if only to spur genuine action - even at this late stage - to stop a harrowing future becoming a truly cataclysmic one.

After over a decade of Bitcoin, which has now moved beyond lore and hype into an increasingly robust star in the firmament of global assets, a new and more important question has arisen. What happens beyond Bitcoin? The answer is decentralised finance - 'DeFi'.Tech and finance experts Steven Boykey Sidley and Simon Dingle argue that DeFi - which enables all manner of financial transactions to take place directly, person to person, without the involvement of financial institutions - will redesign the cogs and wheels in the engines of trust, and make the remarkable rise of Bitcoin look quaint by comparison. It will disrupt and displace fine and respectable companies, if not entire industries.Sidley and Dingle explain how DeFi works, introduce the organisations and individuals that comprise the new industry, and identify the likely winners and losers in the coming revolution.

50 buckets that have witnessed great moments in history

From the fall of Rome to the rise of the Wild West, David Mountain brings colour and perspective to historical mythmaking.

The quest to find a theory of quantum gravity that could potentially explain everything.

The amazing inside story of Apollo 11 - The Right Stuff for a new generation

An explosive, revisionist history of the dark past, and darker present of the internet.

The extraordinary story of a slave-girl who rose from concubine to become the Ottoman Empire's only queen.

Getting to the heart of the Artificial Intelligence debate.

A revised look at the rivalry between two of the greatest footballers of our time.

A mouth-watering memoir of four years with Noma's chef-proprietor Rene Redzepi in search of the world's most thrilling food.

The thrilling, true, cold-war era story of counterespionage in Moscow and the clandestine eavesdropping arms race.

Explains what the sciences have to say about planning and action, language, memory, attention, emotions and vision. This book traces the historical development of ideas about the brain and its function from antiquity to the age of neuro-imaging.

The most awe-inspiring churches and cathedrals from around the world

To do: take the stress out of workdefeat 'information overload'be more efficient.Whether you are overwhelmed by your to-do list, or get stressed just looking at your full inbox, this Practical Guide from productivity expert Graham Allcott reveals how to think, and act, more productively and to start loving work.Following a simple A-Z of expert tips and real-life examples, you will learn to improve your focus, regain control, and feel cool, calm and collected.

Effectively understand yourself and others, to achieve a happier, healthier life.Improve your personal and professional relationships by learning a range of mental skills that can help you to successfully manage both yourself and the demands of working with others. Teaching you to stay in control, interpret body language and cope with negativity, this Practical Guide will help you to become aware of your own feelings and those of others, understand them and manage their impact.Filled with exercises, case studies and useful tips, Emotional Intelligence will help you to get smart about emotions and improve both your physical and psychological well-being.

Struggling with your studies? Overwhelmed by your reading list? Paralysed by procrastination? It's time to think like a Ninja!

A full-colour illustrated tour through philosophy's most famous - and most mind-bending - ideasI Think Therefore I Am, Existentialism, Dialectical Materialism? The Socratic Method and Deconstruction? Sure, you know what they all mean. That is, you've certainly heard of them. But do you know enough about them to join a dinner party debate or dazzle the bar with your knowledge?30-SECOND PHILOSOPHIES takes a revolutionary approach to getting a grip on the 50 most significant schools of philosophy. The book challenges leading thinkers to quit fretting about the meaning of meaning for a while and explain the most complex philosophical ideas - using nothing more than two pages, 300 words, and a metaphorical image. Here, in one unique volume, you have the chance to pick the potted brains of our leading philosophers and understand complex concepts such as Kant's Categorical Imperative without ending up in a darkened room with an ice pack on your head.

The essential companion to one of the most popular YA series of all time: His Dark Materials. Accompanies a hotly-anticipated BBC adaptation of the series.