The World's 20 Greatest Unsolved Problems - Hardcover

Vacca, John R.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0131426435 ISBN 13: 9780131426436

Publisher: Prentice Hall Ptr, 2004

Synopsis

Not here are such questions as how to find world peace, the relative influence of nature and nurture, or why a few people are so filthy rich while so many are dirt poor. Rather Vacca, an information technology consultant with a background at the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, looks at current debates in astronomy and cosmology, physics and astrophysics, biology and paleontology, neuroscience, geology, chemistry, and energy. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Featuring Original Contributions from Dr. Stephen Hawking

Unfold the mysteries that vex the greatest minds in science

Gain extensive knowledge of the most challenging scientific problems and learn from more than 60 of the world’s foremost scientists—among them, 40 Nobel laureates! Expand your horizons with a wide range of advanced scientific theories and techniques on problems concerning:

• Permanently storing nuclear waste or eliminating it altogether
• Harvesting energy from a reaction similar to that of the sun
• Earthquake prediction
• The creation of the universe
• Comprehension of free will
• The mystery of dark matter
• The cosmological constant problem
• The construction of a consistent quantum theory of gravity
• And much more

Science has reached dazzling heights of discovery, transforming civilization in the process. And yet, some of the most fundamental questions remain unsolved! In The World’s 20 Greatest Unsolved Problems, John Vacca—together with more than 60 of the world’s most highly respected scientists—explains these problems in detail and describes the intellectual and technological hurdles to be overcome in order to solve them.

This book is indispensable for science buffs, teachers, students, and scientists who want to keep pace with the latest developments. The World’s 20 Greatest Unsolved Problems delves deep into mysteries such as the creation of the universe, dark matter, the quantum theory of gravity, protein folding, free will, consciousness, earthquake prediction, Fullerenes, the quantum mechanical vacuum, storing or eliminating nuclear waste, and more. No other resource explains science’s most compelling dilemmas with such clarity and authority, and nowhere else can you share the expertise of so many brilliant minds! You’ll find

• Complex topics made intelligible, as only experts in their fields can
• Coverage of the key problems expected to dominate the next 40 years of scientific research

The World’s 20 Greatest Unsolved Problems is must reading for anyone teaching science or performing scientific research. It also will fascinate the moderately technical reader or scientific novice.

About the Author:

John R. Vacca is an information technology consultant and internationally known, best-selling author based in Pomeroy, Ohio. Since 1982, John has authored 42 books and more than 550 articles. John has a rich background in technology and science as a former configuration management specialist, computer specialist, and the computer security official (CSO) for NASA’s space station program (Freedom) and the international space station program, from 1988 until his early retirement from NASA in 1995. John was also one of the security consultants for the MGM movie AntiTrust, which was released on January 12, 2001. In addition to his many writing projects, John is a freelance editorial reviewer for online retailers.

About this edition

• Publisher: Prentice Hall Ptr
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0131426435
• ISBN 13: 9780131426436
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 669