Science at the Extreme : Scientists on the Cutting Edge of Discovery

Whether hanging from suspension bridges to track the flight of raptors, scuba diving into the crushing cores of moving glaciers, or exploring the burning cauldrons of active volcanoes, there is a special breed of scientist willing to go wherever they must and do whatever it takes to get the data they need. In the tradition of the great naturalist-explorers, these daring men and women of science are working at nature’s harsh extremes, where there is no substitute for first-hand experience, no computer models or controlled experiments that will give them the data they need—and no room for mistakes.Science and nature writer and photojournalist, Peter Lane Taylor, accompanied 9 of these “extreme scientists” and experienced first-hand the rigors of their special brand of research. In Science at the Extreme, he combines stunning original photographs with gripping narrative accounts to take readers on a thrilling adventure—with a purpose—to the very frontiers of

Enter the endless possibilities of extreme science

With a fascinating narrative and stunning photography, Science at the Extreme destroys the stereotypes of the scientist as a white-coated laboratory hermit cut off from the real world. This dazzling new breed of candid, impassioned, and risk-taking explorers have emerged to tackle today's most bewildering scientific mysteries, and are the practitioners of what Taylor has dubbed "extreme science."

Framing the adventures within the larger context of science's enduring mission to test the limits of human knowledge, Taylor vividly relates his exploits alongside nine extreme scientists. Together they hang from suspension bridges, climb the tallest trees on earth, crawl into the cores of glaciers, and explore the cauldrons of active volcanoes. These stories hold tight to the axiom that there is no substitute for first-hand experience--and absolutely no room for mistakes.

Featuring over 140 striking photographs and a foreword by Thomas E. Lovejoy--biodiversity counselor to the Smithsonian Institution and the United Nations--Science at the Extreme is a finely wrought, rich narrative; a consistently eye-opening achievement, transporting readers to realms as exotic and endangered as any that could be imagined.