The third volume of Paul Kuttner's popular "tricky questions" series makes science fun for those who shy away from it and challenges those who consider themselves science know-it-alls: Why is the saline content of the Dead sea higher than that of the Atlantic Ocean? What part of the human body can increase up to two hundred times its normal volume? How much of a smile can you expect to get from a smilodon? These and other intriguing scientific queries make up the 402 questions in Science's Trickiest Questions--the follow-up to History's Trickiest Questions and Arts and Entertainment's Trickiest Questions. Teasers that include the fields of botany, geometry, biology, psychology, chemistry, anatomy, and others will delight and entertain you as the answers surprise! Whether you use it to quiz friends, to fascinate a classroom full of students, or simply to test you "cultural literacy," Science's Trickiest Questions will amust, enlighten and stump readers of all ages.

Part detective story, part exposé, and part travelogue, Promising Genomics investigates one of the signature biotech stories of our time and, in so doing, opens a window onto the high-speed, high-tech, and high-finance world of genome science. In a luminous account, Mike Fortun investigates how deCODE Genetics, in Iceland, became one of the wealthiest companies of its kind, as well as one of the most scandalous, with its plan to use the genes and medical records of the entire Icelandic population for scientific research. Delving into the poetry of W. H. Auden, the novels of Halldór Laxness, and the perils of Keiko the killer whale, Fortun maps the contemporary genomics landscape at a time when we must begin to ask questions about what "life" is made of in the age of DNA, databases, and derivatives trading.

Bioinformatics links content from the life sciences with mathematical concepts from computer science and is significantly involved in the current advances in the molecular biology and medicine. Areas of application are the structural biology, the pharmaceutical and biotechnological research, the Genome-, Proteome-, Transcriptome- and Metabolom Analysis. A core field of Bioinformatics is the development of software for the storage, evaluation and analysis of scientific data. The book is addressed to graduate and undergraduate students in the life sciences and information technology, as well as to advanced researchers in this fields, who want to acquire basic knowledge in the field of Bioinformatics. It serves as an entry point to the discipline as well as for deepening existing knowledge.

Reveals some of the thrilling developments that have transformed biology since the 1960s. Highlights the challenges ahead for biologists but suggests what they can learn from the past. Energetic, jargon-free writing that will appeal to a broad audience. During the 1960s Edinburgh became a hotbed for a forward-thinking group of biologists. This is the story of these innovators who saw that life’s big mysteries were best tackled by studying its molecular foundations. It introduces the eccentric thinkers, ingenious tinkerers and tenacious experimenters who broke down the cultural barriers between traditional scientific disciplines. They produced a series of transformative ideas and tools that wholly reoriented biology. Edinburgh scientists invented genetic engineering. They laid the foundations for DNA fingerprinting and the human genome project. They also cloned Dolly the sheep, purified the first gene and kick-started the now-influential fields of epigenetics and systems biology. Yet Edinburgh’s leading role in most of these world-changing stories have not been told before. Ben Martynoga intertwines science, biography and anecdote to describe the roots and lasting significance of key biological concepts. He describes the crucial micro-details, the blind alleys, botched experiments, and chance encounters to give a rare insight into the way science really progresses. Now, in the 21st century, biology is increasingly a ‘big science’ endeavour. A deeper understanding of biology could deliver not only new drugs and diagnostics, but also improved ways to feed, clothe and fuel us. But the world still awaits the long-promised fruits of biology’s molecular revolution. The successes of Edinburgh’s unsung molecular pioneers remind us why it is crucial to carve out space for small-scale, curiosity-led research.

Science fiction is all around us; But, which part is science and which is fiction? Have you ever seen a quark, a worm hole, or a neutrino? Heres a few more: UFOs, extra-terrestrials, Big Foot, parallel universes, and black holes. The big questions of life reveal our basic uncertainty: who are we and what are we doing here? How did the universe come into being and where is it headed? These stories are intended to entertain, with a touch of science, history, and humor. My hope is that you enjoy reading these as much as I did their writing.

The author, T. Lindsey-Billingsley, has compiled a no-nonsense philosophical study guide exploring racial origins, the African origins of humanity, and prehistoric Kemetic influence throughout the world. The main focus of these studies is on the anthropological and physiological makeup of racial groups, with indepth research into both the 'Out of Africa' theories and divine creationism myths. Billingsley supplies concrete evidence to support her conclusions on the true human experience, in lieu of, popular speculation and theory devoid of logic and sound proof. In this, and subsequent volumes, the author will establish a new perspective of thinking that will tempt you to challenge the validity of theological creationism and evolution, whilst substantiating a strong position on intelligent design and extraterrestrial intervention.