# kb

id: the-ambidextrous-universe-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ambidextrous_Universe-0.md
category: reference
title: The Ambidextrous Universe
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ambidextrous_Universe
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:04.904731+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-ambidextrous-universe-20260505-0
summary:
The Ambidextrous Universe is a popular science book by Martin Gardner, covering aspects of symmetry and asymmetry in human culture, science and the wider universe. It culminates in a discussion of whether nature's conservation of parity (the symmetry of mirrored quantum systems) is ever violated, which had been proven experimentally in 1956. The book was originally published in 1964 with the subtitle Left, Right, and the Fall of Parity, with a revised version following in 1969. A second edition was released in 1979 with the new subtitle Mirror Asymmetry and Time-Reversed Worlds. The third edition was released in 1990 under the title The New Ambidextrous Universe: Symmetry and Asymmetry from Mirror Reflections to Superstrings; this was re-released with minor revisions in 2005. == Content == The book begins with the subject of mirror reflection, and from there passes through symmetry in geometry, poetry, art, music, galaxies, stars, planets and living organisms. It then moves down into the molecular scale and looks at how symmetry and asymmetry have evolved from the beginning of life on Earth. There is a chapter on carbon and its versatility and on chirality in biochemistry. The last several chapters deal with a conundrum called the Ozma


id: the-ancient-engineers-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ancient_Engineers-0.md
category: reference
title: The Ancient Engineers
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ancient_Engineers
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:06.107193+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-ancient-engineers-20260505-0
summary:
The Ancient Engineers is a 1963 science book by L. Sprague de Camp, one of his most popular works. It was first published by Doubleday and has been reprinted numerous times by other publishers. Translations into German and Polish have also been published. Portions of the work had previously appeared as articles in the magazines Fate, Isis and Science Digest. == Contents == The work is an examination of engineering through the ages from 3000 BC to 1519 AD, from the monumental works of the Egyptians through the speculative inventions of Leonardo da Vinci. The technological legacies of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, the medieval Arabs and Europeans, and Renaissance Europe, are all covered in separate sections, focusing particularly on architectural, military and civil engineering. == Review == The following review is often quoted in reference to this book: Mr. de Camp has the trick of being able to show technology engaging in feats as full of derring-do as those of Hannibal's army. History as it should be told. —Isaac Asimov, The New York Times Book Review, 15 May 1963 == See also == Lest Darkness Fall == Notes == == External links == The Ancient Engineers title listing at


id: antarctic-conquest-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Conquest-0.md
category: reference
title: Antarctic Conquest
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Conquest
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:07.356907+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: antarctic-conquest-20260505-0
summary:
Antarctic Conquest: the Story of the Ronne Expedition 1946-1948 is a 1949 science book by Norwegian-American Antarctic explorer Finn Ronne and science fiction writer L. Sprague de Camp, published in hardcover by G. P. Putnam's Sons. The role of de Camp, who was commissioned as a ghost writer to recast Ronne's manuscript into publishable form, is uncredited. Ronne's working title was reportedly "Conquering the Antarctic". == Summary == The book relates the story of the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition, which researched the area surrounding the head of the Weddell Sea in Antarctica from 1947–1948. == Relationship to other works == De Camp's work with Ronne is reflected in two of his contemporary Viagens Interplanetarias science fiction stories set on the fictional planet Krishna. One, the short story "Calories," adopts an Antarctic setting not utilized in any of the series's other stories; in the other, the novel The Hand of Zei, the protagonist adopts the alias of an inhabitant of the planet's Antarctic and is, like de Camp, employed as a ghostwriter for his explorer boss. == Notes == == External links == Book review in the Geographical Review, v. 40, no. 1 (Jan. 1950), pp. 154-155


id: antiquarian-science-books-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiquarian_science_books-0.md
category: reference
title: Antiquarian science books
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiquarian_science_books
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:08.591517+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: antiquarian-science-books-20260505-0
summary:
Antiquarian science books are original historical works (e.g., books or technical papers) concerning science, mathematics and sometimes engineering. These books are important primary references for the study of the history of science and technology, they can provide valuable insights into the historical development of the various fields of scientific inquiry (History of science, History of mathematics, etc.) The landmark are significant first (or early) editions typically worth hundreds or thousands of dollars (prices may vary widely based on condition, etc.). Reprints of these books are often available, for example from Great Books of the Western World, Dover Publications or Google Books. Incunabula are extremely rare and valuable, but as the Scientific Revolution is only taken to have started around the 1540s, such works of Renaissance literature (including alchemy, Renaissance magic, etc.) are not usually included under the notion of "scientific" literature. Printed originals of the beginning Scientific Revolution thus date to the 1540s or later, notably beginning with the original publication of Copernican heliocentrism. Nicolaus Copernicus' De revolutionibus orbium coelestium of 1543 sold for more than US$2 million at auctions. == List of notable books == === 16th century === Tartaglia, Niccolò. Nova Scientia (A New Science). Venice, 1537. Ballistics.


id: antiquarian-science-books-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiquarian_science_books-1.md
category: reference
title: Antiquarian science books
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiquarian_science_books
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:08.591517+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: antiquarian-science-books-20260505-0
summary:
=== 19th century === Gauss, Carl Friedrich (Germany). Disquisitiones Arithmeticae. Leipzig, 1801. Number theory Young, Thomas (England). Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics, 1803. Light Argand, Jean-Robert (Switzerland). Essai sur une maniere de representer les quantities imaginaries dans les constructions geometriques, 1806. Imaginary numbers. Dalton, John (England). A New System of Chemical Philosophy. London, 1808. Atomic theory Berzelius, Jöns Jacob (Sweden). Läroboken i kemien, 1808. Chemistry Cayley, George (England). On Aerial Navigation. Brompton, 3 Vol, 1809. Aeronautics. Ørsted, Hans Christian (Denmark). Experimenta circa effectum conflictus electrici in acum magneticam. Copenhagen, 1820. Electromagnetism. Fourier, Joseph (France). Théorie Analytique de la Chaleur. Paris, 1822. Fourier series. Fresnel, Augustin-Jean (France). Mémoire Sur Un Nouveau Système D'Éclairage Des Phares Lu À L'Académie Des Sciences. Paris, 1822. Wave optics Babbage, Charles (England). Mr. Babbage's invention: Application of machinery to the purpose of calculating and printing mathematical tables. London, 1823. Computing Lobachevsky, Nikolai (Russia). Geometriya. 1823. Non-Euclidean geometry Cauchy, Augustin-Louis (France). Le calcul infinitesimal. Paris, 1823. Mathematical analysis Carnot, Sadi (France). Réflexions sur la Puissance Motrice du Feu et sur les machines propres à déveloper cette puissance. Paris, 1824. Thermodynamics Ampère, André-Marie (France). Mémoire sur la théorie mathématique des phénomènes électrodynamiques, 1827. Electromagnetism Laplace, Pierre-Simon


id: antiquarian-science-books-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiquarian_science_books-2.md
category: reference
title: Antiquarian science books
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiquarian_science_books
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:08.591517+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: antiquarian-science-books-20260505-0
summary:
=== 20th century (pre-Cold War) === Planck, Max (Germany). Zur Theorie des Gesetzes der Energieverteilung im Normalspectrum. Leipzig, 1900. Quantum mechanics Tsiolkovsky, Konstantin Eduardovich (Russia). The Exploration of Cosmic Space by Means of Reaction Devices. Kaluga, 1903. Rockets Rutherford, Ernest (New Zealand). Radio-activity. Cambridge, 1904. Nuclear physics Lorentz, Hendrik (Netherlands). Electromagnetic phenomena in a system moving with any velocity smaller than that of light. Amsterdam, 1904. Special relativity Einstein, Albert (Germany). Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Körper ("On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies") Leipzig, 1905. Special relativity Einstein, Albert (Germany). Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content? Leipzig, 1905. Physics Richardson, Lewis (England). The Approximate Arithmetical Solution by Finite Differences of Physical Problems Involving Differential Equations, with an Application to the Stresses in a Masonry Dam. London, 1910. Computational mechanics Boas, Franz (Germany/America). The Mind of Primitive Man. New York, 1911. Anthropology Bohr, Niels (Denmark). On the Constitution of Atoms and Molecules. London, 1913. Quantum mechanics Einstein, Albert (Germany). Die Grundlage Der Allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie (Foundations of the General Theory of Relativity). Leipzig, 1916. Physics. Goddard, Robert Hutchings (America). A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes. Washington, D.C, 1919. Rockets de Broglie, Louis (France). Recherches sur la théorie des quanta


id: the-ape-man-within-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ape-Man_Within-0.md
category: reference
title: The Ape-Man Within
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ape-Man_Within
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:09.754305+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-ape-man-within-20260505-0
summary:
The Ape-Man Within is a 1995 science book by L. Sprague de Camp, published in hardcover by Prometheus Books. == Summary == The book undertakes to demonstrate how humankind's self-inflicted problems are rooted in its evolutionary past, with primitive survival traits appropriate to ancestral primates who were organized in small, foraging bands still manifesting in modern societies as competitive, adversarial behavior. == Contents == 1. Darwinian Man 2. Our Handy Kin 3. The Noble Savage 4. The Breeds of Man 5. The Phantom Aryans 6. Race and Power 7. Goat Island 8. What Makes Us Tick? 9. "And Hate Alone Is True" 10. Conclusions Notes Bibliography == Reception == De Camp's approach to his subject has been criticized for oversimplification and inaccuracy in matters of detail. == Notes == == External links == "The Ape-Man Within by L. Sprague de Camp – Book Review" - a positive book review by Tudor Vieru "Darwinism made too simple" - a negative book review by Jeffrey McKee


id: apollo-s-arrow-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo's_Arrow-0.md
category: reference
title: Apollo's Arrow
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo's_Arrow
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:10.939266+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: apollo-s-arrow-20260505-0
summary:
Apollo’s Arrow: The Science of Prediction and the Future of Everything is a non-fiction book about prediction written by Canadian author and mathematician David Orrell. The book was initially published in Canada by HarperCollins in 2007, and was a national bestseller. It was published in the United States as The Future of Everything: The Science of Prediction, and translated versions were also published in Japan, South Korea and China. The book was taught as part of a university course in “Forecasting via Mathematical Modeling” at Gustavus Adolphus College in 2009. == Summary == In this book, Orrell explains the science of prediction to a general audience. The book begins with a general history of prediction from the Delphic oracle to the present day. The next part considers three different areas of prediction in detail: weather, health and economics. It argues that these are all examples of complex systems that cannot be reduced to equations. As mathematical models become more refined, the number of unknown parameters tends to explode. At the same time, networks of interlocking feedback loops make the models unstable. According to Orrell, the resulting model error (rather than e.g. the butterfly effect) is the main reason why forecasts


id: bad-pharma-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Pharma-0.md
category: reference
title: Bad Pharma
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Pharma
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:12.142240+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bad-pharma-20260505-0
summary:
Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients is a book by the British physician and academic Ben Goldacre about the pharmaceutical industry, its relationship with the medical profession, and the extent to which it controls academic research into its own products. It was published in the UK in September 2012 by the Fourth Estate imprint of HarperCollins, and in the United States in February 2013 by Faber and Faber. Goldacre argues in the book that "the whole edifice of medicine is broken", because the evidence on which it is based is systematically distorted by the pharmaceutical industry. He writes that the industry finances most of the clinical trials into its own products and much of doctors' continuing education, that clinical trials are often conducted on small groups of unrepresentative subjects and negative data is routinely withheld, and that apparently independent academic papers may be planned and even ghostwritten by pharmaceutical companies or their contractors, without disclosure. Describing the situation as a "murderous disaster", he makes suggestions for action by patients' groups, physicians, academics and the industry itself. Responding to the book's publication, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry issued a statement in 2012 arguing that the


id: bad-pharma-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Pharma-1.md
category: reference
title: Bad Pharma
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Pharma
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:12.142240+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bad-pharma-20260505-0
summary:
=== Chapter 2: "Where Do New Drugs Come From?" === In the second chapter, the book describes the process as new drugs move from animal testing through phase 1 (first-in-man study), phase 2, and phase 3 clinical trials. Phase 1 participants are referred to as volunteers, but in the US are paid $200–$400 per day, and because studies can last several weeks and subjects may volunteer several times a year, earning potential becomes the main reason for participation. Participants are usually taken from the poorest groups in society, and outsourcing increasingly means that trials may be conducted in countries with low wages by contract research organizations (CROs). The rate of growth for clinical trials in India is 20 percent a year, in Argentina 27 percent, and in China 47 percent, while trials in the UK have fallen by 10 percent a year and in the US by six percent. The shift to outsourcing raises issues about data integrity, regulatory oversight, language difficulties, the meaning of informed consent among a much poorer population, the standards of clinical care, the extent to which corruption may be regarded as routine in certain countries, and the ethical problem of raising a population's expectations for


id: bad-pharma-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Pharma-2.md
category: reference
title: Bad Pharma
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Pharma
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:12.142240+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bad-pharma-20260505-0
summary:
=== Chapter 6: "Marketing" === In the final chapter, Goldacre looks at how doctors are persuaded to prescribe "me-too drugs," brand-name drugs that are no more effective than significantly cheaper off-patent ones. He cites as examples the statins atorvastatin (Lipitor, made by Pfizer) and simvastatin (Zocor), which he writes seem to be equally effective, or at least there is no evidence to suggest otherwise. Simvastatin came off patent several years ago, yet there are still three million prescriptions a year in the UK for atorvastatin, costing the National Health Service (NHS) an annual £165 million extra. He addresses the issue of medicalization of certain conditions (or, as he argues, of personhood), whereby pharmaceutical companies "widen the boundaries of diagnosis" before offering solutions. Female sexual dysfunction was highlighted in 1999 by a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which alleged that 43 percent of women were suffering from it. After the article appeared, the New York Times wrote that two of its three authors had worked as consultants for Pfizer, which at the time was preparing to launch UK-414,495, known as female Viagra. The journal's editor said that the failure to disclose the relationship with Pfizer was


id: bad-pharma-20260505-3
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Pharma-3.md
category: reference
title: Bad Pharma
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Pharma
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:12.142240+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bad-pharma-20260505-0
summary:
== Reception == The book was generally well received. The Economist described it as "slightly technical, eminently readable, consistently shocking, occasionally hectoring and unapologetically polemical". Helen Lewis in the New Statesman called it an important book, while Luisa Dillner, writing in the Guardian, described it as a "thorough piece of investigative medical journalism". Andrew Jack wrote in the Financial Times that Goldacre is "at his best in methodically dissecting poor clinical trials. ... He is less strong in explaining the complex background reality, such as the general constraints and individual slips of regulators and pharma companies' employees." Jack also argued that the book failed to reflect how many lives have been improved by the current system, for example with new treatments for HIV, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. Max Pemberton, a psychiatrist, wrote in the Daily Telegraph that "this is a book to make you enraged ... because it's about how big business puts profits over patient welfare, allows people to die because they don't want to disclose damning research evidence, and the tricks they play to make sure doctors do not have all the evidence when it comes to appraising whether a drug really works or not." The Association of


id: the-beauty-of-fractals-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beauty_of_Fractals-0.md
category: reference
title: The Beauty of Fractals
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beauty_of_Fractals
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:13.365504+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-beauty-of-fractals-20260505-0
summary:
The Beauty of Fractals is a 1986 book by Heinz-Otto Peitgen and Peter Richter which publicises the fields of complex dynamics, chaos theory and the concept of fractals. It is lavishly illustrated and as a mathematics book became an unusual success. The book includes a total of 184 illustrations, including 88 full-colour pictures of Julia sets. Although the format suggests a coffee table book, the discussion of the background of the presented images addresses some sophisticated mathematics which would not be found in popular science books. In 1987 the book won an Award for distinguished technical communication. == Summary == The book starts with a general introduction to Complex Dynamics, Chaos and fractals. In particular the Feigenbaum scenario and the relation to Julia sets and the Mandelbrot set is discussed. The following special sections provide in depth detail for the shown images: Verhulst Dynamics, Julia Sets and Their Computergraphical Generation, Sullivan's Classification of Critical Points, The Mandelbrot Set, External Angles and Hubbard Trees, Newton's Method for Complex Polynomials: Cayley's Problem, Newtons's Method for Real Equations, A Discrete Volterra-Lotka System, Yang-Lee Zeros, Renormalization (Magnetism and Complex Boundaries). The book also includes invited Contributions by Benoît Mandelbrot, Adrien Douady, Gert Eilenberger and


id: bending-science-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bending_Science-0.md
category: reference
title: Bending Science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bending_Science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:14.514474+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bending-science-20260505-0
summary:
Bending Science: How special interests corrupt public health research is a 2008 book by Thomas O. McGarity and Wendy E. Wagner, published by Harvard University Press. Bending Science explores the ways that science is manipulated in the process of making public policy and the law. It has been called a "fascinating and troubling investigation." The authors present a collection of case studies, undertaken largely by industry and designed to distort the scientific process. Thomas McGarity and Wendy Wagner are both University of Texas law professors. == See also == List of books about the politics of science == References ==


id: beyond-bias-and-barriers-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_Bias_and_Barriers-0.md
category: reference
title: Beyond Bias and Barriers
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_Bias_and_Barriers
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:18.489740+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: beyond-bias-and-barriers-20260505-0
summary:
Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering (ISBN 0309100429) is a major report about the status of women in science from the United States National Academy of Sciences. Published in 2006, the report closely examines the data, proposed explanations, and possible responses to the relative dearth of women in science and engineering higher education in the United States. == History == The report was written by the "Committee on Maximizing the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering", a panel at the National Academy of Sciences. The committee was chaired by Donna Shalala, and included college presidents, provosts, professors, scientists, and policy analysts. Committee members included: Alice M. Agogino, Lotte Bailyn, Robert J. Birgeneau, Ana Mari Cauce, Catherine D. DeAngelis, Denice Denton (who committed suicide before the release of the report), Barbara Grosz, Jo Handeslman, Nan Keohane, Shirley Malcom, Geraldine Richmond, Alice M. Rivlin, Ruth Simmons, Elizabeth Spelke, Joan Steitz, Elaine Weyuker, and Maria T. Zuber. As is typical with NAS reports, after the Committee drafted the report, it underwent a peer review process within the NAS, in this case reviewed by another Committee of nineteen members. == Conclusions == The report


id: the-big-splash-book-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Splash_(book)-0.md
category: reference
title: The Big Splash (book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Splash_(book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:19.604305+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-big-splash-book-20260505-0
summary:
The Big Splash: A Scientific Discovery That Revolutionizes the Way We View the Origin of Life, the Water We Drink, the Death of the Dinosaurs, the Creation of the Oceans, the Nature of the Cosmos, and the Very Future of the Earth Itself is a 1990 book written by Louis A. Frank with Patrick Huyghe. In the book, Frank claims to have found scientific evidence that every year, millions of small comets (made of ice and water) strike the Earth's atmosphere, and that these comets created Earth's lakes, rivers and oceans. While many scientists disputed Frank's hypothesis, he continued to argue that there are tests which can be performed which would either rule it out or confirm it. == Authors == Louis A. Frank was a Carver/James A. Van Allen Professor of Physics at the University of Iowa, and principal investigator for the auroral imaging instruments for NASA's Dynamics Explorer mission. Patrick Huyghe is a science writer. == References == == External links == Book Review: Overbye, Dennis (November 11, 1990). "IN SHORT: NONFICTION - THE BIG SPLASH: ..." The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-07-28. Excerpt: "The Original Discovery". Small Comets. University of Iowa. Retrieved 2007-07-28.


id: the-billion-dollar-molecule-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Billion-Dollar_Molecule-0.md
category: reference
title: The Billion-Dollar Molecule
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Billion-Dollar_Molecule
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:20.809877+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-billion-dollar-molecule-20260505-0
summary:
The Billion-Dollar Molecule is a book by journalist Barry Werth about the founding and early research efforts of the American biotechnology company Vertex Pharmaceuticals, which was founded in 1989 by Joshua Boger and was among the first biotechnology companies to adopt an explicit strategy of rational drug design as opposed to techniques based on combinatorial chemistry. This book is notable as an inside look at a biotechnology company, and the stresses and marketing pressures on funding research into drug design. This book is a mixture of finance and technology. In February, 2014, Barry Werth published a follow-on book, The Antidote, that looks at Vertex 20 years later after his original effort. == References ==


id: binas-book-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binas_(book)-0.md
category: reference
title: Binas (book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binas_(book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:21.945407+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: binas-book-20260505-0
summary:
The Binas (Often written as BiNaS or BINAS) is a Dutch science reference work (a handbook) for the higher levels of secondary school, consisting largely of tables and formulas. The name stands for biologie, natuurkunde, scheikunde (biology, physics, chemistry). It is compiled by NVON (Dutch Association for Education in the Natural Sciences) and has been published by Noordhoff Uitgevers since it became the standard reference work allowed at the central examinations in 1975. An English version of the Binas is also available. == Contents == The Binas is divided into five chapters: general, physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology. Each chapter consists of multiple tables, each with specific information. These tables can be short or can span up to a few pages. To find information, students can use the alphabetical register in the back. The Binas does not make use of page numbers, but instead the register refers you to a table number. General. This chapter contains an extensive overview of units of measurement and quantities in the International System of units. This chapter continues in the back of the Binas with safety and environment. Physics. The contents of this chapter include physical constants, physical properties of materials, and isotopes. Additionally,


id: biochemical-predestination-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochemical_Predestination-0.md
category: reference
title: Biochemical Predestination
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochemical_Predestination
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:23.099297+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: biochemical-predestination-20260505-0
summary:
Biochemical Predestination is a 1969 book by Dean H. Kenyon and Gary Steinman which argued in support of biochemical evolution. In the book, Kenyon and Steinman conclude that "Life might have been biochemically predestined by the properties of attraction that exist between its chemical parts, especially between amino acids in proteins." They argued that life originated with the chemical properties of amino acids causing them to be attracted to each other, forming long protein chains, most important in every living cell. Kenyon believed that proteins were directly formed by attraction between amino acids without DNA coding, and that these were derivatives from non-living raw chemicals in a conducive environment. In 1976 Kenyon was persuaded by the young Earth creationist arguments of A. E. Wilder-Smith. In the 1982 foreword he wrote to What Is Creation Science? by Henry M. Morris and Gary Parker, Kenyon said that he no longer accepted the pro-evolution arguments in Biochemical Predestination. At the Edwards v. Aguillard trial he provided an affidavit in support of creation science and noted the book as one of his publications. In 1989 Kenyon became a co-author of Of Pandas and People which rebranded creation science as intelligent design. == Analysis ==


id: biological-physics-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_Physics-0.md
category: reference
title: Biological Physics
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_Physics
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:24.208368+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: biological-physics-20260505-0
summary:
Biological Physics: Energy, Information, Life: With new art by David Goodsell is a book by Philip Nelson, illustrated by David Goodsell. The fifth printing was published by W. H. Freeman in late 2013. It is a work on biology with an emphasis on the application of physical principles. == References == Altman, Russ B. (June 1, 2005), "Teaching Biology and Physics Together (Book Review: Biological Physics: Energy, Information, Life)", Biomedical Computation Review: 30. Dobson, Christopher M. (November 25, 2004), "Crossing the boundary (Review of Biological Physics)", Nature, 432 (7016): 444–445, Bibcode:2004Natur.432..444D, doi:10.1038/432444a. Doniach, Sebastian (November 2004), "Biological Physics: Energy, Information, Life", Books, Physics Today, 57 (11): 63–64, Bibcode:2004PhT....57k..63N, doi:10.1063/1.1839381 Hagen, Stephen J. (2004), "Post-Use Review. Biological Physics: Energy, Information, Life", American Journal of Physics, 72 (10): 1359, Bibcode:2004AmJPh..72.1359N, doi:10.1119/1.1783904.


id: book-of-vermilion-fish-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Vermilion_Fish-0.md
category: reference
title: Book of Vermilion Fish
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Vermilion_Fish
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:25.338101+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: book-of-vermilion-fish-20260505-0
summary:
Book of Vermilion Fish (simplified Chinese: 朱砂鱼谱; traditional Chinese: 硃砂魚譜; pinyin: Zhūshāyú pǔ; Wade–Giles: Chu-sha-yü-p'u) is the first monograph on goldfish in the world, written by Chinese writer Zhang Qiande (simplified Chinese: 张谦德; traditional Chinese: 張謙德; pinyin: Zhāng Qiāndé; Wade–Giles: Chang Ch'ien-te) (1577－1643) in 1596 during the Ming dynasty. == See also == Fishkeeping == References == A. C. Moule: A Version of the Book of Vermilion Fish. In T'oung Pao. Second Series, Vol. 39, Livr. 1/3 (1950), pp. 1–82.


id: a-briefer-history-of-time-schulman-book-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Briefer_History_of_Time_(Schulman_book)-0.md
category: reference
title: A Briefer History of Time (Schulman book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Briefer_History_of_Time_(Schulman_book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:26.564518+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: a-briefer-history-of-time-schulman-book-20260505-0
summary:
A Briefer History of Time is a science humor book by American astronomer Eric Schulman. In it, Schulman presents humorous summaries of what he claims are the fifty-three most important events since the beginning of time. The title and cover are a parody of Stephen Hawking's book A Brief History of Time. Coincidentally, Hawking later wrote a "sequel" entitled A Briefer History of Time. Hawking's publisher Bantam Books was aware that the title had already been used in a popular science book, but proceeded anyway, stating, "The other book was published six years ago, and Professor Hawking is an international figure." In 2004, the author released the book under a creative commons license, CC BY-NC-ND 1.0, as a free download on his website. == Description == Schulman's book is intended to be both humorous and educational. It explores why, even though the Universe is expanding, finding a parking space does not get any easier. Furthermore, the book contains a pulp version of the origin of life ("It was a dark and stormy night. In the shallow tide pool, a nucleic acid base collided with a sugar molecule. An amino acid sank beneath the murky depths . . . ."). ==


id: broca-s-brain-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broca's_Brain-0.md
category: reference
title: Broca's Brain
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broca's_Brain
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:27.721378+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: broca-s-brain-20260505-0
summary:
Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science is a 1979 book by the astrophysicist Carl Sagan. Its chapters were originally articles published between 1974 and 1979 in various magazines, including The Atlantic Monthly, The New Republic, Physics Today, Playboy, and Scientific American. In the introduction, Sagan wrote: As long as there have been human beings, we have posed the deep and fundamental questions. ... If we do not destroy ourselves, most of us will be around for the answers. ... By far the most exciting, satisfying and exhilarating time to be alive is the time in which we pass from ignorance to knowledge on these fundamental issues. == Title == The title essay is named in honor of the French physician, anatomist and anthropologist Paul Broca (1824–1880). He is best known for his discovery that different functions are assigned to different parts of the brain. He believed that by studying the brains of cadavers and correlating the known experiences of the former owners of the organs, human behavior could eventually be discovered and understood. To that end, he saved hundreds of human brains in jars of formalin; among the collection is his own brain. When Sagan finds it in


id: bully-for-brontosaurus-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bully_for_Brontosaurus-0.md
category: reference
title: Bully for Brontosaurus
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bully_for_Brontosaurus
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:03:29.999030+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bully-for-brontosaurus-20260505-0
summary:
Bully for Brontosaurus (1991) is the fifth volume of collected essays by the Harvard paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould. The essays were culled from his monthly column "This View of Life" in Natural History magazine, to which Gould contributed for 27 years. The book deals, in typically discursive fashion, with themes familiar to Gould's writing: evolution and its teaching, science biography, and probabilities. The title essay, "Bully for Brontosaurus", discusses the theory and history of taxonomy by examining the debate over whether Brontosaurus should be labelled Apatosaurus. In "Justice Scalia's Misunderstanding", Gould dissects and decisively rejects Antonin Scalia's dissent in the United States Supreme Court case Edwards v. Aguillard that overturned the last creationist statute in the country. Gould claimed his favourite essay to be "In a Jumbled Drawer" which discusses the debate between Nathaniel Shaler and William James over whether the improbability of our having evolved necessitates divine intervention (Gould, like James, argues no); the essay includes a letter from former President Jimmy Carter as a postscript, which discusses the issue. The essay "Male Nipples and Clitoral Ripples" dealt with the issue of adaptive arguments. It derives from some work by Elisabeth Lloyd, whose subsequent 2005 book was dedicated to


