National Network for Equitable Library Service

Every day, we are beset by millions of sounds-ambient ones like the rumble of the train and the hum of air conditioner, as well as more pronounced sounds, such as human speech, music, and sirens. But how do we process what we hear every day? This book answers such revealing questions as:

Why do we often fall asleep on train rides or in the car, and what does it have to do with hearing?

What is it about the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard that makes us cringe?

Why do city folks have trouble sleeping in the country, and vice versa?

The classic personal account of Watson and Crick’s groundbreaking discovery of the structure of DNA, now with an introduction by Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind.

Caltech physicist and author Sean Carroll offers listeners this profile of the Large Hadron Collider and the search for the mysterious Higgs boson particle, the subatomic building block that imbues elementary particles with mass. Carroll chronicles how such a complex project got off the ground in the first place and explains why this discovery is so important, and what it means for the future of physics.

Presents alphabetically arranged entries on stars, galaxies, and constellations, based on observations of the sky at night.

Describes how scientists tracked, studied, and escaped the Komodo dragon and tells the true story of the world's deadliest lizard.

Follows Dr. Alex Fillippenko and his High-Z Supernova Search Team as they use the Keck telescope in Hawaii to look for supernovae, find black holes, and study the effects of dark energy.

In this course, Wheaton College professor John Kricher provides a history of the discovery of dinosaurs, and he discusses the timeline and variations of dinosaurs, including their ultimate demise.

In this course, University of Illinois Professor Emeritus James B. Kaler guides listeners through the sights of the naked- eye sky, wherein we directly witness the effects of the turning and revolving of the Earth, the artistry painted by the human mind using the sky and stars, and how the view changes with time and with our place on the planet.

From renowned scientist and animal welfare advocate Temple Grandin, this groundbreaking book is a clarion call to awareness of the inner lives of humankind's far-too-often mistreated and neglected companions. Based on research spanning over 30 years, these stunning insights into the very real emotions and thoughts of animals are sure to be a source of fascination and inspiration.

The acclaimed naturalist, whose life is dedicated to "living the questions", offers a fascinating glimpse into the "little things that run the world".