The theory of evolution by natural selection did not spring fully formed and unprecedented from the brain of Charles Darwin. Rather it has been examined and debated by philosophers the world over for thousands of years. This lively history traces the evolution of the idea of evolution, showing how it has changed and been changed by different societies over time. It will put 'Darwin’s Dangerous Idea' into its proper context, showing how it built on what went before and how it was developed in the twentieth century, through an understanding of genetics and the biochemical basis evolution. None of this diminishes the achievement of Darwin himself in perceiving the way evolution works at the level of individuals and species, but his contribution was one link in a chain that extends back into antiquity, and is still being forged today.

John Gribbin, author of Six Impossible Things, shortlisted for the Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize, presents a tour of seven fundamental scientific truths that underpin our very existence. These 'pillars of science' also defy common sense. For example, solid things are mostly empty space, so how do they hold together? There appears to be no special 'life force', so how do we distinguish living things from inanimate objects? And why does ice float on water, when most solids don't? You might think that question hardly needs asking, and yet if ice didn't float, life on Earth would never have happened. The answers to all of these questions were sensational in their day, and some still are. Throughout history, science has been able to think the unthinkable - and Gribbin brilliantly shows the surprising secrets on which our understanding of life is based.

The first ever picture-book retelling of Charles Darwin's On The Origin of Species. 'A long, long time ago, before humans even existed, the living world looked very different from how it looks today.' For most of human history, people believed that everything in the world was created at once. But scientists started to challenge that idea and in 1859 Charles Darwin, a naturalist and biologist, wrote a famous book called On the Origin of Species that revolutionised the way that we have understood evolution ever since. Now molecular biologist and illustrator Sabina Radeva has recreated Darwin's most famous work as a beautifully illustrated book for children and adults alike. The stunning pictures bring the theory of evolution to life for young readers, and anyone who wants to learn about evolution. Pulling together Darwin's observations from his travels around the world and his ground-breaking explanation of how species form, develop, and change over hundreds of thousands of years, On The Origin of Species is as relevant and important now as it ever was.

Pioneering study of the science behind quantum computing and what the new quantum reality will mean for mankind The quantum computer is no longer the stuff of science fiction. Pioneering physicists are on the brink of unlocking a new quantum universe which provides a better representation of reality than our everyday experiences and common sense ever could. The birth of quantum computers - which, like Schrцdinger's famous 'dead and alive' cat, rely on entities like electrons, photons or atoms existing in two states at the same time - is set to turn the computing world on its head. In his fascinating study of this cutting-edge technology, John Gribbin updates his previous views on the nature of quantum reality, arguing for a universe of many parallel worlds where 'everything is real'. Looking back to Alan Turing's work on the Enigma machine and the first electronic computer, Gribbin explains how quantum theory developed to make quantum computers work in practice as well as in principle. He takes us beyond the arena of theoretical physics to explore their practical applications - from machines which learn through 'intuition' and trial and error to unhackable laptops and smartphones. And he investigates the potential for this extraordinary science to create a world where communication occurs faster than light and teleportation is possible.

A wonderful celebration of history's most remarkable journey; published to celebrate 160 years of Charles Darwin's ground-breaking text on evolution: On The Origin of Species Step on-board The Beagle and follow the remarkable journey that inspired almost all modern-day knowledge of the natural world. From England to Cape Verde, Brazil to the Galapagos, Tahiti to Australia; discover the wildlife of Charles Darwin - giant sloths, platypus, tarantulas, fireflies and more. As well as gorgeous artwork and fascinating information on the journey, this book also features the equipment used by Darwin and cross-sections of the ship itself. This stunning book comes from the winner of the BDC's New Designer of the Year award, and the author/illustrator behind Really Remarkable Reptiles.

Time travel is a familiar theme of science fiction, but is it really possible? Surprisingly, time travel is not forbidden by the laws of physics - and John Gribbin argues that if it is not impossible then it must be possible. Gribbin brilliantly illustrates the possibilities of time travel by comparing familiar themes from science fiction with their real-world scientific counterparts, including Einstein's theories of relativity, black holes, quantum physics, and the multiverse, illuminated by examples from the fictional tales of Robert Heinlein, Larry Niven, Carl Sagan and others. The result is an entertaining guide to some deep mysteries of the Universe which may leave you wondering whether time actually passes at all, and if it does, whether we are moving forwards or backwards. A must-read for science fiction fans and anyone intrigued by deep science.

'There is grandeur in this view of life ... from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.' On the Origin of Species was first published to great controversy in 1859. With it Charles Darwin forever changed the way men and women thought about the natural world. In this seminal work of natural philosophy, he articulated his theory of natural selection, or survival of the fittest, that put him at the centre of a debate on evolution and the origins of mankind, the embers of which are still burning today. From the discoveries he made during his voyage on board H.M.S. Beagle, Darwin produced a scientific masterpiece.

The world around us can be a complex, confusing place. Earthquakes happen without warning, stock markets fluctuate, weather forecasters seldom seem to get it right - even other people continue to baffle us. How do we make sense of it all? In fact, John Gribbin reveals, our seemingly random universe is actually built on simple laws of cause and effect that can explain why, for example, just one vehicle braking can cause a traffic jam; why wild storms result from a slight atmospheric change; even how we evolved from the most basic materials. Like a zen painting, a fractal image or the pattern on a butterfly's wings, simple elements form the bedrock of a sophisticated whole. Synthesizing chaos and complexity theory for the perplexed, Deep Simplicity brilliantly illuminates the harmony underlying our existence.

Charles Darwin's seminal formulation of the theory of Evolution, On the Origin of Species continues to be as controversial today as when it was first published. This Penguin Classics edition contains an introduction and notes by William Bynum, and features a cover designed by Damien Hirst. Written for a general readership, On the Origin of Species sold out on the day of its publication and has remained in print ever since. Instantly and persistently controversial, the concept of natural selection transformed scientific analysis about all life on Earth. Before the Origin of Species, accepted thinking held that life was the static and perfect creation of God. By a single, systematic argument Darwin called this view into question. His ideas have affected public perception of everything from religion to economics. William Bynum's introduction discusses Darwin's life, the publication and reception of the themes of On the Origin of Species, and the subsequent development of its major themes. The new edition also includes brief biographies of some of the most important scientific thinkers leading up to and surrounding the Origin of Species, suggested further reading, notes and a chronology. Charles Darwin (1809-82), a Victorian scientist and naturalist, has become one of the most famous figures of science to date. The advent of On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859 challenged and contradicted all contemporary biological and religious beliefs.

Discover this beautiful special edition of Charles Darwin's groundbreaking theory on human evolution. When the eminent naturalist Charles Darwin returned from South America on board the HMS Beagle in 1836, he brought with him the notes and evidence that would form the basis of a world-changing theory: the evolution of species by a process of natural selection. This theory, published as On the Origin of Species in 1859, is the basis of modern biology and the concept of biodiversity. Its publication sparked a fierce scientific, religious and philosophical debate, which continues to this day. Patterns of Life: Special Editions of Groundbreaking Science Books

Are you ready for an evolution revolution? Let Professor Robert Winston take you on a journey of discovery through evolutionary science and the way Charles Darwin's revolutionary theories changed the world. Explore lands of fire, meet curious creatures, and peer into the future as you follow Darwin on his epic voyage in search of the origins of species. Find out what the survival of the fittest means; and see how it applies in nature, from discovering how the elephant got its trunk to the ghost genes in your own body. See the main family trees of the living world, and join in the debate about whether humans actually evolved from apes. (Spoiler alert: we share a common ancestor.) Discover how previous thinkers believed life began and find out how theories developed after Darwin, with modern scientists revealing the secrets of genes and DNA and showing what lies in the future. All About Evolution looks at the origins of you, your friends, and every living thing on Earth!

The Language of the Genes and In the Blood revisits Darwin's The Origin of Species, and updates it for the twenty-first century. In his new book, Steve Jones takes on the challenge of going back to the book of the millennium, Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species. Before The Origin, biology was a set of unconnected facts. Darwin made it into a science, linked by the theory of evolution, the grammar of the living world.It reveals ties between cancer and the genetics of fish, between brewing and inherited disease, between the sex lives of crocodiles and the politics of Brazil. Darwin used the biology of the nineteenth century to prove his case. Now, that science has been revolutionized and his case can be reargued using the twentieth century's astonishing advances. From AIDS to dinosaurs, from conservation to cloned sheep, bursting with anecdotes, jokes and irresistible facts, Almost Like a Whale is a popular account of the science that makes biology make sense. It will catch the millennial mood and tell all those for whom Darwin is merely a familiar name what he really meant. It exposes the Darwinian delusions which try (and fail) to explain human behaviour in evolutionary terms, and, while giving an up-to-date account of our own past, shows how humans are the first species to step beyond the constraints of biology.

Are you ready for an evolution revolution? Let Professor Robert Winston take you on a journey of discovery through evolutionary science and the way Charles Darwin’s revolutionary theories changed the world. Explore lands of fire, meet curious creatures, and peer into the future as you follow Darwin on his epic voyage in search of the origins of species. Find out what the survival of the fittest means; and see how it applies in nature, from discovering how the elephant got its trunk to the ghost genes in your own body. See the main family trees of the living world, and join in the debate about whether humans actually evolved from apes. (Spoiler alert: we share a common ancestor.) Discover how previous thinkers believed life began and find out how theories developed after Darwin, with modern scientists revealing the secrets of genes and DNA and showing what lies in the future. All About Evolution looks at the origins of you, your friends, and every living thing on Earth!

Are you ready for an evolution revolution? Let Professor Robert Winston take you on a journey of discovery through evolutionary science and the way Charles Darwin’s revolutionary theories changed the world. Explore lands of fire, meet curious creatures, and peer into the future as you follow Darwin on his epic voyage in search of the origins of species. Find out what the survival of the fittest means; and see how it applies in nature, from discovering how the elephant got its trunk to the ghost genes in your own body. See the main family trees of the living world, and join in the debate about whether humans actually evolved from apes. (Spoiler alert: we share a common ancestor.) Discover how previous thinkers believed life began and find out how theories developed after Darwin, with modern scientists revealing the secrets of genes and DNA and showing what lies in the future. All About Evolution looks at the origins of you, your friends, and every living thing on Earth!

The revolutionary scientific book that explained evolution to millions of people for the first time, retold in stylish and accessible picture-book form. The first ever picture-book retelling of Charles Darwin's On The Origin of Species; this accessible work brings evolution to the younger generation through stylish illustrations and a simple, easy-to-understand text. On The Origin of Species has been the definitive explanation of the theory of evolution since it was first published in 1859. Now molecular biologist and illustrator Sabina Radeva unites her two passions to create a 48-page retelling of this seminal text. Pulling together Darwin's observations from his travels around the world and his groundbreaking - and controversial - explanation of how species form, develop and change over hundreds of thousands of years, On The Origin of Species is as relevant and important now as it ever was.

Chris Stringer's bestselling The Origin of our Species tackles the big questions in the ongoing debate about the beginnings of human life on earth. Do all humans originate from Africa? How did we spread across the globe? Are we separate from Neanderthals, or do some of us actually have their genes? When did humans become 'modern' - are traits such as art, technology, language, ritual and belief unique to us? Has human evolution stopped, or are we still evolving? Chris Stringer has been involved in much of the crucial research into the origins of humanity, and here he draws on a wealth of evidence - from fossils and archaeology to Charles Darwin's theories and the mysteries of ancient DNA - to reveal the definitive story of where we came from, how we lived, how we got here and who we are.