The 20th century gave us two great theories of physics: the general theory of relativity, which describes the behaviour of things on a very large scale, including the entire Universe; and quantum theory, which describes the behaviour of things on a very...

From your heart to your brain, this book is the quickest way to understand the structures and systems that are you. Whether you're a medical student, an artist, a body worker, or simply want to know what your doctor is talking about when he mentions your...

Albert Einstein was an unparalleled scientific genius whose ideas and theories were so shockingly revolutionary, he changed the way the Universe was imagined on multiple occasions. A prodigy in his 20s and a Nobel Prize winner, Einstein was not only a...

Universal change is often the result of an individual's lightbulb moment - an invention that triggers a ripple effect across countries, continents, or even out into space. 30-Second Great Inventions looks at fifty of these groundbreaking innovations -...

What does the Hippocratic oath actually say? Who originally discovered antibiotics? And is it true that technology now allows reconstructive surgery to use customized 3D-printed body parts? Find out the answers to these questions and many others in...

Charles Darwin has become one of the most important men in history. The quiet, unsure polymath who avoided confrontation, ensconced in his family home at Down House in Kent, was also a revolutionary who developed his idea of Natural Selection in...

Here are the stories of the ten most popular equations of all time as voted for by readers of Physics World, including - accessibly described here for the first time - the favourite equation of all, Euler's equation. Each is an equation that captures...

This is a story about you. It is the history of who you are and how you came to be.It is unique to you, as it is to each of the 100 billion modern humans who have ever drawn breath. But it is also our collective story, because in every one of our genomes...

Expert science writer Giles Sparrow guides you through 21 stars you can see in the night sky and what they can teach us about our universe. On a clear evening, if you look up you can see thousands of stars shining in the dark sky, each with a story of...

It is difficult to think of a more quintessential symbol of the British countryside than the British Hedgerow, bursting with blackberries, hazelnuts and sloes, and home to oak and ash, field mice and butterflies. But as much as we might dream about...

Bill Bryson describes himself as a reluctant traveller, but even when he stays safely at home he can't contain his curiosity about the world around him. A Short History of Nearly Everything is his quest to understand everything that has happened from the...

Henry Marsh has spent four decades operating on the human brain. In this searing and provocative memoir following his retirement from the NHS, he reflects on the experiences that have shaped his career and life, gaining a deeper understanding of what...

Electricity was the scientific fashion of the Enlightenment, 'an Entertainment for Angels, rather than for Men'. Lecturers attracted huge audiences to marvel at sparkling fountains, flaming drinks, pirouetting dancers and electrified boys. Enlightenment...

To be human is to wonder. The impulse to ask questions is hardwired into our DNA, and for three hundred millennia people have been searching for answers. In An Illustrated History of Science, Mary Cruse takes readers on a fascinating journey through the...

Call it a daily meditation on the world around us for nature-lovers and nature newbies alike, An Irish Nature Year gleefully explores the small mysteries of the seasons as they unfold - Who's cutting perfect circles in your roses? Which birds wear...

Whether searching for extra-terrestrial life, managing the effects of space weather or learning about dark matter, the study astrophysics has profound implications for us all. NASA scientist and astronomer Sten Odenwald explains the key concepts of this...

Riddled with jealousy, rivalry, missed opportunities and moments of genius, the history of the atom's discovery is as bizarre, as capricious, and as weird as the atom itself. John Dalton gave us the first picture of the atom in the early 1800s. Almost...

Bang! Space, time, matter...the Universe was born 13.7 billion years ago. Infinitely small at first, it expanded more rapidly than anyone can contemplate. Brian May, Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott explain how all this came about, from the moment when...

LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2016Charles Foster wanted to know what it was like to be a beast: a badger, an otter, a deer, a fox, a swift. What it was really like. And through knowing what it was like he wanted to get down and grapple with...

As the news constantly reminds us, recent advances in the biomedical sciences have brought within reach things that were unthinkable only a few years ago: - Designer babies - Genetically enhanced athletes - Human clones - Stem cell treatment - Medical...