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Nature and Science October 2019
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| Something Deeply Hidden: Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime by Sean CarrollWhat it's about: Quantum mechanics, "the heart and soul of modern physics." Although we all appreciate the technologies it has brought us (smartphones, lasers), no one really understands it.
What sets it apart: While many books on this topic emphasize the magic and mystery of quantum mechanics, this one attempts to demystify a complex topic for general readers without oversimplifying.
About the author: Caltech theoretical physicist Sean Carroll is the author of the bestselling The Big Picture. |
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| Strange Harvests: The Hidden Histories of Seven Natural Objects by Edward PosnettWhat it's about: Seven rare and expensive natural products that represent the "commodification of the natural world."
Namely: Eiderdown, vicuña wool, sea silk, tagua nuts ("vegetable ivory"), civet coffee, bird guano, and edible birds' nests.
Why you might like it: Inspired by the curiosity cabinets of natural philosophers, author Edward Posnett entertainingly delves into the history and folklore surrounding the items he discusses. |
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| Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don't Know You... by Tatiana SchlossbergEveryone pollutes: From food waste to fast fashion, we're all guilty of destroying the Earth. Our video streaming habits alone pump 50.3 million tons (45.6 billion kg) of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually.
Includes: Eye-opening assessments of the (steep) environmental costs of our technology, food production, fashion, and fuel, presented in conversational style.
For fans of: Rose George's Ninety Percent of Everything, another examination of the unseen environmental impacts of human activities. |
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Borrowed Time: The Science of How and Why We Age
by Sue Armstrong
About: Discusses the scientific quest to understand how and why organisms age by describing astonishing experiments including transfusing blood between young and old rats and transplanting the first human head and interviewing key scientists in the field.
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| Horizon by Barry LopezWhat it is: A lyrical, elegaic autobiographical account of travels on six continents by the National Book Award-winning author of Arctic Dreams.
Reviewers say: "A contemporary epic, at once pained and urgent, personal and oracular" (The Guardian).
Want a taste? "To go in search of what once was is to postpone the difficulty of living with what is." |
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| The Sun is a Compass: A 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds by Caroline Van HemertWhat it's about: Wildlife biologist Caroline Van Hemert's six-month, 4,000-mile trek across the Alaskan wilderness with her husband, a journey undertaken without motorized transport.
Why you might like it: Van Hemert interweaves vivid descriptions of the natural world with her memories of growing up in Alaska, her anxieties about her career, and her reflections on life and love.
Word of the day: Zugunruhe, a German word referring to the migratory restlessness of birds. |
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Bookmarks: The Last Days of Night
Friday, October 18, 2:00 pm
Library Meeting Room
Dennis Norman will review The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore. New York, 1888. Gas lamps still flicker in the city streets, but the miracle of electric light is in its infancy. The person who controls the means to turn night into day will make history–and a fortune. A young untested lawyer named Paul Cravath, fresh out of law school, takes a case that seems impossible. Paul’s client, George Westinghouse, has been sued by Thomas Edison over a billion-dollar question: Who invented the light bulb and holds the right to power the country?
This program will also be offered at the Westchester Township Museum in Chesterton, Thursday, October 17, at 2:00 pm.
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Films on DVD Series: The Mustang
Sunday, October 20, 2:00 pm
Library Meeting Room
The library’s Films on DVD series continues with a showing of The Mustang. A violent convict is given the chance to participate in a rehabilitation therapy program centered around the training of wild mustangs. Rated R.
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Gale in Context: Science
An in-depth science database aimed at high school and college students. Includes articles and images covering earth science, life science, space, technology, mathematics and science history. Also includes detailed science experiments. Log in with your library card number.
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Axis 360 eBooks
Find popular fiction, non-fiction, and picture e-books and e-audiobooks for children, teens, and adults! It's simple--just download the app on your device, search for "Michigan City Public Library", and log in with your library card number and PIN.
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Library Catalog
Look up books and other materials, place items on hold, and more.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Michigan City Public Library 100 E. 4th Street Michigan City, Indiana 46360 219-873-3044mclib.org/ |
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