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.

About the Author
John Gribbin's numerous bestselling books include In Search of Schroedinger's Cat and Six Impossible Things, which was shortlisted for the 2019 Royal Society Science Book Prize. He has been described as 'one of the finest and most prolific writers of popular science around' by the Spectator. In 2021, he was made Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Astronomy at the University of Sussex.

Reviews
[In] the last couple of years we have seen a string of books that pack bags of science in a digestible form into a small space. John Gribbin has already proved himself a master of this approach with his Six Impossible Things, and he's done it again ... [Seven Pillars of Science is] light, to the point and hugely informative. ... It packs in the science, tells an intriguing story and is beautifully packaged. * Brian Clegg, popularscience.co.uk *

'[Gribbin] deftly joins the dots to reveal a bigger picture that is even more awe-inspiring than the sum of its parts.'

-- Laura Hiscott * Physics World *



Book Information
ISBN 9781785788581
Author John Gribbin
Format Paperback
Page Count 160
Imprint Icon Books
Publisher Icon Books
Weight(grams) 174g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 12mm