Kirjahaku

When our ancestors came down from the trees, they brought the trees with them and remade the world. â??A stunning book on the incalculable debt humanity owes woodâ?¦â?? John Carey, The Sunday Times

When our ancestors came down from the trees, they brought the trees with them and remade the world.'A stunning book on the incalculable debt humanity owes wood...' John Carey, The Sunday Times

When our ancestors came down from the trees, they brought the trees with them and remade the world. ‘A stunning book on the incalculable debt humanity owes wood…’ John Carey, The Sunday Times How did the descendants of small arboreal primates manage to stand on our own two feet, become top predators and take over the world? In The Wood Age, Roland Ennos shows that the key to humanity’s success has been our relationship with wood. He takes us on a sweeping ten-million-year journey from great apes who built their nests among the trees to early humans who depended on wood for fire, shelter, tools and weapons; from the structural design of wheels and woodwinds, to the invention of paper and the printing press. Drawing together recent research and reinterpreting existing evidence from fields as far-ranging as primatology, anthropology, archaeology, history, architecture, engineering and carpentry, Ennos charts for the first time how our ability to exploit wood’s unique properties has shaped our bodies and minds, societies and lives. He also charts the dislocating effects of industrialism and explains how rediscovering traditional ways of growing, using and understanding trees can help combat climate change and bring our lives into better balance with nature. In the bestselling tradition of Harari’s Sapiens, this unique history of humanity tells the story of our evolution, our civilisations and our future through the lens of the material that made us. We are products of the Wood Age.

Solid Biomechanics is the first book to comprehensively review the mechanical design of organisms. With a physical approach and a minimum of mathematics, the textbook introduces readers to the world of structural mechanics and sheds light on the dazzling array of mechanical adaptations that link creatures as dissimilar as bacteria, plants, and animals. Exploring a wide range of subjects in depth, from spider silks and sharkskin to climbing plants and human food processing, this immensely accessible text demonstrates that the bodies of animals and plants are masterpieces of engineering, enabling them to survive in a hostile world. The textbook describes how organisms construct materials from limited components, arrange materials into efficient structures that withstand different types of stresses, and interact mechanically with their environment. Looking at practical and historical aspects of the subject, the book delves into how the mechanics of organisms might be applied to other engineering scenarios and considers the ways structural biomechanics could and should develop in the future if more is to be learned about the form and function of organisms. Solid Biomechanics will be useful to all those interested in how organisms work, from biologists and engineers to physicists and students of biomechanics, bionics, and materials science. * The first comprehensive review of the structural mechanics of organisms * Introduces the subject using a physical approach involving minimal mathematics * Three complementary sections: materials, structures, and mechanical interactions of organisms * Links the dazzling array of mechanical adaptations seen in widely differing organisms * Practical and historical approach shows how mechanical adaptations have been discovered and how readers can perform their own investigations

Why exactly is the Earth round? How is it that boomerangs can turn in mid-air? And why do cats always land on their feet? It’s time to stop thinking in straight lines… 'A wonderfully fascinating book with answers to so many everyday questions you never knew you needed to know.' Mark Miodownik, author of Stuff Matters From the solar system to spinning tops; hurricanes to hula hoops; powerplants to pendulums, one mysterious force shapes almost every aspect of our lives. A force which, despite its ubiquity, continues to confound, baffle and surprise. Artfully moving between astrophysics and anthropology, The Science of Spin provides a sweeping journey through space and time, from the creation of the Earth to the advent of the ‘fidget spinner’. Charting the development of engineering and technology from the earliest prehistoric drills to the turbine engine, critically acclaimed author and scientist Roland Ennos presents a riveting account of human ingenuity and the seemingly infinite ways spin affects our daily lives.

Why exactly is the Earth round? How is it that boomerangs can turn in mid-air? And why do cats always land on their feet? It’s time to stop thinking in straight lines… 'A wonderfully fascinating book with answers to so many everyday questions you never knew you needed to know.' Mark Miodownik, author of Stuff Matters From the solar system to spinning tops; hurricanes to hula hoops; powerplants to pendulums, one mysterious force shapes almost every aspect of our lives. A force which, despite its ubiquity, continues to confound, baffle and surprise. Artfully moving between astrophysics and anthropology, The Science of Spin provides a sweeping journey through space and time, from the creation of the Earth to the advent of the ‘fidget spinner’. Charting the development of engineering and technology from the earliest prehistoric drills to the turbine engine, critically acclaimed author and scientist Roland Ennos presents a riveting account of human ingenuity and the seemingly infinite ways spin affects our daily lives.

A captivating journey through humanity's relentless quest to harness and control physical power, fueling groundbreaking innovations while leaving a profound impact on our planet--from the acclaimed author of The Age of Wood. The Powerful Primate presents a compelling argument that flips the traditional view of humanity on its head. Rather than focusing solely on our intellectual abilities, author Roland Ennos argues it's our physical power and engineering brilliance that have set us apart in the animal kingdom. From our bipedal ancestors wielding simple tools to modern humans mastering complex machinery, Ennos takes us on a gripping journey through the evolution of human dominance. Readers will learn the fascinating history of how humans have progressively harnessed energy from sources such as wood, animals, water, wind, sun, fossil fuels, and even atomic nuclei to fuel our rise as the most powerful species on Earth. Our ancestors' ability to hit harder, throw further, and cut deeper than any other animal laid the groundwork for the development of agriculture, industry, and ultimately, modern civilization. Yet, this power has come at a cost: environmental degradation and societal challenges have arisen from our relentless pursuit of energy and technological advancement. There is hope, however--the same engineering skills that have brought us here can pave the way for a more sustainable future. Blending anthropology, biomechanics, and history, The Powerful Primate is a thought-provoking story of ambition, ingenuity, and the costs of progress--a must-read for anyone interested in the forces that shape human civilization.

A clear and captivating work of popular science that explains rotational force--a basic driver of the universe affecting everything from the cosmos to our own bodies--from the masterful author of The Age of Wood.From the time women first used rotating bobbins to twist thread and men whirled slings around their heads to throw stones, people have found spin fascinating and baffling in equal measure. Now, in The Science of Spin, Roland Ennos shows how rotational motion dominates the workings of the world around us. It has shaped the solar system, galaxies, and black holes. It controls our climate and weather--from the pattern of trade winds through to the local formation of hurricanes and tornadoes. Harnessing the power of spin helped launch civilization, from the first developments of the wheel to the systems that now power the industrial world--propellers, turbines, centrifugal pumps, and electric motors. Even our own bodies are complex systems of rotating joints and levers. But scientists have a tendency to ignore the simple and straightforward. So, 17th-century scientists developed the science of mechanics to explain the phenomenon of the orbit of the planets rather than how machines work. And Newton's laws have actually limited our understanding of spin because they focus on linear motion rather than on an intuitive grasp of rotation. As a result, few people realize how spin makes our planet habitable, or how it has been tamed by engineers to make our lives more comfortable. In a lively and engaging style, Ennos presents a new approach to mechanics that not only helps us better understand the world, but also reveals unlikely links between tightrope walkers and tyrannosaurs, catapults and tennis players, stunt cars and long jumpers. By opening our minds, he shows how we can all learn to move about more gracefully, play sports more successfully and safely--and ensure that, like cats, we always land on our feet. A highly entertaining and informative read, whether it be natural or engineered, spin is what really makes the world go round.

What exactly made the earth round? How do boomerangs turn around mid-air? And why do cats always land on their feet? "A basic scientific concept receives long overdue attention" (Kirkus Reviews) in this "fascinating" (Wall Street Journal) new book from the masterful author of The Age of Wood. From the solar system to spinning tops, hurricanes to hula hoops, power plants to pendulums, one mysterious force shapes almost every aspect of our lives: spin. Despite its ubiquity, rotational force continues to baffle and surprise, and few people realize how it makes our planet habitable or how it has been tamed by engineers to make our lives more comfortable. Charting the development of engineering and technology from the earliest prehistoric drills to the gas turbine, critically acclaimed author and scientist Roland Ennos presents a riveting account of human ingenuity and the seemingly infinite ways spin affects our daily lives. He also shows how this new approach not only helps us better understand the world but also ourselves. After all, even our own bodies are complex systems of rotating joints and levers. Artfully moving between astrophysics and anthropology, The Science of Spin shows how, whether natural or engineered, spin is really what makes the world go round.

What exactly made the earth round? How do boomerangs turn around mid-air? And why do cats always land on their feet? "A basic scientific concept receives long overdue attention" (Kirkus Reviews) in this "fascinating" (Wall Street Journal) new book from the masterful author of The Age of Wood. From the solar system to spinning tops, hurricanes to hula hoops, power plants to pendulums, one mysterious force shapes almost every aspect of our lives: spin. Despite its ubiquity, rotational force continues to baffle and surprise, and few people realize how it makes our planet habitable or how it has been tamed by engineers to make our lives more comfortable. Charting the development of engineering and technology from the earliest prehistoric drills to the gas turbine, critically acclaimed author and scientist Roland Ennos presents a riveting account of human ingenuity and the seemingly infinite ways spin affects our daily lives. He also shows how this new approach not only helps us better understand the world but also ourselves. After all, even our own bodies are complex systems of rotating joints and levers. Artfully moving between astrophysics and anthropology, The Science of Spin shows how, whether natural or engineered, spin is really what makes the world go round.

Why are humans the most feared predator in the world? Over three million years ago, a group of primates discovered tools. Perhaps it was a large rock, ideal for cracking nuts, or a stick to extract honey from a beehive. Regardless, the future of our planet was changed forever. Slowly, the primate evolved, abandoning the trees for solid ground and four legs for two – and the tools changed with it. Stones were sharpened, then attached to sticks, before stone gave way to bronze, iron, steel. With axes came agriculture and the first permanent human settlements, which soon became villages, towns and cities. Sticks and stones transformed into gunpowder, the printing press, combustion engine, electric light, antibiotics and finally the computer. Through sheer invention, Homo sapiens had conquered the planet. Tracing the evolution of humans into the planet’s apex predator – the foremost ‘bullies of the natural world’ – Roland Ennos explores the miraculous and devastating power of human technology from the earliest tools to the present day.