$19.95
Children can put their flying skills to the test with this chunky pad of brightly patterned spaceships. Each tear-out, patterned paper sheet can be folded, origami-style, into a flying spacecraft by following the step-by-step instructions included.$29.95
Bill Bryson describes himself as a reluctant traveller: but even when he stays safely in his own study at home, he can't contain his curiosity about the world around him. A Short History of Nearly Everything is his quest to find out everything that has happened from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization - how we got from there, being nothing at all, to here, being us. Bill Bryson's challenge is to take subjects that normally bore the pants off most of us, like geology, chemistry and particle physics, and see if there isn't some way to render them comprehensible to people who have never thought they could be interested in science. It's not so much about what we know, as about how we know what we know. How do we know what is in the centre of the Earth, or what a black hole is, or where the continents were 600 million years ago? How did anyone ever figure these things out? On his travels through time and space, he encounters a splendid collection of astonishingly eccentric, competitive, obsessive and foolish scientists, like the painfully shy Henry Cavendish who worked out many conundrums like how much the Earth weighed, but never bothered to tell anybody about many of his findings. In the company of such extraordinary people, Bill Bryson takes us with him on the ultimate eye-opening journey, and reveals the world in a way most of us have never seen it before.
$14.95
How do astronomers study planets, stars and galaxies? What are rovers and where have they landed? How do different telescopes work? What is a nebula? Beginner readers can find out the answers in this book, along with lots more fascinating facts. Amazing photographs and illustrations are combined with simple, easy-to-read text and a glossary explaining all the specialist terms used. Find out more about astronomy and stargazing online via Usborne Quicklinks, where you can find out what to see and when, as well as see the latest images captured by telescopes and rovers.$24.95
Travel into space with this comprehensive visual encyclopedia of the cosmos, from the Big Bang to the Extremely Large Telescope.$34.95
Eclipse Chasers is a guide to past and future Australian total solar eclipses, exploring historical and cultural knowledge, as well as featuring five upcoming eclipses that will be visible in Australia.
The science of eclipses is explained, as well as how to prepare for an eclipse and view it safely. For upcoming eclipses the best locations to view each one are revealed, alongside tips for taking photographs.
The book also reveals untold stories of how past Australian astronomers observed the total eclipses that have occurred since European settlement, and how these eclipses were celebrated in popular culture, poetry and art. It explores the great significance of solar eclipses for First Nations peoples, and their observations and cultural meanings.
Eclipse Chasers showcases the drama and beauty of total solar eclipses and is essential for anyone fascinated by these amazing events.
$29.95
Astronomers have long known that the Universe is expanding, but everything they could see indicated that gravity should be slowing this spread. Instead, it appears that the Universe is accelerating its expansion and that something stronger than gravity --dark energy -- is at work. In Einstein's Telescope Evalyn Gates, a University of Chicago astrophysicist, transports us to the edge of contemporary science to explore the revolutionary tool that unlocks the secrets of these little-understood cosmic constituents. Based on Einstein's theory of general relativity, gravitational lensing, or "Einstein's Telescope," is enabling new discoveries that are taking us toward the next revolution in scientific thinking -- one that may change forever our notions of where the Universe came from and where it is going.$59.95
The scientific life of Fred Hoyle (1915-2001) was truly unparalleled. During his career he wrote groundbreaking scientific papers and caused bitter disputes in the scientific community with his revolutionary theories. Hoyle is best known for showing that we are all, literally, made of stardust in his paper explaining how carbon, and then all the heavier elements, were created by nuclear reactions inside stars. However, he constantly courted controversy and two years later he followed this with his 'steady state' theory of the universe. This challenged another model of the universe, which Hoyle called the 'big bang' theory. Fred Hoyle was also famous amongst the general public. He popularised his research through radio and television broadcasts and wrote best-selling novels. Written from personal accounts and interviews with Hoyle's contemporaries, this book gives valuable personal insights into Fred Hoyle and his unforgettable life.$19.95
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go to the Moon? This beautifuly illustrated picture book will take you on a journey to find out. You can fly into outer space, walk on the Moon and take a look at our world from a very, very long way away.
$49.95
By (author) Peter Robertson
Hardback
$29.95
"develops one fresh new insight after another...In the great tradition of physicists writing for the masses, The Elegant Universe sets a standard that will be hard to beat." -- The New York Times Book Review
In a rare blend of scientific insight and writing as elegant as the theories it explains, Brian Greene, one of the world's leading string theorists, peels away the layers of mystery surrounding string theory to reveal a universe that consists of 11 dimensions where the fabric of space tears and repairs itself, and all matter-from the smallest quarks to the most gargantuan supernovas-is generated by the vibrations of microscopically tiny loops of energy.
Green uses everything from an amusement park ride to ants on a garden hose to illustrate the beautiful yet bizarre realities that modern physics is unveiling. Dazzling in its brilliance, unprecedented in its ability to both illuminate and entertain, The Elegant Universe is a tour de force of science writing-a delightful, lucid voyage through modern physics that brings us closer than ever to understanding how the universe works.
$29.95
Have you ever wondered...
Well, you're about to find out!
Welcome on board an incredible scientific journey from the very, very, BIG to the very, very SMALL.
Travel through the galaxies and stars, onto our very own planet Earth and across its fabulous features, into our wonderful bodies and all their cells, and on down to the very elements and atoms that make up all things, learning how they work along the way. Discover how Australia has made huge contributions to science and do a few experiments yourself as you learn to think like a scientists.
Fasten your seatbelt. This could be a trip that will change your life!
$19.95
As you look up into the sky at night you can see many stars.
The Wongutha people of the Eastern Goldfields area of Western Australia tell stories about the stars, explaining how the stars came to be where they are. Some stars are grouped together and have special names.
One of these groups of stars is called the Seven Sisters. The Sisters were beautiful women who used to visit the earth and wander the land. This is the story of why they appear in their position in the night sky.
$44.95
Under the Stars: Astrophysics for Bedtime transports curious kids and inquisitive adults on an incredible journey through the night sky. Explore our solar system from the comfort of your cosy bedroom. Find out why the sky is blue. Fly around a black hole and peer inside! Learn why Jupiter has stripes
When astrophysicists Lisa Harvey-Smith isn't looking skyward, she is answering the smart questions of school kids. Her engaging storytelling in this colourfully illustrated book brings the night sky to life, giving amazing new perspectives to young explorers who are always asking, 'Why?'
$24.95
Look around you. The reflection of your face in a window tells you that the universe is orchestrated by chance. The iron in a spot of blood on your finger tells you that somewhere out in space there is furnace at a temperature of 4.5 billion degrees. Your TV tells you that the universe had a beginning. In fact, your very existence tells you that this may not be the only universe but merely one among an infinity of others, stacked like the pages of a never-ending book. Marcus Chown, author of Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You , takes familiar features of the world we know and shows how they can be used to explain profound truths about the ultimate nature of reality. His new book will change the way you see the world: with Chown as your guide, cutting-edge science is made clear and meaningful by a falling leaf, or a rose, or a starry night sky.$29.95
Why is the Milky Way blue? Why isn't a black hole dark? How many stars can you see with your naked eye?
Humans are the only known astronomers in the universe. When we look up at the night sky, we are linked to our ancestors. Away from city lights, we can see what generations of people before us have wondered at and weaved stories around.
But all that will change. The Andromeda Galaxy is rushing towards us at 400,000 kilometres an hour.
When Galaxies Collide will guide you to look at the night sky afresh. It peers 5.86 billion years into the future to consider the fate of Earth and its inhabitants. Will the solution be to live in space without a planet to call home? Will one of the other 100 billion planets spawn life?
Learn how to watch this space.
$24.95
A highly entertaining and informative introduction to our planet and the universe we live in. Have you ever wondered what dark matter is or why galaxies collide? Or why the Moon is gradually drifting away from Earth? Space is really, really big, as Douglas Adams once pointed out, and there is no better guide to it than Fred Watson, astronomer to the stars. Fred Watson has taken the many, many questions that have been asked by listeners of his popular, long-running radio shows, and answered them in Why Is Uranus Upside Down? * How can you identify the constellations? * Does the Earth wobble? * Could you dump nuclear waste into the Sun? * What makes planets round? * Where's the nearest black hole? * Are there other universes? * Can we ever know everything? This highly entertaining and informative introduction to our planet and the Universe we live in is a must-read for enquiring minds of all ages.