Scientific literature

a set of works of writing and printing that are created as a result of scientific research or theoretical generalizations and distributed to inform professionals about recent achievements science, progress and results of research. Regardless of the specific branch of knowledge, the subject of the content of N. l. is science itself - ideas and facts, laws and categories discovered by scientists. Scientific work is not considered completed if its results are not enshrined in writing for transfer to others (in case of a question about assigning priority to a scientific discovery, the publication of scientific essays is necessary). By social function and appointment in N.'s society of l. - not only a product, but also a tool mental labor, “... an instrument is no less important than a research instrument. A well-delivered publication of scientific literature is an indispensable condition high efficiency work of scientists. This is both a form of reporting, and an arena for the competition of ideas, and a means of implementation. scientific achievements into practice” (“Pravda”, 1966, December 15, p. 2).

Early scientific works were created in the genres of treatises, dialogues, reasoning, "teachings", "journeys", biographies and even in poetic genres (odes and poems). Gradually, these forms were replaced by new forms: monographs, reviews, articles, reports, reviews, biographical, geographical, and other descriptions (essays), short communications, abstracts, abstracts, or abstracts of reports and messages distributed in the form of publications appeared. To modern forms N. l. include non-published ones - research reports, dissertations (on which monographs can subsequently be created and published). The style of modern N. l. it is distinguished by objectivity (“impersonality”) and strict logic of presentation, clarity and accuracy of the literary language, combined with the use of the sign apparatus of science (terms, symbols, formulas, graphs, diagrams, drawings, etc.); there is a trend towards internationalization scientific style, which manifests itself, in particular, in the desire for compositional uniformity of scientific works (goal, results of predecessors, method, material, experimental base, the result obtained and its assessment, assumptions for the future).

Scientific and technological revolution of the middle of the 20th century. brought to life an "information explosion", characterized by an avalanche-like increase in the flow of scientific publications, which also causes certain changes in the structure of the publications of N. l. There is an increase in the number and volume of periodicals and continuing publications, with a slight decrease in book-type publications; the trend of turning one-off (non-periodic) collections into ongoing publications, and the latter into magazines and bulletins. There are "journals of brief communications" and "letters to the editor" (leading publications of a priority nature). New forms of distribution are being introduced scientific works: deposit system, when a print-ready job is deposited in the appropriate information centre, which publishes a short message about it, and when requested, issues a copy of the work; preprint system - reproduction and distribution in a small number of copies of a scientific report for familiarization with it narrow circle specialists. Distinguished and formed in independent group printed works scientific information literature, the content of which is the results of analytical and synthetic processing of primary scientific publications in the form of bibliographic descriptions, abstracts, abridged publications or review documents (see Abstract journal, Express information, Signal information). As a consequence of the differentiation of science and the deepening isolation individual industries of scientific knowledge, scientific and reference publications of a sectoral nature are being disseminated (see Reference literature).

In the USSR, N. l. published by the Nauka publishing house and the publishing houses of the academies of sciences union republics(“Naukova Dumka” in the Ukrainian SSR, “Science and Technology” in the BSSR, etc.); they publish 55% of all N. l.; in addition, N. l. publishing houses "Thought", "Mir", "Progress", central industry publishing houses, largest universities, many research institutes. In 1972, 6,992 titles of books and pamphlets of a research nature were published with a circulation of over 23 million copies. (in 1960 - 5.1 thousand titles with a circulation of 12.9 million copies).

Scientific and information literature published by all-Union, central branch and intersectoral institutes and centers of scientific and technical information, in 1972 there were 7834 titles with a circulation of 4.8 million copies. (in 1966 - 2.2 thousand titles with a circulation of 1.4 million copies).

By type of publications N. l. is very diverse: collected works of classics of science and modern Soviet and foreign scientists are published, a series of general scientific (“Classics of Science”, “ Literary monuments”) or special (for example, “Philosophical heritage”, “Mechanics space flight”) type, publication historical documents, single-volume and multi-volume, one-time and serial (for example, "Literary Heritage"), single-volume and multi-volume monographs, individual authors and teams (for example, 10-volume " The World History"). The growth of scientific periodicals and ongoing publications is characteristic. Of these, bulletins and collections of the continuing type (Trudy, Uchenye zapiski, and others) accounted for 59.3% in 1940 and 79.7% in 1972 of the total output of all periodicals and continuing publications.

According to the UN, the release book editions according to the section of the international classification Pure sciences (“ Theoretical Sciences”) for 1968-70 in most countries decreased by 0.5-5% in specific gravity titles; at the same time, there is a steady growth of titles in the Social sciencis (“Social sciences”) section, ranging from 1 to 6% of the total output. By absolute number titles in the "Theoretical Sciences" and "Social Sciences" sections of the USSR occupies a leading place in the world: in 1970 the USSR issued 6.6 thousand and 19.3 thousand titles, respectively, Great Britain - 3.4 thousand and 6 thousand, USA - 2 .5 thousand and 1.3 thousand, Germany - 2.5 thousand and 13.7 thousand, Japan - 2.1 thousand and 7 thousand, France - 1.2 thousand and 5.1 thousand names ( Statistical yearbook 1972, N. Y., 1973). See also Scientific journal.

Lit.: Lenin V. I., On science and higher education. [Sb.], M., 1967; Gilyarevsky R. S., On the future of scientific and technical books, in the collection; Book. Research and materials, 1964, No. 9; Liechtenstein E. S., Science and Book, ibid., 1967, No. 15; Senkevich M.P., Literary editing of scientific works, M., 1970; Modern scientific and technological revolution, 2nd ed., M., 1970; Fokin S. Ya., Scientific literature and numbers scientists in the USSR, in the collection: Book. Research and materials, 1966, No. 13.

B. G. Tyapkin.

Big soviet encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .

See what "Scientific Literature" is in other dictionaries:

Science Magazine"Issues of History" Scientific literature is a set of written works that are created as a result of research, theoretical generalizations made within the framework of the scientific method. Scientific literature is intended to inform scientists ... Wikipedia

Scientific literature- in rhetoric: a type of literature in which SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENTATION is presented in rhetoric: a type of argumentation that assumes the equality of the participants in the discussion, subject to their sufficient special training ... Rhetoric: Dictionary Reference

scientific literature- in rhetoric: a type of literature in which an objective truth is presented that does not depend on the personal views of the author, presented in an abstract and generalized form, suggesting specialized terminology and symbolism; N.l. designed for anyone... Dictionary of linguistic terms T.V. Foal

Literature of Bashkortostan Literature of the multinational Republic of Bashkortostan. “My dear land, Sweet rivers, fields, Birch and black trees, The Ural rearing up into the sky, I melt one dream: to sing my Motherland. ... Over the expanses of glades My Ural, my ... ... Wikipedia

LITERATURE AND LITERATURE. A strict distinction should not be made between the two terms, and one can almost always use both in the same way. If, however, we still look for differences in their meaning, then the first one will be attributed to the works ... ... Literary Encyclopedia

Literature and literature- LITERATURE AND LITERATURE. A strict distinction should not be made between the two terms, and one can almost always use both in the same way. If, however, we still look for differences in their meaning, then the first one will be attributed to ... ... Dictionary of literary terms

- (Latin lit (t) eratura, literally written), works of writing that are of public importance (for example, fiction, scientific literature, epistolary literature). More often, literature is understood as fiction ... ... Modern Encyclopedia

Merton College Library Literature (lat. lit (t) eratura, written, from lit ... Wikipedia

s; and. [lat. litteratura] 1. The whole set of scientific, artistic, philosophical, etc. works of this or that people, epoch or all mankind. Extensive l. previous generations. 2. Kind of art, hallmark which is ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

This article provides a list of studies in the field of Slavic mythology, divided chronologically and according to the degree of scientificity. Content 1 Literature XVIII first half of XIX centuries ... Wikipedia

Books

• Leonid Andreev and Literature of the Silver Age. Selected Works, L. A. Iezuitova. The volume contains for the first time the works of L. A. Jezuitova, a prominent representative of the St. Petersburg philological school, whose teaching and scientific activity was bound by the chair of the History of Russian ...

Administrative reforms in Russia: history and modernity. - M., 2006.

Gradovsky A.D. Beginnings of Russian state law. – In 2 vols. – M., 2006.*

Grekov B.D. Kievan Rus. - M., 1953.

Gumilyov L.N. Ancient Russia and Great Steppe. - M., 1989.

The drama of Russian history: the Bolsheviks and the revolution. - M., 2002.

Zimin A.A. Reforms of Ivan the Terrible. - M., 1960.

History of entrepreneurship in Russia. - In 2 books. - M., 1999.

Kamensky A.B. From Peter I to Paul I. Reforms in Russia in the 18th century: An experience of a holistic analysis. - M., 1999.

Karamzin N.M. History of Russian Goverment. - In 5 vols. – M., 1989–1993.*

Klyuchevsky V.O. Russian history course. – In 9 vols. – M., 1989.*

Kovalchenko I.D. Methods historical research. – M., 2003.*

Kostomarov N.I. Russian history in the biographies of its most important figures. – M., 1990–1992.*

Kumanev G.A. Problems of the military history of the Fatherland (1938-1945) - M., 2007.

Milov L.V. Great Russian plowman and features of the Russian historical process. - M., 1998.

Mironov B.N. Social history of Russia in the period of the empire (XVIII - early XX century). – In 2 vols. – St. Petersburg, 1999–2003.*

Nikolsky N.M. History of the Russian Church. – M., 1983*

Pisarkova L.F. Public administration Russia from the end of the XVII to late XVIII century: evolution bureaucratic system. - M., 2007.

Pikhoya R.G. Soviet Union: History of power. 1945–1991 - M., 1998.

Platonov S.F. Lectures on Russian history. – M., 1993.*

Platonov S.F. Essays on the history of unrest in the Muscovite state of the XVI-XVII centuries. - M., 1995.

Presnyakov A.E. Formation of the Great Russian state. - M., 1998.

Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century. - M., 2002.

NEP Russia. - M., 2002.

Rybakov B.A. Kievan Rus and Russians principalities XII-XIII centuries - M., 1993.

Rybakov B.A. Paganism Ancient Russia. - M., 2001.

Sedov V.V. Eastern Slavs in the VI-XIII centuries. - M., 1982.

Land ownership in Russia: history and modernity. - M., 2002.

Soloviev S.M. History of Russia since ancient times. - In 18 books. – M., 1959-1966.*

Trubachev O.N. Ethnogenesis and culture ancient Slavs. - M., 2002.

Utkin A.I. Second World War. - M., 2002.

Utkin A.I. The challenge of the West and the response of Russia. - M., 2003.

Froyanov I.Ya. Kievan Rus. - St. Petersburg, 1999.

Schilder N.K. Emperor Paul I. - M., 2007.

Shinakov E.A. Education Old Russian state. - M., 2009.

Reference literature

Higher and central state institutions Russia. 1801–1917 - In 4 vols. - St. Petersburg, 1998–2004.

State power of the USSR. Supreme bodies authorities and administrations and their leaders. 1923-1991. Historical and biographical reference book. - M., 1999.

State Duma of Russia: Encyclopedia. – In 2 vols. - M., 2006.

provinces Russian Empire. History and leaders. 1708–1917 - M., 2003.

Historians of Russia. Biographies. - M., 2001.

The history of homeland. Encyclopedic Dictionary. – M., 1999.*

Public thought of Russia in the 18th - early 20th centuries. Encyclopedia. - M., 2005.

Political parties of Russia. Late XIX- the first third of the twentieth century. Encyclopedia. - M., 1996.

Pokhlebkin V.V. Foreign policy of Russia, Russia and the USSR for 1000 years in names, dates, facts: a Handbook. - M., 1992-1998.

Russia. Chronicle of the main events. IX-XX centuries. - M., 2002.

Dictionary historical terms. - St. Petersburg, 1998.

Soviet historical encyclopedia. - In 16 vols. - M., 1960-1976.

Chronology of Russian history. - M., 1994.

Central Committee of the CPSU, VKP(b), RCP(b), RSDLP(b): Historical and biographical reference book. - M., 2005.

Economic history of Russia (from ancient times to 1917): Encyclopedia. – In 2 vols. – M., 2008–2009.

You may not have noticed, but this year there are many science books that deserve attention. Perhaps there is no longer any need to complain about the lack of good popular science literature, as it was possible to do just a few years ago. The problem often lies in choosing from all this variety not just good, but really the best books.

We have compiled our subjective list of popular science and simply educational books that we remember this year. They will make the reader think, tell about something new, improve his ability to reflect on the most different things and perhaps even make his life a little more meaningful.

1. Yuval Harari. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

An international bestseller written by an Israeli medievalist historian and professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The book was published in 2011 and quickly conquered bookstores in many countries of the world. By 2016, it had already been translated into 30 languages.

Among the devoted fans of the book is Mark Zuckerberg, who encouraged everyone to read this work and included it in his project. "Year of Books", and Bill Gates, who admitted that he would take her with him to a desert island.

The book of Harari is a book about how man got his dominant position on this planet. This is a development story human societies from small tribes of hunter-gatherers to modern states with a complex bureaucratic apparatus, and about the main inventions of mankind, to which the author refers Agriculture, religion, monetary economy, science, and, above all, the ability to create fictions. A great continuation of the tradition of large-scale and exciting non-fiction in the spirit of Jared Diamond.

Other animals that ended up at the top of the pyramid - lions, sharks - went to this for millions of years, and a person got to the top almost instantly. Many historical catastrophes, including devastating wars and ecosystem violence, stem from our too hasty rise to power. Mankind is not a pack of wolves that suddenly takes possession of tanks and atomic bombs rather, we are a herd of sheep, which, by virtue of an incomprehensible whim of evolution, has learned to make and use tanks and missiles. And armed sheep are much more dangerous than armed wolves.

2. Frank Wilczek The beauty of physics. Comprehending the structure of nature

The book of the famous physicist and laureate Nobel Prize talks about how people comprehended the Universe throughout history, and what we know about its structure thanks to modern scientific discoveries. Wilczek starts with the ideas of Pythagoras and Plato, stops at the discoveries of Newton and Maxwell, and then, through Einstein, approaches physical theory end of the 20th century.

In this narrative scientific theories intertwined with reflections on the beauty of the cosmos, the universe and the process of scientific research.

The complex and multifaceted narrative that turned out as a result will give each reader something of his own. The text is complemented by beautiful illustrations that make the book an even more interesting example of popular science literature. It is important that the author does not simply try to convey some scientific truth to us, but makes assumptions and seeks to make the reader an accomplice in his thoughts.

Recent advances in cosmology suggest that the part of the universe that we can currently explore even the most powerful tools, is just a small part of the multiverse, the distant parts of which could look completely different. If this became known for sure, it would reinforce the idea that has repeatedly sounded before: the "world" given in the sensations of each person is only one of billions of the same (at least one per person); Earth is only one of the planets of our Sun; our sun is just one of the billions of stars in our galaxy named Milky Way; our galaxy is just one of billions in the visible universe.

3. Paul Kalanithi When breath dissolves into air

The autobiography of a neurosurgeon who died of cancer at the age of 37, who continued to observe the course of the disease for the last two years of his life, to study, work, improve and write penetrating notes, which are included in this book. It quickly went to number one on The New's bestseller list. York Times, was translated into 37 languages ​​and became a real revelation for many readers.

Kalanithi's book is a brilliant story about the everyday life and everyday tragedies of a neurosurgeon, a sincere and deep story about how our sense of self changes on the eve of death. It can hardly be called a popular science work, although science is present in it. Rather, it is a reflection on the meaning of life, felt from one's own experience and in style balancing somewhere on the verge between the works of Montaigne and Oliver Sachs.

The morning was coming to an end and I was washing my hands before my last operation. Suddenly I was terrified. Am I doing this in last time? Maybe it is so. I looked at the soapy water dripping from my hands into the sink. A few minutes later he entered the operating room, dressed in surgical clothes and covered the patient, leaving the operating field. I wanted this operation to be perfect.

4. Frans de Waal. Are we smart enough to judge the intelligence of animals?

A new book by an ethologist and primatologist, who has earned recognition both for his research and experiments, and for his remarkable popular science works (his Origins of Morality and Politics in Chimpanzees have already been translated into Russian). This is a thoughtful and engaging story about how we differ from animals and whether these differences are really as great as we sometimes think.

Even Charles Darwin wrote that "however great the difference in the mental abilities of man and higher animals, it undoubtedly lies in quantity, and not in quality."

Frans de Waal's book builds on results contemporary research to shed New World to this assertion. To what extent are animals capable of experiencing emotions? Do they have friendship, love and hate, politics, enmity and cooperation? Through a story about the evolution of animal cognitive abilities, observations and experiments, the author answers these questions and leads us to a new understanding of what it means to be human.

Yes, we are smart enough to appreciate other species, but it took hundreds of facts, initially completely rejected by science, to break through our stubbornness. The reasons why we got rid of excess prejudice and anthropocentrism are to be found in what we have learned and rethought in the past. In evaluating these changes, I inevitably bring in my own point of view, which favors the integrity of evolution at the expense of traditional dualism.

5. Lisa Randall. Dark matter and dinosaurs. The amazing interconnection of events in the universe

Lisa Randall - Professor Harvard University, specialist in theoretical physics and popularizer of science. Her hypothesis that the death of dinosaurs 66 million years ago is associated with the passage of dark matter through the disk was put forward back in 2014 and received conflicting assessments. The opinion of scientists boils down mainly to the following: it looks plausible, but there is not enough evidence. However, the book deserves attention not only because of this hypothesis.

In fact " Dark matter and Dinosaurs" is a fascinating introduction to modern ideas about cosmology, the solar system and development species in which astrophysics is intertwined with physics elementary particles, geology and even biology. Scattered across disciplines, scientific knowledge and theories need to be brought together if we are to better understand our place in this universe.

I would like to show the variety of incredible interconnections, as a result of which we appeared and were able to understand what is happening now. […] When I started thinking conceptual ideas books, I was struck not only by the scale modern knowledge about our environment (on Earth, in the solar system, in the galaxy and in the universe), but also how much we hope to eventually understand based on the bits of knowledge we have gained here on Earth.

6. Simon Singh, Edzard Ernst. No wallet, no life. Alternative medicine under investigation

A book by eminent British experts on alternative medicine, published with the support of the Evolution Foundation, talks about whether acupuncture, homeopathy, herbalism and other similar practices really help to cope with diseases. Edzard Ernst had been a homeopath himself for a long time, but abandoned these methods when he began to understand how they work. Thanks to this experience, the book not only did not lose its scientific credibility, but also added in the depth and brightness of the material.

"No wallet, no life" will introduce the reader to the basics of scientific medicine. How is the validity check done? medicines and medical practitioners? What is double blind method? Which doctor's statements can be trusted, and which ones should you stay away from? In addition to answering these questions, the book contains a small guide non-traditional methods treatments: from anthroposophic medicine to Bach flower therapy.

Vaccination eradicated deadly infections. Diseases that affect millions of people and were previously considered incurable - appendicitis, diabetes and many others - are now treatable. Child mortality has dropped significantly. Pain can be controlled in most cases. And in general we live longer and enjoy best quality life. And all this thanks to the application of the scientific method in health care and medicine. Alternative medicine, on the contrary, by its very essence - a relic of the Middle Ages.

7. Asya Kazantseva. Someone is wrong on the internet

After reading last book famous science popularizer and winner of the Enlightener award, you will find out what the latest Scientific research about the following important questions: Is the theory of evolution correct? Does homeopathy work? Are GMOs Dangerous? Is it good to be a vegetarian?

People can argue passionately on these and other topics, but very rarely use the right arguments.

Kazantseva's book not only answers the questions posed, but also helps to understand where to take these arguments. It begins with an analysis of the main errors of thinking that constantly mislead us, and ends with “ short course search for truth." The main advantage of the book is not even that it is fascinating and accessible. scientific facts but that it helps the reader get rid of prejudices, learn to think critically and independently.

My ambitions as a writer are mostly not to force a set of correct memes on you, to convince you that homeopathy does not work, GMOs are safe, and so on. I have another main task: to cut down the branch on which I sit, to make the reader less dependent on a scientific journalist in the search and analysis of information. AT this case I'm not even interested in the question of whether homeopathy works. It is more important to show exactly how I arrived at the answer.

8. Sergey Kavtaradze. Anatomy of architecture. Seven Books on Logic, Form and Meaning

This book by a Russian art critic, dedicated to how to understand, study and love architecture, was published a year ago, but this year it attracted our attention: in 2016, the author was awarded the Enlightener Prize for it in the nomination “ Humanitarian sciences". The book appeals not to a specialist, but to the widest readership: it will acquaint you with the history of the development of architecture on a global scale and teach you to see meaning where only forms were seen before.

We all live among and within architecture, but we rarely think about what that means. How did architectural canons change, what values ​​do architects put into their works? How does architecture evoke feelings in us and even serve as a way to connect with God? The book combines the author's narration, images and photographs, as well as quotations from important writings on architecture. For those who want to learn more about this topic, it will serve as an excellent introduction.

No art has power over people like architecture. Architecture can imperceptibly issue commands, effectively controlling human behavior, forcing him to move not only in certain directions, but also in a certain rhythm, at the desired pace and even in the right manner. And that is not all. Architecture has power over both feelings and thoughts.

9. Ian Tattersall Skeletons in the closet. Dramatic human evolution

The book of one of the world's largest experts in paleoanthropology is the result of more than half a century of work on the study of the origins of mankind from ancient people and primates. Like Wilczek's The Beauty of Physics, this book is written in the genre intellectual history: Tattersall talks about how our ideas about the origin and nature of man have changed from Aristotle to the present day.

This story is full of facts and stories from the workshop of paleoanthropologists, in which the author spent most of his life. How did people learn to ask new questions? How did the discovery scientific methods and tools like radiocarbon dating? The author offers the reader not only an exposition theoretical foundations of his discipline, but also gives him the opportunity to immerse himself in the process scientific knowledge- with all its contradictions, subtleties and details.

The science of human evolution continues to feel the yoke of the past, our yesterday's ideas have a huge impact to what we think today. [...] It's strange and complicated story paleoanthropology, showing how each new fact about human evolution calls into question everything we knew before, even if there are often a lot of convincing counterarguments against it.

10. Maria Konnikova. The psychology of distrust. How not to get scammed

famous American psychologist Russian origin, a columnist for The New Yorker and Scientific American, has written a book about the principles behind trust and deceit and why we sometimes fall for false promises so easily. We may think that we will easily expose fraud if we encounter it in our lives. This book proves that it is not necessary to be so self-confident: we are all deceived, and very often we do not even notice it.

Scientific narrative at times spills over into detective story. How do scammers pull off their scams by playing on our fears, hopes and doubts? How not to succumb to deception and notice traps even before you fall into them? The reasons for lying lie in our relentless need to believe in something, to feel empathy, and to lie to ourselves when it seems right or useful to us. These are the reasons behind not only individual cases of deceit, but also behind the manipulation of public opinion.

It does not matter what we are dealing with - a financial pyramid or falsification of data, information stuffing or deliberately false information, artistic forgery or a dubious diagnosis, an unreliable presentation of the past or dubious promises for the future. On the fundamental level it all boils down to trust - more precisely, to the abuse of it.

In the design of the article, Boris Kustodiev’s painting “Maslenitsa” (1916) was used.

10 most popular and interesting scientific books of the most different areas human knowledge will certainly not make you a scientist immediately after reading them. But they will help you better understand how a person works, our whole world, and the rest of the universe.

"Big, small and human mind". Stephen Hawking, Roger Penrose, Abner Shimoni, Nancy Cartwright.

The book is based on the Tenner Lectures delivered in 1995 by the famous English astrophysicist Roger Penrose and the controversy they provoked with equally famous English scientists Abner Shimoni, Nancy Cartwright and Stephen Hawking. The range of issues discussed includes paradoxes quantum mechanics, questions of astrophysics, theory of knowledge, artistic perception.

"Big Atlas of Anatomy". Johannes V. Roen, Chihiro Yokochi, Elke Lutyen - Drekoll.

This edition is a worldwide bestseller. The reader is offered: unique photos anatomical sections, most accurately conveying color and structural features organ structures; tutorials that complement and explain the gorgeous color photographs of anatomical sections; didactic material covering the functional aspects of the structure of organs and systems; the principle of studying sections "from external to internal", when parrying in the laboratory and in clinical work; introduction, devoted to the description of modern methods of visualization of structural features of organs and systems of the body. For the convenience of the professional reader, the names of organs and systems are given in Russian and Latin.

« Short story almost everything in the world." Bill Bryson.

This book is one of the major popular science bestsellers of our day, a classic of popular science. It contains the Big Bang and subatomic particles, primordial oceans and ancient continents, giant lizards roam under its cover and primitive hunters track down their prey ... But this book is not only about the distant past: it tells about cutting edge science, about the incredible discoveries made by scientists, about global threats and the future of our civilization.

"Hyperspace. Scientific odyssey through Parallel Worlds, holes in time and the tenth dimension". Michio Kaku.

Instinct tells us that our world is three-dimensional. Based on this idea, for centuries were built and scientific hypotheses. According to the eminent physicist Michio Kaku, this is the same prejudice as the belief of the ancient Egyptians that the Earth was flat. The book is devoted to the theory of hyperspace. The idea of ​​multidimensionality of space caused skepticism, was ridiculed, but is now recognized by many authoritative scientists. The significance of this theory lies in the fact that it is able to combine all known physical phenomena into a simple structure and lead scientists to the so-called theory of everything. However, serious and available literature for non-specialists almost none. This gap is filled by Michio Kaku, explaining with scientific point vision and the origin of the Earth, and the existence of parallel universes, and time travel, and many other seemingly fantastic phenomena.

"Microcosm. E. coli and new science about life". Carl Zimmer.

E. coli, or coli, is a microorganism that we encounter almost daily, but which at the same time is one of the most important tools of biological science. Many are associated with it. major events in the history of biology, from the discovery of DNA to the latest achievements genetic engineering. E. coli is the most studied creature on the ground. Interestingly, E. coli is a social microbe. The author draws surprising and disturbing parallels between the life of E. coli and our own life. He shows how this microorganism is changing almost before the eyes of researchers, revealing to their astonished eyes the billions of years of evolution encoded in its genome.

"Earth. Illustrated Atlas. Michael Allaby.

A comprehensive picture of all processes occurring on the Earth, inside and around it. The publication contains: detailed maps of continents and oceans. Impressive colorful photos. Popularly stated complex concepts. Wide view environmental issues. An exciting story of life on Earth. Explanatory diagrams and drawings. Reconstruction of geological processes. Terminological dictionary and alphabetical index. Atlas will become indispensable reference guide and table book for readers of all ages.

"History of the Earth. From stardust- to a living planet. The first 4,500,000,000 years". Robert Hazen.

The book of the famous popularizer of science, Professor Robert Hazen, introduces us to a fundamentally new approach to the study of the Earth, in which the history of the origin and development of life on our planet and the history of the formation of minerals are intertwined. An excellent storyteller, Hazen engages the reader from the very beginning with a dynamic narrative of the cooperative and interdependent development of a living and inanimate nature. Together with the author, the reader, with bated breath, makes a journey through billions of years: the emergence of the Universe, the appearance of the first chemical elements, stars, the solar system, and, finally, the formation and detailed history Earth. The movement of entire continents through thousands of kilometers, the rise and fall of huge mountain ranges, the destruction of thousands of species of terrestrial life and the complete change of landscapes under the influence of meteorites and volcanic eruptions - the reality turns out to be much more interesting than any myth.

"The evolution of man. In 2 books. Alexander Markov.

The new book by Alexander Markov is a fascinating story about the origin and structure of man, based on the latest research in anthropology, genetics and evolutionary psychology. The two-volume book "The Evolution of Man" answers many questions that have long interested Homo sapiens. What does it mean to be human? When and why did we become human? In what are we superior to our neighbors on the planet, and in what are we inferior to them? And how can we better use our main difference and dignity - a huge, difficult organized brain? One way is to read this book thoughtfully. Alexander Markov - doctor of biological sciences, presenter Researcher Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. His book on the evolution of living beings, The Birth of Complexity (2010), has become an event in non-fiction literature and has been widely acclaimed by readers.

"The Selfish Gene". Richard Dawkins.

We are created by our genes. We animals exist to preserve them and serve only as machines to ensure their survival. The world of the selfish gene is a world of fierce competition, ruthless exploitation and deceit. But what about acts of altruism seen in nature: bees committing suicide when they sting an enemy to protect a hive, or birds risking their lives to warn a flock of a hawk's approach? Does this contradict the fundamental law of gene selfishness? In no case! Dawkins shows that selfish gene- it's also a cunning gene. And he cherishes the hope that kind of Homo sapiens - the only one in everything the globe- able to rebel against the intentions of the selfish gene.
The translation is verified according to the jubilee English edition 2006.

"Pseudoscience and paranormal activity. Critical view. Jonathan Smith.

Confidently operating on the data of psychology, physics, logical analysis, stories, Jonathan Smith guides the reader through the mysterious territories of the unknown, not letting them get lost among complex scientific concepts and helping to distinguish between incredible truth and plausible deception.

Akimushkin Igor Ivanovich (1929-1993)
Scientist, popularizer of biology. Author of more than 60 scientific, artistic and children's books.
Born in Moscow in the family of an engineer. Graduated from the biology and soil faculty of Moscow State University (1952). Published since 1956.
Author of popular science books about the life of animals (mostly poorly studied): "Traces of Unseen Beasts", "Trail of Legends", "Primates of the Sea", "Tragedy of Wild Animals", etc.

The first book of The World of Animals (the author wrote six such books) tells about seven orders of the class of mammals: cloacae, marsupials, insectivores, coleoptera, carnivores, equids and artiodactyls. The second is devoted to the remaining twelve orders of mammals: bats, primates, edentulous, pangolins, hares, rodents, cetaceans, pinnipeds, aardvarks, hyraxes, sirens and proboscis.

The famous science fiction writer, world-famous scientist, great popularizer of science, author of many popular science, fantasy, detective, historical and humorous publications invites you to the world of mysteries of the past, present and future.

The Bible says that God created man in his own image and likeness. Science has forced theologians to retreat on a number of issues concerning the origin of man. Even the pope admitted that the human body could have come into being naturally as proven by science. However, churchmen cannot completely abandon the biblical myth of the creation of man even in our time.

Throughout its history, mankind has been faced with a variety of catastrophes and cataclysms. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, as well as vehicle crashes... Built in the form of a chronicle, the book will tell you about famous and little-known cataclysms and catastrophes - from the beginning of time to the 21st century.
The publication is intended for a wide range of readers.

The book tells about the development of ideas about gravity throughout the history of science. In the description of the current state gravitational theory main focus is on general theory relativity, but also about other theories. The formation and structure of black holes, generation and detection prospects are discussed. gravitational waves, the evolution of the Universe, starting from big bang and ending modern era and possible scenarios future.

It is impossible to protect oneself from many troubles in life, but, according to the author of this book, crimes are not one of them. Thousands of people become victims of crime every year. And do not think that this is what happens to others - it is much better to arm yourself necessary knowledge rather than trust no fate. Author of the book "What is not taught in school.

Many celestial phenomena seem mysterious and unusual to believers. Often, when they see a comet in the sky, they say: "To be in trouble, this sign is not good"; noticing the fall of a meteorite, they say: "Someone's soul has sunk." The author of the brochure, an employee of the Moscow Planetarium, in a lively and accessible form for the widest reader, tells about the real causes of these phenomena, that there is nothing mysterious and supernatural ...

The book is devoted to the formation of basic ideas classical science in the 17th century, a process that was called scientific revolution. The main place is given to the physical and mathematical sciences, in the development of which the main features of the scientific revolution were most clearly reflected. The main lines of this process are traced, associated primarily with the names of Kepler, Galileo, Descartes, Huygens and Newton.

A study of the earliest sedimentary rocks shows that cellular life forms were present on Earth about 3.85 billion years ago, that is, they appeared shortly after the creation of conditions compatible with life. This means that precellular evolution, with all its complexity, could be carried out in a very short period of time (10-50 million years). According to another version, precellular evolution took place outside the Earth (panspermia).