Science Matters (42 page)

Law of Unintended Consequences

leptons

LGMs (little green men)

life

beginning of

cells

chemistry of

evolution of,
see
Evolution

genetic code of

interconnectedness of

molecules of

one-celled

organization of

primordial soup of

light:

bending light rays

black

and color

and Doppler shift

energy of

and matter

nature of

speed of

visible

white

light clocks

light waves

limestone

Linnaeus, Carl

lipids

liquids

literacy:

scientific

technological

little ice age

local Group

local Supercluster

lodestones

logic gates

Loma Prieta earthquake

Los Angeles, earthquakes

Maglev (magnetic levitation) trains

magma

magnetic bottles

magnetic fields

magnetic poles

magnetic properties of matter

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

magnetism

and electricity

electromagnets

of iron

rock

Magnetron

mantle

marble

Margee’s Pennsylvania applesauce bread

Marianas Trench

Mars

no mountain chains on

perihelion shift of

mass:

conversion of

and energy

in Newton’s second law

materials research

matter:

changes of phase

fundamental structure of

magnetic properties of

mechanical properties of

optical properties of

physical properties of

states of

Maxwell, James Clerk

Maxwell’s equations:

and electricity

and relativity

measurement

mechanical properties of matter

mechanics

medievel warm period

M 81 spiral galaxy

meiosis

Mendel, Gregor

Mendeleyev, Dmitri

Mercury

mesosphere

mesozoic era

metal atoms

metal deposits

metallic bond

metallogeny

metamorphic rocks

meteorites

meteorology

microchips

microelectronics

microscopes

microwave radiation

microwaves

Milky Way galaxy

Miller, Stanley

Miller-Urey experiment

mineral physics

mining

mitochondria

mitosis

modules

molecular clocks

molecular evolution

molecular genetics

molecules:

of DNA

energy coin

inorganic

in living systems

molybdenum

moon

formation of

orbit of

moon rocks, dating

moth, peppered

motion:

Brownian

and general relativity

Newton’s laws of

planetary, Kepler’s laws of

study of

uniform

motors and generators

Mount Palomar telescope

Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

Mount St. Helens

Mount Wilson telescope

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

mRNA

mu leptons

mu meson particles

mutations

National Institutes of Health

National Science Foundation

natural selection

nature:

and evolution

observers of

patterns in

regularity of

Neanderthal man

nebulae

Neptune

neurobiology

neutrinos

neutron core

neutrons

neutron stars

Newton, Isaac:

classical mechanics

laws of motion

law of universal gravitation

and measurement

and relativity

and scientific method

Nicholas of Cusa

nickel

night vision

nitrogen

nitrogen oxides

North American plate

North pole

nuclear energy

nuclear fission

nuclear fusion

nuclear physics

nuclear reactors

nuclear weapons

nucleic acids

nucleotides

nucleus:

of an atom

of a cell

positively charged

use of term

nutrients

observers

oceanography

oceans

carbon dioxide in

and evolution

mixed layer of

rock magnetism on floor of

and tides

and water cycle

Oersted, Hans

oil

Oort, Jan

Oort cloud

optical properties of matter

organelles

organic chemistry

organisms, reproduction of

organ systems

ova

oxidation

oxygen

ozone, production of

ozone depletion

paleontology

paleozoic era

pangaea

particles:

alpha

beta

elementary

exchange of

gauge

kinds of

wave-particle duality

peas, Mendel’s research on

periodic table of chemical elements

perpetual motion machines

perspiration

phase transitions

phosphate group

phosphorus

photocopies

photons

photosynthesis

photovoltaic cell

physical properties of matter

physics

pitch

Planck time

planetary motion, Kepler’s laws of

planets:

and celestial gravity

formation of

Jovian

orbits of

perihelions of

search for

terrestrial

plankton

plasma

plastics

plates:

convergent boundaries of

discovery of

divergent boundaries of

fault zones of

neutral boundaries of

subduction zones

plate tectonics

as continental drift

evidence of

importance to science

Pluto

plutoid

plywood

poles, magnetic

pollens

pollution

polymerization

polymers

potassium-argon dating

potential energy

power, in thermodynamics

pressure cookers

primordial soup

Private Universe, A
(film)

probability

prokaryotes

protein crystallography

proteins

Proterozoic eon

protons

pulsars

punctuated equilibrium

pyrite

quanta, behavior of

quantum, use of term

quantum black holes

quantum computing

quantum entanglement

quantum gravity

quantum leap

quantum mechanics

atoms in

uncertainty principle

visualization of

wave function

quantum teleportation

quantum weirdness

quantum wires

quarks

quartz

quasars

radar

radiation

electromagnetic

infrared

measuring doses of

ultraviolet

radiation equivalent in man (rem)

radioactive decay

radioactive tracers

radioactivity

radiometric dating

radio waves

and extragalactic astronomy

and relativity

radon

rainbow

rain forests, destruction of

rainwater

redshift

reduction

reflection of light

refraction of light

regenerative medicine

relativity

and black holes

and E = mc
²

in frames of reference

general

philosophical remarks about

principle of

special

testing of

theory of

time dilation

rem (radiation equivalent in man)

reproduction:

asexual

sexual

technologies

respiration

retroviruses

ribose

riboswitches

rice

Richter, Charles F.

Richter scale

rivers and streams, flowing

RNA (ribonucleic acid)

messenger (mRNA)

transfer (tRNA)

rock cycle

rocks

igneous

intrusive

magnetism of

metamorphic

sedimentary

roller coasters

rubber balls

Rubin, Vera

rust

salt

San Andreas fault

sand

sandstone

San Francisco, earthquakes

Saturn

scattering, of light

schist

science:

experimental

fun of

great ideas approach to

invention of

role of

science education

scientific literacy:

and education

what it is

what to do about

why it is important

scientific method

scientific research, funding for

scientists

seasons

seat belts

sedimentary rocks

seismic waves

seismology

semiconductors

SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence)

sex

shale

shapes:

of enzymes

of molecules

Siberia-Alaska land bridge

sievert (Sv)

silicon

SLAC (Stanford linear accelator center)

slate

smog

solar energy

solar system

solar wind

solids

somatic stem cells

sonar

sound:

and Doppler effect

as kinetic energy

South American continent

species

average lifetime of

new, development of

variations in

speed of light

sperm

spindles

standard model

starch

stars:

birth of

cosmic rays from

death of

double systems

in galaxies

life cycles of

lifetimes of

and plasma

stellar black holes

supernovae

static electricity

stem cells

Stonehenge

Stone Mountain, Georgia

strange and charm quarks

stratosphere

strength

strings

string theory

strong force

strontium-90

STRs (short tandem repeats)

subatomic particles

subduction zones

subnuclear particles

sucrose

sugars

sulfur

sulfur compounds

Sumatra, Indonesia, tsunami in

Sumatra-Andaman earthquake

sun:

and bending of light rays

and climate change

formation of

and Milky Way galaxy

and photosynthesis

solar energy of

ultraviolet radiation of

superclusters

superconductivity

superconductors

supernovae

supersymmetry

surrogate mothers

survival of the fittest

systems

chaotic

disorder in

living

tau leptons

tau meson particles

taxonomy

T cells

telescopes

temperature:

and energy

global warming

and weather

terrestrial gravity

terrestrial planets

theory of everything

thermodynamics:

first law of

heat in

second law of

work, energy, and power in

Three Mile Island

thunderstorms

thymine

time, and relativity

topography

trade winds

transistors

transmission of light

trilobites

tRNA

troposphere

tsunamis

twins, and clones

ultraviolet radiation

ultraviolet waves

uncertainty principle

unified field theories

universe:

big bang theory

birth of

dark energy in

dark matter in

expansion of

first ten-billionth of a second

freezings of

like clockwork

predictability of

structure of

up and down quarks

uracil

uranium, radioactivity of

uranium-235

uranium-238

uranus

Urey, Harold

van der Waals, Johannes

van der Waals force

Venus

Vermont, marble in

vesicles

viruses

visible light

VLA (Very Large Array)

VNTR (variable number tandem repeat)

voids

volcanism

volcanoes

volt, voltage

Volta, Alessandro

W and Z particles

water

bound

evaporation of

freezing

fresh

oceans

surface

water cycle

wave function

wavelength:

range of

use of term

wave-particle duality

waves:

characteristics of

electromagnetic

energy

infrared

light

radio

seismic

speed of

weak force

weather

and air quality

and convection

weather cycle

weathering

weather reports

wegener, Alfred

white dwarves

Wilmut, Ian

wind energy

wind speed and direction

wireless communication

Woese, Carl

work, in thermodynamics

xerography

X-rays

yeast

Z and W particles

Zeilinger, Anton

zeitgeist

zero, absolute

zygotes

SECOND ANCHOR BOOKS EDITION, JUNE 2009

Copyright © 1991, 2009 by Robert M. Hazen and James Trefil Illustrations copyright © 1990 by Neil Hardy

All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Anchor Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto. Originally published in hardcover in the United States by Doubleday in 1991, and subsequently published in paperback in slightly different form by Anchor Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, 1992.

Anchor Books and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hazen, Robert M., 1948–
Science matters : achieving scientific literacy / Robert M. Hazen
and James Trefil.—2nd Anchor books ed.

p. cm.
eISBN: 978-0-307-45664-9
1. Science—Popular works. I. Trefil, James S., 1938– II. Title.
Q162.H36 2009

500—dc22                             2009004660

www.anchorbooks.com

v3.0_r2