The Moody children, Eliot and Lucy, are devastated by the loss of their uncle Ronald in a road accident. Uncle Ronald, Professor Ronald Moody, had been a brilliant scientist engaged in hush hush research of some sort, and from him, the children inherit Mr Chip, a highly sophisticated robot developed by Ronald over many years. A disturbing train of events had preceded Ronald's death. A mysterious explosion at one of his laboratories had claimed the lives of two scientists, and a third was later found hanged in suspicious circumstances. Subsequent events seem to focus on the search for a special book, which went missing at the time of Ronald's death. Enigmatic new neighbour, Mrs Amelia Sultana, as well as larger-than-life Civil Servant, Sidney Biggs, wend their way through the story and are eventually revealed as key players in the drama. It is also clearly apparent early on, that evil International villains, Emil and Rufus Droitfeld, are implicated up to their eyeballs in dodgy, dastardly goings-on, but are they the brains behind the tortuous plot?

Prepare for a different kind of singularity in Peter Watts' Echopraxia, the follow-up to the Hugo-nominated novel Blindsight It's the eve of the twenty-second century: a world where the dearly departed send postcards back from Heaven and evangelicals make scientific breakthroughs by speaking in tongues; where genetically engineered vampires solve problems intractable to baseline humans and soldiers come with zombie switches that shut off self-awareness during combat. And it's all under surveillance by an alien presence that refuses to show itself. Daniel Bruks is a living fossil: a field biologist in a world where biology has turned computational, a cat's-paw used by terrorists to kill thousands. Taking refuge in the Oregon desert, he's turned his back on a humanity that shatters into strange new subspecies with every heartbeat. But he awakens one night to find himself at the center of a storm that will turn all of history inside-out. Now he's trapped on a ship bound for the center of the solar system. To his left is a grief-stricken soldier, obsessed by whispered messages from a dead son. To his right is a pilot who hasn't yet found the man she's sworn to kill on sight. A vampire and its entourage of zombie bodyguards lurk in the shadows behind. And dead ahead, a handful of rapture-stricken monks takes them all to a meeting with something they will only call "The Angels of the Asteroids." Their pilgrimage brings Dan Bruks, the fossil man, face-to-face with the biggest evolutionary breakpoint since the origin of thought itself. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A New York Times Bestseller Winner of the James Beard Award for General Cooking and the IACP Cookbook of the Year Award "The one book you must have, no matter what you’re planning to cook or where your skill level falls."—New York Times Book Review Ever wondered how to pan-fry a steak with a charred crust and an interior that's perfectly medium-rare from edge to edge when you cut into it? How to make homemade mac 'n' cheese that is as satisfyingly gooey and velvety-smooth as the blue box stuff, but far tastier? How to roast a succulent, moist turkey (forget about brining!)—and use a foolproof method that works every time? As Serious Eats's culinary nerd-in-residence, J. Kenji López-Alt has pondered all these questions and more. In The Food Lab, Kenji focuses on the science behind beloved American dishes, delving into the interactions between heat, energy, and molecules that create great food. Kenji shows that often, conventional methods don’t work that well, and home cooks can achieve far better results using new—but simple—techniques. In hundreds of easy-to-make recipes with over 1,000 full-color images, you will find out how to make foolproof Hollandaise sauce in just two minutes, how to transform one simple tomato sauce into a half dozen dishes, how to make the crispiest, creamiest potato casserole ever conceived, and much more.

This urgent and eye-opening book makes the case that protecting humanity's future is the central challenge of our time. If all goes well, human history is just beginning. Our species could survive for billions of years - enough time to end disease, poverty, and injustice, and to flourish in ways unimaginable today. But this vast future is at risk. With the advent of nuclear weapons, humanity entered a new age, where we face existential catastrophes - those from which we could never come back. Since then, these dangers have only multiplied, from climate change to engineered pathogens and artificial intelligence. If we do not act fast to reach a place of safety, it will soon be too late. Drawing on over a decade of research, The Precipice explores the cutting-edge science behind the risks we face. It puts them in the context of the greater story of humanity: showing how ending these risks is among the most pressing moral issues of our time. And it points the way forward, to the actions and strategies that can safeguard humanity. An Oxford philosopher committed to putting ideas into action, Toby Ord has advised the US National Intelligence Council, the UK Prime Minister's Office, and the World Bank on the biggest questions facing humanity. In The Precipice, he offers a startling reassessment of human history, the future we are failing to protect, and the steps we must take to ensure that our generation is not the last. "A book that seems made for the present moment." —New Yorker

After being stalked across the galaxy by an assassin, post-human Krina Alzon-114 journeys to the water-world Shin-Tethys in search of her sister.

The Fight for the Galaxy is On! Earth's Posleen invasion is contained¾at a huge cost in human blood and anguish. Now hard-nosed commander Mike O'Neal discovers that he's saved our world only to unwittingly lead humanity into slavery. It's another twist of the knife in the human back courtesy of those wannabe Masters of the Universe, the Darhel. But the Darhel are about to experience an even nastier revelation of their own. For there are other universes¾universes with occupants so ravenous they make the Posleen horde seem like a Boy Scout troop. Occupants with the mind-bending power to open a door between realities¾and invade a certain double-spiral galaxy like the plague! As war turns to rout and slaughter, the Darhel have no choice but to beg the one man who hates them more than anything to lead the counter-attack. General O'Neal, welcome to your destiny. The galaxy that betrayed you is now depending on you for salvation! At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). At long last ¾ the latest and greatest entry in military SF master John Ringo's ground-breaking "Posleen War" series, and a direct sequel to his New York Times best-seller Hell's Faire. "If Tom Clancy were writing SF, it would read much like John Ringo." ¾Philadelphia Weekly Press. "[Combines] fast-moving battle scenes with vignettes of individual courage and sacrifice." ¾Library Journal on New York Times and USA Today best-seller John Ringo's "Posleen War" saga.

From New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean comes incredible stories of science, history, finance, mythology, the arts, medicine, and more, as told by the Periodic Table. Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why is gallium (Ga, 31) the go-to element for laboratory pranksters? The Periodic Table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of adventure, betrayal, and obsession. These fascinating tales follow every element on the table as they play out their parts in human history, and in the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. The Disappearing Spoon masterfully fuses science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, and discovery -- from the Big Bang through the end of time. Though solid at room temperature, gallium is a moldable metal that melts at 84 degrees Fahrenheit. A classic science prank is to mold gallium spoons, serve them with tea, and watch guests recoil as their utensils disappear.

Recent advances in technology have opened up vast new areas of communication, cooperation and even friction among nations in their pursuit of security, development and progress. Science and technology today transcend almost all areas of international affairs. The role of science and technology in international affairs is so intrinsic that it is rarely recognised as a separate entity and often taken for granted. The impact of modern dual-use technology on human society and national security has become so large that it would be necessary for foreign policy professionals to understand the finer nuances of technology to successfully negotiate international affairs in future. The book Role of Technology in International Affairs is aimed at bringing a clear appreciation of the various interconnections and interdependencies between technology, security, foreign policy and diplomacy that future diplomats must have for navigating towards international peace. Part-I introduces the reader to the changing dimensions of international relations and diplomacy and highlights the interplay between technology and international affairs. An India-specific perspective is also discussed to bring focus on future challenges for India in the changing globalised world. Part-II takes the reader through four technology areas of major impact on international affairs. New dimensions of outer space and cyber space have emerged as most decisive areas for international peace. Climate change is going to be the most challenging area for international negotiation for the future. The four chapters endeavour to provide a keen insight on important technology areas. Part-III is about how best India can integrate science and technology and foreign policy to build its comprehensive national power which will be vital to India positioning itself as a major power for protecting and furthering its national interest in international affairs.

This riveting work of investigative reporting and history exposes classified government projects to build gravity-defying aircraft--which have an uncanny resemblance to flying saucers. The atomic bomb was not the only project to occupy government scientists in the 1940s. Antigravity technology, originally spearheaded by scientists in Nazi Germany, was another high priority, one that still may be in effect today. Now for the first time, a reporter with an unprecedented access to key sources in the intelligence and military communities reveals suppressed evidence that tells the story of a quest for a discovery that could prove as powerful as the A-bomb. The Hunt for Zero Point explores the scientific speculation that a "zero point" of gravity exists in the universe and can be replicated here on Earth. The pressure to be the first nation to harness gravity is immense, as it means having the ability to build military planes of unlimited speed and range, along with the most deadly weaponry the world has ever seen. The ideal shape for a gravity-defying vehicle happens to be a perfect disk, making antigravity tests a possible explanation for the numerous UFO sightings of the past 50 years. Chronicling the origins of antigravity research in the world's most advanced research facility, which was operated by the Third Reich during World War II, The Hunt for Zero Point traces U.S. involvement in the project, beginning with the recruitment of former Nazi scientists after the war. Drawn from interviews with those involved with the research and who visited labs in Europe and the United States, The Hunt for Zero Point journeys to the heart of the twentieth century's most puzzling unexplained phenomena.