从物质中理解奇迹：理解自然的奇观 The Miraculous from the Material:Understanding the Wonders of Nature

基本信息

出版社：Pantheon (2024年 11月 19日)

语言：英语

精装：208页

ISBN-10：0593701488

ISBN-13：978-0593701485

商品重量：567 g

尺寸：20 x 14 x 1 cm

信息仅供参考，具体请以实物为准

书籍简介

这本书图文并茂，探索了宇宙中令人惊叹的自然现象背后的科学原理——从原子和草履虫到彩虹、雪花、蜘蛛网、土星环、星系等等

大自然能够创造出非凡的现象。敬畏这些现象，我们会体验到与宇宙的联系。对于知名物理学家和小说家艾伦·莱特曼来说，同样了不起的是，我们周围看到的所有东西——肥皂泡、朱鹭、流星——都是由相同的物质构成，遵循相同的规则和规律。这就是莱特曼所说的“精神唯物主义”，即相信我们可以在不放弃科学世界观的情况下接受精神体验。

《物质奇迹》将 36 张美丽的全彩照片与平易近人、抒情的个人随笔相结合，探讨了自然界背后迷人的科学原理。彩虹为什么会形成弧形？为什么约塞米蒂国家公园的某处瀑布有时会像着火一样发光？蜂鸟是如何飞翔的？世界上有太多值得惊叹的事物——科学也同样令人着迷。

莱特曼的想象力从原子和分子世界到动物王国，从下龙湾、越南和大峡谷等地到太阳系及更远的地方，阐明了宇宙的雄伟及其背后非凡的科学。《物质奇迹》是一首令人惊叹的、高亢的颂歌，颂扬着我们周围的美丽和奇迹，也是摄影爱好者、终身学习者和自然世界崇拜者的完美节日礼物。

A gorgeously illustrated exploration of the science behind the universe’s most stunning natural phenomena—from atoms and parameciums to rainbows, snowflakes, spider webs, the rings of Saturn, galaxies, and more

Nature is capable of extraordinary phenomena. Standing in awe of those phenomena, we experience a feeling of connection to the cosmos. For acclaimed physicist and novelist Alan Lightman, just as remarkable is that all of what we see around us—soap bubbles, scarlet ibises, shooting stars—are made out of the same material stuff and obey the same rules and laws. This is what Lightman calls “spiritual materialism,” the belief that we can embrace spiritual experiences without letting go of our scientific worldview.

Pairing 36 beautiful, full-color photos evoking some of nature’s most awe-inspiring phenomena with accessible and lyrical personal essays, The Miraculous from the Material explores the fascinating science underlying the natural world. Why do rainbows make an arc? Why does a particular waterfall at Yosemite National Park sometimes glow like it’s on fire? How does a hummingbird fly? The world has so many things to marvel at—and the science is just as fascinating.

Lightman’s imagination travels from the world of atoms and molecules to the animal kingdom, from places like Ha Long Bay, Vietnam and the Grand Canyon out to the solar system and beyond, illuminating the majesty of the cosmos and the remarkable science behind it. The Miraculous from the Material is a stunning, soaring ode to the beauty and wonder around us, and the perfect holiday gift for photography aficionados, life-long learners, and admirers of the natural world.

作者简介

艾伦·莱特曼在加州理工学院获得物理学博士学位，著有七部小说，包括国际畅销书《爱因斯坦的梦》和《诊断》，后者入围美国国家图书奖决赛。他的非虚构作品包括《超验大脑》、《偶然的宇宙》、《在缅因州的岛上寻找星星》和《可能的不可能》。他曾在哈佛大学和麻省理工学院任教，是一位同时获得科学和人文学科双教职的人。他目前是麻省理工学院人文学科实践教授。他是公共电视系列节目《搜索：我们在科学时代的意义探索》的主持人。

ALAN LIGHTMAN earned his PhD in physics from the California Institute of Technology and is the author of seven novels, including the international best seller Einstein’s Dreams and The Diagnosis, a finalist for the National Book Award. His nonfiction includes The Transcendental Brain, The Accidental Universe, Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine, and Probable Impossibilities. He has taught at Harvard and at MIT, where he was the first person to receive a dual faculty appointment in science and the humanities. He is currently a professor of the practice of the humanities at MIT. He is the host of the public television series Searching: Our Quest for Meaning in the Age of Science.