An authoritative reference survey of the modern age of scientific discovery, "Science in the Contemporary World" is a scholarly yet accessible chronicle of scientific achievement from the discovery of penicillin to the latest developments in space exploration and cloning.

Over 200 A-Z entries cover the full spectrum of contemporary science, with emphasis on its diverse nature. Within the last 50 years, medicine has eradicated the killer disease smallpox, but primarily because the virus can live only in humans. Space probes have revealed that on Europa, a moon of Jupiter, an ice-capped...

Many are familiar with such wonders as steam power and the discovery that the planets revolve around the Sun. The fact that such phenomena were known to the ancient Greeks more than 2,000 years ago is less well known. Now, "Science in the Ancient World" fills this gap by covering all the major scientific developments during 4,000 years of ancient history.

Over 200 A-Z entries explore the origins of science, from astronomy and mathematics to medicine and chemistry. Giants like Aristotle and Plato are examined, together with more obscure figures like Nearchus, explorer of the Indian...

Though many books have highlighted the great scientific discoveries of the early 1900s, few have tackled the wider context in which these milestones were achieved. "Science in the Early Twentieth Century" covers everything from quantum physics to penicillin and more, including all the major scientific developments of the period, detailing not only the scientists and their work, but also the social and political forces that dominated the scientific agenda.

Over 200 A-Z entries chronicle the landmark scientific discoveries and personalities of the period, including such scientific giants...