The laws of thermodynamics drive everything that happens in the universe. From the sudden expansion of a cloud of gas to the cooling of hot metal - everything is moved or restrained by four simple laws. This powerful and compact introduction explains what these four laws are and how they work, using accessible language and virtually no mathematics.

Quantum theory is the most revolutionary discovery in physics since Newton. This book gives a lucid, exciting, and accessible account of the surprising and counterintuitive ideas that shape our understanding of the sub-atomic world. It does not disguise the problems of interpretation that still remain unsettled 75 years after the initial discoveries. Uncertainty, probabilistic physics, complementarity, the problematic character of measurement, and decoherence are among the many topics discussed.

The aim of this book is to explain, carefully but not technically, the differences between advanced, research-level mathematics and the sort of mathematics we learn at school. The most fundamental differences are philosophical, and listeners of this book will emerge with a clearer understanding of paradoxical-sounding concepts such as infinity, curved space, and imaginary numbers. The first few chapters are about general aspects of mathematical thought.

Following the discovery of the Higgs boson, Frank Close has produced this major revision to his classic and compelling introduction to the fundamental particles that make up the universe. Frank Close takes us on a journey into the atom to examine known particles such as quarks, electrons, and the ghostly neutrino, and explains the key role and significance of the Higgs boson. Along the way he provides fascinating insights into how discoveries in particle physics have actually been made, and discusses how our picture of the world has been radically revised in the light of these developments.

This Very Short Introduction discusses the key concepts of biochemistry, as well as the historical figures in the field and the molecules they studied, before considering the current science and innovations in the field, and the interaction between biochemistry, biotechnology, and synthetic biology.

英字新聞・雑誌がスラスラ読める!■アルクの人気単語学習書「究極の英単語Vol.3」の音声版!/書籍『究極の英単語SVL Vol.3上級の3000語』は、アルクが編集した「標準語彙水準12000」(Standard Vocabulary List、SVL 12000)の上級レベルにあたる3000語を完全収録。特に、英字新聞や英文雑誌などを読む際に必要な語彙が身に付きます。Vol. 1、Vol. 2と合わせた9000語習得で、TOEICのスコア900点越えも実現します。■本商品は、書籍に掲載されているSVLの単語を複数含んだ覚えやすい540の例文Power Sentencesと、単語リストWord Listの音声(ともに英語のみ)を収録したものです。全3000語の単語の発音が確認できます。テキスト情報は含まれておりません。本コンテンツの利用に際しては、書籍「究極の英単語SVL Vol.3上級の3000語」(アルク発行)が必要です。予めご注意ください。※「標準語彙水準12000」:アルクが長年蓄積してきた膨大な英文データから「日本人英語学習者にとっての有用性」「ネイティブスピーカーの使用頻度」を基準に選び出した、12000語の重要英単語リスト。◇対象レベル◇英語上級

日本人には、まずこの3000語が必要です!■アルクの人気単語学習書「究極の英単語Vol.1」の音声版!/書籍『究極の英単語SVL Vol.1初級の3000語』は、アルクが編集した「標準語彙水準12000」(Standard Vocabulary List、SVL 12000)の初級レベルにあたる3000語を完全収録。ビジネス英会話、TOEIC受験、受験英語などの「土台作り」にピッタリな単語ばかりです。■本商品は、書籍に掲載されているSVLの単語を複数含んだ覚えやすい508の例文Power Sentencesと、単語リストWord Listの音声(ともに英語のみ)を収録したものです。全3000語の単語の発音が確認できます。テキスト情報は含まれておりません。本コンテンツの利用に際しては、書籍「究極の英単語SVL Vol.1初級の3000語」(アルク発行)が必要です。予めご注意ください。※「標準語彙水準12000」:アルクが長年蓄積してきた膨大な英文データから「日本人英語学習者にとっての有用性」「ネイティブスピーカーの使用頻度」を基準に選び出した、12000語の重要英単語リスト。◇対象レベル◇英語入門以上

"Correlation does not imply causation". This mantra has been invoked by scientists for decades and has led to a virtual prohibition on causal talk. But today, that taboo is dead. The causal revolution, sparked by Judea Pearl and his colleagues, has cut through a century of confusion and placed causality - the study of cause and effect - on a firm scientific basis.

天皇の位・后の位を毬のようにうばいあう公卿政治はまさに欄れ堕ちようとしていた。ゆるやかに牙をむきはじめる武門にあってひたひたと昇りゆく平清盛。仏門も我欲に濡れ僧兵が闊歩する。そのなかで民衆もまた思い動く。･･吉川英治の、清盛の薫物も香るかのような語りをお楽しみください。(全1/24巻)(毎月第3水曜配信予定)

Games are everywhere: Drivers maneuvering in heavy traffic are playing a driving game. Bargain hunters bidding on eBay are playing an auctioning game. The supermarket's price for corn flakes is decided by playing an economic game. This Very Short Introduction offers a succinct tour of the fascinating world of game theory, a groundbreaking field that analyzes how to play games in a rational way.