Overview

Invisible light is everywhere. As you read this you are being swarmed by microwaves from your cell phone. Step outside and you'll get a dose of ultraviolet and infrared from the sun. Go on vacation and you submit to a full body security scan at the airport. Cell towers, tanning salons, microwave ovens, CT scans, mammogram machines, saunas, nuclear power plants - all are emitting radiation in your general direction. What effect is it having? An accessible blend of narrative history and science, INVISIBLE LIGHT tells the story of the unseen energies all around us, tracing infrared, microwaves, ultraviolet, X-rays and other forms of radiation from their historic discoveries and oft-misguided early uses to their health costs (and benefits) in our daily lives. With a unique talent for making science relatable and fun, Bob Berman hunts for leftover light rays from the universe's birth, explores the consequences of our newest technologies, looks at how invisible light affects the brain, and even spends time with scientists attempting to detect broadcasts from extraterrestrials. Lively, informative, and packed with eureka moment stories, INVISIBLE LIGHT will delight anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of our world.

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9780316311304

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Reviews

Berman has a knack for clearly explaining potentially difficult scientific concepts in layman-friendly terms and applying these concepts to natural phenomena with engaging anecdotes.... Zoom is an entertaining journey through a variety of scientific fields, accessible even to readers with light science knowledge. --- Tobias Mutter, Shelf Awareness An engagingly quirky popular treatment of the ongoing debate about the nature of space and time in the universe and our place as both observers and participants. --- Kirkus Reviews Vastly entertaining.... Zoom is invaluable for everyone who once knew Newton's three laws and would like a refresher, but it is more fun than that.... Bob Berman knows how to make science accessible. --- Kate Tuttle, Boston Globe An enthusiastic account of all the light we cannot see from a science popularizer with a knack for presenting hard facts clearly and stylishly. . . . For those concerned about health and safety, the author deftly separates fact from myths about cell-phones, brain scans, and other sources of radiation. . . . A guide for laymen written with gusto and assurance. --Kirkus

[Berman's] an unfailingly congenial explainer, always ready with the kinds of fascinating facts his readers might have missed in school. --Christian Science Monitor Explaining light using anecdotal history and colloquial explication, Zapped makes entertaining sense out of what could be dry math and physics. --Shelf Awareness [Berman] excels at making complex concepts accessible for lay readers...this is a great option for those curious about history, theories, and function of everyday things. --Library Journal The narrative is briskly conversational: We're on the porch, shooting the breeze with a knowledgeable neighbor. Mr. Berman's avowed goal in writing this book, he says, was 'to open a window onto the enormous universe of omnipresent energies.' Once that window is thrown open, it is hard to look at the world the same way. --Wall Street Journal Captivating ... fear not the long-winded scientific discourse: Berman zings through historical and scientific adventures. --American Scholar An enthusiastic account of all the light we cannot see from a science popularizer with a knack for presenting hard facts clearly and stylishly. . . . A guide for laymen written with gusto and assurance. --Kirkus PRAISE FOR ZOOM Entertainingly kinetic.... [Berman] transmits science geekery in vivid prose stuffed with unexpected insights and arresting observations.... Absorbing. --- Michael Benson, New York Times Astronomy writer Berman runs through a fascinating history of the rainbow's invisible bands in this breezy, accessible read... In the style of a favorite professor, Berman injects bits of odd humor and captivating tangents into this complex but familiar topic. --Publishers Weekly Nimbly busts common myths ... Erudite but never stuffy, Berman writes with enthusiasm and clarity, making this an informative and digestible read for the science-curious. --Booklist Berman has a knack for clearly explaining potentially difficult scientific concepts in layman-friendly terms and applying these concepts to natural phenomena with engaging anecdotes.... Zoom is an entertaining journey through a variety of scientific fields, accessible even to readers with light science knowledge. --- Tobias Mutter, Shelf Awareness An engagingly quirky popular treatment of the ongoing debate about the nature of space and time in the universe and our place as both observers and participants. --- Kirkus Reviews Vastly entertaining.... Zoom is invaluable for everyone who once knew Newton's three laws and would like a refresher, but it is more fun than that.... Bob Berman knows how to make science accessible. --- Kate Tuttle, Boston Globe

Author Information

Bob Berman, one of America's top astronomy writers, is the author of Zoom and The Sun's Heartbeat. He contributed the popular Night Watchman column for Discover for seventeen years and is currently a columnist for Astronomy, a host on Northeast Public Radio, and the science editor of The Old Farmer's Almanac. He lives in Willow, New York.

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