The Britannica Guide to Inventions That Changed the Modern WorldThe Britannica Guide to Inventions That Changed the Modern World, is one title in a 4 book series that focuses on the transformative power of various movements, voyages, conceits, and outright brainstorms. A true journey into modernity, this set delves into the facts surrounding landmark decisions, actions, and inventions that have advanced cultures, inspired humankind and forever changed the way the world works
Disney Educational - Bill Nye The Science Guy: Inventions
In this episode of the series, Bill Nye discusses how inventions can change the world. Many devices were invented in response to problems, but some inventions, like X-rays, occurred by accident. Bill Nye the Science Guy: Inventions looks at how inventions happen with his special guest Samuel L. Jackson. He suggests that young science students can invent, given the right idea and some motivation.
How can you draw with light? What was Gutenberg’s gift? Where does medicine come from? Can eyes ever hear? In Technology and Inventions, you’ll discover answers to these questions and many more. Through pictures, articles, and fun facts, you’ll learn about the great inventors and inventions that have changed our lives.
This new addition to the Magill's Choice series examines 160 of the
most significant inventions of the 20th century, and the people behind
the inventions. The overall selection of topics has an appealing,
eclectic quality. Essays cover such diverse subject areas as High-Tech,
including computers, compact discs and cellular phones, to common
Household Devices such as polyester, Tupperware and Velcro, and Medical
Advances including heart-lung machines, artificial kidneys, and
mammography. Articles vary in length from 1,000-2,500 words, each
opening with a brief summary of the nature and significance of the
invention, followed by a clear analysis of the invention's history and
impact. Further study notes at the end of each article will point
readers to at least three other published or online sources on the
topic.
Even those who have never watched an episode of Star Trek will be entertained and enlightened by theoretical physicist Krauss’s adventurous investigation of interstellar flight, time travel, teleportation of objects and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Case Western Reserve professor Krauss maintains that Star Trek’s writers were sometimes far ahead of scientists and famed astrophysicist Stephen Hawking’s foreword, endorsing the possibilities of faster-than-light travel and journeying back in time, supports that notion. On the other hand, Krauss also argues that the show is riddled with bloopers and huge improbabilities, as when the Voyager’s crew escapes from a black hole’s interior. This informal manual for Trekkers offers a porthole on the wonders of the universe as it ponders the potential existence of aliens, “wormholes” that allow astronauts to tunnel through space, other dimensions and myriad baby universes.
Sure, we all know Star Trek is fiction, but warp drives and transporters and holodecks don't seem altogether implausible. Are any of these futuristic inventions fundamentally outlawed by physics as we understand it today? The Physics of Star Trek takes a lighthearted look at this subject, speculating on how the wonders of Star Trek technology might actually work--and, in some cases, revealing why the inventions are impossible or impractical even for an advanced civilization. (Example: "dematerializing" a person for transport would require about as much energy as is released by a 100-megaton hydrogen bomb). The Physics of Star Trek deserves merit for providing a refresher course on topics such as relativity and antimatter, but let's face it: the reason most people will want to read this book is simply that it's fun to poke holes in the premises of their favorite science fiction shows!
The Physics of Star Trek 
