The Five Biggest Unsolved Problems in Science - by Arthur W Wiggins & Charles M Wynn (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

An in-depth look at the theories behind the most intriguing puzzles in physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, and astronomy

In The Five Biggest Ideas in Science, authors Arthur W. Wiggins and Charles M. Wynn discussed science's most important current ideas. Now, they tackle the questions that science has been unable to answer-so far. Choosing one unsolved problem from each discipline, they explore the current scientific thinking behind these questions: How are particle masses determined? How did simple atoms first combine to form complex molecules? What role does the genome play in the development of life? Why is it so difficult to predict the weather? And what is the future of the universe? Featuring cartoons by Sidney Harris, the book includes discussions of recent theories such as the God particle, string theory, "brane" theories, and the Theory of Everything and also explores other science questions.

Arthur W. Wiggins (Farmington Hills, MI) is a Professor of Physics at Oakland Community College in Michigan. Charles M. Wynn (Willimantic, CT) is a Professor of Chemistry at Eastern Connecticut State College. They collaborated on The Five Biggest Ideas in Science (0-471-13812-6).

From the Back Cover

In this illuminating book, professors Arthur Wiggins and Charles Wynn explore what they believe are the five biggest science problems:

• Physics: Why do some particles have mass, while others have none?
• Chemistry: By what series of chemical reactions did atoms form the first living things?
• Biology: What is the complete structure and function of the proteome?
• Geology: Is accurate, long-range weather forecasting possible?
• Astronomy: Why is the universe expanding faster and faster?

Wiggins and Wynn carefully explain each of these problems, then discuss the theories that address them. Some of the many topics covered include string theory, the human genome, chaos theory, and protein folding.

Featuring humorous illustrations from renowned science cartoonist Sidney Harris, this book invites you to explore the events that led to these problems and the cutting-edge efforts being made to solve them. The authors also provide Idea Folders, which contain additional details about the unsolved problems, and Resources for Digging Deeper, such as books, periodicals, and Web sites.

Review Quotes

"... easy to understand, enjoyable and interesting. I am very impressed..." (M2 Best Books, 11 March 2004)

About the Author

CHARLES M. WYNN is a professor of chemistry at Eastern Connecticut State University. Each has received several "Best Teacher" awards, and they have written science books and journal articles. The two coauthored The Five Biggest Ideas in Science, also available from Wiley, which has been translated into seven languages.