A collection of fascinating stories, entertainingly told, revealing the human face of science. Eurekas and Euphorias encompasses some 200 anecdotes brilliantly illustrating scientists in all their shapes: the obsessive and the dilettantish, the genial, the envious, the preternaturally brilliant and the slow-witted who sometimes see further in the end, the open-minded and the intolerant, recluses and arrivistes. Told with wit and relish by Walter Gratzer, here are stories to delight, astonish, instruct, and most especially, entertain the general reader, scientist and non-scientist alike.

From the death of Archimedes at the hands of an irritated Roman soldier to the concoction of a superconducting witch's brew at the very close of the 20th century, the stories in this book pour out, told with wit and relish by Walter Gratzer.

This book, in many ways, could easily be perceived as a sequel to my last book, "Just the 4 of us, friends forever", which can be understood visually, whereas, this book is comprised of three separate essays, making it more comprehensive, impulsive, lively and emancipating. I have written these essays, not as an impersonal book, but rather as loving personal letters. I am disclosing to you only what the Holy Spirit has impressed upon my heart for our mutual edification in our daily walk of faith in God's Truth. It is important to first discover "God's Great Gifts", as they will furnish what is necessary to "Purge the Urge", and finally impress upon you, why our "Vital Witness for Christ" is extremely important. It is literally a grave matter of spiritual death or eternal life. Collectively, they address the paramount roles that each Person of the Divine Trinity desire to play out in our lives, a virtual panacea. Each essay will take you on a spiritual quest which begins with a nudge, a prompting in your inner being by the Holy Spirit to go, see, and appropriate, all that our God has freely given to all who will receive His gracious good and perfect gifts. I know experientially, that when you are open to what God has for you, and where, what, and how He desires to lead and empower you, you will have discovered more about His immeasurable love for you, personally, and who you truly are in Him. The searching, the digging for the treasure trove that lies beneath the surface reading of your Word of God will uncover all the deeper treasured truths of God's inerrant Word. And when uncovered, taken possession of, and utilized, you will have experienced a spiritual euphoria that shouts within and without, Eureka! I have found it, God's great gifts! Come along with me now, with arms opened wide, to receive freely from His loving nail-pierced hands His everlasting all inclusive beneficial gifts. And together, we will extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Him who loved us first, and gave Himself as His greatest gift to us, Jesus, the Lover of our soul.

From quarks to quasars, this stimulating survey of the main branches of science will entertain, educate and inspire lay readers with a broad scientific understanding of our fascinating universe.

Whether tritium or trivium, this periodically puzzling collection of over 400 different quiz questions, word games and brain teasers will challenge the chemist in you.

Waves and oscillations permeate virtually every field of current physics research, are central to chemistry, and are essential to much of engineering. Furthermore, the concepts and mathematical techniques used for serious study of waves and oscillations form the foundation for quantum mechanics. Once they have mastered these ideas in a classical context, students will be ready to focus on the challenging concepts of quantum mechanics when they encounter them, rather than struggling with techniques. This lively textbook gives a thorough grounding in complex exponentials and the key aspects of differential equations and matrix math; no prior experience is assumed. The parallels between normal mode analysis, orthogonal function analysis (especially Fourier analysis), and superpositions of quantum states are clearly drawn, without actually getting into the quantum mechanics. An in-depth, accessible introduction to Hilbert space and bra-ket notation begins in Chapter 5 (on symmetrical coupled oscillators), emphasizing the analogy with conventional dot products, and continues in subsequent chapters. Connections to current physics research (atomic force microscopy, chaos, supersolids, micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), magnetic resonance imaging, carbon nanotubes, and more) are highlighted in the text and in end-of-chapter problems, and are frequently updated in the associated website. The book actively engages readers with a refreshing writing style and a set of carefully applied learning tools, such as in-text concept tests, "your turn" boxes (in which the student fills in one or two steps of a derivation), concept and skill inventories for each chapter, and "wrong way" problems in which the student explains the flaw in a line of reasoning. These tools promote self-awareness of the learning process. The associated website features custom-developed applets, video and audio recordings, additional problems, and links to related current research. The instructor-only part includes difficulty ratings for problems, optional hints, full solutions, and additional support materials.

A compendium of outrageous, hilarious or just plain shocking trivia about everything from history and politics to arts, religion, technology and much more. For years, the Chicago Tribune’s “10 Things You Might Not Know” column has been informing and entertaining readers on a diverse range of subjects. This volume collects the best of these columns, offering readers obscure, fascinating facts on universal topics that will appeal to everyone from sports fans to history buffs, foodies, and more. Expertly researched and thoroughly entertaining, 10 Things You Might Not Know About Nearly Everything contains a plethora of surprising trivia on numerous topics, with an especially close look into Chicago-area history and facts. For example, in Zion, Illinois it was once illegal to spit, eat oysters, wear tan-colored shoes, or whistle on Sundays. 10 Things You Might Not Know About Nearly Everything will leave readers brighter, wittier, and curious to learn more about myriad subjects and stories they will never forget.