seas 114, 140, 156, 164–5, 171–2, 193, 198, 227, 231, 246–7, 276, 307, 357
see also oceans
seashore 202, 247, 334, 337
theory of human evolution 336–7
sea urchins 243, 306
second-generation immigrants 352
Second Law of Thermodynamics 201
sects 355
sedimentary rocks 165, 195
selection
natural 211–2, 219, 303
pressure 242
unnatural 203–8
selective reporting 272–4, 302
self-awareness of human brain 338
sequoia 311
sex
and bonobos 336, 340–1
chromosomes, combinations of 60
family life and intelligence 341
and humans 340–1
shark 286
sheep, cloning of (Dolly) 215–6
Sheffield, Charles 370
shifts, light and sound 57, 94
Shlyakhter, Alexander 26
Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet 159, 257, 364
shooting star 254
shrews 302–3, 316, 318–9
shrimp see mantis shrimp
Shukolyukov, A. 306
Siberia 308, 312
Siberian Traps 308
Sibley, Charles 335
silicate rock 117, 122, 142
silicon 79*, 82, 122, 221
silver 75
simplex minds 355
simplicity 105
phase in Langton’s Ant system 104
simplification of DNA in organisms 325
single-celled creatures 198, 231
sleep paralysis 327–8
sloths 312, 322
slow neutrons 22, 24
SMART-2 (project) 131
Smith, Andrew 306
Smitherman, David 371
Smolin, Lee 25, 62–3
snow 226–8, 230
snowball Earth 230, 251
social behaviour, mathematical rule for (Malthus) 100
social sciences 347
sodium 72, 164–5
atomic weight of 74
ions 164
soil 284
solar system(s) 12, 44, 76–7, 93, 116–25, 128–9, 132–3, 140–1, 156, 162, 171–5, 177, 212, 327
exploration of 367
formation of 116–123, 156, 162, 173
future of 123–5
as model for atom 76
other 125–35
solar wind 145
soul 54, 187–8
South Africa 253
South America 146–7, 310, 312, 320–22
South East Asia 321
space 51
as absence 185
empty 49, 51, 108
exploration of 37, 171, 365–73
origins of 55
and Special Relativity 91
and time 51, 54
spacecraft 131–2, 368–9
space elevator 39, 201–2, 215, 325, 369–72
as a reality 370–2
DNA as 215
life as 39, 201–2
Space Interferometry Mission 131
Space Technology 3 (project) 131
spacetime 55–6, 91–2, 205
space train 367
Special Relativity theory (Einstein) 91–2
speciation 240
death of 304, 311
evolution of 210–14, 238, 301
spectral lines 26
speed of light 13, 23, 25–6, 91–2, 182, 259
in relativity theory 91–2
Speer, Kevin 197
spells, magic 72
gene as 222
symbols (e.g. ‘Cold Start’ icon in cars) and 42, 222
Spencer, Herbert 211
sperm count, decline in, and selective reporting 274
Spielberg, Steven 302
splitting the atom 76
spring tides 177
squids 87, 310
stability 12, 81, 145, 368
stable elements 81
stadium, as Greek measure of distance 89
Stagg Field, University of Chicago 22
stars 11, 12, 55*, 57–8, 79–80, 83, 102, 113, 116, 120–2, 125–9, 373
double 128
exploding 80
neutron 82, 126–7, 373
pollution in 80
‘Population I and II’ 80, 83
‘Population III’ 80*, 83
and red shift 57, 94
Star Light (project) 131
statistics 272–3, 381
stegosaurs 283, 289
Stewart, Ian 41, 43, 79*, 274–5, 327
stick insects 221–2
stories 11, 17, 35,43, 73,107, 268, 309, 328
storytelling 107
Stott, Lowell 232
Strassmann, Fritz 23–4
Strata (Pratchett) 290
Stravinsky, Igor 289
stromatolites 195
subculture, influence of 355
submarines 147
sub-oceanic volcanoes on Europa 134
succubi 328
Sudbury impact structure 253–4
sugars 158, 161, 165, 202, 216,
sulphur 72, 75, 177, 197, 307
sulphuric acid 118, 164
Sun 76, 88–90, 92–3, 116–24, 127, 129, 131, 145, 156, 162, 171, 173, 175–8, 202, 228–30
calculating Earth’s circumference by angle of shadows 88–9
eclipse of 92, 168–9
formation of 119–20, 156, 162
gravity of 92, 176–7
output of radiant heat 228–30
sunlight 93, 158–60, 163–4, 178, 229, 306–7
suns 11, 79*, 80
as model for nucleus 76
and planetary movement 90
stars as early 80
Sunshine Coast, Queensland 320
Supernova Cosmology project 94
supernovas 80, 83, 94, 258
superplume 308
supersymmetry 61
surrogate mother 216
survival of the fittest 211–12, 215
Syene (now Aswan, Egypt) 88–9
symbiosis 198
symbols and magic 42
synapsid reptiles 283
synchrotron radiation 127
T
Tasmania 320
Tasmanian tiger (aka Tasmanian wolf; thylacine) 320
taxes, as written record of society 353
teachers, as ‘liars-to-children’ 44*
technology 5, 22, 25, 36, 39–42, 100, 126, 197*, 312, 326, 367, 370
and magic 40
teeth 318–9
telescopes, astronomical 94, 126, 129–32
television
invention of 41–2
and magic 41
temperature
of cosmic background radiation 58
of centre of Earth 141, 143
of mammals 325
of primitive Earth 162
and global warming 159–60
variations in Earth’s 228, 322–3
and vibration of molecules 163
Terning, John 94
Terrestrial Planet Finder (project) 131
Tertiary period (Age of Mammals) 304, 322
testing theories 90–1
Thales 71
theories, testing 90–1
Theory of Everything 101–7
therapsids 283, 317–8
Thompson, Adrian 219–222
Thompson, J.J. 78
thorium 80
thought 79*
experiments 11
thylacine (aka Tasmanian tiger; Tasmanian wolf) 320
tides 170,173,175–7, 202
tigers 320, 322, 324, 380*, 382
time 51, 53–8, 62–3, 91–2, 108, 165, 239, 335, 364, 381
dilation 92
origins of 53–6, 58
and Special Relativity 91
tin 75, 82
Tingamarra 321
Tobias, Phillip 337
transition zones 142
‘Tree of Life’ view of evolution 239–42
trees 161, 179, 203, 241, 321
rate of growth, and tides 179
Triassic period 232, 285, 287, 317
tribal cultures 352
triceratops 283, 289
trickery and apparent coincidence 270
Trilling, David 129
trilobites 241
triploblasts 199–201, 231
tritium 79
truth 101,188, 378
tuatara 285, 288
Tunguska meteorite 254
turtles 5, 9, 10, 27, 32–4, 51, 53–4, 61, 73, 84, 99, 115, 152, 170, 181, 285–6, 295, 313, 380
Twins Paradox 13
tyrannosaurs 283, 285, 287, 289, 292
Tyrannosaurus rex 304
U
UFOs 326–7, 355
ultraviolet light 195
underground ocean in Europa 133
uniramians 241
United States 172, 312, 364
universals (features of organisms) 243
universe
age of 55–6
and Big Bang 56,60, 62, 78–9, 80*, 101–2
changing rules of 62, 68, 83
evolving, theory of (Smolin) 25, 62–3
expansion of 57–8, 94–5
initial conditions and rules 61–2
origin of 52–62
shape of 90
universities 44*
unnatural selection 203–8
unnilunium 81
unstable atoms 10, 80
unstable elements 81
ununnilium 10, 81
uranium 23–5, 80
uranium-235 24–5
uranium-238 24
Uranus 117–8, 127, 157
Ursae Majoris (47 Ursae Majoris star) 129
V
vacuum 26*, 34, 51, 62, 95, 186
vacuum energy 95
Velikovsky, Immanuel 125, 258
velociraptor 289, 292, 303
Venus 117,124–5,127,171. 253, 259
Verne, Jules 367
vertebrates 316, 324, 335
vibration of molecules 163
Villeneuve, Jacques 268
Virginis (70 Virginis star) 129
viruses 196, 215
volcanic dust 229
volcanic vents 132, 134, 197–8, 202, 231
volcanoes 141, 172, 287, 307
Vredefort impact structure 253–4
W
Wächtershäuser, Günther 197
Walcott, Charles 240
Walking with Dinosaurs 282, 293
Wallace, Alfred 210–11
Warrawoona, Australia 195
wars and warfare 365
nuclear 158, 364–5
water 34, 43, 71–2, 74, 122, 133–4, 141, 145, 157–8, 163–5, 171, 175–7, 195, 197–8, 243, 268, 274, 305, 323, 325*
as ancient element 71
as compound 72, 74
formation of 122
humans and 337–8
underground in Europa 133–4
wave functions 108
weather 36, 51, 124, 140, 156, 172,175, 325
Web Between the Worlds, The (Sheffield) 370
Webb, John 26
Wegener, Alfred 146–7
weight 74–8, 123, 128, 157, 160, 184, 336, 369
atomic 74, 76, 78
Welch, Raquel 285
Wells, H(erbert) G(eorge) 282–3
werewolf legend 171
whales 285–6, 309, 311, 316, 323
‘what if’ questions in science 11–12, 25
Whit (Banks) 355
white dwarf 260
White Hole 95
Whittington, Harry 240
Wilkins, Bishop John 367
Wireless World 39
Wisdom, Jack 124
witches 9, 109, 328–9
Wolszczan, Aleksander 128
wolves 171
Wonderful Life (Gould) 240
Worlds in Collision (Velikovsky) 125
World War II 24
written word, power of 354
X
x-rays 57, 127, 129
Xiao, Shuhai 200
Y
year, duration of 35
yeast 216–7, 326
Z
Zaire 334
Zamagna, Bernard 367
zebras 12
Zhang, Yun 200
zinc 75
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First published in Great Britain in 1999
This revised edition published in 2002 by Ebury Press
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Copyright © Terry and Lyn Pratchett, Joat Enterprises, Jack Cohen 1999
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