1. Aristotle's quartet: the elements in antiquity
Philip Ball
in The Elements: A Very Short Introduction
‘Aristotle's quartet: the elements in antiquity’ outlines how the study of elements progressed from ancient Greece to the seventeenth century. The Aristotelian system of elements claimed ...
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1. The problem: what's the matter with causation?
Stephen Mumford and Rani Lill Anjum
in Causation: A Very Short Introduction
‘The problem: what's the matter with causation?’ asks a philosophical question: what is causation? We have to know what causation is (or at least have some idea of it) before we can start ...
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2. Why trust and trustworthiness matter
Katherine Hawley
in Trust: A Very Short Introduction
A trusted person's life runs more smoothly than a distrusted one's. Trust is a compliment, distrust an insult. However, trust can be a burden when we suspect we're not up for the job or ...
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1. Matter and Metaphysics
Tom Sorell
in Descartes: A Very Short Introduction
‘Matter and Metaphysics’ explores Descartes' theory that only geometrical properties — length, depth, and breadth — were essential to matter, and that only these properties and motion were ...
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2. Einstein and all that
Peter Coles
in Cosmology: A Very Short Introduction
Physicists are fascinated with gravity, they don't take it for granted. An understanding of gravity is essential to an understanding of the Universe as a whole. ‘Einstein and all that’ ...
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2. Synaesthesia in the brain
Julia Simner
in Synaesthesia: A Very Short Introduction
Advances in brain imaging have revolutionised the study of synaesthesia and have enormous potential in educating us about the aetiology of this unusual condition. Brain scans provide clear ...
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6. What do more intelligent brains look like?
Ian J. Deary
in Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
‘What do more intelligent brains look like?’ considers a study that used data from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 to test the strength of the correlation between the general intelligence ...
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Introduction
William H. Brock
in The History of Chemistry: A Very Short Introduction
Chemistry has always been the science of matter and a technology for creating new things through metamorphosis and transmutation. In 1800 the elements and compounds known to chemistry ...
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7. Exotic nuclei
Frank Close
in Nuclear Physics: A Very Short Introduction
‘Exotic nuclei’ discusses halo nuclei, borromean nuclei, hypernuclei, strange matter, and antimatter. Unstable isotopes with a larger excess of neutrons, or an excess of protons may form ...
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5. Changing the state of matter
Peter Atkins
in Physical Chemistry: A Very Short Introduction
‘Changing the state of matter’ considers the transformations states of matter undergo from one form to another during the processes of freezing, boiling, dissolving, and mixing. All such ...
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7. The meaning of life
Stephen Law
in Humanism: A Very Short Introduction
Can we question the meaning of life without believing in God? ‘The meaning of life’ questions what a ‘meaningful life’ can be. It is difficult to provide a complete philosophical ...
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6. The material world
John Gribbin
in Galaxies: A Very Short Introduction
‘The material world’ explores the nature of matter. The amount of matter in the universe can be estimated by the overall curve of spacetime (Ω). Baryonic matter is actually only a tiny ...
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16. Body
Tom Sorell
in Descartes: A Very Short Introduction
Just as Descartes conceived the mind without attributes involving a body as complete, so a conception of body that omits all properties dependent on a mind was also considered complete. ...
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The History of Chemistry: A Very Short Introduction
William H. Brock
From the earliest exploration of natural materials and their transformations to today’s materials science, chemistry has always been the central discipline that underpins both the physical ...
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3. Free choice
Henry Chadwick
in Augustine: A Very Short Introduction
In 387, Augustine began his treatise on the origins of evil and free choice. He put strong emphasis on the will. Virtue depends on right and rational choices, so happiness lies in loving ...
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3. Philosophy, mind, and science
A. C. Grayling
in Russell: A Very Short Introduction
‘Philosophy, mind, and science’ considers the questions of method and metaphysics that became important to Bertrand Russell during the course of his work on perception. The philosophy and ...
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6. Testimony
Jennifer Nagel
in Knowledge: A Very Short Introduction
Does listening to other people—or reading what they have written—supply us with knowledge in a unique or distinctive way? Do we need special reasons to trust people in order to gain ...
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Trust: A Very Short Introduction
Katherine Hawley
Trust: A Very Short Introduction explores key ideas about trust and distrust. Trust is indispensable, yet it can be damaging. Without trusting others, we cannot function in ...
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Reality: A Very Short Introduction
Jan Westerhoff
Reality: A Very Short Introduction discusses what reality is by looking at a variety of arguments, theories, and thought-experiments from philosophy, physics, and cognitive ...
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Michael Faraday: A Very Short Introduction
Frank A.J.L James
Michael Faraday: A Very Short Introduction explores the life of one of the best-known scientific figures of the nineteenth century. Faraday's achievements — his discovery of ...
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