The World's 20 Greatest Unsolved Problems

by John R. Vacca

Delves deep into mysteries such as the creation of the universe, dark matter, the quantum theory of gravity, protein folding, free will, consciousness, earthquake prediction, Fullerenes, the quantum... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0131426435
• ISBN13: 9780131426436
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR
• Length: 669 Pages
• Weight: 2.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.0" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Science, Wisdom and Hope

This is an amazing book. I opened John Vacca's The World's 20 Greatest Unsolved Problems and I smiled. Instantly in a state of inquiry, I wondered why I was smiling. As a psychiatrist in an urban church program, I spend my days with many of the community's painfully unsolved personal and social problems. Yet, there was something strangely comforting about this science book written for the general public (with some background in science). Of course, at first consideration there was my own joy in learning something new. A 600+ page volume full of cutting-edge facts, figures, theories, research date, spanning an incredible range of subjects was in front of me. I immediately plunged into pondering the wonders of "dark matter". I look forward to reflecting on each chapter's unsolved problem, sometimes reading and re-reading a sentence until I grasp the newest concept in this vast range of human thought. Even more than this anticipation, what pleased me about the book was that the author could span this scope of science with such depth, clarity and focus--and then encourage others to do so as well. It is a book that teaches and informs with an honest, caring, affirmative and often humorous tone. It is a book that assumes from the onset that the reader (that means you) is capable of both learning and critical thinking, and thereby, in his or her own way, participates in our collective discovery and understanding of the mysteries of life. The practical format of sidebars, notes, and summaries serves as a helpful guide to digesting the more weighty scientific information making the material even more accessible to a wide readership. This book is a reminder that along with our survival instincts, human beings are both equipped and driven to seek knowledge and understanding. I smiled because these chapters, coverning some of the most complex and even urgent scientific problems, are woven together with wisdom and hope. As John Vacca concludes his chapter on Consciousness: "The hard problem is a hard problem, but there is no reason to believe that it will remain permanently unsolved". Susan Nettleton, M.D. Albuquerque, NM

Fantastic "travel read!"

After reading the other reviews on this book, I wondered if the twenty FIRST unsolved problem would be, "How can a man graduate with advanced degrees from MIT and still not understand elementary spelling and puncuation?" That "problem" aside, I found this book to be a compelling read. Having a strong interest in all things "science," I found this an extremely interesing book. Some of the topics were a bit above the radar for me (having a lowly B.S. degree in CSI and Math), but I was pleased to see that most of the topics were written on a level the most lay people would have no trouble deciphering. I think this is a GREAT way for people to understand some of the "big picture" items that our scientists struggle with. I highly recommend it.

Enthralling and mesmerizing book !

This an enthralling book that keeps the reader mesmerized. The book is a mind and thought stimulating collection of the world's 20 greatest unsolved problems. As an educator I find that each chapter presents the reader with the thoughts and explanations of the brilliant minds of this century's scientists. Every chapter is equally enlightening from the diverse aspects of the natural sciences. The reader can easily grasp the concepts and quantitative methods of physics, astronomy, cosmology, the biological sciences, medicine and more. I recommend the book as it is a well thought out presentation of the 20 greatest unsolved problems.

Whet your appetite for science

This book will whet your appetite for science again. Written for students, teachers, and scientists, it is especially good for people like me who could have chosen a science career. The editor, John Vacca, has done an excellent job identifying and discussing the 20 greatest unsolved problems facing science in the 21st century. He conducted interviews with numerous practicing scientists, identified both the problems to be included and the eminent practitioners in the field. The book covers more than a dozen disciplines, and the topics are wide ranging: black holes, dark matter, gamma ray bursts, earthquake prediction, protein folding, nuclear waste, free will, consciousness. You can skip around the book to topics that interest you. John Vacca's easy, accessible writing style keeps you interested and makes you want to read further. This is a good book to take on a trip. Vacca's research is backed by comments from more than 50 scientists, many of them distinguished professors and Nobel Laureates. Recent developments are covered, such as Michael Luken's research in briefly stopping light (Dec 2003) and Stephen Hawking's latest findings on black holes (2004). This is interesting stuff. What is left to explore? A lot. This book just uncovers the tip of the iceberg. A good read. Highly recommended.

Wonders of Science

If like me, you know enough about science to be intrigued, but not enough to understand and contribute to a conversation on scientific topics such as Vacca covers here (Astronomy, Biology, Neuroscience, and many more), you will love this book. Not only is it is a great source of information in many fields of science, but it brings the reader to the brink of extant knowledge and shines a light into the future of what we don't know yet. The thing I appreciate second best about Vacca's book is how many different topics are covered in enough depth to enlighten and educate me. Here is a wide vista of scientific knowledge, and for each discipline, Vacca brings the brightest minds in the field together. He presents the most current theories from their several points of view, and melds them into a "state of the discipline" discussion on each of the 20 greatest unsolved problems. With input from Dr. Stephen Hawking, a personal hero of mine; Alan Guth, Richard Muller, and many more of the very brightest minds in science today, this is cutting edge reading. And yet, the thing I appreciate the most of all is how easy it is to read and comprehend. For all the tremendously erudite topics this book covers, I feel as if I have a well-educated and very understanding friend sitting with me and explaining the ideas in terms that I can understand. I highly recommend this book as an exciting and enjoyable read to round out your knowledge base for both personal and professional rewards.