Science

How to live in space : everything you need to know for the not-so-distant future book cover

How to live in space : everything you need to know for the not-so-distant future

Colin (Science writer) Stuart

629.45 /Stuart
Science

"An amusing and informative illustrated guide to life beyond our own planet that covers everything from training for and living in space to the future of space travel and tourism. Now that suborbital space tourism is predicted to become a billion-dollar industry in the next ten years and NASA has announced its plans for landing humans on Mars in the 2030s, the dream of traveling and living in space is taking on new reality. But given that life on Earth can be complicated enough, how can we survive and thrive in the zero-gravity, absolute-zero far reaches of space? Look no further: How to Live in Space is chock-full of all the essential information you need to equip yourself for life beyond our blue planet. Grounded in space science, planetary biology, and rocket science, this accessible guide propels readers through takeoff, life in orbit, terraforming, and the long-term effects of space on the human body. Infographics and full-color illustrations help How to Live in Space to answer your burning questions, including: How do you sleep in microgravity? How do you grow food without water? Will your muscles waste away out there? How do you protect yourself from radiation? This is a light-hearted yet informative guide to a life far from terra firma"--

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Shoot for the moon : the space race and the extraordinary voyage of Apollo 11 book cover

Shoot for the moon : the space race and the extraordinary voyage of Apollo 11

Jim Donovan

629.454 /Donovan
Science

"When the alarm went off forty thousand feet above the moon's surface, both astronauts looked down at me computer to see 1202 flashing on the readout. Neither of them knew what it meant, and time was running out... On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon. One of the world's greatest technological achievements--and a triumph of American spirit and ingenuity--the Apollo 11 mission was a mammoth undertaking involving more than 410,000 men and women dedicated to winning the space race against the Soviets. Set amid the tensions of the Cold War and the upheavals of the sixties, and filled with first-person, behind-the-scenes details, [this] is a gripping account of the dangers, the challenges, and the sheer determination that defined not only Apollo 11, but also the Mercury and Gemini missions that came before it. From the shock of Sputnik and the heart-stopping final minutes of John Glenn's Mercury flight to the deadly whirligig of Gemini 8, the doomed Apollo 1 mission, and that perilous landing on the Sea of Tranquility--when the entire world held its breath while Armstrong and Aldrin battled computer alarms, low fuel, and other problems--James Donovan tells the whole story. Both sweeping and intimate, Shoot for the Moon is 'a powerfully written and irresistible celebration' (Booklist, starred review) of one of humankind's most extraordinary feats of exploration."--Dust jacket.

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Apollo's legacy : perspectives on the Moon landings book cover

Apollo's legacy : perspectives on the Moon landings

Roger D. Launius

629.454 /Launius
Science

In Apollo's Legacy, space historian Roger D. Launius explores the many-faceted stories told about the meaning of the Apollo program and how it forever altered American society. The Apollo missions marked the first time human beings left Earth's orbit and visited another world, and thus they loom large in our collective memory. Many have detailed the exciting events of the Apollo program, but Launius offers unique insight into its legacy as seen through multiple perspectives. He surveys a wide range of viewpoints and narratives, both positive and negative, surrounding the program. These include the argument that Apollo epitomizes American technological--and political--progress; technological and scientific advances garnered from the program; critiques from both sides of the political spectrum about the program's expenses; and even conspiracy theories and denials of the program's very existence. Throughout the book, Launius weaves in stories from important moments in Apollo's history to draw readers into his analysis. Apollo's Legacy is a must-read for space buffs interested in new angles on a beloved cultural moment and those seeking a historic perspective on the Apollo program.

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Apollo to the moon : a history in 50 objects book cover

Apollo to the moon : a history in 50 objects

Teasel E. Muir-Harmony

629.454 /Muir-Harmony
Science

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of NASA's Apollo missions to the moon, this narrative uses key artifacts from the Smithsonian archives to tell the story of the groundbreaking space exploration program. Bold photographs, fascinating graphics, and engaging stories commemorate NASA's Apollo program to reach the moon. From the lunar rover and an emergency oxygen mask to space food and moon rocks, each article is accompanied by intriguing back stories and profiles of key participants. Throughout, Muir-Harmony tells the story of people who made the journey possible: the heroic astronauts as well as newspeople, NASA scientists, President John F. Kennedy, and many more. -- adapted from publisher's info

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Spacecraft : 100 iconic rockets, shuttles, and satellites that put us into space book cover

Spacecraft : 100 iconic rockets, shuttles, and satellites that put us into space

Michael H. Gorn

629.47 /Gorn
Science

Spacecraft takes a long look at humankind's attempts and advances in leaving Earth through incredible illustrations and authoritatively written profiles on Sputnik, the International Space Station, and beyond.

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Hey, water! book cover

Hey, water!

Antoinette Portis

jE Portis
Kids, Science

"Splashy illustrations and simple text explore water in its many shapes and forms"--

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The radium girls : the dark story of America's shining women book cover

The radium girls : the dark story of America's shining women

Kate (Writer and editor) Moore

363.1799 /Moore
Science

As World War I raged across the globe, hundreds of young women toiled away at the radium-dial factories, where they painted clock faces with a mysterious new substance called radium. Assured by their bosses that the luminous material was safe, the women themselves shone brightly in the dark, covered from head to toe with the glowing dust. With such a coveted job, these "shining girls" were considered the luckiest alive--until they began to fall mysteriously ill. As the fatal poison of the radium took hold, they found themselves embroiled in one of America's biggest scandals and a groundbreaking battle for workers' rights. The Radium Girls explores the strength of extraordinary women in the face of almost impossible circumstances and the astonishing legacy they left behind.

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The stuff of stars book cover

The stuff of stars

Marion Dane Bauer

jE Bauer
Picture Books, Science, Nature

Explores the formation of the universe.

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An intersection of art and science, breathtaking, highly abstract, and yet tangible--don't miss this one! -Casey

Lab girl book cover

Lab girl

Hope Jahren

570.92 /Jahren
Nonfiction, Science, Memoir

"An illuminating debut memoir of a woman in science; a moving portrait of a longtime friendship; and a stunningly fresh look at plants that will forever change how you see the natural world,"--Amazon.com.

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Gunflint burning : fire in the boundary waters book cover

Gunflint burning : fire in the boundary waters

Cary J. Griffith

363.379 /Griffith
Science, Nature

On May 5, 2007, two days into his twenty-seventh trip to the Boundary Waters, Stephen Posniak found a perfect spot on Ham Lake and set about making a campfire. Over the next two weeks, the fire he set would consume 75,000 acres of forest and 144 buildings. More than one thousand firefighters would rally to extinguish the blaze, at a cost of 11 million dollars. Gunflint Burning is a comprehensive account of the dramatic events around the Ham Lake fire, one of the largest wildfires in Minnesota history. Cary J. Griffith describes what happened in the minutes, hours, and days after Posniak struck that fateful match--from the first hint of danger to the ensuing race to flee the fire or defend imperiled property to the incredible efforts of firefighters and residents battling a blaze that lit up the Gunflint Trail like the fuse to a powder keg. We meet locals faced with losing everything: the sheriff and his deputy tasked with getting everyone out alive; tourists caught unawares; men and women using every piece of equipment and modern firefighting technique against impossibly high winds and dry conditions to suppress a wildfire as it grew to historic proportions; and, finally, Stephen Posniak, who in the aftermath tragically took his own life--the fire's only fatality. In sharp detail, Gunflint Burning describes the key events of the Ham Lake fire as they unfold, providing readers with a sense of being on the front lines of an epic struggle that was at times heroic, tragic, and sublime.

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Cary J. Griffith’s account of the 2007 Ham Lake fire that, over two weeks, burned 75,000 acres of woodlands in northern Minnesota and into Canada. Griffith opens with the fire raging towards an inhabited area of northwood cabins, a local Deputy tries to persuade a resourceful 76-year-old area resident to follow the mandatory evacuation. The story is told chronologically and from many points of view, Griffith introduces us to a variety of people involved in the fire and it’s plain to see that he was thorough in his search for first hand accounts. Over the following chapters Griffith introduces us to the camper whose fire started the blaze, resort and homeowners in the area, police and fire personnel, as well as scientists that detail the natural and climatic conditions that led to it burning so widely. His descriptions of the area’s natural history help to explain how this fire got out of hand so quickly. Those with a strong connection to the area that “Gunflint Burning” covers and can attest that Griffith was able to capture the sights and sounds that make canoe trips in the Boundary Waters so special. -Jason