Science at the extreme : scientists on the cutting edge of discovery / Peter Lane Taylor.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Taylor, Peter Lane.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Naturalists--United States.

Naturalists.

Adventure and adventurers.

Explorers.

United States.

Physical Description:

xiii, 271 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : McGraw-Hill, [2001]

Summary:

An ambitious work that combines Peter Lane Taylor's prose talent and a rich collection of his stunning photography, Science at the Extreme chronicles the adventures of the men and women responsible for upholding the scientific community's historic commitment to exploring the furthermost reaches of our world. Laying to rest archaic stereotypes of the scientist as a white-coated laboratory hermit cut off from the real world, this book introduces us to a dazzling new breed of candid, impassioned, and risk-taking explorers who have emerged to tackle today's most bewildering scientific mysteries head on. They are the bold practitioners of what Taylor has dubbed "extreme science." And these are their stories -- stories of risk and reward; of adventure with a purpose; of very big questions that, to be answered satisfactorily, demand even bigger sacrifices.

Each of these scientists possesses an unwavering devotion to unraveling the mysteries of the natural world, and Taylor's narrative and photography honor this devotion with a graceful power every bit as remarkable as the scientists he profiles. Framing the adventures within the larger context of science's enduring mission to spread, increase, and test the limits of humanity's knowledge of the planet's essential elements -- earth, air, fire, and water -- Taylor, one of today's talented emerging adventure writers and photographers, vividly relates his spirited exploits journeying alongside nine extreme scientists. Together, they hang from suspension bridges, climb the tallest trees on earth, crawl into the crushing cores of moving glaciers, and explore the burning cauldrons of active volcanoes. Standing on the shoulders of such legendary naturalist-explorers as Lewis & Clarke, Hernando DeSoto, John Muir, Jacques Cousteau, and Jane Goodall, these figures hold tight to the axiom that there is no substitute for first-hand experience, no computer models or controlled experiments that will give them the data they need -- and absolutely no room for mistakes.

Featuring over 140 photographs and a foreword by Thomas E. Lovejoy -- biodiversity counselor to the Smithsonian Institution and the United Nations -- Science at the Extreme is a finely wrought, rich narrative; a consistently eye-opening achievement, transporting readers to realms as exotic and endangered as any that could be imagined.

Contents:

Introduction: The Next Frontier 1

Earth: The Timeless World 7

The Comeback King 11

This Is Your Brain.... This Is Your Brain on Sulfur 37

Air: The High Frontier 61

Are You My Mother? 65

Sitting on Top of the World 93

Bridge over Troubled Waters 119

Fire: The Infernal Planet 147

Too Hot to Handle 151

Water: Planet Water 175

One Small Step for Inner Space 179

It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Gets Munched 205

The Iee Man Cometh 231.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

0071354190

OCLC:

45076906