Speed : how it explains the world / Vaclav Smil.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smil, Vaclav, Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Speed.

Speed--Social aspects.

Technological innovations--Social aspects.

Technological innovations.

Progress.

Production (Economic theory).

speed (dynamics concept).

Physical Description:

xviii, 345 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Penguin Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2026.

Summary:

"A data-driven, scientific account of our need for speed-exploring a wide range of topics including evolution, transportation, and technology In a world obsessed with efficiency, perhaps nothing is valued as highly as being fast. Some of our greatest achievements include building planes that break the sound barrier and creating computers that process data at the touch of a button. With signature clarity, Smil offers accessible explanations of every major speed category, from wind erosion to hunting cheetahs, from Boeing 747s to America's war time industrial mobilization to the speed of global energy decarbonization. But as Smil argues in this paradigm-shifting book, speed isn't just a metric to optimize. In Speed, Smil expands on our traditional, human-centric understanding of speed to explore phenomena of space and time, evolution, and human achievement. What was the speed of planet formation? Of the development of different life forms? What happened in the collision of humans and the limits of natural speed, and what has emerged from our incessant desire to push those boundaries? Lauded for his "compelling, fascinating, realistic" (Steven Pinker) portraits of the modern world, Smil knows that we can't, won't, and shouldn't abandon our collective need for speed. But as good devotees of speed's eminence, we must understand it, its value, and its cost. Rich in historical and contemporary data, Bill Gates's favorite scientist's latest work is a comprehensive, interdisciplinary guidebook for science readers living in the fast lane"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Preface. From speed's absence to singularity

Introduction. Universe of speeds : variables and measurements

Evolution : non-intuitive time spans and speeds

Organisms : life's strategies and capabilities

Speed limits in premodern societies

The fast lane : how modern societies accelerate

Parting musings : obverses, limits, aspirations.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version Smil, Vaclav Speed

ISBN:

9780593834541

0593834542

9781405977494

1405977493

OCLC:

1534792227

Publisher Number:

CIPO000360441