Speed : how it explains the world
Smil, Vaclav2025
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Explore how speed influences every aspect of life on Earth, from the slow grind of geological processes and the fleeting lifespans of organisms to the astonishing speed of light and the remarkable adaptations of creatures like the swift antelope and the soaring albatross. In this ambitious and wide-ranging ideas book, Vaclav Smil uncovers the intricate connections between speed, nature, and human innovation. With counterintuitive insights, such as how erosion actually accelerates mountain growth, Smil challenges long-held myths. For example, Smil debunks the notion that our modern lives are accelerating at an unprecedented pace: the rapid adoption of mobile phones - from 0% in 1983 to 90% in 2002 (19 years) - is like the spread of earlier technologies such as radio (22 years), colour television (24 years) and even microwave ovens (17 years).
Main title:
Speed : how it explains the world / Vaclav Smil.
Author:
Smil, Vaclav, author
Imprint:
London : Viking, 2025.
Collation:
352 pages ; 24 cm
ISBN:
9780241754542 (pbk. :)
Dewey class:
531.112531.112 SMIL
Language:
English
Subject:
BRN:
8979881
More Information:
| Location | Collection | Call number | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitton Library | Adult non-fiction | 531.112Popular science and nature | Available |