Most Popular Books by John Gribbin

The day of ice and fire, that brings in its wake devastation to the world. Dr Robert Graham, noted nuclear physicist, has campaigned hard and long for disarmament. Now his patience is at an end. With an ill-assorted handful of desperate, like-minded ''terrorists'', he plans to hold the human race to ransom. His bargaining power is terrifying - nothing short of Ragnarok itself. The world governments must listen - or the countdown to nuclear winter has already begun . . .

Jim Lovelock is best known as the ''father'' of Gaia theory, which is established as the most useful way of understanding the dramatic changes happening to the environment of the Earth. But few people know about his early work as a chemist and inventor. This book reveals the independent and inspiring life of Jim Lovelock.

During the late 1920s Edwin Hubble postulate d that the universe is expanding. Gathered together in this study are photographs that concur with the theory, whilst th e authors explain for the layman the awesome implications of the Big Bang and our origin ''

Fire on Earth reveals that comets have been a continuing problem throughout geological time. It examines the controversial claims that there are ''periodic extinctions'' of life on earth linked to a recurring cycle of cometary impacts

The quantum computer is no longer the stuff of science fiction. Pioneering physicists are on the brink of unlocking a new quantum universe which provides a better representation of reality than our everyday experiences and common sense ever could. The birth of quantum computers - which, like Schrödinger''s famous "dead and alive" cat, rely on entities like electrons, photons, or atoms existing in two states at the same time - is set to turn the computing world on its head. In his fascinating study of this cutting-edge technology, and featuring a new introduction, John Gribbin explores the nature of quantum reality, arguing for a universe of many parallel worlds where "everything is real." Looking back to Alan Turing''s work on the Enigma machine and the first electronic computer, Gribbin explains how quantum theory developed to make quantum computers work in practice as well as in principle. He takes us beyond the arena of theoretical physics to explore their practical applications - from machines which learn through "intuition" and trial and error to unhackable laptops and smartphones. And he investigates the potential for this extraordinary science to create a world where communication occurs faster than light and teleportation is possible. This is an exciting insider''s look at the new frontier of computer science and its revolutionary implications.

Award-winners Mary and John Gribbin unravel the history of modern astronomy. How far is it to the edge of the Universe? It is less than eighty years since astronomers began to realise that even the distances to the stars are tiny steps on a truly cosmic scale, and that the Milky Way Galaxy in which we live is just one island in an immense ocean of space. John and Mary Gribbin tell the story of how the cosmic distance scale was measured, the personalities involved and the increasingly sophisticated instruments they used. Astronomers can now study light from objects so distant that it has taken ten billion years on its journey across space to us, travelling all the time at a speed of 300,000 kilometres per second: that''s how far up is!

Reports on the threats to the ozone layer as confirmed in the findings of the National Airborne Ozone Expedition (NOZE) in Antarctica in 1986. Discusses past and present experiments and studies on the ozone layer, including ways and means to present further damage.

Examines global warming as a result of human activities against a broader background of natural climatic processes. British science writer Gribbin explains why the world is getting warmer, what the change in temperature and rainfall patterns will mean for human society, and what can and must be done to slow the pace of these changes. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR