Molecular Storms

“Following in the footsteps of Stephen Hawking's ‘A brief history of time’ and Simon Singh's ‘Fermat’s Last Theorem’ this exceptionally accessible book will you leave marveling at the wonders of the world and, if you didn't listen to your science teachers, wishing you had. Graham writes with the mind of a physicist and the soul of a poet.” Nicki Hayes, CCO, The Communications Practice, author of First Aid for Feelings. “Only a few writers have managed to turn the highly technical jargon of science into language accessible for interested lay readers. Isaac Asimov showed us how it could be done, and Carl Zimmer and Brian Greene are continuing today. In Molecular Storms, his first book, Liam Graham has shown that he has the essential quality required to join this group, a love of first learning then explaining how the universe works." David Deamer, Professor of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, author of Assembling Life. Why is the universe the way it is? Wherever we look, we find ordered structures: from stars to planets to living cells. This book shows that the same driving force is behind structure everywhere: the incessant random motion of the components of matter. Physicists call it thermal noise. Let’s call it the molecular storm. This storm drives the fusion reactions that make stars shine. It drives whirlpools and currents in atmospheres and oceans. It spins and distorts molecules until they are in the right orientation to react and form new substances. In living cells, it drives proteins to fold and molecules to self-assemble. It is behind every detail of the astonishing molecular machines that control cellular processes. Using cutting-edge research, “Molecular Storms” takes us on a dazzling journey from the early universe to the interior of the smallest living things. There, in a nanoscale world of biological devices, it explains the physics behind the chemical system which we call Life. Whether you're someone with a general interest in science or a student looking to add context to your studies, this book is for you. "Molecular Storms" is an accessible and captivating read that will deepen your appreciation of the power of science to explain the world.

"Both superb and essential... Succi, with clarity and wit, takes us from quarks and Boltzmann to soft matter - precisely the frontier of physics and life." Stuart Kauffman, MacArthur Fellow, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Gold Medal Accademia Lincea We live in a world of utmost complexity, outside and within us. There are thousand of billions of billions of stars out there in the Universe, a hundred times more molecules in a glass of water, and another hundred times more in our body, all working in sync to keep us alive and well. At face value, such numbers spell certain doom for our ability to make any sense at all of the world around and within us. And yet, they don't. Why, and how - this book endeavours to provide an answer to these questions with specific reference to a selected window of the physics-biology interface. The story unfolds over four main Parts. Part I provides an introduction to the main organizational principles which govern the functioning of complex systems in general, such as nonlinearity, nonlocality and ultra-dimensions. Part II deals with thermodynamics, the science of change, starting with its historical foundations laid down in the 19th century, and then moving on to its modern and still open developments in connection with biology and cosmology. Part III deals with the main character of this book, free energy, and the wondrous scenarios opened up by its merger with the modern tools of statistical physics. It also describes the basic facts about soft matter, the state of matter most relevant to biological organisms. Finally, Part IV discusses the connection between time and complexity, and its profound implications on the human condition, i.e. the one-sided nature of time and the awareness of human mortality. It concludes with a few personal considerations about the special place of emotions and humility in science.

Cold-ion populations and cold-electron populations are extremely difficult to measure in the Earth’s magnetosphere, and their properties, evolutions, and controlling factors are poorly understood. They are sometimes referred to as the “hidden populations”. But they are known to have multiple impacts on the behavior of the global magnetospheric system. These impacts include (a) the reduction of the dayside reconnection rate and consequently the reduction of solar-wind/magnetosphere coupling, (b) alteration of the growth rate and saturation amplitudes of plasma waves resulting in alterations of the energization rates of the radiation belts, (c) changes in plasma-wave properties resulting in changes in the loss rates of the ring current and radiation belts, (d) changes in the mass density of the magnetosphere resulting in changes in the radial diffusion of the radiation belts, (e) spatial and temporal structuring of the aurora, (f) altering magnetotail reconnection, (g) changing spacecraft charging, and (h) acting as sources for warm and hot magnetospheric populations. A recent workshop on the cold-particle populations of the magnetosphere inspired new work on the outstanding problems caused by a lack of understanding of those cold populations. This Research Topic will collect reports of that new work and will stimulate the formation of author teams to write review articles on what is known and what needs to be known. Commentaries assessing the present situation and guiding the research field into the future will be solicited from the community. Methods articles describing new measurement techniques and new spaceflight mission concepts will be welcomed.

Rapid progress during the last twenty years has created a host of new technologies for studying electrical storms, including lightning mapping systems, new radars, satellite sensors, and new ways of measuring electric field and particle charge. This book explains how these advances have revolutionized our understanding. The books provides substantial background material, making it accessible to a broad scientific audience.

The second in this series of three heliophysics texts, integrating the many aspects of space storms and their energetic radiation.

–Quantum mechanics is one of those topics that's always just there in a like a super 'I'm so clever' conversation about the grey areas of science. You know, two places at once, walk through walls kind of stuff. –It's attractive- –It's attractive because it's so spooky. In a cold converted garage by the sea, a science podcast troupe rehearse their next episode. Spindrift follows three sisters as they untangle what happened to their father when he disappeared whilst sailing around the world, 20 years ago. A mysterious, heart-breaking triptych, Spindrift traces the invisible waves orchestrating the boundaries of the natural world and examines family, endurance and the paths we choose. Two-time Fringe First-winning, curious directive tell their story with trademark visual storytelling with 3D animation, video projection and motion capture technology. Spindrift is a life-affirming story for anyone who has sat on the shore and stared out to sea for hours on end.

A complete introductory text on how to integrate basic genetic principles into the practice of clinical medicine Medical Genetics is the first text to focus on the everyday application of genetic assessment and its diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive implications in clinical practice. It is intended to be a text that you can use throughout medical school and refer back to when questions arise during residency and, eventually, practice. Medical Genetics is written as a narrative where each chapter builds upon the foundation laid by previous ones. Chapters can also be used as stand-alone learning aids for specific topics. Taken as a whole, this timely book delivers a complete overview of genetics in medicine. You will find in-depth, expert coverage of such key topics as: The structure and function of genes Cytogenetics Mendelian inheritance Mutations Genetic testing and screening Genetic therapies Disorders of organelles Key genetic diseases, disorders, and syndromes Each chapter of Medical Genetics is logically organized into three sections: Background and Systems – Includes the basic genetic principles needed to understand the medical application Medical Genetics – Contains all the pertinent information necessary to build a strong knowledge base for being successful on every step of the USMLE Case Study Application – Incorporates case study examples to illustrate how basic principles apply to real-world patent care Today, with every component of health care delivery requiring a working knowledge of core genetic principles, Medical Genetics is a true must-read for every clinician.