Mary Gribbin

John R. Gribbin

On 24 June 1837, Louis Agassiz stunned the learned members of the Swiss Society of Natural Sciences by addressing them, in his role as President, not with an anticipated lecture on fossil fishes, but with a passionate presentation on the existence of Ice Ages. No one was convinced. He even dragged the reluctant members of the Society up into the mountains to see the evidence for themselves, pointing out the scars on the hard rocks left by glaciation (which some of those present tried to explain away as having been produced by the wheels of passing carriages). Extraordinarily, it would take a further 140 years before the Ice Age theory was fully proved and understood.

Ice Age

Drawing on string theory and space-time, quantum physics and chaos theory, award-winning science authors Mary and John Gribbin reveal how Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy is rooted in scientific truth.

The Science of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials

To students of physics all over the world, Richard Feynman was living proof that to lead a life in science one does not need ice for blood and the mind of a Cray computer. In this unique biography, astrophysicist John Gribbon and his wife, Mary, pay tribute to this enormously "human" scientist.

A Life in Science

Richard Feynman

John Gribbin

What if Newton had never lived? A compelling dual biography argues that Robert Hooke and Edmond Halley easily could have filled the giant's shoes--and deserve credit for the birth of modern science. Robert Hooke and Edmond Halley, whose place in history has been overshadowed by the giant figure of Newton, were pioneering scientists within their own right, and instrumental in establishing the Royal Society. Although Newton is widely regarded as one of the greatest scientists of all time and the father of the English scientific revolution, John and Mary Gribbin uncover the fascinating story of Robert Hooke and Edmond Halley, whose scientific achievements neatly embrace the hundred years or so during which science as we know it became established. They argue persuasively that, even without Newton, science would have made a great leap forward in the second half of the seventeenth century, headed by two extraordinary figures, Hooke and Halley.

Hooke, Halley, and the Birth of Science

Out of the Shadow of a Giant

"First published in Great Britain in 2008 by the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London"--T.p. verso.

The Royal Observatory, Greenwich Guide to Astronomy

From Here to Infinity

(1867-1934) (Scientists in 90 Minutes Series)

Curie in 90 Minutes

(1642-1727) (Scientists in 90 Minutes Series)

Newton in 90 Minutes

Mendel in 90 Minutes (Scientists in 90 Minutes Series)

Halley in 90 Minutes (Scientists in 90 Minutes Series)

(1564-1642) (Scientists in 90 Minutes Series)

Galileo in 90 Minutes

Faraday in 90 Minutes (Scientists in 90 Minutes Series)

(1879-1955) (Scientists in 90 Minutes Series)

Einstein in 90 Minutes

Darwin in 90 Minutes (Scientists in 90 Minutes Series)

An introduction to the central facts, evidence and issues of modern science, from black holes to DNA, from the Big Bang to the workings of the brain. It will be an ideal introduction to an increasingly central area, and an entry for teenagers, and adults with no or little background, alike.

The Universe, Life and Everything

Almost Everyone's Guide to Science

Many of the themes developed in this book were first aired by John Gribbin as a BBC series of the same title in 1988. The authors present evidence that the origin of human intelligence is intimately connected with the series of ice ages that the world has experienced during the past five million years. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Climate and Human Origins

Children of the Ice

The theory of evolution by natural selection did not spring fully formed and unprecedented from the brain of Charles Darwin. The idea of evolution had been around, in various guises, since the time of Ancient Greece. And nor did theorizing about evolution stop with what Daniel Dennett called "Darwin’s dangerous idea." In this riveting new book, bestselling science writers John and Mary Gribbin explore the history of the idea of evolution, showing how Darwin's theory built on what went before and how it was developed in the twentieth century, through an understanding of genetics and the biochemical basis of evolution, into the so-called "modern synthesis" and beyond. Darwin deserves his recognition as the primary proponent of the idea of natural selection, but as the authors show, his contribution was one link in a chain that extends back into antiquity and is still being forged today.

Tracing ‘Darwin’s Dangerous Idea’ from Aristotle to DNA

On The Origin of Evolution

This fascinating account of eleven remarkable, eccentric, dedicated, and sometimes obsessive individuals that established the science of botany brings to life these extraordinary adventurers and draws out the scientific and cultural value of their work and its legacy.

Flower Hunters

What if Isaac Newton had never lived? Robert Hooke and Edmond Halley, whose place in history has been overshadowed by the giant figure of Newton, were pioneering scientists within their own right, and instrumental in establishing the Royal Society. Whilst Newton is widely regarded as one of the greatest scientists of all time, and the father of the English scientific revolution, John and Mary Gribbin uncover the fascinating story of Robert Hooke and Edmond Halley, whose scientific achievements neatly embrace the hundred years or so during which science as we know it became established in Britain. They argue persuasively that even without Newton science in Britain would have made a great leap forward in the second half of the seventeenth century, headed by two extraordinary men, Hooke and Halley.

Hooke, Halley and the Birth of British Science

In the Shadow of a Giant

Drawing on string theory and spacetime, quantum physics and chaos theory, award-winning science writers Mary and John Gribbin reveal the real science behind Pullman's bestselling His Dark Materials trilogy.

This book captures the science and personality of Richard Feynman, who won a Nobel Prize for his discoveries concerning the behaviour of electrons. For him physics was fun, and he had an extraordinary ability to prove his theory by formulae.

Mary Gribbin

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