APPENDIX

Finding out more

Inevitably this book has only been able to skim through the areas of science that crop up in exploring the human body. Here are some recommendations if you would like to read more on a particular topic. The www.universeinsideyou.com website lists all these books with links to read more about each of the books or to buy them.

A single hair

Human hairlessness

• The Eternal Child, Clive Bromhall (Ebury Press, 2004) – very effective theory of how the human ape become more like an infant to be able to survive in large groups, resulting in losing much of our body hair.

Atoms

• Atom, Piers Bizony (Icon Books, 2007) – a good mix of biography and science as we follow the trail to discover just what atoms are.
• The Fly in the Cathedral, Brian Cathcart (Viking, 2004) – brilliant story of the race to crack open and understand the atomic nucleus.

Temperature

• Einstein’s Refrigerator, Gino Segre (Penguin, 2004) – (careful, there’s another book of that name, and Segre’s book is known as A Matter of Degrees in the US), it’s an excellent exploration of temperature, heat and cold.

Matter and energy

• Why Does E=mc2, Brian Cox & Jeff Forshaw (Da Capo, 2010) – getting from relativity to this famous equation isn’t trivial. This book takes you through this and explains the standard model of particle physics. A little heavy in places, but very informative.

Antimatter

• Antimatter, Frank Close (Oxford University Press, 2009) – intriguing guide to antimatter: what it is, how it’s made and how it’s unlikely to be a serious component of a weapon.

String theory

• The Trouble with Physics, Lee Smolin (Da Capo, 2010) – absorbing exploration of the problems with string theory and how it has become an ineffective panacea that may not even be science.

Locked up in a cell

DNA

• The Double Helix, James D. Watson (Penguin, 1999) – a wonderful personal account of the discovery of the structure of DNA from one of those involved. Has been criticised for being very subjective, and was written in the 1950s, but still a great story.
• Genome, Matt Ridley (Fourth Estate, 2000) – excellent exploration of the human genome, each chapter featuring a gene from one of the chromosomes. Very approachable.

Bacteria

• Microcosm, Carl Zimmer (Vintage, 2009) – fascinating study of the E. coli bacterium with plenty of lessons for the understanding of life as a whole, and our attitude to human genetic material.
• Viruses vs. Superbugs, Thomas Hausler (Palgrave Macmillan, 2006) – an intriguing but frightening look at one alternative to antibiotics: using phages, predatory viruses, to save us from killer bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics.

Mitochondria

• Power, Sex, Suicide, Nick Lane (Oxford University Press, 2005) – it sounds like a political thriller, but it is in fact a fascinating exploration of the role of mitochondria.

Parasites, bacteria and other aliens in your body

• The Wild Life of Our Bodies, Rob Dunn (HarperCollins, 2011) – a contemplative exploration of the way predators, parasites and partners have shaped who we are today.

Neutrinos

• Neutrino, Frank Close (Oxford University Press, 2010) – small book on the hunt for these elusive particles that caused major headlines in 2011.

Through fresh eyes

Light

• Light Years, Brian Clegg (Macmillan, 2007) – the history of humanity’s fascination with light from the earliest­ explanations to the latest theories.

The Big Bang

• Big Bang, Simon Singh (Fourth Estate, 2004) – although a little dated now on the alternatives to the Big Bang, still an excellent description of the origin of the theory and why it has so much support.
• Before the Big Bang, Brian Clegg (St Martin’s Press, 2010) – the latest ideas on how the universe began, exploring the limitations of the Big Bang theory, looking at alternatives and if there can be a ‘before’.

Astronomy

• A Grand and Bold Thing, Ann Finkbeiner (Free Press, 2010) – wonderfully told story of the effort to produce the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and how it has transformed astronomy.

Cosmology

• The Fabric of the Cosmos, Brian Greene (Allen Lane, 2004) – great exploration of the nature of space, time and matter, starting with relativity and quantum theory.
• From Eternity to Here, Sean Carroll (OneWorld, 2011) – the book A Brief History of Time should have been – really does explore the nature of time in the context of cosmology. Sometimes quite hard going, but brilliant.
• The 4% Universe, Richard Panek (OneWorld, 2011) – a useful and detailed history of the discovery of the existence of dark matter and dark energy, which make up around 96 per cent of the universe.
• Afterglow of Creation, Marcus Chown (Faber & Faber, 2010) – intriguing detective story, tracking back from the cosmic background radiation to the Big Bang.
• Bang!, Patrick Moore, Brian May & Chris Lintott (Carlton Books, 2006) – superbly illustrated basic introduction to cosmology. Probably works best for younger readers.

Quantum theory

• Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You, Marcus Chown (Faber & Faber, 2007) – called The Quantum Zoo in the US, the best basic explanation of what quantum theory is all about.
• The God Effect, Brian Clegg (St Martin’s Press, 2007) – the mind-boggling quantum entanglement explained, with plenty on the applications including unbreakable encryption, computers that can solve insoluble problems and matter transmitters.

Alien life

• We Are Not Alone, Dirk Schulze-Makuch & David Darling (OneWorld, 2010) – gives a real understanding of why we should be spending less on manned spaceflights and more on robotically exploring the possible life-bearing planets and moons in the Solar System.

Marching on the stomach

Chemistry

• The Disappearing Spoon, Sam Kean (Doubleday, 2011) – an entertaining romp through the chemical elements. Rather than take the kind of rigid, structured walk through the periodic table that might seem the natural approach, Kean lumps together a rather random collections of elements, linked only by the wonderful rambling tales of their discovery, use and general oddity.
• The Periodic Table, Eric Scerri (OUP, 2006) – without doubt the best book on the history and origins of the periodic table of the elements. It’s hard work, not a light read, but if you really want to get a feel for where this amazing structuring of the elements comes from, this is the book to give it.

Aspirin

• Aspirin, Dairmuid Jeffreys (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2005) – the story of aspirin from quinine substitute to heart medicine. Excellent background and genuinely fascinating.

Feeling dizzy

Electricity

• Electric Universe, David Bodanis (Little, Brown, 2005) – excellent as a teen introduction to the wonders of electricity. Some adults may find it a bit gushing, but otherwise fine for older readers too.

Gravity

• Gravity, Brian Clegg (St Martin’s Press, 2012) – an in-depth but approachable exploration of gravity, general relativity, quantum gravity, anti-gravity and more.

Time Travel

• Build Your Own Time Machine (How to Build a Time Machine in the US), Brian Clegg (St Martin’s Press, 2011) – the real science of time travel explained.

Two by two

Genetics

• The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins (Oxford University Press, 2006) – although predating many of the discoveries in epigenetics, still an excellent introduction to evolutionary genetics.
• Not a Chimp, Jeremy Taylor (Oxford University Press, 2010) – convincing exploration of the very real differences between humans and chimps, overlooked by simply comparing the genes.

Epigenetics

The Epigenetics Revolution, Nessa Carey (Icon Books, 2011) – readable and insightful explanation of the way that genes and DNA are just the starting point, but to understand how humans (and other life) are formed, we need to go beyond the gene.

Dogs

• If Dogs Could Talk, Vilmos Csanyi (The History Press, 2006) – real eye-opener on the nature and sophistication of the mind of a very familiar creature: the dog.

Cloning

• After Dolly, Ian Wilmut & Roger Highfield (Little, Brown, 2006) – excellent combination of a history of Dolly the sheep with an exploration of cloning.

Mutants

• Mutants, Armand Leroi (HarperCollins, 2004) – truly remarkable book that uses human mutation to explain how we are all formed, while avoiding the voyeurism of the freak show.

Crowning glory

Probability and statistics

• The Tiger That Isn’t, Michael Blastland & Andrew Dilnot (Profile Books 2007) – brilliant excursion into the way we misuse and misunderstand numbers and statistics, and how to see around our probability blindness.

The brain – why it gets things wrong

• Brain Bugs, Dean Buonomano (W. W. Norton, 2011) – entertaining exploration of the brain, finding out more about it from its failings.
• The Invisible Gorilla, Chabris & Simons (Broadway, 2011) – why perception lets us down, from the devisers of the basketball video, the asking directions experiment and more.
• A Mind of Its Own, Cordelia Fine (Icon Books, 2006) – short and very readable introduction to the many ways our brains deceive us, illustrated throughout by psychological experiments.

The mind and brain

• How the Mind Works, Steven Pinker (Penguin, 2003) – very approachable exploration of thought and the mechanisms behind it.
• Incognito, David Eagleman (Canongate, 2011) – hugely readable exploration of the way our brains handle sensory input and make decisions, showing how (relatively­) little influence the conscious mind has.
• The Brain Book, Rita Carter (Dorling Kindersley, 2009) – surprisingly good adult picture book on the brain and how it works.

Memory

• In Search of Memory, Eric R. Kandel (W. W. Norton, 2007) – excellent account of the work of Nobel Prize winner Kandel, putting his studies of the cellular nature of memory in the context of his life.

Language and writing

• Through the Language Glass, Guy Deutscher (William Heinemann, 2010) – really engaging book on linguistics and what it can reveal about human perception. Don’t be put off by the ‘linguistics’ word – not at all dry and dusty.
• Why We Lie, David Livingstone-Smith (St Martin’s Press, 2004) – be amazed, not just at how much we lie, but how essential lying is for the operation of society.

Artificial intelligence and the Turing Test

• The Most Human Human, Brian Christian (Viking, 2011) – the author examines what makes us human as he becomes one of the test subjects in a human-versus-computer Turing test.

Placebos, alternative medicines and treatments

• Trick or Treatment, Simon Singh & Edzard Ernst (Fourth Estate, 2002) – superb analysis of alternative medicine showing how the early trials often quoted by supporters were often unscientific, and new data prove most to be no different from placebos.

Codes and ciphers

• The Code Book, Simon Singh (Fourth Estate, 2002) – the development of codes and ciphers through the ages with lots of historical context and interest.

Mirror, mirror

The origin of life

• Genesis, Robert M. Hazen (Joseph Henry Press, 2005) – very personal exploration of the possible origin of life from both experiment and field work.

Evolution

• The Autobiography, Charles Darwin (Icon Books, 2003) – not at all stuffy and Victorian: this short book gives a fascinating insight into Darwin as a human being.
• Why Evolution is True, Jerry A. Coyne (Oxford University Press, 2010) – a persuasive and plain-spoken summary of the evidence for evolution by natural selection.
• Here on Earth, Tim Flannery (Allen Lane, 2011) – beautifully written introduction to evolution and the history of Earth and its inhabitants.
• Written in Stone, Brian Switek (Icon Books, 2011) – excellent exploration of how our understanding of fossils has developed over time and why science thinks the things it does about the development of animals on Earth.