The fourth book in the series of Understanding Physics describes three important topics. Fluids – which include both liquids and gases – play a central role in our daily lives. We breathe and drink them, and a rather vital fluid circulates in the human cardiovascular system. The Earth's oceans and atmosphere consist of fluids. Waves – deals with many phenomena like sound waves that carry our messages from our vocal cords to the ears of our friends. Electromagnetic waves carried through optic fibers or through the atmosphere, allow communication with satellites. The book presents: oscillations and harmonic motions, mechanical waves and sound waves. Thermodynamics – heat theory development is one of humankind's most profound intellectual achievements. Understanding thermodynamic principles was fundamental for steam engines that powered the industrial revolution. The book deals with the first law of the thermodynamics, the kinetic theory of gases and the second law of thermodynamics. As in former volumes of Understanding Physics – this book contains clear explanations from basics phenomena to complicated models. It allows readers to examine their understanding by reading exercises and examples. Many figures, diagrams and photos facilitate discovery with this book and convert the experience of learning into a vivid and plausible encounter. The book is based on Fundamental of Physics by David Halliday, Robert Resnick and Jearl Walker.

The Golan Heights is the only place in Israel where many big and small volcanoes exist. It features various volcanic phenomenons, some of which were created in a long process and some in just a few hours. Since the Golan is "young" (geologically speaking), these phenomena are well preserved, almost without erosion or later cover. Furthermore, volcano eruptions are often shown on TV, so we have a chance to understand them better than other geological activities that are slower or take place in the sea or far deserts. In order to understand and be impressed by the wonderful manifestations of nature that used to be stormy and wild but today is accessible and still, we need a whole book that will tell us about everything that unites all these phenomena together and also explain each of them separately. But it is impossible to understand the Golan Volcanic phenomena without first understanding the whole volcanic procedures on planet Earth, in the depth of the ground at the bottom of oceans and in faraway galaxies. Unfortunately many people who hike in the Golan pass by many beautiful and rare sites without a clue about what they are missing. Therefore this book's purpose is to inform them about the immense variety of these wonderful phenomena with minimum effort. This is the reason why the book includes two parts: a general chapter called "An introduction to Volcanology "' and another chapter called "Volcanism in the Golan Heights". In order to enable the readers to understand the geological terms in the book, it also includes a dictionary of geological volcanological terms called " A word in the stone ", a bibliography and a list of the prominent volcanological sites in the Golan: almost all of them are near the road so they can be visited and enjoyed without risking entrance to difficult trails or old mine fields.

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At the onset of the twenty-first century, humanity stands on the verge of the most transforming and thrilling period in its history. It will be an era in which the very nature of what it means to be human will be both enriched and challenged, as our species breaks the shackles of its genetic legacy and achieves inconceivable heights of intelligence, material progress, and longevity. For over three decades, the great inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil has been one of the most respected and provocative advocates of the role of technology in our future. In his classic The Age of Spiritual Machines, he presented the daring argument that with the ever-accelerating rate of technological change, computers would rival the full range of human intelligence at its best. Now, in The Singularity is Near, he examines the next step in this inexorable evolutionary process: the union of human and machine, in which the knowledge and skills embedded in our brains will be combined with the vastly greater capacity, speed, and knowledge-sharing ability of our own creations.

If everyone who took a course in introductory statistics understood that there is a better chance of doing well and enjoying the subject than winning the jackpot, this book would not have been published and lotteries would be making less. Maybe you have a phobia regarding Statistics and maybe your conception of it is boredom, tedium and incomprehensibility. The book Thinking Differently invites you to reconsider. Statistics helps us understand phenomena in a wide variety of fields. This book presents in a friendly and humorous manner the logic, the intuition and the beauty of Statistics, without delving into mathematical depth. This goal of the book is not a mere transmission of technical details; it aims to impart comprehension and a way of thinking. The book places a strong emphasis on the connection between Statistics and the world, expressed by timely examples from many fields - via detailed applications, through exercises whose solutions appear at the end of the book and by means of pictures and illustrations. Basic statistical concepts, such as "average", are in everyday use. Why, then, is the attitude towards Statistics ambivalent? Why do we have faith in the weather forecast, but regard surveys suspiciously? What is a "statistical fraud"? How do babies come into the world? This book makes an effort to answer the first three questions and to underscore the intricacy of the subject, both its capability and incapability, the misunderstanding of which incurs errors and invites unrealistic expectations.

Scientific investigation is a cognitive activity, aimed at revealing the truth of nature. Politics is an activity of intent, aimed at realizing specific values derive from subjective judgment. Political activity by scientists is a necessity arising out of the bitter competition over resources. Uncontrolled competition may endanger the ability of science to realize its aims, and will consequently undermine the trust of the society on which its very existence is based. The synthesis between science and politics depends on the interrelationship between daring and humility. Daring is the basis of the drive towards vigorous effort to expose the truth of nature. Humility is the origin of self-discipline and cooperation between individuals. The premise of this book is that recognition of the narrative behind scientific achievements is vital for understanding the scientific enterprise. Besides theoretical discussion the book depicts and interprets case histories relating to the conflict between politics and science: among them, the notebooks of Pasteur, the land of Darwin, the double helix, the understanding of aspirin, lithium and bipolar disorder, and the association between autism and immunization.

Magnetism and Optics is a second book in the series of three. This book is built on the foundations of the 6th Edition of Halliday, Resnick, and Walker’s Fundamentals of Physics. One of primary goals of this book is to help students make sense of the physics they are learning. We cannot achieve this goal if students see physics as a set of disconnected mathematical equations that each apply only to a small number of specific situations. We stress conceptual and qualitative understanding and continually make connections between mathematical equations and conceptual ideas. We also try to build on ideas that students can be expected to already understand, based on the resources they bring from everyday experiences. This text is designed to work with learning strategies such as microcomputer-based labs and interactive lectures that are increasingly being used in physics instruction.

The book is designated for those how are interested in geology and are eager to understand the meaning of landscapes and views, especially in desert areas where rock formations are well exposed, such as the Negev. The Negev lays at the south of Israel and is part of the sub tropical deserts strip. The Northern Negev is characterized by a series of elongated mountain chains, trending north-east. This mountain chains are asymmetric anticlines and are part of the Syrian Arc- a long geological structure that extends from the western Sinai Peninsula at the south, to the Syrian Palmira Mountains at the north. Five east- west long shear zones cross the central part of the Negev. A series of typical strike-slip related structures evolved along those dextral faults, such as domes, half domes, and pull- aparts . The Dead Sea Transform Fault bounds the Negev at the east; The international border with Egypt is the western border; The Gulf of Eilat (Aqaba golf) delineates the Negev at the south, and the Be'er Sheva Vvalley lays at its northern border. The Igneous rocks of the Precambrian Arabo - Nubian shield build the basement of the stratigraphic column. The Arabo -Nubian shield is composed of three rock complexes: The complex of the archaic metamorphic rocks, the magmatic complex, and the volcanic conglomeratic complex. A relatively thin, up to 1,200 m sedimentary rock sequence covers the basement at the south of the Negev, near Eilat. The sedimentary formations consistently become thicker and reach up to 5,000 m in the northern part of the Negev- about 200 km from Eilat. Among the unique geological phenomena of the Negev, one can count the Dead Sea Rift Valley, the three huge erosion- circuses ("Machteshim"), and the transversal creeks, which cross the anticlines from one side to the other. The book describes systematically each of the rock formations, their composition, and the environmental conditions at the time, as well as explains the natural processes that led to the formation of the landscape that we see today.

This is the first book-length study of the life and career of the Israeli chemist Ernst David Bergmann. It traces his birth and education in Germany; his decision, after the rise of Hitler, to immigrate to Palestine rather than to accept a position at Oxford; and his intimate 18-year association with Chaim Weizmann – not only as his closest scientific associate but also as Scientific Director of both the Sieff Institute and of the Weizmann Institute. Also described is his tragic falling out with Weizmann over the issue of the role of science in defense research, leading to his subsequent 18-year association with David Ben-Gurion as his personal science advisor and as Head of Scientific Research for the Israeli Defense Ministry, and to his pivotal role in the development of the Israeli atomic bomb. For the last 23 years of his life Bergmann also served as Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Hebrew University, where he trained a generation of Israeli chemists, as well as playing a key role in the organization of virtually every aspect of the present-day Israeli scientific community.