Taking information out of one living thing and putting it into another is what genetic engineering is all about. How do scientists do it? Why do they do it? What are the results of their experiments with these amazing genetic materials? Through colorful photos, diagrams, and stories, you can understand the basics of genetic engineering. You can even see what the future of this science holds, from Enviropigs to designer pets!
Learn about the Camaro, General-Motors muscle car with four distinct generations of design before 2002. Find out how this classic vehicle has been continually re-invented since its original heydey in the 1960s and '70s. Discover what makes this "pony car" unique with this in-depth look at the history, the legendary models, and the stats.
A koala lives most of its life alone, eating and sleeping high up in the eucalyptus trees of Australia, and yet it is recognized and loved around the world. The Life Cycle of a Koala looks at the life of this ancient marsupial and explains how marsupials are different from other mammals, the birth of the koala and its life in its mothers pouch, the growing koala and how it feeds, life outside the pouch but close to mother, and the dangers faced by koalas.
As the world's largest land animals, elephants inspire awe in all of us - an awe that has led to myths of might and memory. Despite its immense strength, however, the elephant is a timid creature that uses its power only to defend itself against predators. Kids will learn many facts about these gentle pachyderms, including the social structure of elephants, in which the female is the leader, the animal's many dexterous uses for its trunk, the history of the elephant's even larger ancestors, including woolly mammoths, and the dangers that poaching, loss of habitat, and the ivory trade pose to the elephants future.
This up-to-date new book describes the alarming events of 2010 after an oil rig toppled over in the Gulf of Mexico releasing millions of gallons of oil into the water. The largest accidental oil spill in history, it killed untold numbers of wildlife, poisoned over a hundred miles of coastal land, and devastated the commercial fishing and tourism industries in an area still reeling from the destruction wreaked by Hurricane Katrina.
Lush, moist, and teeming with life, rain forests are one of Earth's biome wonders. Peel back the corners of the rain forest to discover what lives within one of the planets busiest environments, from wolves and porcupines to monkeys and poison dart frogs. Learn how each organism functions within its rain forest ecosystem and how it survives in one of the most predatory biomes on Earth. Find out, too, how rain forests are found all around the world and what you can do to help protect these precious resources.
This fascinating book describes the geological makeup and history of the Sahara Desert in North Africa. The biggest hot desert on Earth, it covers parts of twelve countries, more area than the entire United States! The Sahara has oases scattered widely and sand dunes that can reach as high as 600 feet (182m). Readers will learn about the people, plants, and animals such as camels, goats, and fennec foxes that inhabit this desert habitat. Special sections describe the desert's natural resources, such as oil and natural gas, and the unique problems facing this region.
Steve Jobs was a pioneer of the personal computer age. This compelling biography describes his life and career as a visionary entrepreneur who helped usher the world into the digital agein style and comfort. Born in 1955, Jobs grew up tinkering with electronics in the garage with his father. Although he dropped out of college, he would follow his passion for electronics and become well known for founding the computer company Apple. Equally well known for his uncompromising product philosophy, he continued to innovate in the fields of animation, personal electronics, and marketing. Both Jobs and Apple had their share of ups and downs. After an amazing comeback in the 2000s, Jobs was diagnosed with cancer and passed away at the early age of 56 in 2011.
Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist and an intellectual giant of the twentieth century. This fascinating biography reveals Einsteins life story, and how his theories changed the way we looked at the universe. Born in Germany in 1879, Einstein focused his studies on science and mathematics. He won a Nobel Prize in Physics and was instrumental in persuading U.S. President Roosevelt to pursue the development of the atomic bomb in World War II. Einstein published hundreds of research papers, articles, and books and lectured at universities in Europe and the United States until his death in 1955. Einsteins name is synonymous with genius, and, not surprisingly, his brain has been preserved for study.
Ed Begley, Jr. is a Hollywood actor, who inspires, entertains, and motivates a new generation of environmental activists, fans, and consumers with his all-encompassing green lifestyle. Whether he is promoting his own line of green products, lending his voice to further environmental awareness and action, or walking the walk of the life he touts in his own solar-powered home, the star of Living with Ed is constantly on the lookout for ways to live more green - and get others onboard in the process.
David Suzuki is a prominent environmental activist. Throughout his adult life, he has been the creative force behind numerous television shows on science and the environment. He has used his voice to advocate for the environment and to take to task political leaders whose action and inaction have been part of the problem behind the global warming crisis.
Rachel Carson was a marine writer, biologist, and ecologist whose work inspired millions to take seriously the danger that human activity poses to the environment. She both revealed the wonders of the natural world and exposed the sinister threat to that world posed by DDT and other pesticides.
The video game is fresh out of the packaging, but what happened before that to get that game into your hands? The Economics of a Video Game takes a fascinating look at the production process and financing of a video game. Various links in the economic chain include development of a prototype, pitching the game to a publisher for funding, development of the software by designers and programmers, testing, advertising, trade shows demonstrations, packaging, and distribution.
What happens to your old phone or computer when you need an upgrade? What rights does the worker who built your phone have? This thought-provoking title helps readers discover the answers to these questions and many more. Find out about the links between supply, demand, and labor conditions, and the resources that are needed to build just one computer.
Piloting experimental aircraft is more dangerous than most other types of flying. Test pilots are generally military aviators who fly new and modified aircraft, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated. In the 1950s, test pilots were being killed at the rate of about one a week, but the risks have shrunk to a fraction of that, thanks to the sophistication of aircraft technology, better ground-testing, and simulation of aircraft performance. Despite their image as fun-loving daredevils, these pilots have to be ruthlessly precise and professional when flying. This intriguing book looks at what type of people become test pilots, how they train, what the job includes, how it feels to be the first person to fly a new design, the aircraft they fly, and how they analyze and report on each flight.
The mind is a powerful instrument. It influences everything we do and say. We all talk about a sixth sense, or ESP. This book examines mind over matter, looking at claims that brain power alone can bend spoons, identify things without having seen them, or even read the minds of astronauts!
When the heat gets turned up in a conflict, support helicopter pilots are called upon to bring in additional troops and equipment or even provide battle support from the air. In modern warfare, the helicopter's agility and hovering ability have made it indispensible to the army, navy, air force, and marines for tactical support. This book describes the different missions support helicopter pilots undertake and the dangerous circumstances they must usually fly under.
More than 2,300 years ago, the Greek philosopher Plato wrote about a glorious ancient city that sank without trace beneath the waves. Ever since that time people have wondered where this lost city, Atlantis, might be and whether it actually existed. Students will thrill as they learn about the different theories of, and search efforts for, this mythical city.
These army pilots fly the most demanding helicopter in existence, a machine so complex to operate that its known as Riding the Dragon. Only 3% of existing army helicopter pilots qualify to fly it. Trainees have to learn to train their eyes to work independently of each other while the right eye sees flight and weapons information in the helmet's monocle, the left eye is free to look outside the aircraft and scan for threats and other obstacles. And, flying the helicopter is only half the battle - its purpose is to provide firepower from the air to protect soldiers on the ground. This book lifts the lid on what life is like for these men and women: their training; the aircraft; the missions, and what its actually like to be under fire while flying.
Changing Weather: Storms is an exciting book that introduces kids to the kinds of storms that take place each year. Large, full-color images of storms such as hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, and blizzards accompany clear explanations of how different storms develop and the kinds of effects these storms have on the lives of people and animals. Kids will also learn about storm safety and ways they can help their families be prepared. Changing Weather: Storms provides detailed information on three important elements of most storms: clouds, precipitation, and wind, the water cycle and its part in the development of storms, the role of updrafts and downdrafts in the creation of thunderstorms and many other storms, and the ways in which meteorologists study storms and how their knowledge can help save lives.
Many animals are carnivores, but some eat mainly insects. Insect eaters, known as insectivores, can be as small as insects or as large as giant anteaters. Spiders, frogs, lizards, bats, and other mammals are insect eaters, but not all insectivores are animals.This book is loaded with fascinating photos and information that will delight kids of all ages.
This informative title introduces readers to four of the states that make up the Southwest region of the United States: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The Southwest has many people of Hispanic descent as well as Native-American people from nations such as the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, and Apache. Readers will discover how the climate, population distribution, history, and culture of this region make it distinct.
What is that annoying whine? How about those disgusting worms crawling in the dogs dish? What made those horrible bites that itch like crazy? The answer to these creepy questions is FLIES, one of the worlds most important creatures. Fantastic full-color macro images bring readers inside the world of a common housefly. Designed for kids doing research and those wanting a ready source of creepy information, Buzz off, Flies! offers information on life cycles, family trees, and the fly's unique relationship with humans.
In this compelling title, students are encouraged to dig in and discover how different plant fossils unlock clues to the Earth's past. Through full-color photographs and thought-provoking questions, students will investigate how plants fossils form, how they are excavated, and how paleobotanists study them to learn about life millions of years ago.
For centuries the human brain was a mystery. Scientists only started to unravel its secrets over the past few decades, but there is still a great deal that we don't yet understand. This fascinating book describes experiences common to many people that our brains tell us are happening but which can't be proven by science. Read about deja vu, premonitions, near-death experiences, hypnotism, memories of past lives, and more!
