Like many viruses, smallpox is highly contagious. It's also dreadful, deadly, and thanks to microscopes and modern technology--now officially eradicated. This fascinating book explains how a concerted effort to produce a vaccine and distribute it around the world helped eliminate the deadly scourge by 1980.
Polio plagued humans for thousands of years with no cure and few effective treatments. This informative book describes how there was no real understanding of what it was until scientists were able to do research on the disease using microscopes. It was not until 1961 that a vaccine was developed. Since then, polio has been eradicated in most of the world.
Malaria is an ancient disease caused by a parasite passed through the bites of infected mosquitoes. It is only now--through extensive scientific research--that malaria can be prevented, treated, and cured. This fascinating book examines the difficulties malaria still presents and how science is working on a "zero malaria plan" that will one day eradicate the disease entirely.
A rare and deadly disease, Ebola is one of a number of different viruses that have "jumped" from animals to humans. This informative book shows how scientists studied the virus and began working on treatments and vaccines that will not only make Ebola less deadly, but will further the knowledge of other diseases.
This timely book follows the emergence of COVID-19 in December 2019, and describes how, within a few short months, it transformed the way the world was living and working. The first major world pandemic in more than 100 years brought new testing and technology to the forefront, resulting in the fastest-ever vaccine creation.
Vaccines are substances that help protect people from diseases and they have been proven to save lives. So why has something that should reassure people become so controversial? This useful and timely book looks at the facts, viewpoints, and perspectives surrounding vaccines and how they became a crossroads between science and individual rights.
Taxing carbon emissions, which contribute to global warming, is one method governments are using to help decrease or control climate change. This informative title looks at the costs and benefits of this sometimes controversial tax and how different jurisdictions are implementing them.
When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in 2020, nearly every country in the world went into some form of lockdown. Yet each was different. With fascinating images and informative text, this book looks at the rules and restrictions people lived under and how they affected work, school, commerce, and daily life. A detailed final chapter examines the success and failures of lockdown and how countries could approach future pandemics.
The COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the problems and flaws in the way we live in modern cities and communities. This useful book analyzes why some cities and countries suffered more than others by the harms inflicted by the pandemic. By exploring historical and contemporary pandemics, we can learn how cities and countries can assess their vulnerabilities and find ways to reduce the risk to citizens in future pandemics.
When people boarded the Diamond Princess cruise ship in February 2020, they had no idea their luxury vacation would turn into a nightmare of quarantine, sickness, and death. Using real examples of living through the pandemic, this fascinating book gives an overall inside look at how much changed and how quickly during COVID-19--the first major pandemic since 1918. A useful timeline will help readers keep track of the major events during the pandemic.
Never having faced such a challenge, governments were mostly slow to respond at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then came groundbreaking science, historically swift vaccines, and economic stimulus packages to try to keep the virus under control and ease the burden of faltering economies. This detailed book examines the unprecedented challenges brought about by the pandemic, and how governments and people have coped.
"If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants." This fascinating biography details the life and achievements of Sir Isaac Newton, a scientist and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of physics. Newton's groundbreaking theory of gravity and the Laws of Motion proved a great leap forward in science and changed the world's understanding of the forces at work on Earth and in space.
"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered: the goal is to discover them." This fascinating biography details the life and achievements of Galileo Galilei, an artist and scientist who made significant contributions to so many fields of science that he is known as the "father of modern science." Galileo developed the process of investigation of the natural world, called the scientific method, that the world's scientists still follow today.
"The twentieth century was the only century in history when a single species, humans, had acquired significant power to change the nature of the whole world." This fascinating biography details the life and achievements of Rachel Carson, a scientist who made significant contributions to the field of biology. Carson's famous book called Silent Spring changed the world's understanding of the impact of human activities on the environment, helping to launch the modern environmental movement.
"Animals that are better adapted to their environment tend to survive and have more offspring." He named this idea natural selection. This fascinating biography details the life and achievements of Charles Darwin, a scientist who made significant contributions to the field of natural history. Darwin's groundbreaking Theory of Evolution changed the world's understanding of how animal species grow and change over generations.
"The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." This fascinating biography details the life and achievements of Albert Einstein, a scientist and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of physics. Einstein's famous Theory of Relativity changed the world's understanding of space and created a whole new kind of science to study - cosmology.
People have been constructing tall buildings for thousands of years, for many different reasons. Castle walls kept people safe. Utility towers transmit TV and cell-phone signals. Observatories give people a bird’s-eye view of the world. Beautiful buildings stand out in the crowd. Skyscrapers provide housing for a lot of people. There are some good reasons for building up, and a few bad ones as well. With a growing global population, we will need more and more space to live, learn and work in. But what does that mean for the health of the planet? Can we do it sustainably? Tall buildings may be part of the answer.
The control and command center of the whole body, we wouldn't be able to breathe, have a heartbeat, avoid danger, or sleep without the nervous system. Find out what illnesses affect the nervous system and how medical research has advanced our knowledge. Full-color illustrations help readers visualize the nervous system at work. Free downloadable Teacher's Guide available.
The average person takes 17,000 breaths per day. This fascinating book examines the mechanisms that make breathing work and the diseases that make breathing difficult. Full-color illustrations help readers visualize the respiratory system at work. Free downloadable Teacher's Guide available.
Your digestive system is like a production line. Food, drinks, or pills travel through tubes, filters, and holding rooms, as body chemicals work to extract nutrients. This fascinating book explores gut microbiomes, human waste, and how the digestive system identifies problems. Full-color illustrations help readers visualize the digestive system at work. Free downloadable Teacher's Guide available.
The immune system is a large network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together, acting like a fort with guards to keep out risky viruses and bacteria and destroy invaders. Readers will learn how researchers are striving to improve the body's immune system to fight off disease. Full-color illustrations help readers visualize the immune system at work. Free downloadable Teacher's Guide available.
Born in China, Chien-Shiung Wu moved to the U.S. in 1936. Her dream was to become a physicist. But at the time, there were few women scientists. Discrimination was an issue too. Still, Wu did not give up. With hard work, she not only changed the field of physics, but also blazed a trail for women in science.
As a girl, Ellen Ochoa didn’t dream of going to space. But then she saw Sally Ride do it. This role model inspired Ochoa to apply at NASA. With hard work and perseverance, Ochoa became the first Latina to go to space. Now Ochoa is working to ensure diversity in the next generation of space explorers.
Eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise are important parts of maintaining good health. However, there are many other aspects that often go overlooked when it comes to overall wellness. From having regular medical checkups to caring for your mental health, understaning how to better care for your mind, body, and spirit can help you live a happier, healthier life.
Hackers have found endless ways to break into computer systems. But this isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, governments, companies, and schools rely on their own hackers to keep people safe. Learn more about how these experts use computers and coding to hack for good.
