A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

A Short History of Nearly Everything (ISBN 0-7679-0817-1) is a general science book by Bill Bryson, which explains some areas of science in ordinary language. It was the bestselling popular science book of 2005 in the UK, selling over 300,000 copies.^[1] Image File history File links Bill_bryson_a_short_history. ... Image File history File links Bill_bryson_a_short_history. ... A lesson which commonly people in high school have. ... William Bill McGuire Bryson, OBE, (born December 8, 1951) is a best-selling American-born author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and on scientific subjects. ... This article is not about the magazine, Popular Science Popular science is interpretation of science intended for a general audience, rather than for other scientists or students. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A Short History deviates from Bryson's popular travel book genre, instead describing general sciences such as chemistry, paleontology, astronomy, and particle physics. In it, he explores time from the Big Bang to the discovery of quantum mechanics, via evolution and geology. Look up genre in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Chemistry - the study of atoms, made of nuclei (conglomeration of center particles) and electrons (outer particles), and the structures they form. ... Paleontology, palaeontology or palæontology (from Greek: paleo, ancient; ontos, being; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. ... A giant Hubble mosaic of the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant Astronomy (also frequently referred to as astrophysics) is the scientific study of celestial objects (such as stars, planets, comets, and galaxies) and phenomena that originate outside the Earths atmosphere (such as the cosmic background radiation). ... Thousands of particles explode from the collision point of two relativistic (100 GeV per ion) gold ions in the STAR detector of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. ... According to the Big Bang model, the universe developed from an extremely dense and hot state. ... Fig. ... This article is about evolution in biology. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

Bryson tells the story of science through the stories of the people who made the discoveries, such as Edwin Hubble, Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein. Edwin Powell Hubble (November 20, 1889 – September 28, 1953) was an American astronomer. ... Sir Isaac Newton (4 January 1643 – 31 March 1727) [ OS: 25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726][1] was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, and alchemist. ... “Einstein” redirects here. ...

Background

Bill Bryson wrote this book because he was dissatisfied with his scientific knowledge — that was, not much at all. He writes that science was a distant, unexplained subject at school. Textbooks and teachers alike did not ignite the passion for knowledge in him, mainly because they never delved in the whys, hows, and whens.

It was in his later years that he realised with stunning shame that he was ignorant about many things that he wanted to understand. Thus from his own life experience, Bryson discusses topics from a unique angle unseen in most science books: simple explanations, funny dialogue, interesting facts, and much more.

Contents

Bryson describes graphically how big the universe is, and how small atoms and subatomic particles are. Furthermore, he reports on the likeliness of the Earth being struck by a meteor, how unlikely it is that humans will spot a meteor before it impacts the Earth, and the extensive damage that such an event would cause. He also explores the history of biology, botany, and zoology, and traces life from its first appearance all the way to today's modern humans, placing much emphasis on the development of the modern Homo sapiens. All along the book, humorous stories about the scientists behind the discovery and their half-crazy behaviour is given. Throughout the book, there are many reports on the way humans change the Earth's climate and destroy other species, as well how the Earth was and is a very destructive planet itself, briefly touching about earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and mass extinctions. His tendency to look for big explosions and awe-inspiring devastation takes him to the most destructive disasters in the history of the world, from Krakatoa to Yellowstone National Park. The Universe is defined as the summation of all particles and energy that exist and the space-time in which all events occur. ... Properties In chemistry and physics, an atom (Greek ἄτομος or átomos meaning indivisible) is the smallest particle still characterizing a chemical element. ... Helium atom (not to scale) Showing two protons (red), two neutrons (green) and a probability cloud (gray) of two electrons (yellow). ... Photo of a burst of meteors with extended exposure time A meteor is the visible path of a meteoroid that enters the Earths (or another bodys) atmosphere, commonly called a shooting star or falling star. ... Artists impression of a major impact event. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Pinguicula grandiflora Example of a Cross Section of a Stem [1] Botany is the scientific study of plant life. ... Zoology (from Greek: ζῴον, zoion, animal; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the biological discipline which involves the study of animals. ... Homo sapiens (Latin: wise man) is the scientific name for the human species. ... Krakatoa or Krakatau or Krakatao is a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. ... Yellowstone National Park is the centerpiece of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest intact ecosystem in the Earths northern temperate zone. ...

Bryson ends the book by noting how many extinctions humans are responsible for, and how lucky mankind is to be living on planet Earth today. This article is about Earth as a planet. ...

An illustrated edition of the book was released in November 2005.^[3] Look up November in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Errors in the book

1. There is at least one incorrect proof of a principle in the book. Where Bryson discusses the structure of glass as being that of a supercooled liquid he provides proof by stating that panes of old cathedral glass are thicker at the bottom than at the top, thus 'proving' that the glass has flowed (and swelled) due to the effects of gravity. Whilst glass resembles a super cooled liquid in structure, it is in fact a solid and cathedral glass is actually thicker at the bottom because of the way the glass was made, cut, and then used, with the thicker ends being placed on the bottom edge of the panes to better withstand the load from above.^{[citation needed]}
2. There is also at least one mathematical error, which occurs in the second paragraph of the first chapter when Bryson tries to explain the size of a proton. He claims that the number of protons in a "dib of ink" is "rather more than the number of seconds contained in half a million years." There are more than 15 trillion seconds in half a million years, which is rather more than the 500,000,000,000 protons he estimates to be in the dib of ink.

1. In Chapter 23 ("The Richness of Being"), there appears to be a significant error regarding the findings of a botanist in Borneo, as well as a grossly exaggerated narration of the manner in which the botanist worked to arrive at the findings.

In the last section of Chapter 23, Bryson makes the point that there are a vast number of species of plants and animals which have not yet been discovered by science. Regarding the reasons for this, he asks (at page 442, 2003 Black Swan paperback edition), "So why do we know as little as we do? There are nearly as many reasons as there are animals left to count, but here are a few of the principal causes."

In a sub-section on this point entitled "We don't look in the right places.", Bryson goes on to state (at page 444), "In The Diversity of Life, Wilson describes how one botanist spent a few days tramping around 10 hectres of jungle in Borneo and discovered a thousand new species of flowering plant - more than are found in the whole of North America. The plants weren't hard to find. It's just that no-one had looked there before."

In fact, in the book The Diversity of Life (at Chapter 10, page 197, 1999 Norton paperback edition), the author Edward O. Wilson states, "The world record for tree diversity at one site was set by Alwyn Gentry in the rain forest near Iquitos, Peru. He found about 300 species in each of two 1-hectare (2.5-acre) plots. Peter Ashton discovered over 1,000 species in a combined census of ten selected hectare plots in Borneo. These numbers are to be compared with 700 native species found in all of the United States and Canada, in every major habitat from the mangrove swamps of Florida to the coniferous forests of Labrador." In the endnotes to Chapter 10, the author adds: "Peter S. Ashton's unpublished estimates of Bornean tree diversity were provided in a personal communication."

It is clear from the context that what Wilson means is that the botanist Ashton had made a census of ten selected hectare plots in Borneo and found ("discovered") there to have been over 1,000 species in existence. This number of over 1,000 in the Bornean census is to be compared with 300 species in the Peruvian site and 700 in the whole of the United States and Canada. Therefore, it is certainly not the case, as Bryson reports in making his point that there is much new to be easily discovered, that Ashton had "discovered a thousand new species of flowering plant", just by spending "a few days tramping around ten hectares of jungle in Borneo". It is also highly improbable, if not impossible, as a matter of logic, for any botanist to have been able to discover 1,000 new species of flowering plant (i.e. new to science) just by tramping around a forest for a few days.

In fact, Wilson also does not state the duration spent by Ashton in making the survey (therefore, it could well have been several months or more), whereas Bryson reports as a matter of fact that it was just "a few days". Further, Wilson also does not state, as reported by Bryson, that "The plants weren't hard to find. It's just that no-one had looked there before." Wilson neither states that they were easy or difficult to find, or whether anyone had looked there before. Bryson's slant on the Wilson account therefore arguably could have been made for the purpose of entertaining his readers, or could have arisen from an unbridled enthusiasm with the subject at hand.

The facts and impression conveyed by Bryson here therefore appear to be incorrect, exaggerated, and wholly taken out of context.

Awards and reviews

The book received many favourable reviews on its release, although some reviewers have suggested the book contains a few inaccuracies, such as where Bryson discusses the number of cells in the human body.^[4]

In 2004, this book won Bryson the prestigious Aventis Prize for best general science book.^[5] Bryson later donated the GBP£10,000 prize to the Great Ormond Street Hospital children's charity.^[6] shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Aventis Prizes for Science Books is an annual award for the previous years best general science writing and best science writing for children, sponsored by the Aventis Foundation. ... “GBP” redirects here. ... The Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children was founded in London in 1852 as the first hospital specifically for children in the English-speaking world. ...

In 2005, the book won the EU Descartes prize for science communication.^[7] Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Descartes Prize is an annual award in science given by the European Union. ...

See also

• Big History
• Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!

Big History is a discreet field of historical study that arose in the late 1980s. ... Surely Youre Joking, Mr. ...

References

William Bill McGuire Bryson, OBE, (born December 8, 1951) is a best-selling American-born author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and on scientific subjects. ... William Bill McGuire Bryson, OBE, (born December 8, 1951) is a best-selling American-born author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and on scientific subjects. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

A Short History of Nearly Everything

• Bill Bryson - A short history of nearly everything presentation at the Royal Society
• Interview with Mariella Frostrup (BBC Radio 4)