Following one of the most inspiring and fascinating stories linked to the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, this book centres on the life and achievements of John Harrison - designer and builder of the first accurate marine chronometers. Inspired by the official prize offered in 1714 to anyone who could solve the problem of finding longitudinal position at sea, Harrison produced his four famous 'H' timepieces. In doing so, he helped revolutionise sea travel, saving many thousands of lives. John Harrison and the Quest for Longitude is the intriguing account of one man driven by the need to solve one of the greatest practical problems of his time.

The book focuses on the study of the temporal behavior of complex many-particle systems. The phenomenon of time and its role in the temporal evolution of complex systems is a remaining mystery. The book presents the necessity of the interdisciplinary point of view regarding on the phenomenon of time.The aim of the present study is to summarize and formulate in a concise but clear form the trends and approaches to the concept of time from a broad interdisciplinary perspective exposing tersely the complementary approaches and theories of time in the context of thermodynamics, statistical physics, cosmology, theory of information, biology and biophysics, including the problem of time and aging. Various approaches to the problem show that time is an extraordinarily interdisciplinary and multifaceted underlying notion which plays an extremely important role in various natural complex processes.

You are reading the word "now" right now. But what does that mean? "Now" has bedeviled philosophers, priests, and modern-day physicists from Augustine to Einstein and beyond. In Now, eminent physicist Richard A. Muller takes up the challenge. He begins with remarkably clear explanations of relativity, entropy, entanglement, the Big Bang, and more, setting the stage for his own revolutionary theory of time, one that makes testable predictions. Muller's monumental work will spark major debate about the most fundamental assumptions of our universe, and may crack one of physics' longest-standing enigmas.

Time is relative, situation-dependent, location- and culturally-dependent, and very much subjective. Yet we treat it as if it were objective. We share standardized time, and we are dependent on it for almost everything we do. When it comes to waking up, business meetings, transportation, finding your way via GPS, seeing friends, watching a show, we are all dependent on a standardized notion of time and time measurement. The future gives us hope and deadlines drive innovation and productivity. Time drives us forward and we talk about time - all the time! The word "time" is the most used noun in English, followed by "year" in third place and "day" in fifth. We are obsessed with it, for a lot of very good and practical reasons. The book looks at time through different perspectives (ranging from physics, history, philosophy, anthropology to art, business & politics, biology and psychology). The author's aim is to bring us closer to the nature and our experience of time by looking at it from different lenses to improve our understanding of what time is and what it is not - and to use that knowledge to improve how we organize ourselves around time. It's by better understanding time's nature and experience that we can keep the positive and productive elements of time and get rid of the unhealthy time practices in our lives.

In 1942, the logician Kurt Godel and Albert Einstein became close friends; they walked to and from their offices every day, exchanging ideas about science, philosophy, politics, and the lost world of German science. By 1949, Godel had produced a remarkable proof: "In any universe described by the Theory of Relativity, time cannot exist," Einstein endorsed this result reluctantly but he could find no way to refute it, since then, neither has anyone else. Yet cosmologists and philosophers alike have proceeded as if this discovery was never made. In "A World Without Time," Palle Yourgrau sets out to restore Godel to his rightful place in history, telling the story of two magnificent minds put on the shelf by the scientific fashions of their day, and attempts to rescue the brilliant work they did together.

In contrast to other publications this work discusses Nanoscience strictly at the ultimate level where the properties of atomic matter emerge. The renowned author presents an interdisciplinary approach leading to the forefront of research of quantum-theoretical aspects of time, selforganizing nanoprocesses, brain functions, the matter-mind problem, behaviour research and philosophical questions.

Of Clocks and Time takes readers on a five-stop journey through the physics and technology (and occasional bits of applications and history) of timekeeping. On the way, conceptual vistas and qualitative images abound, but since mathematics is spoken everywhere the book visits equations, quantitative relations, and rigorous definitions are offered as well. The expedition begins with a discussion of the rhythms produced by the daily and annual motion of sun, moon, planets, and stars. Centuries worth of observation and thinking culminate in Newton's penetrating theoretical insights since his notion of space and time are still influential today. During the following two legs of the trip, tools are being examined that allow us to measure hours and minutes and then, with ever growing precision, the tiniest fractions of a second. When the pace of travel approaches the ultimate speed limit, the speed of light, time and space exhibit strange and counter-intuitive traits. On this fourth stage of the journey, Einstein is the local tour guide whose special and general theories of relativity explain the behavior of clocks under these circumstances. Finally, the last part of the voyage reverses direction, moving ever deeper into the past to explore how we can tell the age of "things" - including that of the universe itself.

Time, it has been said, is the enemy. In an era of harried lives, time seems increasingly precious as hours and days telescope and our lives often seem to be flitting past. And yet, at other times, the minutes drag on, each tick of the clock excruciatingly drawn out. What explains this seeming paradox? Based upon a full decade's empirical research, Michael G. Flaherty's new book offers remarkable insights on this most universal human experience. Flaherty surveys hundreds of individuals of all ages in an attempt to ascertain how such phenomena as suffering, violence, danger, boredom, exhilaration, concentration, shock, and novelty influence our perception of time. Their stories make for intriguing reading, by turns familiar and exotic, mundane and dramatic, horrific and funny. A qualitative and quantitative tour de force, A Watched Pot presents what may well be the first fully integrated theory of time and will be of interest to scientists, humanists, social scientists and the educated public alike. A Choice Outstanding Academic Book.

The nature of time has long puzzled physicists and philosophers. Time potentially has very fundamental yet unknown properties. In 1993 a new model of multi-dimensional time was found to relate closely to properties of the cosmological redshift. An international conference was subsequently convened in April 1996 to examine past, current and new concepts of time as they relate to physics and cosmology. These proceedings incorporate 34 reviews and contributed papers from the conference. The major reviews include observational properties of the redshift, alternative cosmologies, critical problems in cosmology, alternative viewpoints and problems in gravitation theory and particle physics, and new approaches to mathematical models of time. Professionals and students with an interest in cosmology and the structure of the universe should find that this book raises critical problems and explores challenging alternatives to classical viewpoints.

This book offers a detailed and fascinating picture of the astonishing astronomical knowledge on which the Roman calendar, traditionally attributed to the king Numa Pompilius (reign 715-673 B.C.), was based. This knowledge, of Mesopotamian origins, related mainly to the planetary movements and to the occurrence of eclipses in the solar system. The author explains the Numan year and cycle and illustrates clearly how astronomical phenomena exerted a powerful influence over both public and private life. A series of concise chapters examine the dates of the Roman festivals, describe the related rites and myths and place the festivals in relation to the planetary movements and astronomical events. Special reference is made to the movements of the moon and Venus, their relation to the language of myth, and the particular significance that Venus was considered to have for female fertility. The book clearly demonstrates the depth of astronomical knowledge reflected in the Roman religious calendar and the designated festive days. It will appeal both to learned connoisseurs and to amateurs with a particular interest in the subject.

Can we see the future in our dreams? Does time flow in one direction? What is a 'meaningful coincidence'? Renowned esoteric writer Gary Lachman has been recording his own precognitive dreams for forty years. In this unique and intriguing book, Lachman recounts the discovery that he dreams 'ahead of time', and argues convincingly that this extraordinary ability is, in fact, shared by all of us. Dreaming Ahead of Time is a personal exploration of precognition, synchronicity and coincidence drawing on the work of thinkers including J.W. Dunne, J.B. Priestly and C.G. Jung. Lachman's description and analysis of his own experience introduces readers to the uncanny power of our dreaming minds, and reveals the illusion of our careful distinctions between past, present and future.