Space probes, self-assembling robots, crash-absorbing cars, and designer proteins all have one thing in common: their use of folding technologies. To develop these technologies, engineers are taking inspiration from an unusual source—origami, the ancient art of paper folding. Examine origami's origins, how it intersects with mathematics, and how it became a tool to solve some of the most complicated challenges in engineering, architecture, technology, and medicine today. Plus, get a close-up look at these technologies with two augmented reality images included in the book!
Over the past 50 years, scientists have made incredible progress in the application of genetic research to human health care and disease treatment. Innovative tools and techniques, including gene therapy and CRISPR-Cas9 editing, can treat inherited disorders that were previously untreatable, or prevent them from happening in the first place. You can take a DNA test to learn where your ancestors are from. Police officers can use genetic evidence to identify criminals—or innocents. And some doctors are using new medical techniques for unprecedented procedures. Genomics: A Revolution in Health and Disease Discovery delves into the history, science, and ethics behind recent breakthroughs in genetic research. Authors Whitney Stewart and Hans Andersson, MD, present fascinating case studies that show how real people have benefitted from genetic research. Though the genome remains full of mysteries, researchers and doctors are working hard to uncover its secrets and find the best ways to treat patients and cure diseases. The discoveries to come will inform how we target disease treatment, how we understand our health, and how we define our very identities.
In January 2009, a mysterious software developer, Satoshi Nakamoto, exchanged a specially designed code with another developer. The code was a digital currency that Nakamoto had proposed several months before in a paper titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.” This was the first Bitcoin transaction. Since then, Bitcoin has become the face of a tech revolution in digital cryptocurrencies based on blockchain technology. Its success has sparked a tech revolution that could fundamentally change global economics. Delve into the world of coders, libertarians, criminals, financial regulators, and crypto-detectives to understand what digital cryptocurrencies have to offer, their limitations and potential pitfalls, security issues, and how they may affect government and financial regulations in the future.
Bitcoin is a digital currency—money that exists only online. Some people have used it to get rich. Others have accidentally lost it forever. Learn what decides bitcoin's value and how anyone with a fast computer can mine it. You'll also explore blockchains, the technology used to make bitcoin transactions. See how the blockchains may change the internet forever.
