02826cam a2200301 i 4500 1709898981 TxAuBib 20241226120000.0 240218s2024||||||||||||||||||||||||eng|u 2023056443 9780593701485 HRD 36.00 0593701488 HRD 36.00 TxAuBib rda Lightman, Alan P., 1948-, author. The miraculous from the material [BOOK] : understanding the wonders of nature / Alan Lightman. First edition. New York : Pantheon Books, [2024] ix, 193 pages : color illustrations ; 22 cm. txt rdacontent n rdamedia nc rdacarrier Includes bibliographical references (pages 189-193). Atmosphere -- Atoms -- Aurorae -- Bioluminescence -- Birds -- Bubbles -- DNA -- Eclipses -- Fall foliage -- Fallstreak holes -- Fireflies -- Flowers -- Galaxies -- Glaciers -- Grand Canyon -- Ha Long Bay -- Hummingbirds -- Lightning -- Mammatus clouds --Mandarinfish -- Moon -- Morning mist -- Paramecia -- Rainbows -- Saturn's rings -- Scarlet ibises -- Shooting stars -- Snowflakes -- Spider webs -- Spiral plants -- Stars -- Sunsets -- Volcanoes -- Waterspouts -- Yosemite Firefall -- Humans. "Nature is capable of extraordinary phenomena. Standing in awe of those phenomena, we experience a feeling of connection to others, to wildlife, or to the cosmos. For acclaimed physicist and novelist Alan Lightman, just as remarkable is that all of what we see around us--from soap bubbles and scarlet ibises to shooting stars--are made out of the same material stuff, and obey the same rules and laws. This is what Lightman calls 'spiritual materialism,' the belief that we can embrace spiritual experiences without letting go of our scientific worldview. Pairing 36 beautiful, full-color photos evoking some of nature's most awe-inspiring phenomena with accessible, lyrical essays, The Miraculous from the Material explores the fascinating science underlying the natural world. Why do rainbows make an arc? Why does a particular waterfall at Yosemite National Park sometimes glow like it's on fire? How does a hummingbird fly? The world has so many things to marvel at--and the science is just as fascinating. Lightman journeys from the world of atoms and molecules to the animal kingdom, from places like Ha Long Bay, Vietnam and the Grand Canyon out to the solar system and beyond, illuminating the unbelievable majesty of the cosmos the remarkable science behind how it got to be the way it is.". 20241226. Science Popular works. Nature Popular works.