Sam Kean

LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER | INDIE BESTSELLER | New York Times's 10 Books our Readers Are Most Excited About | Boston Globe's Best Books of Summer 2025 | A Publishers Weekly Most Anticipated Nonfiction Book Whether it's the mighty pyramids of Egypt or the majestic temples of Mexico, we have a good idea of what the past looked like. But what about our other senses: The tang of Roman fish sauce and the springy crust of Egyptian sourdough? The boom of medieval cannons and the clash of Viking swords? The frenzied plays of an Aztec ballgame...and the chilling reality that the losers might also lose their lives? History often neglects the tastes, textures, sounds, and smells that were an intimate part of our ancestors' lives, but a new generation of researchers is resurrecting those hidden details, pioneering an exciting new discipline called experimental archaeology. These are scientists gone rogue: They make human mummies. They investigate the unsolved murders of ancient bog bodies. They carve primitive spears and go hunting, then knap their own obsidian blades to skin the game. They build perilous boats and plunge out onto the open sea-all in the name of experiencing history as it was, with all its dangers, disappointments, and unexpected delights. Beloved author Sam Kean joins these experimental archaeologists on their adventures across the globe, from the Andes to the South Seas. He fires medieval catapults, tries his hand at ancient surgery and tattooing, builds Roman-style roads-and, in novelistic interludes, spins gripping tales about the lives of our ancestors with vivid imagination and his signature meticulous research. Lively, offbeat, and filled with stunning revelations about our past, Dinner with King Tut sheds light on days long gone and the intrepid experts resurrecting them today, with startling, lifelike detail and more than a few laughs along the way.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Disappearing Spoon, a romp through the entire history of humankind-from 75,000 B. C. to the dawn of the modern age. From the mighty pyramids of Egypt to the majestic temples of the Aztec, we have a good idea of what the past looked like. But what about our other senses: The tang of Roman fish sauce, and the springy crust of Egyptian sourdough? The boom of medieval cannons and clash of Viking swords? The breathless plays of an Aztec ballgame, and the chilling reality that the losers might also lose their lives? History all too often neglects the tastes, textures, sounds, and smells that were an intimate part of our ancestors' daily experience, but a new generation of researchers is resurrecting those hidden details, pioneering an exciting new discipline called experimental archaeology. These are scientists gone rogue: They make human mummies. They carve ancient spears and go hunting, then knap their own obsidian blades to skin the game. They build perilous boats and plunge out onto the open sea-all in the name of experiencing history as it was, with all its dangers, disappointments, and unexpected delights. Beloved author Sam Kean joins these experimental archeologists on their adventures as they resurrect the lives of our ancestors, following in their footsteps at exotic locations across the globe, from remote Polynesian islands to forbidding arctic ice floes. He fires medieval catapults, tries his hand at ancient surgery and tattooing, builds Roman-style roads-and, in novelistic interludes, spins tales of the lives of people long gone with vivid imagination and his signature meticulous research. Lively, offbeat, and filled with stunning discoveries, Dinner with King Tut sheds light on days long past and the intrepid experts resurrecting them today, with startling, lifelike detail and more than a few laughs along the way.

Zakhopliva istorija povstantsiv - vchenikh i shpiguniv, jaki virishili ne dati Adolfu Gitleru zdobuti golovnij priz Drugoji svitovoji vijni - jadernu bombu, vid avtora bestseleriv New York Times Sema KinaNajkrascha kniga pro nauku 2019 roku za versijeju NPR Science FridaySekreti u vchenikh buli zavzhdi. Ale nikoli sche tajemnitsi ne buli nastilki zhittjevo neobkhidnimi, jak pid chas Drugoji svitovoji vijni. U rozpali roboti nad stvorennjam atomnoji bombi kerivniki Mangettenskogo projektu buli sturbovani, diznavshis, scho natsistska Nimechchina viperedzhaje sojuznikiv u jadernikh doslidzhennjakh, a Gitler mig zminiti khid vijni, majuchi lishe kilka kilogramiv uranu. Tomu bulo zibrano grupu naukovtsiv spetsialnogo priznachennja "Alsos", jaka shpiguvala, sabotuvala i navit vbivala chleniv strashnogo Uranovogo klubu natsistskoji Nimechchini. Zanureni v temnij svit mizhnarodnogo shpigunstva, tsi vcheni, soldati ta prosti ljudi vidigrali zhittjevo vazhlivu rol u zapobiganni odnij z najpokhmurishikh storinok v istoriji ljudstva. PerekladachNazar Starovojt

Mozhet li neetichnaja nauka byt kachestvennoj? Sem Kin, avtor nauchno-populjarnykh bestsellerov, uveren, chto net! On priglashaet nas ubeditsja v etom, ispolzuja podchas zhutkie, no absoljutno realnye istorii iz zhizni znamenitykh uchenykh. S kharakternym ostroumiem i tochnostju Kin demonstriruet, chto, kogda my zhertvuem moralju radi progressa, to zachastuju terjaem i to, i drugoe.

Tablitsa Mendeleeva - udivitelno slozhnoe chelovecheskoe dostizhenie, odno iz velichajshikh izobretenij nauki. Esli rassmatrivat tablitsu na bolee slozhnom urovne, to mozhno uvidet, chto v nej zakodirovana informatsija o proiskhozhdenii kazhdogo atoma, o tom, vo chto atom mozhet prevraschatsja, na kakie elementy raspadatsja.

Kirja kertoo tieteilijöiden tekemistä kauheuksista läpi historian. Se vie myös tulevaisuuteen, jossa lääketieteen kehitys saattaa johtaa täysin uudenlaisiin tapoihin vahingoittaa toisiamme. Tiede tekee paljon hyvää maailmassa – yleensä. Mutta joskus tieteilijät menevät liian pitkälle ja jalot tavoitteet muuttuvat julmuudeksi. Pakkomielteen valtaamalle tieteilijälle uuden tiedon tuottamisesta tulee ainoa tärkeä asia, huolimatta seurauksista. Kirja paljastaa 1700-luvun tieteen kehityksen kytkökset transatlanttiseen orjakauppaan, Thomas Edisonin roolin sähkötuolin kehityksessä ja Manhattan-projektiin soluttautuneiden vakoojien vinoutuneen moraalikäsityksen. Tieteen synnit eivät ole vain mennyttä maailmaa, vaan monet niistä vaikuttavat edelleen. Kirja osoittaa yhteyden Tuskegeen ihmiskokeiden, natsi-Saksan rikosten ja nykymaailman rokotevastaisuuden välillä ja yhdistää 1950-luvun lobotomiat modernin mielenterveyshoidon puutteisiin. Sam Keanon yhdysvaltalainen tietokirjailija, jonka teokset kertovat tieteestä ja sen löydöksistä tarinallisessa muodossa.

Predstavte sebe, chto pervaja atomnaja bomba pojavilas by u natsistskoj Germanii. V nachale Vtoroj mirovoj vojny ta silno operezhala strany-sojuznitsy v jadernykh issledovanijakh: Uranovyj klub byl sozdan na dva goda ranshe Mankhettenskogo proekta. Strakh pered nemetskim jadernym proektom byl tak velik, chto nekotorye zhdali atomnoj bombardirovki Londona uzhe v kontse 1943 g. Poetomu borba s nim velas po raznym napravlenijam i raznymi ljudmi. Iren Zholio-Kjuri prjatala ot zakhvativshikh Frantsiju nemtsev radij (kak eto delala ee mat Marija v Pervuju mirovuju). Redaktor nemetskogo nauchnogo zhurnala vytjagival informatsiju iz fizikov i inzhenerov i peredaval ee na Zapad. Velikobritanija zabrasyvala spetsnazovtsev, chtoby vzorvat zavod po proizvodstvu tjazheloj vody v okkupirovannoj Norvegii. Brat buduschego prezidenta SSHA Kennedi trenirovalsja upravljat nachinennym vzryvchatkoj samoletom; s pomoschju primitivnoj elektroniki ego predpolagalos obrushit na bunkery dlja raket "Fau", kotorye, kak schitalos, mogli nesti atomnye zarjady. A posle vysadki sojuznikov na kontinente byvshie belogvardeets, bejsbolist i drug glavnogo fizika Uranovogo kluba veli nastojaschuju okhotu za nemetskimi uchenymi.

Science is a force for good in the world-at least usually. But sometimes, when obsession gets the better of scientists, they twist a noble pursuit into something sinister. Under this spell, knowledge isn't everything, it's the only thing-no matter the cost. Bestselling author Sam Kean tells the true story of what happens when unfettered ambition pushes otherwise rational men and women to cross the line in the name of science, trampling ethical boundaries and often committing crimes in the process. The Icepick Surgeon masterfully guides the reader across two thousand years of history, beginning with Cleopatra's dark deeds in ancient Egypt. The book reveals the origins of much of modern science in the transatlantic slave trade of the 1700s, as well as Thomas Edison's mercenary support of the electric chair and the warped logic of the spies who infiltrated the Manhattan Project. But the sins of science aren't all safely buried in the past. Many of them, Kean reminds us, still affect us today. We can draw direct lines from the medical abuses of Tuskegee and Nazi Germany to current vaccine hesitancy, and connect icepick lobotomies from the 1950s to the contemporary failings of mental-health care. Kean even takes us into the future, when advanced computers and genetic engineering could unleash whole new ways to do one another wrong. Unflinching, and exhilarating to the last page, The Icepick Surgeon fuses the drama of scientific discovery with the illicit thrill of a true-crime tale. With his trademark wit and precision, Kean shows that, while science has done more good than harm in the world, rogue scientists do exist, and when we sacrifice morals for progress, we often end up with neither.

Science is a force for good in the world-at least usually. But sometimes, when obsession gets the better of scientists, they twist a noble pursuit into something sinister. Under this spell, knowledge isn't everything, it's the only thing-no matter the cost. Bestselling author Sam Kean tells the true story of what happens when unfettered ambition pushes otherwise rational men and women to cross the line in the name of science, trampling ethical boundaries and often committing crimes in the process. The Icepick Surgeon masterfully guides the reader across two thousand years of history, beginning with Cleopatra's dark deeds in ancient Egypt. The book reveals the origins of much of modern science in the transatlantic slave trade of the 1700s, as well as Thomas Edison's mercenary support of the electric chair and the warped logic of the spies who infiltrated the Manhattan Project. But the sins of science aren't all safely buried in the past. Many of them, Kean reminds us, still affect us today. We can draw direct lines from the medical abuses of Tuskegee and Nazi Germany to current vaccine hesitancy, and connect icepick lobotomies from the 1950s to the contemporary failings of mental-health care. Kean even takes us into the future, when advanced computers and genetic engineering could unleash whole new ways to do one another wrong. Unflinching, and exhilarating to the last page, The Icepick Surgeon fuses the drama of scientific discovery with the illicit thrill of a true-crime tale. With his trademark wit and precision, Kean shows that, while science has done more good than harm in the world, rogue scientists do exist, and when we sacrifice morals for progress, we often end up with neither.

From a New York Times bestselling author comes the gripping, untold history of science's darkest secrets, "a fascinating book that] deserves a wide audience" (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Science is a force for good in the world--at least usually. But sometimes, when obsession gets the better of scientists, they twist a noble pursuit into something sinister. Under this spell, knowledge isn't everything, it's the only thing--no matter the cost. Bestselling author Sam Kean tells the true story of what happens when unfettered ambition pushes otherwise rational men and women to cross the line in the name of science, trampling ethical boundaries and often committing crimes in the process. The Icepick Surgeon masterfully guides the reader across two thousand years of history, beginning with Cleopatra's dark deeds in ancient Egypt. The book reveals the origins of much of modern science in the transatlantic slave trade of the 1700s, as well as Thomas Edison's mercenary support of the electric chair and the warped logic of the spies who infiltrated the Manhattan Project. But the sins of science aren't all safely buried in the past. Many of them, Kean reminds us, still affect us today. We can draw direct lines from the medical abuses of Tuskegee and Nazi Germany to current vaccine hesitancy, and connect icepick lobotomies from the 1950s to the contemporary failings of mental-health care. Kean even takes us into the future, when advanced computers and genetic engineering could unleash whole new ways to do one another wrong. Unflinching, and exhilarating to the last page, The Icepick Surgeon fuses the drama of scientific discovery with the illicit thrill of a true-crime tale. With his trademark wit and precision, Kean shows that, while science has done more good than harm in the world, rogue scientists do exist, and when we sacrifice morals for progress, we often end up with neither.

Scientists have always kept secrets. But rarely in history have scientific secrets been as vital as they were during World War II. In the midst of planning the Manhattan Project, the U. S. Office of Strategic Services created a secret offshoot - the Alsos Mission - meant to gather intelligence on and sabotage if necessary, scientific research by the Axis powers. What resulted was a plot worthy of the finest thriller, full of spies, sabotage, and murder. At its heart was the 'Lightning A' team, a group of intrepid soldiers, scientists, and spies - and even a famed baseball player - who were given almost free rein to get themselves embedded within the German scientific community to stop the most terrifying threat of the war: Hitler acquiring an atomic bomb of his very own. While the Manhattan Project and other feats of scientific genius continue to inspire us today, few people know about the international intrigue and double-dealing that accompanied those breakthroughs. Bastard Brigade recounts this forgotten history, fusing a non-fiction spy thriller with some of the most incredible scientific ventures of all time.

A novelist and a neuroscientist uncover the secrets of human memory. What makes us remember? Why do we forget? And what, exactly, is a memory? With playfulness and intelligence, Adventures in Memory answers these questions and more, offering an illuminating look at one of our most fascinating faculties. The authors—two Norwegian sisters, one a neuropsychologist and the other an acclaimed writer—skillfully interweave history, research, and exceptional personal stories, taking readers on a captivating exploration of the evolving understanding of the science of memory from the Renaissance discovery of the hippocampus—named after the seahorse it resembles—up to the present day. Mixing metaphor with meta-analysis, they embark on an incredible journey: “diving for seahorses” for a memory experiment in Oslo fjord, racing taxis through London, and “time-traveling” to the future to reveal thought-provoking insights into remembering and forgetting. Along the way they interview experts of all stripes, from the world’s top neuroscientists to famous novelists, to help explain how memory works, why it sometimes fails, and what we can do to improve it. Filled with cutting-edge research and nimble storytelling, the result is a charming—and memorable—adventure through human memory.

From New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean comes the gripping, untold story of a renegade group of scientists and spies determined to keep Adolf Hitler from obtaining the ultimate prize: a nuclear bomb. Scientists have always kept secrets. But rarely have the secrets been as vital as they were during World War II. In the middle of building an atomic bomb, the leaders of the Manhattan Project were alarmed to learn that Nazi Germany was far outpacing the Allies in nuclear weapons research. Hitler, with just a few pounds of uranium, would have the capability to reverse the entire D-Day operation and conquer Europe. So they assembled a rough and motley crew of geniuses -- dubbed the Alsos Mission -- and sent them careening into Axis territory to spy on, sabotage, and even assassinate members of Nazi Germany's feared Uranium Club. The details of the mission rival the finest spy thriller, but what makes this story sing is the incredible cast of characters -- both heroes and rogues alike -- including: Moe Berg, the major league catcher who abandoned the game for a career as a multilingual international spy; the strangest fellow to ever play professional baseball. Werner Heisenberg, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist credited as the discoverer of quantum mechanics; a key contributor to the Nazi's atomic bomb project and the primary target of the Alsos mission. Colonel Boris Pash, a high school science teacher and veteran of the Russian Revolution who fled the Soviet Union with a deep disdain for Communists and who later led the Alsos mission. Joe Kennedy Jr., the charismatic, thrill-seeking older brother of JFK whose need for adventure led him to volunteer for the most dangerous missions the Navy had to offer. Samuel Goudsmit, a washed-up physics prodigy who spent his life hunting Nazi scientists -- and his parents, who had been swept into a concentration camp -- across the globe. Ir ne and Frederic Joliot-Curie, a physics Nobel-Prize winning power couple who used their unassuming status as scientists to become active members of the resistance. Thrust into the dark world of international espionage, these scientists and soldiers played a vital and largely untold role in turning back one of the darkest tides in human history.

Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? Why did the Japanese kill Godzilla with missiles made of cadmium (Cd, 48)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why did tellurium (Te, 52) lead to the most bizarre gold rush in history? The periodic table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of adventure, greed, betrayal, and obsession. The fascinating tales in The Disappearing Spoon follow elements on the table as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, conflict, the arts, medicine, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. Adapted for a middle grade audience, the young readers edition of The Disappearing Spoon offers the material in a simple, easy-to-follow format, with approximately 20 line drawings and sidebars throughout. Students, teachers, and burgeoning science buffs will love learning about the history behind the chemistry.

A novelist and a neuroscientist uncover the secrets of human memory. What makes us remember? Why do we forget? And what, exactly, is a memory? With playfulness and intelligence, Adventures in Memory answers these questions and more, offering an illuminating look at one of our most fascinating faculties. The authors—two Norwegian sisters, one a neuropsychologist and the other an acclaimed writer—skillfully interweave history, research, and exceptional personal stories, taking readers on a captivating exploration of the evolving understanding of the science of memory from the Renaissance discovery of the hippocampus—named after the seahorse it resembles—up to the present day. Mixing metaphor with meta-analysis, they embark on an incredible journey: “diving for seahorses” for a memory experiment in Oslo fjord, racing taxis through London, and “time-traveling” to the future to reveal thought-provoking insights into remembering and forgetting. Along the way they interview experts of all stripes, from the world’s top neuroscientists to famous novelists, to help explain how memory works, why it sometimes fails, and what we can do to improve it. Filled with cutting-edge research and nimble storytelling, the result is a charming—and memorable—adventure through human memory.

** GUARDIAN SCIENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017 **â?? Popular science at its bestâ?? Mail on Sundayâ?? Eminently accessible and enjoyableâ?? ObserverWith every breath, you literally inhale the history of the world.