Showing titles in Science & Technology

One thing that hasn't changed much at all in the last 10,000 years is the human brain. The relentless curiosity of the human mind, combined with our ability to solve problems, has resulted in huge innovation and change. Here, then, are some of the most revolutionary ideas of the last 300 years.

Before John Glenn orbited the Earth or astronauts walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as “human computers” used their knowledge, pencils, adding machines, and writing paper to calculate the orbital mechanics needed to launch spacecraft. Katherine Johnson was one of these mathematicians who used trajectories and complex equations to chart the space program. Even as Virginia’s Jim Crow laws were in place in the early 1950s, Katherine worked analyzing data at the NACA (later NASA) Langley laboratory.

This audiobook tells the story of Henry Ford, along with his invention, the popular Model T automobile.

Before Garrett Morgan became a successful inventor and saved countless lives with his creations, he was a little boy with a head full of ideas on how to make life better for everyone. At a tumultuous time filled with racism and discrimination, Garrett became a prominent business man and skilled inventor who produced the traffic signal, a gas mask, and others objects still used today.

Cuando José Hernández Moreno tenía 10 años, en 1972, vio aterrizar en la Luna el Apollo 17 en la televisión en blanco y negro de su familia y supo que sería astronauta cuando fuese mayor. Más tarde, aquella noche, se lo contó a su padre y se quedó sorprendido cuando este le dijo: «Puedes hacerlo, m'ijo».

Throughout history, women have been told that science isn’t for them. They’ve been told that they’re not smart enough, or that their brains just aren’t able to handle it. In this book, Chelsea Clinton introduces listeners to women scientists who didn’t listen to those who told them “no” and who used their smarts, their skills, and their persistence to discover, invent, create, and explain.

Who said women can’t go to space? Who said African American women can’t? Mae Jamison challenged society when she decided to become an astronaut. Learn about her inspiring story through this amazing book for third graders. Go ahead and grab a copy for your child to listen to today.

This audiobook tells the story of how Alexander Graham Bell came up with the telephone, and how his invention changed the way people communicate.

Have you ever used your imagination to solve a problem? When Albert Einstein was young, he was fascinated by the way magnetism made a compass work. As an adult, he used thought experiments to solve some of the universe's greatest mysteries. Einstein loved to think about math and science. He worked for a while at a patent office, but his mind wasn't focused on inventions. Instead, he thought about the universe. In 1905, Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity solved questions that scientists had grappled with for hundreds of years.

Best-selling author Claire A. Nivola has won multiple awards for her captivating books introducing historical figures to young audiences. In this critically acclaimed profile of noted oceanographer Sylvia Earle, listeners follow Sylvia as her childhood adventures in the Gulf of Mexico help inspire her life’s work: discovering the secrets of “the blue heart of the planet”.

Garrett Morgan was an inventor concerned for the well-being of other people. His inventions included the safety hood gas mask and signals that set the standard for today's traffic lights. It is easy to see that the lives of many people were made better or saved by Garrett Morgan’s inventions.

World-famous zoologist Dian Fossey is remembered for her inspiring work studying the mountain gorillas of central Africa’s isolated Virunga Mountains. Her tireless devotion to understanding - and actively protecting - these shy and gentle primates introduced them to an admiring public and promoted values of conservation in the African nations they inhabit. In 1966, Dian Fossey left home for Africa to conduct field research on mountain gorillas. It was her second trip to Africa, but it wouldn’t be her last.

When Minecraft creator Markus Persson was young, he wasn't very interested in the games themselves. He was more interested in the programing instructions in the computer's manual. By the time Persson was eight years old, he was writing code for his own computer games. When he was 18, Persson landed his dream job as a video game programmer. In 2009, he designed Minecraft in a single weekend. In the game, players use blocks to build whatever they choose. Persson wanted to let players use their imaginations, and the idea paid off.

Mae Jemison is the first African American woman to travel to space. She’s also a medical doctor who once joined the Peace Corps. And a trained dancer, too! Experience all the exciting moments in Dr. Jemison's thrilling life in this exciting biography packed with fun facts, including the secrets of NASA. The special sections in VIP: Dr. Mae Jemison include "Answers to Some Big Questions Mae Wondered About"; "10 Things Women Couldn’t Do in the 1960s and 1970s"; and "QUIZ: Do You Have What It Takes to Be an Astronaut?"

The purpose of this biography book is to equip your child with the knowledge that will lead to an appreciation of the contributions of Pythagoras and Hippocrates. Both Greek scholars are known today as Greece’s great scientific minds. Understanding the biography of two famous people will lead to an in-depth learning of local cultures, traditions, and eras. Grab a copy today.

In the 1960s, locked in a heated race to launch the first human into space, the United States selected seven superstar test pilots and former military air fighters to NASA's astronaut class - the Mercury 7. The men endured grueling training and constant media attention for the honor of becoming America's first space heroes. But a group of 13 women - accomplished air racers, test pilots, and flight instructors - were enduring those same astronaut tests in secret, hoping to defy social norms and earn a spot among the stars.

Madam C.J. Walker wasn't just an inventor. She was also a political activist and businesswoman. Young listeners will discover that she was not only fought for civil rights, but became one of the most successful African-American business owners ever.

In 1969 history was made when the first humans stepped on the moon. Back on earth, one woman was running the numbers that ensured they got there and back in one piece. As a child, Katherine Johnson loved maths. She went on to be one of the most important people in the history of space travel.

Meet the Wizard of Menlo Park, and see how he grew from a lonely, inquisitive boy who carried out experiments in his basement to the smart, enterprising, and imaginative inventor who gave us the stock-market ticker, helped develop the phonograph and cinema, and even came up with the first storage battery and electric car.

All most people talk only about the Fibonacci Sequence, the simplest one to calculate...but people rarely go deeper than that, so Gene Grossman decided to - and has done with this Fibonacci book the same thing he did with the popular books he wrote entitled Celestial Navigation for the Complete Idiot and Trigonometry for the Complete Idiot: He wrote plain-English explanations that even kids above the age of eight should be able to easily follow - and explain to their parents.... And it goes the other way, too.