Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} The Science of Harry Potter How Magic Really Works by Roger Highfield The Science of Harry Potter Roger Highfield. Go behind the magic of Harry Potter as author Roger Highfield takes a witty and illuminating look at the scientific principles, theories and assumptions of the boy wizard's world. Can Fluffy the three-headed dog be explained by advances in molecular biology? Could the discovery of cosmic ‘gravity-shielding effects’ unlock the secret to the Nimbus 2000 broomstick's ability to fly? Is the griffin really none other than the dinosaur Protoceratops? Roger, author of The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works, explores the fascinating links between magic and science to reveal that much of what strikes us as supremely strange in the Potter books can actually be explained by the conjurings of the scientific mind. This is the perfect event for parents who want to teach their children science through their favourite adventures, as well as for adult fans of the series intrigued by its marvels and mysteries. This event is hosted live on Zoom Webinar and you’ll receive a link to join a couple of days before it takes place. During the event, you can ask questions via a Q&A function but audience cameras and microphones will remain muted throughout. About the speaker. Roger Highfield is the Science Director at the Science Museum Group - which includes the National Railway Museum in York, a member of the UK's Medical Research Council and a Visiting Professor at the Dunn School, University of Oxford, and Department of Chemistry, UCL. He studied Chemistry at the University of Oxford and was the first person to bounce a neutron off a soap bubble. Roger was the Science Editor of The Daily Telegraph for two decades, and the Editor of New Scientist between 2008 and 2011. He has written or co-authored a number of popular science books, including the critically acclaimed The Physics of Christmas and The Dance of Life (with Magda Zernicka-Goetz). The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works by Roger Highfield. "How an entire human can emerge from a single cell is one of life's great mysteries. This book is a wonderful exposition of that amazingly complicated process and combines Zernicka-Goetz's research and expert perspective with the clear and engaging narrative that is a hallmark of Highfield's science writing." Venki Ramakrishnan, president of the Royal Society and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. "A touching, detailed portrait of a life in science. Beautifully written, it's a reminder that scientists are human and their humanity affects every part of their work" Angela Saini, bestselling author of Inferior and Superior. "Story-telling at its very best. Together with Highfield, Zernicka-Goetz leads us through her life scientific, intertwining the exciting field of 21st biology with a joyous personal journey of discovery at the cutting edge of research" Professor Jim Al-Khalili OBE, award-winning science communicator and broadcaster. "Few books succeed as well as this in turning a complex area of science into a compelling human story. Rarely will you read such an intimate and personal account of scientific discovery" Evan Davis, BBC broadcaster. "Of all the biological sciences, developmental biology may be the most complicated, but Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz makes it easier in The Dance of Life. An accomplished researcher whose discoveries in this field rewrote textbooks, she offers a rich look at how humans arise from the union of two cells. In tracing her path as a woman in the male-dominated areas of embryology and developmental biology, Zernicka-Goetz takes the reader with ease through the incredibly complex dance of life that cells undertake in building a human embryo." Emily Willingham, coauthor, The Informed Parent. "Part memoir, part mission to touch creation itself, The Dance of Life is a candid & gripping odyssey into one of the greatest microscopic scientific mysteries of all - the cellular divisions that spawn human life" Samira Ahmed, BBC broadcaster. "The question of how a gorgeous baby develops from an inanimate, post-coital speck has fascinated humans from the year dot. Highfield and Zernicka-Goetz illuminate this apparent miracle in an entertaining narrative full of scientific insights, human interest and thoughtful reflection" Graham Farmelo, winner of the Costa Biography Prize and official biographer of Stephen Hawking. "An in-depth journey through the world of the research embryologist. The story has a memoir-like atmosphere, especially when Zernicka-Goetz turns to episodes of her life. But she is never far from the science. Meaty and entertaining" Kirkus Reviews. "Illuminating. Zernicka-Goetz and Highfield's informative professional memoir has much to engage readers" Publishers Weekly. Read the reviews in Nature and the New York Times. Find out why the UK Science Minister thinks politicians can draw inspiration from our 'excellent' book, and also why it is so controversial. "Martin Nowak is one of the most creative scientists of our time, and Roger Highfield is a superb science writer. Their insights into the mystery of cooperation will change the way you think about everything. If you're looking for the next Big Idea book, you've just found it." Steven Strogatz, Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics, Cornell University, and New York Times contributor. "Supercooperators looks beyond The Selfish Gene and invites us to think afresh about evolution. Contrary to the simplistic idea that selfishness is the only strategy for survival, the brilliant Martin Nowak proves that cooperation is also vitally important. This rich and rewarding book teems with new ideas and insights, which co-author Roger Highfield makes wonderfully lucid and entertaining." Graham Farmelo, author of The Strangest Man, winner of the Costa Biography Award. "A fantastic journey into the science of cooperation, with important implications for both individuals and society alike." Richard Wiseman, author of Paranormality, 59 Seconds and Quirkology. "Martin Nowak is regarded as the foremost mathematical theorist working in evolutionary biology. His contributions on cooperation and altruism, here augmented by the expertise of Roger Highfield, fall in one of the most important domains of present-day biology." Edward O. Wilson, author of Consilience and Pellegrino University Research Professor, Harvard University. "Roger Highfield deftly weaves together a personal and informative account of the research of Harvard's Martin Nowak to reveal five mechanisms that rule human behaviour. On the way, they explore the origins of life, language, cancer and much more, and highlight how evolution can lead to cooperation as well as competition." Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal and recent President of the Royal Society. "A panoramic view of the role of cooperation in the evolution. [A] sweeping survey. Nowak is a mathematical biologist, and his enthusiasm for numbers is extremely useful in his discussions of evolutionary theory. However, thankfully for the mathematically disinclined, there is little hard math here. A fleshed-out, persuasive chronicle of the bright side-collective enterprise-of the evolutionary road." Kirkus Reviews. After Dolly won the 2007 Tony Thistlethwaite award from the UK Medical Journalists' Association for a book on health or medical science aimed at the general reader. "Written with Roger Highfield, the Daily Telegraph's science editor, After Dolly is pacy and extremely clear. The scientific jargon is properly explained, and there is an excellent glossary. It is worth reading, even if only to try to peer ahead in the hope of determining the outrageous fortune that will be the future of the human race." Paul Riddell, The Scotsman. "Recommended for all science collections, as we all need to try to keep up with these complex and important issues." Library Journal. "The how of cloning, beautifully told by optimists who believe that wise heads and good science will justify the whys." Kirkus reviews. "The book is unusual in that it combines in one narrative a vivid firstperson scientific account with a discussion of the moral and ethical issues that have emerged, inevitably, from this research. This is unfiltered science writing without the polemical posturing often encountered when non- scientists try to interpret what scientists are doing." Peter Pettus, New York Sun. "The book, despite its weighty concerns, avoids a moralizing tone and is exceedingly pleasant to read." Scientific American. "In collaboration with Roger Highfield, a science journalist, Wilmut provides an extremely lucid and readable explanation of the history of cloning and biologists' ideas for the future." Stephen Poole, Guardian. "Ably co-authored by Roger Highfield, After Dolly offers a fascinating insight into one of the most controversial yet promising areas of modern biology." Peter Smith, Independent. "Animated by Highfield's enthusiasm for the extraordinary, The Science of Harry Potter is an enjoyably indirect survey of modern science." Christine Kenneally, New York Times. "A wonderful hook for a wonderful book. As one reads The Science of Harry Potter it is impossible not to become intrigued." Orlando Sentinel. "One does not need to be a fan of the Harry Potter series to enjoy this book, and with the breadth of scientific topics covered there is likely something new and fascinating for all readers." Marc Lavine, Science. "He has interviewed the world's best Muggle scientists to identify the explanations behind everything from the Mirror of Erised to the Invisibility Cloak. A great introduction to a whole variety of issues from game theory to evolution." Simon Singh, Observer. "For anyone who has ever yearned to apply thermodynamics to Christmas goose, or who wonders what the star of Bethlehem was or why hot mulled wine makes you tipsier faster than a chilled Sancerre - for anyone, in short, who is curious about the science behind the season, The Physics of Christmas is just what the elves ordered." Sharon Begley, Newsweek.