 | popular science
books | magazines | databases | websites | DVDs & vids |
International Year of Astronomy
2009 celebrates the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first use of the telescope and has been declared the International Year of Astronomy.
You can join in and celebrate a fun astronomical year with Wellington Astronomical Society and Wellington City Libraries as we bring you events, activities, displays and talks throughout 2009.
recent science books
(for the latest science books every month, click here)
 Virolution, by Frank Ryan."The extraordinary role of viruses in evolution and how this is revolutionising biology and medicine. Darwin's theory of evolution is still the greatest breakthrough in biological science. His explanation of the role of natural selection in driving the evolution of life on earth depended on steady variation of living things over time -- but he was unable to explain how this variation occurred. In the 150 years since publication of the Origin of Species, we have discovered three main sources for this variation -- mutation, hybridisation and epigenetics. Then on Sunday, 12th February, 2001 the evidence for perhaps the most extraordinary cause of variation was simultaneously released by two organisations -- the code for the entire human genome. Not only was the human genome unbelievably simple (it is only ten times more complicated than a bacteria), but embedded in the code were large fragments that were derived from viruses -- fragments that were vital to evolution of all organisms and the evidence for a fourth and vital source of variation -- viruses. Virolution is the product of Dr Frank Ryan's decade of research at the frontiers of this new science -- now called viral symbiosis -- and the amazing revolution that it has had in these few years. As scientists begin to look for evidence of viral involvement in more and more processes, they have discovered that they are vital in nearly every case. And with this understanding comes the possibility of manipulating the role of the viruses to help fight a huge range of diseases." (Amazon) |
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 50 Genetics Ideas You Really Need to Know, by Mark Henderson."In recent years knowledge of our genetic code has changed our understanding of life on Earth. New genetic technologies are transforming the way we live and promise treatments for otherwise incurable diseases. But these advances are also generating controversy, particularly surrounding issues such as cloning and designer babies. In "50 Genetics Ideas", Mark Henderson distils the central ideas of genetics in a series of clear and concise essays. Beginning with the theory of evolution, and covering such topics as the genome and how nature and nurture work together, he not only illuminates the role of genes in shaping our behaviour and sexuality, but also the very latest, cutting-edge developments in gene therapy and artificial life. Accessible and informative, "50 Genetics Ideas" is a timely introduction to this young and ground-breaking strand of science." (Amazon) |
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finding science books in the library
| 500 | Natural sciences |
| 510 | Maths |
| 520 | Astronomy |
| 530 | Physics |
| 540 | Chemistry |
| 550 | Earth Sciences |
| 560 | Paleontology |
| 570 | Life sciences |
| 580 | Botany |
| 590 | Zoology |
| 600 | Applied Sciences & Technology |
| 610 | Medicine |
| 620 | Engineering & Electronics |
At Central Library, science books are on the 1st floor. If in doubt, search the catalogue; if you need further assistance, ask one of our library staff members next time you visit or email us.
biographies
If you want a biography of a scientist, the library catalogue will give you the location. Here are some selected biographies grouped by specialisation:
botanists | zoologists | astronomers | paleontologists | physicists | women in science | Gale Biography Resource Center
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magazines
Science magazines are held on the 1st floor of Central Library, and all branches have a small collection of popular titles. You can search for articles in our mygateway.info science databases. We keep back-issues of many magazines, eg Scientific American (1878-1908, 1927- ).
 magazines you can borrow: | |
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General Astronomy Australasian Science Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Cosmos Discover Natural History New Scientist New Zealand Mathematics Magazine New Zealand Science Review Physics Today Popular Science Science Scientific American Sky and Space Sky and Telescope Southern Stars (Inc. RAS newsletter) Weatherwise |
Animals & the environment Audubon BBC Wildlife Clean Air Ecologist Ecos Forest & Bird Futurist Greenpeace Habitat: Australia International Wildlife (ceased) Nature (to 14th December, 2006)(ceased) Nature Australia (ceased) Our Planet (to 1996) Sierra Wildlife Australia WWF New Zealand |
databases & science mags online
We have many science magazines available for full text reading online through mygateway.info.
EBSCO magazines include Astronomy, BioScience, Discover, Nature (12 month full text delay), National Geographic (3 month full text delay), New Scientist (6 month full text delay), Science (12 month full text delay) and Scientific American.
(Links require that you have logged into EBSCO recently, if error occurs click here)
ProQuest Science Journals cover chemical, electrical and mechanical engineering, physics, transportation, astronomy, biology, earth science, and more.
You can find more science links in mygateway.info.
science magazine websites - a selection:
National Geographic
Nature
New Scientist
Science News
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websitesNew Zealand | General | Women and Science | Meteorology Earthquakes | Volcanoes | Astronomy | Science can be Fun! |
Featured websites:
UNC Minerals in thin section - minerals under a microscope and their different optical properties.
WebElements Periodic Table
general:
mygateway.info Science: Our information gateway to reliable information on the Net relating to Science, including our subscriber databases.
Science Daily: Breaking news about the latest discoveries and hottest research projects in everything from astrophysics to zoology.
SciTech Daily: Links to science-related articles from around the Internet
Intute: The UK gateway to Science, Engineering and Technology. It covers the physical sciences, engineering, computing, geography, mathematics and environmental science.
Environmental Ethics: Directory of unannotated links to general environmental ethics Web resources.
The Why Files: The science behind today's news headlines.
Smithsonian Institution: Science & Technology
Yahoo! Science and Biology
Google Directory: Biology and Botany
New Zealand birds
new zealand:
Te Puna Web Directory - New Zealand Science & Technology
IndexNZ.com science links
GNS Science
Latest NZ earthquake
NIWA: National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research
women and science:
Women-Related Web Sites in Science/Technology
science can be fun!:
Live chemistry
Insanely great science websites
Who is Sue? The world's largest and best preserved T.Rex
HotAIR" Tidbits from the Annals of Improbable Research (AIR), featuring winners of the annual Ig Nobel Prize for "for achievements that cannot or should not be reproduced."
World Flood Map: Raise sea level up to 14m and see if your house gets flooded
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meteorology:
MetVUW, weather and climate service
World sunlight map
List of all online weather stations in the country.
Weather Underground: Provides global weather forcasts and much more..
earthquakes:
Kidscat Earthquakes
Library material on earthquakes
New Zealand - general information
Geonet: Find out about the latest New Zealand earthquake and information on New Zealand Volcanoes
IRIS - Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology
New Zealand: Earth Sciences
volcanoes:
US Geological Survey Volcano Hazards Program
Current volcano activity
USGS: FAQ about volcanoes
Kidscat Volcanoes
astronomy:
Astronomy magazine
NASA
NASA: Image gallery
Observing the sky blog
Astonomy New Zealand
Downloadable sky maps
360 Sky map of Northern Germany. Controls are in German, but are very easy to work out.
Our own Kids Catalogue Web has great links to our science books and recommended websites
dvds & videos
contact us
