Science & engineering
The Miraculous from the Material: Understanding the Wonders of Nature
By Alan Lightman, professor of the practice of humanities
Penguin Random House · 2024
Nature is capable of extraordinary phenomena. Standing in awe of those phenomena, we experience a feeling of connection to the cosmos. For Lightman, just as remarkable is that all of what we see around us - soap bubbles, scarlet ibises, shooting stars - are made out of the same material stuff and obey the same rules and laws. Pairing 36 full-color photos evoking some of nature's most awe-inspiring phenomena with personal essays, "The Miraculous from the Material" explores the fascinating science underlying the natural world.
From Summer 2025 recommended reading from MIT (MIT News).
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