The discoveries : great breakthroughs in 20th century science / Alan Lightman.

New York : Pantheon Books, [2005], ©2005.

xviii, 553 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, portraits ; 25 cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The quantum -- Hormones -- The particle nature of light -- Special relativity -- The nucleus of the atom -- The size of the cosmos -- The arrangement of atoms in solid matter -- The quantum atom -- The means of communication between nerves -- The uncertainty principle -- The chemical bond -- The expansion of the universe -- Antibiotics -- The means of production of energy in living organisms -- Nuclear fission -- The movability of genes -- The structure of DNA -- The structure of proteins -- Radio waves from the big bang -- A unified theory of forces -- Quarks : a tiniest essence of matter -- The creation of altered forms of life.