Time Machines - by Peter D Ward (Hardcover)

About the Book

What is the past? It is a time as well as a place. Acclaimed author Peter D. Ward describes the tools that contemporary scientists use to uncover the facts about the past--terrain, climate, and the life forms that once inhabited this planet. "Time Machines" presents fascinating profiles of the deep past and the scientists who are making it come alive. 25 illus.

Book Synopsis

In ten essays united by a common theme, acclaimed author Peter D. Ward shows how paleontologists use time machines to probe the distant past. The machines may be as simple as a rock hammer, as humble as a magnifying glass or as esoteric as a mass spectrometer, but when powered by the imagination of scientists willing to take creative risks, each takes us on a fascinating journey to long-ago worlds. In the tradition of Loren Eisley and Steven Jay Gould, these essays present fascinating profiles of the past and the people who are making it come alive.