NEW BOOK TIES ASTRONOMY TO NATURAL HISTORY – TEACHES BOTH The Baryon Press announces the release of a new science title that is a combined, in-depth astronomy/ natural history course. Astronomy & Natural History Connections: From Darwin to Einstein, written by Barry Boyce, is essential reading for the ever-curious in both sciences; the information ranges from entertaining yet thorough discussions on relativity and quantum mechanics as well as dynamic presentations of natural selection and speciation.

From the Classic Greek Periods to the present, many key biographies are included to maintain a historical perspective and to see the origins of the many connections between the physical and biological worlds. Examples of this unification include the importance of the Venus Transit in the history of scientific measurement and the role of Sir Isaac Newton in developing the concept of a testable Scientific Theory. In a section called Natural Connections (all the Chapters have a "Connections" theme), evolution is shown not to be necessarily adaptive, while natural selection is indeed the adaptive process and the guiding principle that Darwin used (and biology still does). "Speciation" is a bit complex as no traditional definition describes what a species is with a high degree of statistical accuracy. The term "species" itself is called into question as there is most probably a continuum of phenotypes/ genotypes rather than the discrete stops that taxonomy requires. Finally, migration is also viewed as complex and basically as an effective breeding strategy, but not the only one.

In the world of astronomy and astrophysics, the physical-chemical mechanism of nucleosynthesis is thoroughly presented in a fashion that the layperson can follow; an interesting theme here is hydrodynamic equilibrium, the balancing of gravity and pressure, allowing for stars to produce light for up to billions of years. For the discovery of the expansion of the Universe, Vesto Slipher is given equal billing to Edwin Hubble, and the man of the hour as far as the Big Bang (and the "cosmic egg") is concerned, is the Belgian Jesuit Priest, Georges Lemaître. As we look towards the future, the pros and cons of colonizing/ terraforming Mars is given a full discussion. Other topics of the future include manned vs. robotic space missions, the next generation of telescopes, genetic switches, the possibly of an imminent magnetic pole reversal, the search for life in the Universe, Exoplanets, and Dark Matter/ Dark Energy. It has been said that in the world of science, we live in an Age of Unification, and Astronomy & Natural History Connections: From Darwin to Einstein does just that – it unifies natural history and astronomy in an entertaining, inspiring manner. It is based on an outreach-based teaching approach that comfortably, yet thoroughly connects the reader to the Universe, and thereby to both sciences. This is not "astronomy for the dummy or the idiot or those in a hurry"; it's for the vast majority of the general public that call themselves interested as well as curious to learn much more about the world around and above us.

Those are strong words, but what's behind them, backing them up, supporting them? Quite a bit, actually. Astronomy is a physical science, and calculus is part of the curriculum and communication. Many pictures show Einstein and other notables at the blackboard, writing equations; it looks impressive but can appear distant and somewhat intimidating. And for astronomers and astronomy buffs, the natural sciences can appear a bit soft in some ways, although evolution and classification can also be intimidating topics. Bottom line – you're not going to find astronomers writing about natural history (aside from looking for life in the Universe), nor evolutionary biologists writing about astronomy. It's out of their comfort zones and not part of who they are. There's a gap - one that needs to be filled, and this book does it. And it does it without dumbing-down; there are complete discussions on relativity, quantum mechanics, stellar chemistry, speciation, and natural selection. About the Author: Barry Boyce was a graduate student in the neurosciences. He has over 30 years teaching natural history and astronomy on an outreach basis on expedition voyages to the Galápagos Islands and the Antarctic; he currently teaches outreach astronomy for the University of Arizona at their Mt. Lemmon Sky Center. He is also an astrophotographer, a nature photographer, and the author of A Traveler's Guide to the Galápagos Islands.

The reader is asked to bring his/ her interest and curiosity; the book will provide the information and inspiration – both will be within easy reach.