How do bats "see" in the dark? Why do ocean waves break parallel to the shore, no matter what direction they come from? What is the psychiatric disorder whereby people feign illness in order to gain medical attention? How do online stores keep credit card numbers secret from hackers?

The latest title in the best-selling 100 Words series, 100 Science Words Every College Graduate Should Know (Houghton Mifflin, April 5, 2006), provides simple answers to these and dozens of other questions about the fundamental concepts of science and technology.

Almost every day there are new facts and ideas discussed in the media about the makeup of the universe, the roles genes play in disease, the dangers of sweeping environmental change, and countless other things. People who are unfamiliar with the key words of science may not be able to fathom the rapid advances and developments taking place around them — even when they hit close to home.

Are you up to the challenge? Find out by reading 100 Science Words Every College Graduate Should Know, by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionaries. A wide variety of new and established terms are discussed, including absolute zero, anaphylaxis, cryptography, echolocation, game theory, Kuiper belt, mitochondrion, Munchausen syndrome, quantum mechanics, and refraction. Each term is defined in clear, nontechnical language, with examples showing the importance of the word both in its field and in daily life.

This book will appeal not only to college graduates, but to anyone with an interest in scientific concepts and the latest breakthroughs in the news.


The following is the entire list of 100 words: