Sign-In
Cart
The Six-Cornered Snowflake
Paperback
ISBN13: 9781589880535
Publisher: Paul Dry Books
Published: Mar 1 2010
Pages: 115
Weight: 0.30
Height: 0.50 Width: 5.40 Depth: 6.40
Language: English
In 1611, Kepler wrote an essay wondering why snowflakes always had perfect, sixfold symmetry. It's a simple enough question, but one that no one had ever asked before and one that couldn't actually be answered for another three centuries. Still, in trying to work out an answer, Kepler raised some fascinating questions about physics, math, and biology, and now you can watch in wonder as a great scientific genius unleashes the full force of his intellect on a seemingly trivial question, complete with new illustrations and essays to put it all in perspective.
When snow began to fall while he was walking across the Charles Bridge in Prague late in 1610, the eminent astronomer Johannes Kepler asked himself the following question: Why do snowflakes, when they first fall, and before they are entangled into larger clumps, always come down with six corners and with six radii tufted like feathers?
In his effort to answer this charming and never-before-asked question about snowflakes, Kepler delves into the nature of beehives, peapods, pomegranates, five-petaled flowers, the spiral shape of the snail's shell, and the formative power of nature itself. While he did not answer his original question (it remained a mystery for another three hundred years) he did find an occasion for deep and playful thought.
A most suitable book for any and all during the winter and holiday seasons is a reissue of a holiday present by the great mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler. Even the endnotes in this wonderful little book are interesting and educationally fun to read.
--Jay Pasachoff, The Key Reporter
New English translation by Jacques Bromberg
Latin text on facing pages
An essay, The Delights of a Roving Mind by Owen Gingerich
An essay, On The Six-Cornered Snowflake by Guillermo Bleichmar
Snowflake illustrations by Capi Corrales Rodriganez
John Frederick Nims' poem The Six-Cornered Snowflake
Notes by Jacques Bromberg and Guillermo Bleichmar
Johannes Kepler (1571-1631) was an important figure in the seventeenth century astronomical revolution. He is best known for his eponymous laws of planetary motion. Kepler wrote: If there is anything that can bind the heavenly mind of man to this dusty exile of our earthly home then it is verily the enjoyment of the mathematical sciences and astronomy.
Also in
Physics
The Formative Years of Relativity: The History and Meaning of Einstein's Princeton Lectures
Renn, Jürgen
Gutfreund, Hanoch
Hardcover
Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100
Kaku, Michio
Hardcover
How It All Works: All Scientific Laws and Phenomena Illustrated & Demonstrated
Dant, Adam
Clegg, Brian
Hardcover
Feynman's Lost Lecture: The Motion of Planets Around the Sun [With CDROM]
Goodstein, David L.
Paperback
The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Cosmic Dream Boogie
Prescod-Weinstein, Chanda
Hardcover
Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Walker, Lindsey Nyx
Hardcover
5 Steps to a 5: AP Physics 1 2027: Practice AP Tests + AP Content Review + Digital Exams
Jacobs, Greg
Paperback
Just Visiting This Planet, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century: Further Scientific Adventures of Merlin from Omniscia
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Hardcover
What If? 10th Anniversary Edition: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Munroe, Randall
Hardcover
Astronomy 101, 2nd Edition: From Gravitational Waves and Merging Black Holes to New Exoplanets and Asteroid Samples, Key Theories, Discoveries, and Fa
Petersen, Carolyn Collins
Hardcover
Beyond Darwin: How Epigenetics, Quantum Science, and Cooperation Shape Humanity's Future
Lipton, Bruce H.
Hardcover
My Big TOE Awakening Discovery Inner Workings: The Complete My Big TOE Trilogy Unifying Philosophy, Physics and Metaphysics
Campbell, Thomas
Hardcover
Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher
Feynman, Richard P.
Leighton, Robert B.
Sands, Matthew
Paperback
Time's Second Arrow: Evolution, Order, and a New Law of Nature
Wong, Michael L.
Hazen, Robert M.
Hardcover
What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Munroe, Randall
Hardcover
A New Science of Heaven: How the New Science of Plasma Physics Is Shedding Light on Spiritual Experience
Temple, Robert
Paperback
Princeton Review AP Physics 1 Premium Prep, 13th Edition: 5 Practice Tests + Digital Practice Online + Content Review
The Princeton Review
Paperback
Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter (Large Print Edition)
Tyson, Neil DeGrasse
Hardcover
AP Physics 1 Premium, 2027: Prep Book with 4 Practice Tests + Comprehensive Review + Online Practice
Rideout, Kenneth, M. S.
Wolf, Jonathan, M. a. Ed M.
Paperback
The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey Into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred
Prescod-Weinstein, Chanda
Paperback
Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons
Pendle, George
Paperback
Do Aliens Speak Physics?: And Other Questions about Science and the Nature of Reality
Whiteson, Daniel
Warner, Andy
Hardcover
American Prometheus (Pulitzer Prize Winner): The Inspiration for the Major Motion Picture Oppenheimer
Sherwin, Martin J.
Bird, Kai
Paperback
Graph Paper Notebook 1/4 inch squares: Graph Paper Composition Book For Children and Women 8 x 10 inch, 122 Pages
Warren, Leann S.
Paperback
AP Physics 1 Premium, 2026: Prep Book with 4 Practice Tests + Comprehensive Review + Online Practice
Rideout, Kenneth, M. S.
Wolf, Jonathan, M. a. Ed M.
Paperback
The Montauk Project - Experiments in Time: Silver Anniversary Edition
Moon, Peter
Nichols, Preston B.
Paperback
Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance, 7th Edition: The World's Best-Selling Guide to Mountain Bike Repair
Zinn, Lennard
Paperback
The Black Book of Manifestation: Hidden Secrets & Forbidden Techniques to Shape Your Reality
Sharma, Sagar
Paperback
Introduction to Live Sound Reinforcement: The Science, the Art, and the Practice
Boyce, Teddy
Paperback
Quantum Physics and Higher Consciousness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Reality and Awakening Your Inner Power
Silva, Mari
Hardcover
The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism
Capra, Fritjof
Paperback
From Shiva to Schrödinger: Unravelling Cosmic Secrets with Trika Shaivism & Quantum Insights
Majumdar, Mrittunjoy Guha
Paperback
Why Nobody Understands Quantum Physics: The Story of the Science That Shapes Our World
Broeckaert, Céline
Verstraete, Frank
Hardcover
Ways of Being: Animals, Plants, Machines: The Search for a Planetary Intelligence
Bridle, James
Paperback
Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, 6th Edition: The World's Best-Selling Bicycle Repair and Maintenance Guide
Zinn, Lennard
Paperback
Quantum Mechanics Done Right: The Shortest Path from Novice to Researcher
Freericks, James K.
Hardcover
My Big TOE Awakening Discovery Inner Workings: The Complete My Big TOE Trilogy Unifying Philosophy, Physics, and Metaphysics
Campbell, Thomas
Paperback
Smithsonian Atlas of Space: A Map to the Universe from the Big Bang to the Future
Launius, Roger D.
Hardcover
The Montauk Project - Experiments in Time: Silver Anniversary Edition
Nichols, Preston B.
Moon, Peter
Hardcover
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
Greene, Brian
Paperback
A Brief Welcome to the Universe: A Pocket-Sized Tour
Strauss, Michael A.
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Gott, J. Richard
Paperback
Six Not-So-Easy Pieces: Einstein's Relativity, Symmetry, and Space-Time
Feynman, Richard P.
Leighton, Robert B.
Sands, Matthew
Paperback
Do Your Ears Pop in Space? and 500 Other Surprising Questions about Space Travel
Mullane, R. Mike
Paperback
Rocket Dreams: Musk, Bezos, and the Inside Story of the New, Trillion-Dollar Space Race
Davenport, Christian
Hardcover
The Theoretical Minimum: What You Need to Know to Start Doing Physics
Hrabovsky, George
Susskind, Leonard
Paperback
Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Strauss, Michael A.
Gott, J. Richard
Hardcover
Cosmos and Transcendence: Breaking Through the Barrier of Scientistic Belief
Smith, Wolfgang
Paperback
The Fabric of Reality: The Science of Parallel Universes--And Its Implications
Deutsch, David
Paperback
Fundamentals of Astrodynamics: Second Edition
Mueller, Donald D.
White, Jerry E.
Bate, Roger R.
Paperback
The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla and Other Works (Deluxe Leatherbound Edition)
Tesla, Nikola
Martin, Thomas Commerford
Hardcover
Time Travel in Einstein's Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time
Gott, J. Richard
Paperback
There Are Places in the World Where Rules Are Less Important Than Kindness: And Other Thoughts on Physics, Philosophy and the World
Rovelli, Carlo
Paperback
Signals from the Subatomic World: How to Build a Proton Precession Magnetometer
Hollos, Stefan
Hollos, Richard
Paperback
The Rife Method Manual: 1,000+ Essential Rife Frequencies from A to Z and How to Use Them Safely and Effectively
Harkness, Aaron
Paperback
Alchemy of Nine Dimensions: Activating the Full Spectrum of Consciousness
Clow, Barbara Hand
Paperback
Let's Review Regents: Physical Science- Physics, Seventh Edition (Barron's NY Regents)
Lazar, Miriam A., M. S.
Tarendash, Albert, M. S.
Paperback
Regents Exams and Answers Physical Science Physics Fourth Edition (Barron's New York Regents)
Lazar, Miriam, M. S. Ed
Paperback
Unseen Universe: Space as You've Never Seen It Before from the James Webb Space Telescope
Harper, Caroline
Hardcover
AP Physics C Premium, Eighth Edition: 4 Practice Tests + Comprehensive Review + Online Practice (2026)
Pelcovits, Robert A., PH. D.
Farkas, Joshua, M. D.
Paperback
Cosmic Queries: Startalk's Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going
Tyson, Neil DeGrasse
Hardcover
The One Thing You Need to Know: The Simple Way to Understand the Most Important Ideas in Science
Chown, Marcus
Paperback
The Sound Atlas: A Guide to Strange Sounds Across Landscapes and Imagination
Vieser, Michaela
Yuen, Isaac
Hardcover
Fantastic Numbers and Where to Find Them: A Journey to the Edge of Physics
Padilla, Antonio
Paperback
Analytic Idealism in a Nutshell: A Straightforward Summary of the 21st Century's Only Plausible Metaphysics
Kastrup, Bernardo
Paperback
Collisions: A Physicist's Journey from Hiroshima to the Death of the Dinosaurs
Nevala-Lee, Alec
Hardcover
Sciencia: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Astronomy for All
Watkins, Matthew
Betts, Moff
Tweed, Matt
Hardcover
Princeton Review AP Physics C Premium Prep, 19th Edition: 4 Practice Tests + Digital Practice Online + Content Review
The Princeton Review
Paperback
The Universe Story: From the Primordial Flaring Forth to the Ecozoic Era--A Celebration of the Unfol
Swimme, Brian
Paperback
Relativity: The Special and the General Theory - 100th Anniversary Edition
Einstein, Albert
Paperback
Scale: The Universal Laws of Life, Growth, and Death in Organisms, Cities, and Companies
West, Geoffrey
Paperback
Sounds Wild and Broken: Sonic Marvels, Evolution's Creativity, and the Crisis of Sensory Extinction
Haskell, David George
Paperback