From the humble beginnings of science, right through to today's information age, this profusely illustrated Smithsonian guide surveys the milestones of astronomy, biology, geology, meteorology, and mathematics. Included here are profiles of great scientists like Zhang Heng, Isaac Newton, and Marie Curie, plus explanations of how our understanding of the world has been transformed by Greek geometry, the first powered flight, the splitting of the atom, quantum physics, genetic engineering, and the detection of gravitational waves.