The Science of Discworld Revised Edition

274–5, 327, 350
    coincidence 128, 170, 172, 268–75, 300*
    ‘cold dark matter’ 94
    Collar, A.R. 370
    colonization of planets 372–3
    colour 43, 57, 72, 104, 195
    Columbus, Christopher 366
    comets 93, 117, 125,159, 223, 248, 256, 259, 263, 265, 287, 296, 306, 359, 363–4, 374
    common sense 9, 13, 87–8, 91, 97, 105,108, 111–2, 175
    communications satellites 39
    compass 143–4
    competition within species 211–3
    complex minds 355
    complex organisms 202, 238
    complexity 252
    complicity
    between culture and neurophysiology 347, 349
    between intelligence and extelligence 354
    mind as example of 349
    compound(s) 72–4, 122, 141, 157, 162, 274, 307
    vs elements 72
    vs mixture 72
    computer(s) 43, 104–6, 124, 130, 147,174, 185, 214–5, 219–20, 241
    and artificial intelligence 348
    science 219
    simulations 132, 221, 230
    conduction of electricity 133, 144
    Confessions
(Saint Augustine) 55
    consciousness 338, 347
    constants, fundamental 25
    constitutional rights and obligations 353
    continental drift 147–8, 231
    continental land masses 142
    convergent evolution 242
    cooling 143–4, 163, 323
    Copenhagen interpretation of quantum observations 108–10
    copper 75, 113,191, 279
    coral reefs 150
    core, Earth’s 144
    Coriolis forces 144
    cosmic background 58
    cosmic rays 83
    cosmological constant 95
    cows 36, 98, 217, 222, 229, 316, 323
    and BSE (mad cow disease) 217
    and methane 229
    crabs 167, 247–8, 238, 241, 243, 262, 264–5, 296, 315, 342, 374
    craters
    on Earth 175, 254, 306–7
    on Mercury 118, 252
    on Moon 171–3, 175, 252
    Crawford, Michael 336
    creation myth 51, 58
    Cretaceous period 198, 287, 289, 291, 293, 303–4, 307, 309
    Crichton, Michael 282
    crocodiles 283, 309
    cross-breeding algorithms (recombination) 219
    crust, Earth’s 140–2, 144, 229, 231, 305, 307
    crystals 132, 142, 232, 306
    culture 161, 188, 266, 302, 329, 339–40, 347–8, 351–2
    and extelligence 348, 352–3
    and neurophysiology 347
    culture clash 352
    curvature of spacetime 92
    cuttlefish 310
    cyanobacteria 195
    Czáki, Csaba 94
    D
    Dalton, Brad 134
    Dalton, John 74
    Damned Lies and Statistics
(Best) 326
    Damour, Thibault 26
    danger, global 357
    dark 30, 94, 117,126, 131,166, 178, 180, 182–3, 186–7, 280, 298
    Darwin, Charles 10, 210–11, 213–4, 218, 222, 240, 318
    Darwin (project) 132
    Darwinism 213
    David Copperfield
(Dickens) 185
    Davidovich, Luis 110
    DDT 311
    Dead Sea 165
    death 9, 54, 110,183, 186–7, 227, 232–3, 267, 300, 365, 385
    of dinosaurs 301, 305, 308
    of marsupials 321
    of species 304, 311
    Deccan Traps 307–8, 365
    debt 161, 185–6
    decoherence 110
    Deep Space 3 project 131
    Deimos 117
    Delany, Samuel R. 355
    Democritus 74, 76
    Dennett, Daniel 339
    density
    of Earth 141
    of elements 73, 82
    of Moon 172
    of stars 82
    destruction of habitat 365
    deuterium 79
    diaphragm 316–7
    Dickens, Charles 185
    Dickens, Jenny 232
    Dickinson, Dick 368
    diffusion 91
    digital orrery 124
    dinosaurs 252, 282–94
    mass extinction of 301, 305, 307–9, 379
    diploblasts 199
    Diplodocus
288–9
    disasters
    home-grown 364
    natural 227, 232, 301
    discontinuity 60, 196
    Discworld novels
    The Colour of Magic
87, 271
    Hogfather
187
    The Last Continent
209, 214, 300*, 319
    The Light Fantastic
33, 40
    Lords and Ladies
109
    Men at Arms
171
    Mort
186
    Reaper Man
186*
    Small Gods
100
    Soul Music
309
    Thief of Time
55
    Witches Abroad
109
    Disney, Walt 282–3, 289
    diversity 209, 226, 232, 241–2, 301, 309–10, 317, 322, 354–5
    DNA 10, 13, 44, 79*, 102, 196–7, 215–8, 220, 239, 275, 310, 316, 324–6, 334–6
    clock 324–5
    Döbereiner, Johann 75
    dogs 9, 66, 203, 209–10, 267, 283, 314, 316, 321, 323, 350*
    Dolly the Sheep, cloning 215–6
    dolphins 243, 285, 309, 332, 347
    domestic animals 209
    Doppler effect 57
    double stars 128
    Doyle, Arthur Conan 282
    dragons, and dinosaurs 302–3, 329
    Dragon’s Egg
(Forward) 373
    drawing the line 59
    dreams 328–9, 365
    duck-billed platypus 316
    E
    ears 278, 316–7, 328
    earth, as ancient element 65, 71
    Earth 24, 25, 35, 37, 39, 44, 54, 73, 82, 87–9, 92, 116–8, 121, 123, 125, 127–8, 130–2, 134, 140–8, 156–9, 162–4, 170–9, 183, 186–7, 195, 197, 201, 209,211, 215, 226–232, 242–3, 253, 259, 301, 304–6, 316, 364–8, 378, 379
    age of 25
    atmosphere 130, 156–162
    axis 176–8
    tilt of 228, 231
    circumference of 89
    core 143–4
    crust 140–2, 144, 231, 305, 307
    gravity of 37, 82, 124, 176
    ice ages of 226–31
    magnetic field of 44, 127, 143–5,