Dictionary of Wonders

A history of science through words.

Every scientific discovery is steeped in stories, anecdotes and debates... Find out how they are all connected in this wonderful journey from A to Z.

Where did words like 'clone', 'supernova' or 'robot' come from? When exactly did they enter our vocabulary and how? Science journalist and writer Antonio Martínez Ron answers all these questions in his unique dictionary of scientific terms. He shows us that by creating a timeline of when terms were invented, we can learn about the history of science from a whole new perspective.

This dictionary takes the reader from 'A for Atom' to 'Z for Zoonosis', focusing in on the exact moments in history when words like 'microscope', 'neuron', 'laser' or 'pixel' were invented, and the debates that led scientists to discard other potential terms. It is a chronicle of how, in order to keep up with the pace of discovery, science became a driver for language and how scientists took it upon themselves to put names to their wonderful discoveries.