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Iridescences: The Physical Colors of Insects
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About Iridescences: The Physical Colors Of Insects
Product Description Lepidoptera and Coleoptera – butterflies and beetles - are the most beautifully colored insects we can find. This book explores the origin of these brilliant colors from a physics perspective, beginning with the simplest question: Why Colors? The author masterfully explains at an introductory level the coloring of insects and illustrates his points with more than 240 brilliant figures. The book is a rich source for optical physicists, biologists, and teachers alike. Review From the reviews: "Berthier is a professor of physics at the University of Paris Diderot–7 and researches biological structures, colors and biomimetics at Pierre and Marie Curie University. … If you want to see some wonderful photographs that show the intricate and delicate structures of insect wings, then Berthier’s book fit the bill." (George Kattawar, Physics Today, February, 2008) "The colors of insects are amazing, and this book is a remarkable showcase for them. There are a lot of colorful insect photographs, micrographs and illustrations. The physics behind insect colors is explained in a simple and clear manner. … I read the book with interest and I recommend it to both physicists and biologists." (Dejan Pantelic, Optics and Photonics News, July/August, 2007) "The book investigates the physical basis of color in nature … . This is a fascinating book … bringing together the interests of biologists and physicists. It is well written and succeeds in explaining physical principles and phenomena to the non-physicist. … The book is illustrated throughout with beautiful color images of the whole organism … . clearly designed graphs and diagrams assist in illustrating physical principles. … it will find its way into many university libraries – this book certainly deserves a broad audience." (Hannelore Hoch, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, Vol. 56 (1), 2009) From the Back Cover Butterflies and Coleopterons are among the most colorful animals that we are lucky to observe. It is certainly not for our sake that nature indulges itself into such brightness, indeed this very beauty is vital. Although the present book is essentially the work of a physicist, its main objective is to be fundamentally trans-disciplinary. To understand the origins of those bright colors without looking at their evolution potential, to focus on the question "how" neglecting the question "why", would not only be unsatisfying, but it would also harm our understanding of the phenomena. The two aspects clarify one another and cannot be separated. This book can be read at various rhythms so that there is something in it for everyone. Biologists will find a clear and in-depth study of the different physical phenomena generating colors; that is all the things that we once learnt or which we often hear, but forgot. It will constitute a boundless "biomimetical" inspiration for physicists and engineers, for if physics is simple, the combinations of effects and the structures involved are extremely complex and original. As concerns students and teachers, this book will constitute a great base for practical works and it will finally fill with wonder those repelled by equations. About the Author Serge Berthier teaches physics at the Denis Diderot-Paris 7 University and researches biologic structures, colors and biomimetism at the Institut des NanoSciences de Paris ( Pierre and Marie Curie-Paris 6 University and CNRS). He teaches solid state optics in the post-graduate degree "Optics and material" and the post-graduate research degree "Optics and Photonic" for the Denis Diderot University. He also teaches electromagnetism and laser physics to undergraduates at the Paris-Jussieu Institut of Technology.
