"Follow the story of science year by year with [an] ... illustrated timeline with ... explanations of key scientific theories and concepts; identify the influential thinkers behind revolutionary breakthroughs and discover how they changed the world; trace the development of landmark innovations such as the measurement of time, computers, and mobile communication; see major advances and achievements in their broader context"--Page 4 of cover.

At head of title: DK Smithsonian. "The ultimate visual guide to the discoveries that shaped the world"--Cover. Includes index.

Before science began (2.5 MYA -- 799 C.E.) : Early metallurgy ; The story of the wheel ; The story of geometry ; Understanding simple machines -- The European and Islamic Renaissance (800-1542) : Understanding stars ; The story of gears -- The age of discovery (1543-1788) : The story of anatomy ; Measuring instruments ; Medicine ; Understanding planetary orbits ; The story of measuring time ; Microscopes ; Understanding Newton's laws of motion ; Navigational tools ; Meteorological instruments -- The age of revolutions (1789-1894) : Fossils ; The story of the engine ; Understanding compounds and reactions ; The story of calculating machines ; Understanding cells ; Understanding evolution ; Surgery ; The story of sound recording -- The atomic age (1895-1945) : Understanding electromagnetic radiation ; Flying machines ; Understanding relativity ; Understanding atomic structure ; The story of plastics ; Understanding radioactivity -- The information age (1946-2013) : Understanding DNA ; The story of oceanography ; The story of space exploration ; Communication ; Understanding global warming ; The story of robotics ; Understanding cosmology -- Reference : Measurements and units ; Physics ; Chemistry ; Biology ; Astronomy and space ; Earth science.