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The Seventh Edition is revised substantially to reflect the scientific and technical advances through the five years since the last edition. The major advances have been in the areas of physics, chemistry, electronics, computers, telecommunications, and earth sciences, where extensive research and development activities have reached high levels of sophistication to produce a wealth of new scientific knowledge and new technologies. In addition, 29 new Consulting Editors participated in this revision, ensuring the most modern, accurate, authoritative, and up-to-date representation for their respective disciplines. For example, most of the entries in the field of medicine have been completely rewritten, guided by one of our new Consulting Editors. In print since 1960, and published in five languages (English, French, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish) in various editions, this Encyclopedia continues to be the international standard reference. The articles are written by leading international authorities, including 21 Nobel Prize winners, from academia and industry and all articles carry the authors' name. The level of writing is consistent with the complexity of each subject, and the information is essentially comprehensible to readers beginning with advanced high school students and up to professional scientists and engineers needing basic information from fields outside their own areas of expertise. The Encyclopedia is also a useful reference for science-literate laypersons.

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