Inside the Stargazer's Palace
Enter the mysterious world of sixteenth-century science, where astronomers and alchemists shared laboratories. In 1543, Nicolaus Copernicus declared the earth revolved around the Sun, overturning centuries of scholastic presumption. A new age was coming into view - one guided by observation, technology and logic. But omens and elixirs did not disappear from the sixteenth-century laboratory. Charms and potions could still be found nestled between glistening brass instruments and leather-bound tomes. The line between the natural and supernatural remained porous, yet to be defined. From the icy Danish observatory of Tycho Brahe, to the smoky, sulphur-stained workshop of John Dee, Violet Moller tours the intellectual heart of early European science. Exploring its rich, multidisciplinary culture, Inside the Stargazer's Palace reveals a dazzling forgotten world, where all knowledge, no matter how arcane, could be pursued in good faith.
The Unreliable Nation
An examination of how technological failures defined nature and national identity in Cold War Canada. Throughout the modern period, nations defined themselves through the relationship between nature and machines. Many cast themselves as a triumph of technology over the forces of climate, geography, and environment. Some, however, crafted a powerful alternative identity: they defined themselves not through the triumph of machines over nature, but through technological failures and the distinctive natural orders that caused them. In The Unreliable Nation, Edward Jones-Imhotep examines one instance in this larger history: the Cold War-era project to extend reliable radio communications to the remote and strategically sensitive Canadian North. He argues that, particularly at moments when countries viewed themselves as marginal or threatened, the identity of the modern nation emerged as a scientifically articulated relationship between distinctive natural phenomena and the problematic behaviors of complex groups of machines. Drawing on previously unpublished archival documents and recently declassified materials, Jones-Imhotep shows how Canadian defense scientists elaborated a distinctive "Northern" natural order of violent ionospheric storms and auroral displays, and linked it to a "machinic order" of severe and widespread radio disruptions throughout the country. Tracking their efforts through scientific images, experimental satellites, clandestine maps, and machine architectures, he argues that these scientists naturalized Canada's technological vulnerabilities as part of a program to reimagine the postwar nation. The real and potential failures of machines came to define Canada, its hostile Northern nature, its cultural anxieties, and its geo-political vulnerabilities during the early Cold War. Jones-Imhotep's study illustrates the surprising role of technological failures in shaping contemporary understandings of both nature and nation.
Metamorphosis
A search for the meaning of one of nature's greatest riddles: why do so many creatures transform? "Beautiful... Entertaining... Inspiring."--Nature "A meditation on transformation . . . Warm [and] empathetic . . . wonderful."--Science "Startling . . . astounding . . . Animated by wonder."--MIT's Undark "Steeped in wonderment. . . hauntingly timely."--Washington Independent Review of Books "How many creatures walking on this earth / Have their first being in another form?" the Roman poet Ovid asked two thousand years ago. He could not have known the full extent of the truth: today, biologists estimate a stunning three-quarters of all animal species on Earth undergo some form of metamorphosis. But why do tadpoles transform into frogs, caterpillars into butterflies, elvers into eels, immortal jellyfish from sea sprigs to medusae and back again, growing younger and younger in frigid ocean depths? Why must creatures go through massive destruction and remodeling to become who they are? Tracing a path from Aristotle to Darwin to cutting-edge science today, Harman explores that central mystery. Metamorphosis, however, isn't just a biological puzzle: it takes us to the very heart of questions of being and identity, whatever kind of change we humans may undergo. Metamorphosis is a new classic of natural history: a book that, by unveiling a mystery of nature, causes us to relearn ourselves.
Snow Fleas and Chickadees
In Snow Fleas and Chickadees, Eve Quesnel invites readers to join her on strolls through the forest surrounding her neighborhood in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Lake Tahoe. The book serves as an extended field guide and natural history reference for residents of the region and those visiting and exploring the Sierra. Through her writing, the author shares personal narratives and information gleaned from experts in the field, including biologists, ornithologists, and foresters. Each of the book's twenty-one essays begins with a detailed black-and-white drawing by illustrator Anne Chadwick that provides a backdrop for the vignettes that follow. Quesnel embraces the notion that to simply walk in one's neighborhood is to familiarize oneself with the local flora and fauna, drawing attention to everyday things too often neglected. She argues that we can be complacent with what surrounds us, but with careful observation and research, we become acutely aware--and in awe of--nature's everyday activities. The black bear's hibernation techniques and mountain chickadee's caching methods reveal just two of nature's wily ways. Quesnel chases other curiosities as well, asking, "How does a spider create an orb web?" or, "How does a boulder the size of a small car end up alone in the woods?" In the introduction, she writes, "It is this 'un-peeling' of layers in nature that opens up our world." For anyone interested in nature writing, whether an armchair explorer, outdoor enthusiast, or science aficionado, Snow Fleas and Chickadees provides an entertaining and engaging discovery of the picturesque Sierra Nevada.
Carbon and nutrients in the Mixed Ombrophylous Forest and Pinus Elliottii
Acting with the World
In the Anthropocene our actions are coming home to roost. Global warming, species extinctions, and environmental disasters are the dark side of our mastery of nature. In Acting with the World, Andrew Pickering identifies a different pattern of being and doing that can evade this dark side, a pattern that he calls acting-with the world. In contrast to our usual practice of acting on the world, acting-with foregrounds nonhuman or more-than-human agency and aims to attune our practices to the propensities of nature. Pickering explores examples of acting-with from around the globe, including flood control on the Mississippi River, ecosystem restoration on the Colorado River, the Room for the River project and rewilding in the Netherlands, natural farming in Japan, Aboriginal fire techniques in Australia, and Amazonian shamanism. Pickering argues that acting-with intimately and gracefully plugs us into nature, undercuts the Anthropocene from below, and offers a constructive approach to addressing otherwise intractable wicked problems.
Acting with the World
In the Anthropocene our actions are coming home to roost. Global warming, species extinctions, and environmental disasters are the dark side of our mastery of nature. In Acting with the World, Andrew Pickering identifies a different pattern of being and doing that can evade this dark side, a pattern which he calls acting-with the world. In contrast to our usual practice of acting on the world, acting-with foregrounds nonhuman or more-than-human agency and aims to attune our practices to the propensities of nature. Pickering explores examples of acting-with from around the globe, including flood control on the Mississippi River, ecosystem restoration on the Colorado River, the Room for the River project and rewilding in the Netherlands, natural farming in Japan, Aboriginal fire techniques in Australia, and Amazonian shamanism. Pickering argues that acting-with intimately and gracefully plugs us into nature, undercuts the Anthropocene from below, and offers a constructive approach to addressing otherwise intractable wicked problems.
A Mathematics Boot Camp for Science and Engineering Students
Many students have difficulty applying mathematical techniques to solve problems in science and engineering, even after completing Calculus I and II. Students who are beginning the core coursework in their field of study often need additional guidance on practicing, learning, and improving their problem-solving skills for application. The objectives of A Mathematics Boot Camp for Science and Engineering Students are to offer a solution to this issue and are specifically designed to address common errors in mathematical problem-solving for undergraduate science and engineering students. Teaches readers how to apply math skills as they transition to coursework in their chosen field of study Includes strategies and recommendations for quick improvement in problem-solving skills Emphasizes the physical meanings of the problem, which helps students develop a deep understanding of their field of study Features a broad range of example problems with detailed and easy-to-follow solutions for students to learn problem-solving techniques and additional exercise problems for further practice and improvement Bridges the gap between the knowledge of mathematical techniques and the ability to apply those techniques to solve real-world problems This concise and practical text offers "basic training" in mathematical problem-solving skills for undergraduate students in science and engineering disciplines. A Solutions Manual is available to qualifying adopting professors.
Ethnography of Selected Weeds of Telugu Speaking Land of India
Analytical Methods for Multi-Element and Special Element Analysis. Volume I
Environmental impacts of a red ceramics industry in Barcelona/RN
Beauty and the Brain
Examining the history of phrenology and physiognomy, Beauty and the Brain proposes a bold new way of understanding the connection between science, politics, and popular culture in early America. Between the 1770s and the 1860s, people all across the globe relied on physiognomy and phrenology to evaluate human worth. These once-popular but now-discredited disciplines were based on a deceptively simple premise: that facial features or skull shape could reveal a person's intelligence, character, and personality. In the United States, these were culturally ubiquitous sciences that both elite thinkers and ordinary people used to understand human nature. While the modern world dismisses phrenology and physiognomy as silly and debunked disciplines, Beauty and the Brain shows why they must be taken seriously: they were the intellectual tools that a diverse group of Americans used to debate questions of race, gender, and social justice. While prominent intellectuals and political thinkers invoked these sciences to justify hierarchy, marginalized people and progressive activists deployed them for their own political aims, creatively interpreting human minds and bodies as they fought for racial justice and gender equality. Ultimately, though, physiognomy and phrenology were as dangerous as they were popular. In addition to validating the idea that external beauty was a sign of internal worth, these disciplines often appealed to the very people who were damaged by their prejudicial doctrines. In taking physiognomy and phrenology seriously, Beauty and the Brain recovers a vibrant--if largely forgotten--cultural and intellectual universe, showing how popular sciences shaped some of the greatest political debates of the American past.
Ethnobotanical Study of Senna Obtusifolia (L.) Irwin and Barneby in Six Provinces of Burkina Faso
Quantal Evolution - Extraterrestrial Asuric Nagas and Geek Neo-Nagas
Quantal Stellar Brain - Ultimate Reality - Brahman, Lila, Karma & Maya
Quantal Biology & Magnetoperceptive Disorders - Geek Neo-Naga Asuras
Of Slash Pines and Manatees
Through stories of nature near at hand, a South Florida writer offers a unique view of humans and the environment amid development and change Wings and talons clatter against a windowpane. Foxes den under a deck. Pines stand in quarter-acre lots, recalling a vanished forest. In this book, Andrew Furman explores touchpoints between his everyday suburban life and the environment in South Florida, contemplating his place in a subtropical landscape stretching from the Everglades to the warm Atlantic coast. Transportive vignettes of encounters in the natural world blend with ordinary, all-too-relatable stories of home and family life in these chapters. Puzzled and fascinated by the plants and animals he meets while continually preoccupied by busy domestic routines, Furman illustrates the beauty of his "suburban wilderness." He also reckons with changes and threats to the surrounding landscape. How, he asks, should humans go about living in what is simultaneously one of the most overdeveloped and most naturally beautiful states in the country? Furman's meditations give rise to an environmental ethic that challenges distinctions between nature and culture, wilderness and civilization, solitude and family life. Rather, with humor and hope, he encourages readers to engage in life with the mindset that the human and non-human are inextricably connected--and to ask how they can better belong together. Of Slash Pines and Manatees is a creative and memorable example for anyone seeking to live responsibly and richly in a world impacted by human activity. Furman inspires readers to focus fiercely on the local, to conduct their own adventures in the ecosystem outside their front doors, and to see that even in the most overdeveloped areas, what is wild persists. Funding for this publication was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Booster Shots
A pediatrician and infectious disease specialist warns of the resurgence of measles, the antivaccine movement, and how we can prepare for the next pandemic Every single child diagnosed with measles represents a system failure--an inexcusable unforced error. The technology to prevent essentially 100 percent of measles cases has been in our hands since before the moon landing. But this serious airborne disease, once seemingly defeated, is resurgent around the globe. Why, at a time when biomedical science is so advanced, do parents turn away from vaccination, endangering their own children and the health of the wider population? Using a combination of patient narrative, historical analysis, and scientific research, Dr. Adam Ratner, pediatrician and infectious disease specialist, argues that the reawakening of measles and the subsequent coronavirus pandemic are bellwethers of forgotten knowledge--indicators of decaying trust in science and an underfunded public health infrastructure. Our collective amnesia is starkly revealed in the growth of the antivaccine movement and the missteps in our responses to the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, leading to preventable tragedies in both cases. Trust in medicine and public health is at a nadir. Declining vaccine confidence threatens a global reemergence of other vaccine-preventable diseases in the coming years. Ratner details how solving these problems requires the use of literal and figurative "booster shots" to gather new knowledge and retain the crucial lessons of the past. Learning--and remembering--these lessons is our best hope for preparing for the next pandemic. With attention and care and the tools we already have, we can make the world much safer for children tomorrow than it is today.
Intestinal Parasites Associated with Fingernails of Pupils in Africa
Intestinal parasites, comprising protozoa and helminths, are significant contributors to morbidity and mortality within the human gastrointestinal tract. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasites associated with the fingernails of pupils from two contrasting schools in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. Using thick and thin blood smear techniques alongside formal-ether concentration methods for microscopic examination, 20 samples were analyzed. Results indicated that 11 (55%) of the samples were infected with intestinal parasites. Female pupils showed higher rates of Ascaris (85.71%) and Trichuris (66.67%), while male pupils had a 100% infection rate for Entamoeba. The findings suggest a high prevalence of Ascaris across all age groups, with recommendations for improved hygiene practices among children, such as avoiding barefoot walking, playing in soil, and regular handwashing with soap.
Diversity, Distribution and Abundance of Microbenthos
This study investigates the distribution and abundance of macrobenthos in the Nigerian Rivers specifically Calabar River, focusing on how environmental and biological factors influence these communities. A total of 505 species were collected across seven major taxa, with an overall mean density of 251簣53.73 individuals. The Insecta class was the most abundant, comprising 43.63% of the total, followed by Gastropoda and Echinodermata. Using electronic microscopy for identification, statistical analyses revealed a Simpson diversity index of 1.58簣0.04 and a Shannon diversity index of 0.74簣0.01. Key physiochemical parameters included a pH of 8.51簣2.06, salinity of 7.7簣0.31, a temperature mean of 25.15簣0.5, and dissolved oxygen at 6.7簣0.28. The findings indicate that the water quality supports a diverse range of species, highlighting the need for balanced salinity and good oxygenation to maintain biodiversity in estuarine systems. Regular monitoring of water quality is essential to detect pollution early, and implementing waste management strategies can help reduce organic loads in the river.
Ethics in Action
Ethics in Action: A Handbook for Institutional Animal Ethics Committees (IAEC) is a comprehensive guide designed to assist IAEC members, researchers, and administrators in ensuring ethical and regulatory compliance in animal research. The book provides a detailed understanding of IAEC roles, responsibilities, and operations, offering practical tools such as SOP templates, protocol review guidelines, and checklists for effective committee functioning. It covers national and international regulatory frameworks, with a special focus on CPCSEA guidelines, ensuring lawful practices in animal experimentation. Emphasizing the 3Rs principle-Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement-it promotes humane treatment of animals while maintaining scientific integrity. With case studies, real-life scenarios, and training resources, this handbook equips readers to navigate ethical challenges, improve animal welfare, and foster responsible research practices in academic and professional settings.
Heavy Quark Physics
Heavy Quark Physics provides a comprehensive overview of the key concepts, theories, experiments, and computational methods in the field. Through collaboration with experts, this book covers topics such as heavy quark dynamics, spectroscopy, decays, interactions, and effective theories. With theoretical foundations and experimental results, readers gain a thorough understanding of the complexities of heavy quark physics and its implications for particle physics and beyond. Bridging theory and experiment, this book empowers readers to explore new frontiers in particle physics and to contribute to the quest for new physics at the frontiers of knowledge.
Community perceptions on climate change mitigation and adaptation
This publication explores the perceptions of local communities regarding the Green Gicumbi Project, a key initiative in Rwanda's response to climate change challenges. The project is part of Rwanda's broader national strategy to enhance resilience and promote sustainable development in regions vulnerable to climate impacts. By focusing on mitigation and adaptation measures, Green Gicumbi aims to improve ecosystem health, increase agricultural productivity, and support local livelihoods. However, the project's success depends heavily on community engagement and alignment with local priorities. This study delves into how residents perceive the project's relevance, effectiveness, and impact on their daily lives. Insights gained will help policymakers and implementers fine-tune approaches, ensuring that climate interventions not only address environmental goals but also empower communities, fostering a collaborative pathway toward sustainable change.
