Knowing Being
Classified as 'popular science', this book spans various disciplines such as psychology, physics, biology, philosophy and ethology, to mention but a few. The author takes the reader on a whirlwind journey through the main tenets of biocentrism, which theory argues that life is central to being, reality, and the cosmos. Most importantly, the book claims that life creates the universe rather than the other way around. In contrast to an understanding of the world in which the evolution of Homo sapiens is almost incidental to 'the way things really are', it is proposed that knowledge is always the product of a living entity and its perceived environment. This means that awareness and knowing things are not just the prerogative of human beings, but of all beings, whether they are micro-organisms or plants, trees, insects, fish or mammals. A deeper understanding of how early life forms coped with their primeval environment leads seamlessly to a greater appreciation of the wondrous nature and splendour of life. Consistent with this perspective is the emphasis on the ethical treatment of all living beings, emphasising the value, rights and survival of individual organic beings After all, we are all 'knowing beings' within our own reality.
Why Animals Matter
In a world increasingly concerned with climate change, food security, and other human issues, the welfare of non-human animals is in danger of being overlooked and side-lined. Using the latest scientific research on animal consciousness and emotions, Marian Stamp Dawkins argues that if animal welfare is to be taken seriously by world opinion, it needs a complete rethink. She asks important questions such as: are we justified in projecting human emotions on to animals? What can science tell us about their quality of life? She concludes that we need to place less emphasis on the conscious experience of suffering in animals, and more emphasis on the practical importance of animal welfare to human health and human well-being. This requires a long, hard look at some of the cherished ideas we hold about animal emotions, and what we can and cannot know about the conscious experiences of other animals.
The Gastro-Archeologist
In order to understand common conditions such as coeliac disease and Crohn's disease, one must view the gut in its evolutionary context. This is the novel approach to the gut and its diseases that is adopted in this book. The first part tells the story of the evolution of the gut itself - why it came about and how it has influenced the evolution of animals ever since. The second part focuses on the evolution of immunity and how the layers of immune mechanisms are retained in the gut, resembling the strata revealed in an archeological dig. The final part, 'The Gastro-Archeologist', ties the first two together and highlights how understanding the gut and immune system in their evolutionary context can help us understand diseases affecting them.Ambitious in its scope but telling a unique story from a refreshingly novel perspective, the book offers an informative and enjoyable read. As the story of the gut, immunity and disease unfolds, the author aims to endow readers with the same sense of awe and excitement that the subject evokes in him. Difficult concepts are illustrated using simple and colourful analogies, and the main content is supplemented with anecdotes and unusual and amusing facts throughout the book. The book is intended for anyone with an interest in the gut, its immunity and diseases, ranging from school and college biology and biomedical students, to professionals working in the field, and to patients suffering from intestinal diseases who want to understand more about their conditions.
A Logical Foundation for Potentialist Set Theory
In many ways set theory lies at the heart of modern mathematics, and it does powerful work both philosophical and mathematical - as a foundation for the subject. However, certain philosophical problems raise serious doubts about our acceptance of the axioms of set theory. In a detailed and original reassessment of these axioms, Sharon Berry uses a potentialist (as opposed to actualist) approach to develop a unified determinate conception of set-theoretic truth that vindicates many of our intuitive expectations regarding set theory. Berry further defends her approach against a number of possible objections, and she shows how a notion of logical possibility that is useful in formulating Potentialist set theory connects in important ways with philosophy of language, metametaphysics and philosophy of science. Her book will appeal to readers with interests in the philosophy of set theory, modal logic, and the role of mathematics in the sciences.
Hydronarratives
Named a 2023 Choice Outstanding Academic Title The story of water in the United States is one of ecosystemic disruption and social injustice. From the Standing Rock Indian Reservation and Flint, Michigan, to the Appalachian coal and gas fields and the Gulf Coast, low-income communities, Indigenous communities, and communities of color face the disproportionate effects of floods, droughts, sea level rise, and water contamination. In Hydronarratives Matthew S. Henry examines cultural representations that imagine a just transition, a concept rooted in the U.S. labor and environmental justice movements to describe an alternative economic paradigm predicated on sustainability, economic and social equity, and climate resilience. Focused on regions of water insecurity, from central Arizona to central Appalachia, Henry explores how writers, artists, and activists have creatively responded to intensifying water crises in the United States and argues that narrative and storytelling are critical to environmental and social justice advocacy. By drawing on a wide and comprehensive range of narrative texts, historical documentation, policy papers, and literary and cultural scholarship, Henry presents a timely project that examines the social movement, just transition, and the logic of the Green New Deal, in addition to contemporary visions of environmental justice.
Der junge Carnap in historischem Kontext
Chapter 1. Werte beim fr羹hen Carnap. Von den Anf瓣ngen bis zum Aufbau.- Chapter 2. Die Entwicklung von Carnaps Aufbau 1920-1928.- Chapter 3. Carnap's Opposition to Logic of the Geisteswissenschaften.- Chapter 4. Rudolf Carnap. Philosoph der neuen Sachlichkeit.- Chapter 5. Carnap und das Bauhaus.- Chapter 6. Was bedeutet Carnaps "Reinigung" der Erkenntnistheorie?.- Chapter 7. Realism and Anti-Realism in Young Carnap.- Chapter 8. Eigenpsychisches und Fremdpsychisches. Rudolf Carnaps Verh瓣ltnis zur Psychologie zwischen 1928 und 1932.- Chapter 9. Physikalistische Graphologie als Avantgarde der Psychologie oder Physikalismus auf Abwegen.- Chapter 10. Carnap and the Members of the Lvov-Warsaw School. Carnap's Warsaw Lectures (1930) in the Polish context.- Chapter 11. Rudolf Carnap und Kurt G繹del: Die beiderseitige Bezugnahme in ihren philosophischen Selbstzeugnissen.- Chapter 12. Building a New Thursday Circle. Carnap and Frank in Prague.
Hydronarratives
Named a 2023 Choice Outstanding Academic Title The story of water in the United States is one of ecosystemic disruption and social injustice. From the Standing Rock Indian Reservation and Flint, Michigan, to the Appalachian coal and gas fields and the Gulf Coast, low-income communities, Indigenous communities, and communities of color face the disproportionate effects of floods, droughts, sea level rise, and water contamination. In Hydronarratives Matthew S. Henry examines cultural representations that imagine a just transition, a concept rooted in the U.S. labor and environmental justice movements to describe an alternative economic paradigm predicated on sustainability, economic and social equity, and climate resilience. Focused on regions of water insecurity, from central Arizona to central Appalachia, Henry explores how writers, artists, and activists have creatively responded to intensifying water crises in the United States and argues that narrative and storytelling are critical to environmental and social justice advocacy. By drawing on a wide and comprehensive range of narrative texts, historical documentation, policy papers, and literary and cultural scholarship, Henry presents a timely project that examines the social movement, just transition, and the logic of the Green New Deal, in addition to contemporary visions of environmental justice.
50 Critical Essays on the Philosophy of Science
The present edition examines the main provisions of modern philosophy of science in the form of short sketches. In particular, the author pays attention to the principle of theoretical representation, the nature of scientific theories, scientific methods, inter-theoretical relations, the structure of modern science, positivistic, critical-rationalistic, analytical, phenomenological, hermeneutic and post-structuralist projects of science. A critical assessment of the achievements and omissions of outstanding representatives of the philosophy of science is also given.The philosophy of science serves as a means of enriching the conceptual and methodological content of any branch of science. The book is intended for everyone who strives for a deep understanding of the main trends in the development of modern science and modern civilization in general.
Water Rockets, for Parents and Kids
Rockets are very general. Anything that squirts some exhaust out the back is a rocket. For a chemical rocket, that exhaust needs its own fuel and oxidizer. For a water rocket, that exhaust needs a bicycle pump, a bottle, and some water, along with some sweat pumping up the compressed air. 1.Water bottles can easily be made into air pressure powered air or water rockets. To get a lower pressure launch, one kit will give you corks or bungs that pop out when the pressure gets high enough. To get controlled higher air pressure, other kits will provide a PVC pipe launch tube, with tire pump nozzles, and corks. These launch tubes take more effort to build than the bottle rocket. 2.Huge space chemical rockets have the same rocket thrust concept as water bottle rockets, except liquid fuels and oxidizer are used like very cold hydrogen and oxygen. Solid fuel is also sometimes used as a first stage booster, when the launch needs a large thrust and does not need to throttle. Part 1: Rocket types: Rocket types, launcher kits, and water usesThe first part of the book, chapters 1-3, briefly compares the three different types of rockets - water bottle, toy chemical, and real space rockets - with their different speeds and altitudes, different fuels and energy sources. Bottle rockets have pressurized air, and toy and space rockets have solid fuel where fuel is pre-mixed with oxidizer, and liquid fuel. Part 2: Details of Bottle Rocket: Building and optimizing a bottle rocket The second part of the book, chapters 4-10, describes the air and water bottle rocket in more detail. Topics are how to build and launch the bottle rocket, how to build the PVC launch tube or just buy a water rocket kit. 1.Air pressure Water bottle rockets provide a lot of hands-on building, and show how different size exhaust nozzles (diameter of hole in screw caps) impacts the force lifting the rocket. Part 3: Appendices: Appendices A-C: Teacher and Parent ideas. A review of different launch pads for water rockets, and some ideas for activities to learn about rockets, and instructions for building your own plastic tube launch pad. Appendices D-J: All the thrust equations, if you want to estimate performance of your rocket. The third part of the book, the appendices, lists the equations to make predictions for the water rocket, or any rocket for that matter.
Is Nature Supernatural?
Mathematical truths are often so compelling that some mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers posit a purely nonmaterial realm of eternal truths accessible to the mind alone. Mathematical physicist Simon Altmann carefully criticizes this revival of dualistic philosophy la Plato in this highly stimulating book. Has mathematics and physics discovered a new supernatural world, or is this mental cosmos simply an outgrowth of natural evolutionary processes? This is the crucial philosophical issue that Altmann elucidates.Altmann provides a thorough philosophical basis to understand the meaning of natural law, the scientific method, and causality in science. He reviews the classical approach to time, space, and the laws of mechanics, and discusses the implications of relativity theory. Key modern concepts, like randomness, probability, and time's arrow are explained, and the nature of mathematics and Gdel's theorems is discussed in depth. A mystery-free treatment of quantum mechanics, Schrdinger's cat, and the famous Bell inequalities follows. He also assesses the reactions of various philosophical schools to these developments - idealism, physicalism, cultural relativism and social constructivism. The book concludes with a fascinating dialogue on science and belief. Educated lay readers will welcome Altmann's engaging and lucid exposition.
Science and Values
Laudan constructs a fresh approach to a longtime problem for the philosopher of science: how to explain the simultaneous and widespread presence of both agreement and disagreement in science. Laudan critiques the logical empiricists and the post-positivists as he stresses the need for centrality and values and the interdependence of values, methods, and facts as prerequisites to solving the problems of consensus and dissent in science.
Introduction to Nanotechnology
This textbook is conceived for a one-semester course at the upper undergraduate or freshman graduate level. The book was written With the fact that nanotechnology is a vast field where the applications range from paint to nanomedicine, through plasmonics and catalysis. An introductory course must be a compromise between a quantitative and a qualitative treatment. For that, this textbook is more quantitative than others in the market, which often do not treat the key concepts with enough depth. This textbook focuses on the key physical and chemical principles and uses many formulas and equations within with the one-semester time constraint.
Introduction to Nanotechnology
This textbook is conceived for a one-semester course at the upper undergraduate or freshman graduate level. The book was written With the fact that nanotechnology is a vast field where the applications range from paint to nanomedicine, through plasmonics and catalysis. An introductory course must be a compromise between a quantitative and a qualitative treatment. For that, this textbook is more quantitative than others in the market, which often do not treat the key concepts with enough depth. This textbook focuses on the key physical and chemical principles and uses many formulas and equations within with the one-semester time constraint.
Ontology and the Foundations of Mathematics
This Element looks at the problem of inter-translation between mathematical realism and anti-realism and argues that so far as realism is inter-translatable with anti-realism, there is a burden on the realist to show how her posited reality differs from that of the anti-realist. It also argues that an effective defence of just such a difference needs a commitment to the independence of mathematical reality, which in turn involves a commitment to the ontological access problem - the problem of how knowable mathematical truths are identifiable with a reality independent of us as knowers. Specifically, if the only access problem acknowledged is the epistemological problem - i.e. the problem of how we come to know mathematical truths - then nothing is gained by the realist notion of an independent reality and in effect, nothing distinguishes realism from anti-realism in mathematics.
Practical Stress Management
Practical Stress Management, Eighth Edition emphasizes a positive approach to stress management, covering topics such as relaxation techniques, coping with anxiety, managing anger, communication skills, exercise and nutrition. In this edition, the authors cover the latest advances in stress management, as well as stress related to the use of technology in education. The context of disasters, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, is also incorporated throughout. The workbook describes some of the surreptitious meditation techniques from India not described before in any text. Worksheets and Thoughts for Reflection boxes help users determine their own level of stress to apply effective stress management techniques.
It's Not Bloody Rocket Science
How many books on leadership and personal effectiveness do you have on your shelf? Quite a few? Do they contain lots of ideas you have been meaning to try but haven't got round to yet? In fact, now we mention it, perhaps you don't recall those brilliant ideas all that precisely either...If so, don't worry - that's perfectly normal. And as for translating the theory into your real-life practice? Well, you certainly meant to, maybe even triedto, but couldn't see how to make it work in your particular organisation, workplace or life? Or perhaps you just couldn't find the time? DulcieShepherd Swanston spent over twenty years in leadership roles in pubs, restaurants and corporate offices before setting up a training company andbecoming an executive coach, public speaker and writer. She has heard all the excuses and used many of them herself. In this book, she recaps the top ten pieces of science and research that her clients keep returning to, making them simple to understand and remember. More importantly, she shares the secrets of how to make them work for you and make them stick. In this second edition, including a foreword by Dr Iain Price, neuroscientist and founder of Think It Out Ltd, Swanston shares another bonus chapter on the small things we can do to help ourselves feel better every day and previews her next book about #The52Project, an endeavour started at the beginning of 2021 to help us all do the best we can for ourselves.
Developmental Biology
Developmental biology is one of the major disciplines of biological sciences for the study of which one needs to have afundamental understanding of the basic concepts. Accordingly, this endeavour has been made to present the basicideas and facts of animal development, especially of the chordate animals. The subject matter has been written concisely andcompactly in clear and understandable language, illustrated with appropriate simplified figures. This book wouldprove to be a good reference text for the developmental aspects of animals, thus fulfilling the needs of biology students.
Microbial Technology
The rapid strides in biotechnology have resulted in the emergence of a new science, microbial technology. This book gives a comprehensive account of the principles and applications of microbial technology. The book covers the processes of isolation, media standardization, scale-up by fermentation and downstream processing, and creates an awareness about the existing biotechnological vistas of the application of microbes and microbial enzymes in medicine and industry.
Developmental Biology
Developmental biology is one of the major disciplines of biological sciences for the study of which one needs to have afundamental understanding of the basic concepts. Accordingly, this endeavour has been made to present the basicideas and facts of animal development, especially of the chordate animals. The subject matter has been written concisely andcompactly in clear and understandable language, illustrated with appropriate simplified figures. This book wouldprove to be a good reference text for the developmental aspects of animals, thus fulfilling the needs of biology students.
Chemistry of Natural Products
Natural products, i.e., products from Nature, be it of plant or animal origin, plays a major role in human life. Hence the isolation and characterization of natural products will help in understanding their mode of action with reference to their biological and pharmacological activity. The book has been written with a view that it would help both students and researchers who are in their nitial stages of exploration in the field of Natural product chemistry. With the oluminous information available on each such topic, only the basic aspect, hopefully to elicit interest in further exploration has been discussed.
On Hilbert's Sixth Problem
This book explores the premise that a physical theory is an interpretation of the analytico-canonical formalism. Throughout the text, the investigation stresses that classical mechanics in its Lagrangian formulation is the formal backbone of theoretical physics. The authors start from a presentation of the analytico-canonical formalism for classical mechanics, and its applications in electromagnetism, Schr繹dinger's quantum mechanics, and field theories such as general relativity and gauge field theories, up to the Higgs mechanism.The analysis uses the main criterion used by physicists for a theory: to formulate a physical theory we write down a Lagrangian for it. A physical theory is a particular instance of the Lagrangian functional. So, there is already an unified physical theory. One only has to specify the corresponding Lagrangian (or Lagrangian density); the dynamical equations are the associated Euler-Lagrange equations. The theory of Suppes predicates as the main tool inthe axiomatization and examples from the usual theories in physics. For applications, a whole plethora of results from logic that lead to interesting, and sometimes unexpected, consequences.This volume looks at where our physics happen and which mathematical universe we require for the description of our concrete physical events. It also explores if we use the constructive universe or if we need set-theoretically generic spacetimes.
San Bruno Mountain
A deep dive into the Bay Area's ecological treasure trove--and how this wild mountain in our midst was saved.San Bruno Mountain, located in the center of the San Francisco Bay Area, is a four-square mile global treasure--a natural preserve touted by biologist E.O. Wilson as one of the world's rare biodiversity 'hot spots'. Bathed in fog and wind and preserved from destruction by the fierce work of local conservationists, this mountain offers visitors a glimpse of what San Francisco looked like before colonization. Drawing on years of visits, observations, and research to offer a comprehensive flora of the San Bruno Mountains and its endangered species, conservationists Doug Allshouse and David Nelson help us understand this unique and precious place from the point of view of the plants in this one-of-a-kind field guide. Detailing a total of 528 plant species (among them 316 natives), the authors also delve into the history of this living, changing habitat at the southern edge of San Francisco. The birds, butterflies, reptiles, geology, climate, dynamic changes, and political history of the preserve also feature in San Bruno Mountain. Even locals who have enjoyed hiking and viewing the mountain for years will be astonished at this book's revelations about the diversity and importance of this wild place.
Analogue Quantum Simulation
This book presents fresh insights into analogue quantum simulation. It argues that these simulations are a new instrument of science. They require a bespoke philosophical analysis, sensitive to both the similarities to and the differences with conventional scientific practices such as analogical argument, experimentation, and classical simulation.The analysis situates the various forms of analogue quantum simulation on the methodological map of modern science. In doing so, it clarifies the functions that analogue quantum simulation serves in scientific practice. To this end, the authors introduce a number of important terminological distinctions. They establish that analogue quantum 'computation' and 'emulation' are distinct scientific practices and lead to distinct forms of scientific understanding. The authors also demonstrate the normative value of the computation vs. emulation distinction at both an epistemic and a pragmatic level.The volume features a range ofdetailed case studies focusing on: i) cold atom computation of many-body localisation and the Higgs mode; ii) photonic emulation of quantum effects in biological systems; and iii) emulation of Hawing radiation in dispersive optical media. Overall, readers will discover a normative framework to isolate and support the goals of scientists undertaking analogue quantum simulation and emulation. This framework will prove useful to both working scientists and philosophers of science interested in cutting-edge scientific practice.
Solo for a Swan
What could be simpler than buying a house in the country? When Sol, a city financier, purchases Bothan Faobhar on a whim, he discovers a world where the neighbours are both distant and at odds with his urban ideals. With no mobile signal, no electricity, water that runs brown, it is an existence that he quickly realises he is ill-prepared for. Can someone like Sol survive here? And then there is the mysterious previous occupant, G, who seems not to have left. Who is G? Why does he stay in contact with Sol? And, why does everyone think that the house chose Sol and not the other way around? This is the story of Sol's introspective journey from self-obsessed investor to outwards-looking naturalist with a deepening knowledge and interest in the wild world just beyond his own doorstep, starting with the visitation of a Scottish wildcat. It is about the wildlife of Britain, rural communities and folk music, and the need to protect them all from certain extinction. It is also about a man who buys a house.
Pilgrim's Song
Life seems idyllic at Bothan Faobhar until Sol receives an invitation to the wedding of his ex-partner who still lives back in the city of London. Only then does he realise that there is little chance for him to find a life partner of his own out in the wilderness of the estate. With mounting pressure from a hostile bid for the land by a global oil giant capable of changing the fortunes for the locals, and the will of the people to contend with, this is the continued story of Sol's life at Bothan Faobhar and his battle for the fate of its wildlife and wilderness. With the return of Pilgrim, the long lost traveller whose presence only spells trouble, and the decline of the biodiversity of the forests due to human impacts, Sol must find a team of people who believe in the same cause as he does. In this battle to save the woods, the wildlife and the very future of the Faobhar glen, Sol discovers yet more about the true value of things. Pilgrim's Song is also a story about a wild beast.
Prelude for a Tick
One year in and Sol's life at Bothan Faobhar has settled into one where he can both survive and flourish despite the cottage's limitations. What could possibly be missing? But then he is reminded of his past life by the visitation of his old flame Sue and he realises quickly that no man is an island when he needs the comfort and love of another. But what compromise would he be prepared to undertake in order to make their very different lifestyles match? Where could they live if one longed for the city and the other for isolation? Without his mentor Joe, with only the help of his nearest friends, how is the laird of the estate supposed to move on? And then there is the discovery of raven treasure and the superstitious myths of the locals adding to the possibilities for foul play. And that is before the tick... This is the continued story of Sol. It is about the reality of rural life, traditions and folklore. But it is also about a man who is unsure how to compromise on the things he cares about most.
Symphony for G
It is one thing to buy a house in a new place, but another to be accepted into a new area, especially when you are so different to everyone else. This is the continued story of Sol's life at Bothan Faobhar, a house that offers little except for the very basics for life. Can he make a life for himself here where everything is so much at odds with his urbanised life? And when will he meet G, the previous occupant who still writes to him once a month? Hoping for the chance to be accepted by the locals, this is the second book in the story of Sol's introspective journey in the Faobhar estate in the north west of Scotland. It continues to draw in the wild things he shares the land with but also the music and people that fight to protect and be protected by it. It is also about a man struggling to live in the house that he bought.
Texture in the Work of Ian Hacking
This book offers a systematized overview of Ian Hacking's work. It presents Hacking's oeuvre as a network made up of four interconnected key nodes: styles of scientific thinking & doing, probability, making up people, and experimentation and scientific realism.Its central claim is that Michel Foucault's influence is the underlying thread that runs across the Canadian philosopher's oeuvre. Foucault's imprint on Hacking's work is usually mentioned in relation to styles of scientific reasoning and the human sciences. This research shows that Foucault's influence can in fact be extended beyond these fields, insofar the underlying interest to the whole corpus of Hacking's works, namely the analysis of conditions of possibility, is stimulated by the work of the French philosopher.Displacing scientific realism as the central focus of Ian Hacking's oeuvre opens up a very different landscape, showing, behind the apparent dispersion of his works, thefar-reaching interest that amalgamates them: to reveal the historical and situated conditions of possibility for the emergence of scientific objects and concepts.This book shows how Hacking's deployment concepts such as looping effect, making up people, and interactive kinds, can complement Foucauldian analyses, offering an overarching perspective that can provide a better explanation of the objects of the human sciences and their behaviors.
The Power of Imperfections: A Key to Technology, Love, Life and Survival
It may be surprising to focus on and praise imperfection, but, in reality, perfection is a fiction. Every aspect of our technologies is based on understanding and exploiting imperfections in the materials we use. Imperfections are key to our use of metals, glass, electronics, computers, optical fibres, and building materials. Catalysis, as used throughout chemical industries, is dependent on imperfections, as are a wide range of modern advances in biology and medicine. This book provides examples in each area that are readily understandable to non-scientists but also aim to offer a far deeper insight into how the technologies and disciplines advance and operate. However, once we change our focus from idealised perfection to reality, the implications can extend far beyond the realm of the sciences. The second part of the book examines the importance of our ability to recognise and adapt to imperfections in such wide-ranging areas as cookery, successful career development, love, life, and the survival of humanity. Using a broad range of accessible examples, this book aims to give readers the tools to recognize technological imperfections and apply those lessons to improving several key aspects of our lives, crucially enabling them to define a world that will survive current excesses and environmental destruction.
Topics in Nanoscience
With the development of the scanning tunneling microscope, nanoscience became an important discipline. Single atoms could be manipulated in a controlled manner, and it became possible to change matter at its "ultimate" level; it is the level on which the properties of matter emerge. This possibility enables to construct and to produce devices, materials, etc. with very small sizes and completely new properties. That opens up new perspectives for technology and is in particular relevant in connection with nano-engineering.Nanosystems are unimaginably small and very fast. No doubt, this is an important characteristic. But there is another feature, possibly more relevant, in connection with nanoscience and nanotechnology. The essential point here is that we work at the "ultimate level". This is the smallest level at which the properties of our world emerge, at which functional matter can exist. In particular, at this level biological individuality comes into existence. This situation can be expressed in absolute terms: This is not only the strongest material ever made, this is the strongest material it will ever be possible to make (D Ratner and M Ratner, Nanotechnology and Homeland Security). This is a very general statement. All aspects of matter are concerned here. Through the variation of the composition various forms of matter emerge with different items.Nanosystems are usually small, but they offer nevertheless the possibility to vary the structure of atomic (molecular) ensembles, creating a diversity of new material-specific properties. A large variety of experimental possibilities come into play and flexible theoretical tools are needed at the basic level. This is reflected in the different disciplines: In nanoscience and nanotechnology we have various directions: Materials science, functional nanomaterials, nanoparticles, food chemistry, medicine with brain research, quantum and molecular computing, bioinformatics, magnetic nanostructures, nano-optics, nano-electronics, etc.The properties of matter, which are involved within these nanodisciplines, are ultimate in character, i.e., their characteristic properties come into existence at this level. The book is organized in this respect.
Topics in Nanoscience - Part I
With the development of the scanning tunneling microscope, nanoscience became an important discipline. Single atoms could be manipulated in a controlled manner, and it became possible to change matter at its "ultimate" level; it is the level on which the properties of matter emerge. This possibility enables to construct and to produce devices, materials, etc. with very small sizes and completely new properties. That opens up new perspectives for technology and is in particular relevant in connection with nano-engineering.Nanosystems are unimaginably small and very fast. No doubt, this is an important characteristic. But there is another feature, possibly more relevant, in connection with nanoscience and nanotechnology. The essential point here is that we work at the "ultimate level". This is the smallest level at which the properties of our world emerge, at which functional matter can exist. In particular, at this level biological individuality comes into existence. This situation can be expressed in absolute terms: This is not only the strongest material ever made, this is the strongest material it will ever be possible to make (D Ratner and M Ratner, Nanotechnology and Homeland Security). This is a very general statement. All aspects of matter are concerned here. Through the variation of the composition various forms of matter emerge with different items.Nanosystems are usually small, but they offer nevertheless the possibility to vary the structure of atomic (molecular) ensembles, creating a diversity of new material-specific properties. A large variety of experimental possibilities come into play and flexible theoretical tools are needed at the basic level. This is reflected in the different disciplines: In nanoscience and nanotechnology we have various directions: Materials science, functional nanomaterials, nanoparticles, food chemistry, medicine with brain research, quantum and molecular computing, bioinformatics, magnetic nanostructures, nano-optics, nano-electronics, etc.The properties of matter, which are involved within these nanodisciplines, are ultimate in character, i.e., their characteristic properties come into existence at this level. The book is organized in this respect.
Empiricism and Philosophy of Physics
This book presents a thoroughly empiricist account of physics. By providing an overview of the development of empiricism from Ockham to van Fraassen the book lays the foundation for its own version of empiricism. Empiricism for the author consists of three ideas: nominalism, i.e. dismissing second order quantification as unnecessary, epistemological naturalism, and viewing classification of things in natural kinds as a human habit not in need for any justification.The book offers views on the realism-antirealism debate as well as on the individuation of theories as a thoroughly neglected aspect of underdetermination. The book next discusses a broad range of topics, including the predicates body, spatial distance and time interval, the ontology of electromagnetism, propensities, the measurement problem and other philosophical issues in quantum theory. Discussions about the direction of time and about string theory make up the final part of thebook.
Explaining Cancer
In Explaining Cancer, Anya Plutynski addresses a variety of philosophical questions that arise in the context of cancer science and medicine. She begins with the following concerns: - How do scientists classify cancer? Do these classifications reflect nature's joints? - How do cancer scientists identify and classify early stage cancers? - What does it mean to say that cancer is a genetic disease? What role do genes play in mechanisms for cancer? - What are the most important environmental causes of cancer, and how do epidemiologists investigate these causes? - How exactly has our evolutionary history made us vulnerable to cancer? Explaining Cancer uses these questions as an entr矇e into a family of philosophical debates. It uses case studies of scientific practice to reframe philosophical debates about natural classification in science and medicine, the problem of drawing the line between disease and health, mechanistic reasoning in science, pragmatics and evidence, the roles of models and modeling in science, and the nature of scientific explanation.
Rangeland Sustainability
Provides an integrated description of the indicators of sustainability across the geography of rangeland in the U.S. that capture ecological, economic, and social dimensions. It takes a fresh look at the information available on the current and emerging issues across rangelands, and presents collaborative research for future progress.
Fault-tolerant Control and Diagnosis for Integer and Fractional-order Systems
This book is about algebraic and differential methods, as well as fractional calculus, applied to diagnose and reject faults in nonlinear systems, which are of integer or fractional order. This represents an extension of a very important and widely studied problem in control theory, namely fault diagnosis and rejection (using differential algebraic approaches), to systems presenting fractional dynamics, i.e. systems whose dynamics are represented by derivatives and integrals of non-integer order. The authors offer a thorough overview devoted to fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control applied to fractional-order and integer-order dynamical systems, and they introduce new methodologies for control and observation described by fractional and integer models, together with successful simulations and real-time applications. The basic concepts and tools of mathematics required to understand the methodologies proposed are all clearly introduced and explained. Consequently, the book is useful as supplementary reading in courses of applied mathematics and nonlinear control theory. This book is meant for engineers, mathematicians, physicists and, in general, to researchers and postgraduate students in diverse areas who have a minimum knowledge of calculus. It also contains advanced topics for researchers and professionals interested in the area of states and faults estimation.
Time, Life & Memory
This book revitalizes the relevance of the ideas of Henri Bergson (1859-1941) for current developments in exact sciences. It explores the relevance of Bergson's thought for contemporary philosophical reflections on three of the most important scientific research areas of today, namely physics, the life sciences and the neurosciences. It does so on the basis of the three interrelated topics of time, life and memory. Henri Bergson (1859-1941) was one of the most widely read philosophers of his era. The European public was seeking for answers to questions of the soul and the nature of life and fitting within a historical niche between intellectual rationalism and intuitive spiritualism, his writings drew much attention. This work focuses on the relevance of his philosophy for developments in exact sciences today. The discussion of physics in relation to the abstract and the concrete, the life sciences in relation to concepts of life in relation tonew and emerging biotechnology, and the neurosciences in relation to the dual nature of human identity, focuses on one main topic: time. Time, isolated from experience, as the measure of the events in the universe in modern physics; time as the measure of emergent systems in evolution as the backdrop of the theory of evolution in biology; time in relation to memory and imagination in neuropsychological accounts of memory. The author thus discusses the ideas of Henri Bergson as a basis to unveil time as a living process, rather than as an instrument for the measure of events. This view forms the basis of a novel approach to the philosophy of technology. An exciting book for academics interested in the interplay between hard sciences and philosophy.
The World is Triangular
This book gives a short presentation of the triad philosophy-physics-technology against the background of the common origin in ancient times. This is the first English edition of this book, previously published in German. The emergence of the book has been described in the foreword of the first German edition. This edition is updated and extended, whereby new physical research results and technological innovations were included: - The physics of space and time after the experimental detection of gravitational waves (Nobel Prize for Physics 2017). - The New International System of Units (SI) for Physics and Technology which is completely based on natural constants and entered into force on World Metrology Day, 20 May 2019. - Actual overview of basic technologies: Material, Energy, Information. - Technologies for the "Digital World" of information and communication. - Mechatronic and Cyber-physical systems for Industry 4.0. The significance of technology for the world in the 21st century is discussed in the final section of the book.
Philosophy of Interdisciplinarity
Interdisciplinarity is a hallmark of contemporary knowledge production. This book introduces a Philosophy of Interdisciplinarity at the intersection of science, society and sustainability. In light of the ambivalence of the technosciences and the challenge of sustainable development in the Anthropocene, this engaged philosophy provides a novel critical perspective on interdisciplinarity in science policy and research practice. It draws upon the original spirit of interdisciplinarity as an environmentalist concept and advocates an essential change in human-nature relations. The author utilizes the rich tradition of philosophy for case study analysis and develops a framework to disentangle the various forms of inter- and transdisciplinarity. Philosophy of Interdisciplinarity offers a foundation for a critical-reflexive program of interdisciplinarity conducive to a sustainable future for our knowledge society and contributes to fields such as sustainability sciences, social ecology, environmental ethics, technology assessment, complex systems, philosophy of nature, and philosophy of science. It injects a fresh way of thinking on interdisciplinarity - and supports researchers as well as science policy makers, university managers, and academic administrators in critical-reflexive knowledge production for sustainable development.
Routledge Handbook of Environmental Impact Assessment
This Handbook provides readers with a strong foundation for understanding the practice of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), by outlining the different types of assessment while also providing a guide to best practice. This book will be essential for students, scholars, and practitioners of Environmental Impact Assessment.
The Scientist’s Guide to Writing, 2nd Edition
An updated and expanded edition of the acclaimed writing guide for scientists The Scientist's Guide to Writing explains the essential techniques that students, postdocs, and early-career scientists need to write more clearly, efficiently, and easily. Now fully updated and expanded, this incisive primer offers practical advice on such topics as generating and maintaining writing momentum, structuring a scientific paper, revising a first draft, handling citations, responding to peer reviews, managing coauthorships, and more. The ability to write clearly is critical to any scientific career. The Scientist's Guide to Writing shows scientists how to become better writers so that their ideas have the greatest possible impact.New chapters discuss effective reading, choosing the right journal for your research, and the advantages and disadvantages of posting preprintsProvides additional advice on reporting statistical results, dealing with conflicting peer reviews, managing coauthorships, writing with English as an additional language, and moreEmphasizes writing as a process, not just a productEncourages habits that improve motivation and productivityOffers detailed guidance on submission, review, revision, and publicationIncludes a wealth of new exercises
Strategic Science Communication
What tactics can effective science communicators use to reach a wide audience and achieve their goals?Effective science communication--the type that can drive behavior change while boosting the likelihood that people will turn to science when faced with challenges--is not simply a matter of utilizing social media or employing innovative tactics like nudges. Even more important for success is building long-term strategic paths to achieve well-articulated goals. Smart science communicators also want to create communication opportunities to improve their own thinking and behavior.In this guidebook, John C. Besley and Anthony Dudo encapsulate their practical expertise in 11 evidence-based principles of strategic science communication. Among other things, science communicators, they argue, should strive to seem competent, warm, honest, and willing to listen. Their work should also convey a desire to make the world a better place. Highlighting time-tested methods for building rapport with an audience through several modes of communication, Besley and Dudo explain how to achieve each strategic objective. All scientific communication is goal-oriented, and Besley and Dudo discuss the importance of recognizing the right goals, then employing strategic and tactical communication in order to achieve them. Finally, they offer specific suggestions for how practitioners can evaluate the effectiveness of their communications (and in fact, build evaluation into their plans from the beginning).Strategic Science Communication is the first book to use social science to help scientists and professional science communicators become more evidence-based. Besley and Dudo draw on insightful research into the science of science communication to provide readers with an opportunity to think more deeply about how to make communication choices. This guidebook is essential reading for all professionals in the field.
Reverse Engineering God
What is morality? Do we have free will? Are there any limits to what the human mind can understand? How is it that humans speak? Why do we die? What is it that transcendental meditation transcends?Reverse Engineering God proposes rational and science-based answers to these and many other related and similar questions. It does so in a series of short 'stories.' Each story presents one question, describes the scientific data available for its solution, shows how these data, when combined with logical inferences, can be used to answer the question, and points to its relation with other questions.
Chasing after Chimpanzees
Having moved from zoology to psychology to anthropology on both sides of the Atlantic, Bill McGrew developed a fascination for chimpanzees which led to him spending four decades studying our nearest living relations in their African homelands. He held a series of academic posts in the USA and UK, culminating in a professorship at the University of Cambridge and ending in retirement to Scotland. As he puts it: "I was lucky enough to be paid by various academic institutions to do what I would have paid them to let me do".This memoir consists of a series of stories and vignettes from a varied and colourful life, mainly involving animals, and naturally focusing on chimpanzees. All proceeds will go to organisations that rescue and care for chimpanzees. "One of the world's foremost primatologists, who sought adventures in Africa to follow chimpanzees in the wild, offers glimpses of his life. Funny, warm, unexpected."Frans de Waal, author of Mama's Last Hug "Chasing after chimpanzees can be hilarious... McGrew came to be the world's expert on the richness and diversity of chimpanzee cultures as well as a commentator on the comedic aspects of the lives of those who study them."Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, author of Mothers and Others "Renowned primatologist William McGrew has written a lovely memoir, a series of vignettes about key moments in his life and career. A heartfelt glimpse into one scientist's fascinating life, and a thoroughly enjoyable read."Craig Stanford, author of The New Chimpanzee Cover Picture: Observational learning: chimpanzee mother performs hygienic operation on her foot, removing a sub-dermal sand flea, watched closely by her daughter, Mahale, 2007. (Photo by Agumi Inaba)
Financing the Ocean Back to Health in Southeast Asia
This publication identifies investment approaches, opportunities, and finance mechanisms in Southeast Asia that can promote and catalyze funds for a sustainable ocean economy. It provides an overview of the "blue economy"" and emphasizes its significance for protecting the biodiversity of natural resources in Southeast Asia. The "blue economy" is defined as the sustainable use of ocean and coastal resources to drive economic growth and improve livelihoods, while protecting and nurturing marine ecosystems. The publication looks how multilateral and bilateral funding sources, a market-based approach, incentives, and regulations can contribute to achieving a blue economy. It also discusses how these elements need to be aligned within a cohesive development framework.
Joseon
The Korean Peninsula is geographically, technologically, and culturally, one of the most intriguing and important places on Earth. In this report submitted to the United Nations in Nairobi/Environmental affairs and to the Korean Environmental Ministry, the pros and challenges of North/South unification as well as practical solutions for the eradication and/or reduction of the fine-dust air crisis, is addressed in this title. As an American descendant of those who fought in the Korean war, and adopted family members who share in the ethnic pride of the Joseon people, I owe it to them to offer my pragmatic and innovation solutions to these issues using philosophy, diplomacy, and technology to achieve peace, prosperity, and stability in this important region within our eastern hemisphere. In this title, I also push for hydrogen fuel alternatives and new technologies which are going through the patent pending process in order to help achieve these end-goals. I believe that maintaining responsibility over the Korean Peninsula and keeping our promises to those who died and bled for democracy to thrive there is the best way to maintain the region, and for the sake of my ancestors, I will commit myself to keeping their memories alive.
The Understory
Tragedy haunted her. Her instinct to survive drove her. On the savanna of Zimbabwe, Michelle Schuman watched the tears fall from the eyes of a babyelephant as it mourned its mother, a bloody emptiness where her trunk and face were missing because of ignorance and self-indulgence. Deep in the bamboo forest of the Virunga Mountains, she was touched by a Mountain Gorilla. On the once-pristine shores of Prince William Sound, she bore witness to the sobering spectacle of hundreds of seals ready to give birth, dragging their blackened, distended bellies through the oozing black death of greed spilling from the guts of the Exxon Valdez.Although she also suffered an unbearable loss, and the dangers of working in remote areas of Alaska were real and tangible, the true threat to her survival was not from the natural world, but from the world of men who sought to tame her. Passion and peril are intertwined in this true tale of Michelle's drive to make the natural world a better place; she found her greatest hindrance not in physical challenges but in human adversaries. In the understory, largely concealed from view, are saplings and shrubs, herbs and grasses, rooted in a carpet of moss, beneath the canopy of trees. They provide the sustenance for the magnificent forest, and this is the inspiring story of one woman's battle from beneath the forest canopy to the beyond-in a scramble to undo what has been done.
Paws & Listen to the Voices of the Animals 4th Edition
Paws & Listen to the Voices of the Animals is a compelling book of Jenny Shone's life living with animals, talking to them and learning to understand their behaviour on a much deeper level. The stories are based on real experiences with both domestic and wild animals. This book teaches you how to relax through various exercises and meditation, which helps you develop your intuition to more easily hear the voices of the animals and understand what they are trying to say to you. The book is light, entertaining, and down to earth and is a must-read for anyone wanting to learn to communicate with their animal friends telepathically.
