A Creative Natural History Guide
The Natural History Project was led by Davis Arts Center to celebrate the centennial of the City of Davis in 2017. Davis Arts Center crowd-sourced suggestions for 100 items of natural history significance; through this process, an intense sense of place rooted in the comic (leaf piles, cockroaches and discarded Christmas trees) to the ephemeral (fog and wind) was collected. Over the following year, opportunities for drawing, painting and observing the natural environment and art supplies were provided to participants. Davis Arts Center collected over 600 pieces of artwork from 540 people to compile this book. Participants included school children and adults, individuals and groups of people.
Mutual Aid
"Make no mistake: the story that started with Pyotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin is far from finished. On the contrary, I believe there's a good chance that it's only just begun."-Rutger Bregman, Utopia for Realists and Humankind"Russian social theorist Peter Kropotkin ... argued that voluntary cooperation has been key to the flourishing of human civilization."-The New York Times"The book is undeniably readable throughout ... Those who disagree with [Kropotkin] may learn much by studying the book."-Nature The fascinating work of a Russian prince-turned-anarchist, Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921). Kropotkin one of the world's first international celebrities. In England, Kropotkin was known as a brilliant scientist, famous for his work on animal and human cooperation, but Kropotkin's fame in continental Europe centered more on his role as a founder and vocal proponent of anarchism. In the United States, he pursued both passions. Tens of thousands of people followed ex-Prince Peter during two speaking tours in America.Kropotkin's path to fame was unexpected and labyrinthine, with asides in prison, breathtaking 50,000-mile journeys through the wastelands of Siberia, and banishment, for one reason or another, from most respectable Western countries of the day. In his homeland of Russia, Peter went from being Czar Alexander II's favored teenage page, to a young man enamored with the theory of evolution, to a convicted felon, jail-breaker and general agitator, eventually being chased halfway around the world by the Russian Secret police for his radical - some might (and did) say enlightened - political views. Both while in jail, and while on the run when he was entertaining and enlightening huge crowds, Kropotkin found the energy and concentration to write books on a dazzling array of topics: evolution and behavior, ethics, the geography of Asia, anarchism, socialism and communism, penal systems, the coming industrial revolution in the East, the French Revolution, and the state of Russian literature. Though seemingly disparate topics, a common thread - the scientific law of mutual aid, which guided the evolution of all life on earth - tied these works together. This law boils down to Kropotkin's deep-seated conviction that what we today would call altruism and cooperation - but what the Prince called mutual aid - was the driving evolutionary force behind all social life, be it in microbes, animals or humans. Today, anthropologists, political scientists, economists and psychologists publish hundreds of studies each year on human cooperation, and researchers in these fields are just beginning to realize that so many of the topics they are investigating were first suggested and promulgated by Peter Kropotkin.
The Alignment Problem
Today's "machine-learning" systems, trained by data, are so effective that we've invited them to see and hear for us--and to make decisions on our behalf. But alarm bells are ringing. Recent years have seen an eruption of concern as the field of machine learning advances. When the systems we attempt to teach will not, in the end, do what we want or what we expect, ethical and potentially existential risks emerge. Researchers call this the alignment problem.Systems cull r矇sum矇s until, years later, we discover that they have inherent gender biases. Algorithms decide bail and parole--and appear to assess Black and White defendants differently. We can no longer assume that our mortgage application, or even our medical tests, will be seen by human eyes. And as autonomous vehicles share our streets, we are increasingly putting our lives in their hands.The mathematical and computational models driving these changes range in complexity from something that can fit on a spreadsheet to a complex system that might credibly be called "artificial intelligence." They are steadily replacing both human judgment and explicitly programmed software.In best-selling author Brian Christian's riveting account, we meet the alignment problem's "first-responders," and learn their ambitious plan to solve it before our hands are completely off the wheel. In a masterful blend of history and on-the ground reporting, Christian traces the explosive growth in the field of machine learning and surveys its current, sprawling frontier. Readers encounter a discipline finding its legs amid exhilarating and sometimes terrifying progress. Whether they--and we--succeed or fail in solving the alignment problem will be a defining human story. The Alignment Problem offers an unflinching reckoning with humanity's biases and blind spots, our own unstated assumptions and often contradictory goals. A dazzlingly interdisciplinary work, it takes a hard look not only at our technology but at our culture--and finds a story by turns harrowing and hopeful.
Seven and a Half Lessons about the Brain
From the author of How Emotions Are Made, a myth-busting primer on the brain in the tradition of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and Astrophysics for People in a Hurry Have you ever wondered why you have a brain? Let renowned neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett demystify that big gray blob between your ears. In seven short essays (plus a bite-size story about how brains evolved), this slim, entertaining, and accessible collection reveals mind-expanding lessons from the front lines of neuroscience research. You'll learn where brains came from, how they're structured (and why it matters), and how yours works in tandem with other brains to create everything you experience. Along the way, you'll also learn to dismiss popular myths such as the idea of a "lizard brain" and the alleged battle between thoughts and emotions--or between nature and nurture--to determine your behavior. Sure to intrigue casual readers and scientific veterans alike, Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain is full of surprises, humor, and important implications for human nature--a gift of a book that you will want to savor again and again.
Into the Impossible
How can you unlock creativity and imagination to inspire, teach, and lead? What mental models do the world's most accomplished scientists use to supercharge their creativity and strengthen their most precious collaborations? In this mesmerizing collection of interviews with some of the world's brightest minds, you'll discover that achieving greatness doesn't require genius. Instead, dedication to a simple set of principles, habits, and tools can boost your creativity, stoke your imagination, and unlock your full potential for out-of-this-universe success.Through their own words, you will discover why Nobel Prize-winning scientists credit often-overlooked "soft skills" like communication, motivation, and introspection as keys to their success. You'll see why they turn to curiosity, beauty, serendipity, and joy when they need a fresh view of some of the universe's most vexing problems...and how you can too, no matter what you do!Within the pages of Into the Impossible: Think Like a Nobel Prize Winner, the wisdom of nine Nobel Laureates has been distilled and compressed into concentrated, actionable data you can use. While each mind is unique, they are united in their emphasis that no one wins alone-and that science, and success itself, belongs to us all.
A Closer Approximation of the Bull's-eye On the MATW
This is a science based monograph describing a study relevant to natural horse care practitioners specializing in professional equine hoof care. The study explains how the practitioner can use infrared thermal technology to provide superior hoof care. This technology is used in a novel way to facilitate precision mapping of the equine hoof to aid the practitioner in generating more accurate Critical Measurements used in hoof trimming.
Into the Impossible
How can you unlock creativity and imagination to inspire, teach, and lead? What mental models do the world's most accomplished scientists use to supercharge their creativity and strengthen their most precious collaborations? In this mesmerizing collection of interviews with some of the world's brightest minds, you'll discover that achieving greatness doesn't require genius. Instead, dedication to a simple set of principles, habits, and tools can boost your creativity, stoke your imagination, and unlock your full potential for out-of-this-universe success.Through their own words, you will discover why Nobel Prize-winning scientists credit often-overlooked "soft skills" like communication, motivation, and introspection as keys to their success. You'll see why they turn to curiosity, beauty, serendipity, and joy when they need a fresh view of some of the universe's most vexing problems...and how you can too, no matter what you do!Within the pages of Into the Impossible: Think Like a Nobel Prize Winner, the wisdom of nine Nobel Laureates has been distilled and compressed into concentrated, actionable data you can use. While each mind is unique, they are united in their emphasis that no one wins alone-and that science, and success itself, belongs to us all.
Mutual Aid
One hundred years after his death, Peter Kropotkin is still one of the most inspirational figures of the anarchist movement. It is often forgotten that Kropotkin was also a world-renowned geographer whose seminal critique of the hypothesis of competition promoted by Social Darwinism helped revolutionize modern evolutionary theory. An admirer of Darwin, he used his observations of life in Siberia as the basis for his 1902 collection of essays Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution. Kropotkin demonstrated that mutually beneficial cooperation and reciprocity--in both individuals and as a species--plays a far more important role in the animal kingdom and human societies than does individualized competitive struggle. Kropotkin carefully crafted his theory making the science accessible. His account of nature rejected Rousseau's romantic depictions and ethical socialist ideas that cooperation was motivated by the notion of "universal love." His understanding of the dynamics of social evolution shows us that the power of cooperation--whether it is bison defending themselves against a predator or workers unionizing against their boss. His message is clear: solidarity is strength! Every page of this new edition of Mutual Aid has been beautifully illustrated by one of anarchism's most celebrated current artists, N.O. Bonzo. The reader will also enjoy original artwork by GATS and insightful commentary by David Graeber, Ruth Kinna, Andrej Grubacic, and Allan Antliff.
Entangled Life
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A "brilliant [and] entrancing" (The Guardian) journey into the hidden lives of fungi--the great connectors of the living world--and their astonishing and intimate roles in human life, with the power to heal our bodies, expand our minds, and help us address our most urgent environmental problems. "Grand and dizzying in how thoroughly it recalibrates our understanding of the natural world."--Ed Yong, author of An Immense World ONE OF PEOPLE'S BEST BOOKS OF THE 2020S - ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Time, BBC Science Focus, The Daily Mail, Geographical, The Times, The Telegraph, New Statesman, London Evening Standard, Science Friday When we think of fungi, we likely think of mushrooms. But mushrooms are only fruiting bodies, analogous to apples on a tree. Most fungi live out of sight, yet make up a massively diverse kingdom of organisms that supports and sustains nearly all living systems. Fungi provide a key to understanding the planet on which we live, and the ways we think, feel, and behave. In the first edition of this mind-bending book, Sheldrake introduced us to this mysterious but massively diverse kingdom of life. This exquisitely designed volume, abridged from the original, features more than one hundred full-color images that bring the spectacular variety, strangeness, and beauty of fungi to life as never before. Fungi throw our concepts of individuality and even intelligence into question. They are metabolic masters, earth makers, and key players in most of life's processes. They can change our minds, heal our bodies, and even help us remediate environmental disaster. By examining fungi on their own terms, Sheldrake reveals how these extraordinary organisms--and our relationships with them--are changing our understanding of how life works. Winner of the Wainwright Prize, the Royal Society Science Book Prize, and the Guild of Food Writers Award - Shortlisted for the British Book Award - Longlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize
71+10 New Science Project Junior (With Online Content on Dropbox)
Science, as we all know refers to a body of knowledge itself, of the type that can be rationally explained and reliably applied. Science is a unique combination of Theory and Practice. A thorough knowledge of this subject is almost impossible without proper practical demonstrations which are also termed as Scientific Experiments or Projects. In this book, 71+10 New Science Projects (Junior), the author has taken up the simple facts and principles of Science, such as: Air Pressure, Volume and Density, Gravitational Force of the Earth, Surface Area of Solids, Fun experiments with Matchsticks, Water, Glass Bottle, Dishwashing Liquid, Oil, Candle, Balloon, etc., which are easily available for children and projected them in a simple and lucid language for the readers, particularly the school kids who can easily perform these experiments at home or school, of course with the help and guidance of their parents, elders or teachers. The book is meant for children of all age groups, particularly from 6 to 13, who can perform and experience the thrill of these fun-filled experiments as well as learn the basic principles of Science easily and quickly. Therefore, this book is a must read for all school kids, especially those from classes, five to nine to learn as well enjoy conducting all the 81 Fascinating Projects listed in the book, each explaining or proving some scientific theory or law. So go ahead children, enjoy reading, learning and experimenting! #v&spublishers
North Carolina
Bland Simpson, the celebrated bard of North Carolina's sound country, has blended history, observation of nature, and personal narrative in many books to chronicle the people and places of eastern Carolina. Yet he has spent much of his life in the state's Piedmont, with regular travels into its western mountains. Here, for the first time, Simpson brings his distinctive voice and way of seeing to bear on the entirety of his home state, combining storytelling and travelogue to create a portrait of the Old North State with care and humor.Three of the state's finest photographers come along to guide the journey: Simpson's wife and creative partner, Ann Cary Simpson, professional photographer Scott Taylor, and writer and naturalist Tom Earnhardt. Their photos, combined with Simpson's rich narrative, will inspire readers to consider not only what North Carolina has been and what it is but also what we hope it will be. This book belongs on the shelf of longtime residents, newcomers, and visitors alike.
Kuhn's Intellectual Path
Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions offers an insightful and engaging theory of science that speaks to scholars across many disciplines. Though initially widely misunderstood, it had a profound impact on the way intellectuals and educated laypeople thought about science. K. Brad Wray traces the influences on Kuhn as he wrote Structure, including his 'Aristotle epiphany', his interactions, and his studies of the history of chemistry. Wray then considers the impact of Structure on the social sciences, on the history of science, and on the philosophy of science, where the problem of theory change has set the terms of contemporary realism/anti-realism debates. He examines Kuhn's frustrations with the Strong Programme sociologists' appropriations of his views, and debunks several popular claims about what influenced Kuhn as he wrote Structure. His book is a rich and comprehensive assessment of one of the most influential works in the modern sciences.
Economic and Applied Geology
This book, first published in 1986, is an excellent introduction to the main topics of economic and applied geology for undergraduate students of geology, geophysics, mining geology and civil engineering.
Intelligent Materials and Structures
This new edition of our 2016 book provides insight into designing intelligent materials and structures for special application in engineering. Literature is updated throughout and a new chapter on optics fibers has been added. The book discusses simulation and experimental determination of physical material properties, such as piezoelectric effects, shape memory, electro-rheology, and distributed control for vibrations minimization.
Good Laboratory Practices and Compliance Monitoring
This handbook is fully updated to the current regulatory requirement in the pharmaceutical laboratory world. Purpose of book is to assist individual on Gx Prequirement, good manufacturing practices, good laboratory practices, performance monitoring and root cause analysis and quality triangles The purpose of this hand book is to provide easily accessible knowledge about the good laboratory practices. In current pharmaceutical world we need a fast and reliable source of techniques to implement the system and resolve problem. This handbook gives pathway for us to take right decision. Nothing comes in one box for us. Changes happen with or without us. The higher we go in the organization, the more complex ore challenges become .This book gives overall view of quality laboratory system. We hope this handbook can contributes to assemble lots of related materials and package them in one place for easy reference and access. I encourage you to read, enjoy, study and learn from this book and go forth and empower you/ your teams to lead you and your organization to world class results.
Perfume at War
The use of vision and audition in stealth applications is well recognized; however, other perceptual senses can also play a valuable role. This volume discusses the sense of smell (olfaction), its use in nature and everyday life, and its potential applications in military and stealth operations. The sense of smell has largely been overlooked and underutilized in warfare, being restricted to crowd control and deterrent applications. However, the olfactory dimension can be a promising addition to other Department of Defense applications, such as stealth operations, deception, misdirection, and force projection. Further research into olfaction is needed to achieve these aims.
My First Summer in the Sierra (Warbler Classics)
My First Summer in the Sierra is perhaps the most lyrical, joyous, and engaging of all John Muir's many works. In the summer of 1869 Muir took work as a sheepherder in order to explore the headwaters of the Merced and Tuolomne Rivers. Keeping notes in the form of a diary, Muir describes his fellow companions-human and otherwise-with exquisite compassion, interest, awe, and even humor. This Warbler Classics includes all of the sketches by Muir that appeared in the first edition of the book and a detailed biographical note.
Systems and Signal Processing of Capnography as a Diagnostic Tool for Asthma Assessment
Systems and Signal Processing of Capnography as a Diagnostic Tool for Asthma Assessment provides a comprehensive overview of groundbreaking tools and techniques for the diagnosis and monitoring of asthma. Sections cover an introduction to the human respiratory system and the pathophysiology of asthma before analyzing current assessment concepts, tools and techniques. The book describes spirometry and the peak flow meter as existing tools in assessing asthma along with their limitations. In addition, a detailed description of capnography as a new approach is included with various studies conducted on its analysis. Academicians and researchers in biomedical engineering, particularly in the course of biomedical signal processing and biomedical instrumentation will find the book useful.
Learning from Leonardo
Leonardo da Vinci was a brilliant artist, scientist, engineer, mathematician, architect, inventor, and even musician - the archetypal Renaissance man. But he was also a profoundly modern man. Not only did Leonardo invent the empirical scientific method over a century before Galileo and Francis Bacon, but Capra's decade - long study of Leonardo's fabled notebooks reveals that he was a systems thinker centuries before the term was coined. At the very core of Leonardo's science, Capra argues, lies his persistent quest for understanding the nature of life. His science is a science of living forms, of qualities and patterns, radically different from the mechanistic science that emerged 200 years later. Because he saw the world as an integrated whole, Leonardo always applied concepts from one area to illuminate problems in another. His studies of the movement of water informed his ideas about how landscapes are shaped, how sap rises in plants, how air moves over a bird's wing, and how blood flows in the human body. His observations of nature enhanced his art, his drawings were integral to his scientific studies, and he brought art, science, and technology together in his beautiful and elegant mechanical and architectural designs. Capra describes seven defining characteristics of Leonardo da Vinci's genius and includes a list of over forty discoveries he made that weren't rediscovered until centuries later. Capra follows the organizational scheme Leonardo himself intended to use if he ever published his notebooks. So in a sense, this is Leonardo's science as he himself would have presented it. Obviously, we can't all be geniuses on the scale of Leonardo da Vinci. But his persistent endeavor to put life at the very center of his art, science, and design and his recognition that all natural phenomena are fundamentally interconnected and interdependent are important lessons we can learn from. By exploring the mind of the preeminent Renaissance genius, we can gain profound insights into how to address the complex challenges of the 21st century.
A Textbook of Research Methodology and Biostatistics for Pharmacy Students
Biostatistics is a relatively new but rapidly expanding field of science, which find wide applications in pharmacy and pharmaceutical research. Pharmacy is a research based discipline. A knowledge of basic concepts of research, research methodologies, experimental designs and protocols and analysis of data resulting in good and meaningful interpretation are vital requirements for successful research in pharmacy. This book has been designed to make the subject more interesting, more comprehensive and easy to grasp. The subject is presented in a modulated and graded manner, beginning with basic concepts and then gradually from the simple to advanced topics, making the students progress smooth, easy and pleasant. The uniqueness of the textbook is to include a number of solved problems and case studies at the end of each topic. Special emphasis is given on topics like experimental designs and protocols for human and animal studies, design of experiments (DOE), tests of significance including non - parametric tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), optimization techniques, factorial experiments and optimization by factorial designs, correlation and regression, probit analysis and determination of LD50 and ED50. A chapter on patentable research in pharmacy, patenting procedures with examples is also included. This book is ideal for B. Pharm, Pharm. D., M. Pharm. and. Ph. D students
Examining Ethics in Contemporary Science Education Research
This book poses questions on how to work ethically in research on science education. Applying research ethics reflectively and responsibly is fundamental for conducting research with people. It seeks to renew the conversation on how and why to engage with ethics in science education research and to adjust and refine research practices. It highlights both the need for methodological reflections in science education research and the particular ethical research challenges of science education. Science education research involves the study of people - often young and vulnerable people - and their practices. Researchers working within humanities and social science research commonly follow guidelines and codes of conducts set by country-specific ethics committees. Such guidelines function as minimal requirement for ethical reflection. This book seeks to engage the community of science education researchers in a conversation on ethics in science education moving beyond the mere compliance with governmental regulations toward a collective reflection. It asks the question of whether the existing guidelines provided for researchers are keeping up with contemporary realities of the visual presence of individuals in digital spaces. It also asks questions on how participatory research methodologies alters the relations between researchers and practitioners. This book is organized into two parts: Part one is entitled Challenging existing norms and practices. It asks questions such as: What are the conditions of knowledge that shape ethical decision making? Where is this kind of knowledge coming from? How is this knowledge structured, and where are the limitations? How can we justify our beliefs concerning our ethical research actions? Part two Epistemological considerations for ethical science education research centres norms and practices of conducting science education research in regard to methods, validity and scope.
The Inner Life of Animals
"Like The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben's The Inner Life of Animals will rock your world. Surprising, humbling, and filled with delight, this book shows us that animals think, feel and know in much the same way as we do--and that their lives are, to them, as precious as ours are to us."--Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus Through vivid stories of devoted pigs, two-timing magpies, and scheming roosters, The Inner Life of Animals weaves the latest scientific research into how animals interact with the world with Peter Wohlleben's personal experiences in forests and fields. We learn that horses feel shame, deer grieve, and goats discipline their kids. Ravens call their friends by name, rats regret bad choices, and butterflies choose the very best places for their children to grow up. In this captivating book, Peter Wohlleben follows the hugely successful The Hidden Life of Trees with insightful stories into the emotions, feelings, and intelligence of animals around us. Animals are different from us in ways that amaze us--and they are also much closer to us than we ever would have thought. "Wry, avuncular, careful and kind. . . Each story adds to a widening vision of intelligence, emotion and relationship."--The Guardian Published in Partnership with the David Suzuki Institute
Dancing Is the Best Medicine
"Lively and enlightening."-Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post "[A] zippy guide to better health."--Publisher's Weekly STARRED Review Discover why humans were designed for dancing--and learn how to boogie for better health--with two neuroscientists as your guide. Dancing is one of the best things we can do for our health. In this groundbreaking and fun-to-read book, two neuroscientists (who are also competitive dancers) draw on their cutting-edge research to reveal why humans are hardwired for danceshow how to achieve optimal health through dancingTaking readers on an in-depth exploration of movement and music, from early humans up until today, the authors show the proven benefits of dance for our heart, lungs, bones, nervous system, and brain. Readers will come away with a wide range of dances to try and a scientific understanding of how dance benefits almost every aspect of our lives.Dance prevents and manages illness and pain: such as Diabetes, arthritis, back pain, and Parkinson's.Dance can be as effective as high intensity interval training: but without the strain on your joints and heart.Dance boosts immunity and lowers stress: it also helps reduce inflammation.Dance positively impacts the microbiome: and aids in digestion, weight loss, and digestive issues such as IBS.Dance bolsters the mind-body connection: helping us get in tune with our bodies for better overall health.We're lucky that one of the best things we can do for our health is also one of the most fun. And the best part: dance is something anyone can do. Old or young, injured or experiencing chronic pain, dance is for everyone, everywhere. So, let's dance! Types of dance featured in the book: Partner dance (salsa, swing dancing, waltz)BalletHip hopModernJazzLine dancingTap dancingAnd more!
Advances in Computational Intelligence
This two-volume set LNCS 12861 and LNCS 12862 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 16th International Work-Conference on Artificial Neural Networks, IWANN 2021, held virtually, in June 2021.The 85 full papers presented in this two-volume set were carefully reviewed and selected from 134 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on Deep Learning for Biomedicine, Intelligent Computing Solutions for SARS-CoV-2 Covid-19, Advanced Topics in Computational Intelligence, Biosignals Processing, Neuro-Engineering and much more.
Nanoscale Quantum Materials
In the past four decades, there has been growing interest in the exciting new topic of physics in low dimensions. Thousands of original ideas have been proposed in the literature, and some are confirmed experimentally, along with several Nobel prizes which have been awarded in this field.
Relicts of a Beautiful Sea
Along a tiny spring in a narrow canyon near Death Valley, seemingly against all odds, an Inyo Mountain slender salamander makes its home. "The desert," writes conservation biologist Christopher Norment, "is defined by the absence of water, and yet in the desert there is water enough, if you live properly." Relicts of a Beautiful Sea explores the existence of rare, unexpected, and sublime desert creatures such as the black toad and four pupfishes unique to the desert West. All are anomalies: amphibians and fish, dependent upon aquatic habitats, yet living in one of the driest places on earth, where precipitation averages less than four inches per year. In this climate of extremes, beset by conflicts over water rights, each species illustrates the work of natural selection and the importance of conservation. This is also a story of persistence -- for as much as ten million years -- amid the changing landscape of western North America. By telling the story of these creatures, Norment illustrates the beauty of evolution and explores ethical and practical issues of conservation: what is a four-inch-long salamander worth, hidden away in the heat-blasted canyons of the Inyo Mountains, and what would the cost of its extinction be? What is any lonely and besieged species worth, and why should we care?
Key Structural Factors of Group 5 Metal Oxide Clusters for Base Catalytic Application
1. General Introduction.- 2. Application of Group 5 Polyoxometalate as an Efficient Base Catalyst: a Case Study of [Nb10O28]6-.- 3. Effect of Counter Cation on the Base Catalytic Activity of [Nb10O28]6-.- 4. Lewis Base Catalytic Properties of [Nb10O28]6- for CO2 Fixation to Epoxide: Kinetic and Theoretical Studies.- 5. Superior Base Catalysis of Group 5 Hexametalates over Group 6 Hexametalates.- 6. Concluding Remarks.
One with the Creosote
With a blending of poetic imagery and journalistic prose, writer Chris Tiffany reflects on her childhood growing up on the Mojave Desert during the '50s and '60s, to reveal the origins of an interwoven connection to the natural world around her and its influence on her life's paths and perspectives.
Red Summer
A vivid, unforgettable account of the danger, pain, and joy of working on a salmon fishing boat and living in a small village on the farthest edge of Alaska. Set in the tiny Native village of Egegik on the shores of Alaska's Bristol Bay, Bill Carter's Red Summer is the thrilling story of one man's journey from novice to seasoned fisherman over the course of four beautiful, brutal summers in one of the earth's few remaining wild places. As millions of salmon race toward their annual spawning grounds, Carter learns the ancient, backbreaking trade of the set net fisherman, one of the most exhilarating and dangerous jobs in the world. Housed in a dilapidated shack with no hot water and boarded-up windows that keep the bears at bay, Carter spends his days battling the elements on the river and his nights drinking whiskey with a memorable group of hardworking, hard-living characters. There's Sharon, the tough, charismatic woman who runs Carter's fishing crew; Carl, her stoic but warmhearted colleague; and a half-dozen local fishermen, many born and raised in this unforgiving place. Their stories--harrowing, touching, full of humor--all underscore the credo of the village's fishermen: Do the work or leave. Carter's crew is imperiled a number of times as tides rise, nets are snagged, and the weight of too many fish threatens to sink their boat. Written with gusto and honesty, Red Summer joins the grand tradition of books written by great American outdoorsmen-writers such as Ernest Hemingway, Edward Abbey, Peter Matthiessen, and Sebastian Junger. Red Summer will appeal not only to fishermen, naturalists, adventurers, and armchair anthropologists alike but also to anyone who has ever yearned, however privately, to escape the bonds of modern civilization.
Doing Integrated History and Philosophy of Science: A Case Study of the Origin of Genetics
This book offers an integrated historical and philosophical examination of the origin of genetics. The author contends that an integrated HPS analysis helps us to have a better understanding of the history of genetics, and sheds light on some general issues in the philosophy of science. This book consists of three parts. It begins with historical problems, revisiting the significance of the work of Mendel, de Vries, and Weldon. Then it turns to integrated HPS problems, developing an exemplar-based analysis of the development and the progress in early genetics. Finally, it discusses philosophical problems: conceptual change, evidence, and theory choice. Part I lays out a new historiography, serving as a basis for the discussions in part II and part III. Part II introduces a new integrated HPS method to analyse and interpret the historiography in Part I and to re-examine the philosophical issues in Part III. Part III develops new philosophical accounts which will in turn make a better sense of the history of scientific practice more generally. This book provides a practical defence of integrated HPS: the best way to defend integrated HPS is to do it.
Conservation Science and Advocacy for a Planet in Peril
Conservation Science and Advocacy for a Planet in Peril: Speaking Truth to Power helps equip scientists working on environmental and sustainability challenges with new tactics for success. Global efforts and cooperation by member states of environmental conventions have steadily increased but lack efficient and scalable mechanisms of translating conservation science to policy. The gap between science and policy is growing and very little time remains before the climate change and biodiversity lossess trigger widespread disruptions of the planet's life support systems. This book covers these important topics, providing a must read for environmental and conservation scientists, climate change activists, students, social scientists, economic professionals, sustainable businesses and policymakers.
聶Qu矇 dir穩a Cicer籀n?
聶Qu矇 tienen que ver las ideas de Arist籀teles, Cicer籀n, Descartes o Marcel Proust con nociones como anal穩tica de datos, programaci籀n, blockchain o la inteligencia artificial?Internet y las nuevas tecnolog穩as han cambiado tanto nuestras vidas y costumbres que se hace necesario reflexionar sobre ello desde una perspectiva filos籀fica, hist籀rica, filol籀gica y literaria. Es el prop籀sito de este libro del profesor ?ngel P矇rez que, desde su experiencia como investigador de las incipientes Humanidades Digitales, analiza cruces y bifurcaciones de las tecnolog穩as digitales y de la comunicaci籀n con el pensamiento humano y sus efectos sociales y culturales. Siguiendo un hilo interdisciplinar, estas breves reflexiones discurren como un creativo di獺logo de las artes liberales con las ciencias en el que afloran nuevos productos y aplicaciones de la era digital
Explaining Research
Explaining Researchis the ultimate guide for scientists, engineers, and other professionals seeking to share their life's work effectively with important lay and scientific audiences. It offers a multitude of practical communication tools and techniques for writing, giving talks, creating visuals, using social media, and publicizing research advances. Career success depends on more than conducting incisive experiments and publishing papers in top journals. Researchers must also know how to explain their work to key audiences, such as colleagues, potential collaborators, officers in funding agencies and from foundations, donors, institutional leaders, corporate partners, students, legislators, journalists, and the general public. Explaining Research is the most comprehensive guide for science and engineering communication. In this new edition, leading research communicator Dennis Meredith provides readers with the practical tools and techniques scientists and engineers need to reach their audiences effectively. The updated and expanded chapters include a wealth of insights from leading science journalists and research communicators.
The Physics of Thermoelectric Energy Conversion
This book outlines the principles of thermoelectric generation and refrigeration from the discovery of the Seebeck and Peltier effects in the nineteenth century through the introduction of semiconductor thermoelements in the mid-twentieth century to the more recent development of nanostructured materials. It is shown that the efficiency of a thermoelectric generator and the coefficient of performance of a thermoelectric refrigerator can be related to a quantity known as the figure of merit. The figure of merit depends on the Seebeck coefficient and the ratio of the electrical to thermal conductivity. It is shown that expressions for these parameters can be derived from the band theory of solids. The conditions for favourable electronic properties are discussed. The methods for selecting materials with a low lattice thermal conductivity are outlined and the ways in which the scattering of phonons can be enhanced are described. The application of these principles is demonstrated for specific materials including the bismuth telluride alloys, bismuth antimony, alloys based on lead telluride, silicon-germanium and materials described as phonon-glass electron-crystals. It is shown that there can be advantages in using the less familiar transverse thermoelectric effects and the transverse thermomagnetic effects. Finally, practical aspects of thermoelectric generation and refrigeration are discussed. The book is aimed at readers who do not have a specialised knowledge of solid state physics.
Smart External Stimulus-Responsive Nanocarriers for Drug and Gene Delivery
The concept of smart drug delivery vehicles involves designing and preparing a nanostructure (or microstructure) that can be loaded with a cargo, this can be a therapeutic drug, a contrast agent for imaging, or a nucleic acid for gene therapy. The nanocarrier serves to protect the cargo from degradation by enzymes in the body, to enhance the solubility of insoluble drugs, to extend the circulation half-life, and to enhance its penetration and accumulation at the target site. Importantly, smart nanocarriers can be designed to be responsive to a specific stimulus, so that the cargo is only released or activated when desired. In this volume we cover smart nanocarriers that respond to externally applied stimuli that usually involve application of physical energy. This physical energy can be applied from outside the body and can either cause cargo release, or can activate the nanostructure to be cytotoxic, or both. The stimuli covered include light of various wavelengths (ultraviolet, visible or infrared), temperature (increased or decreased), magnetic fields (used to externally manipulate nanostructures and to activate them), ultrasound, and electrical and mechanical forces. Finally we discuss the issue of nanotoxicology and the future scope of the field.
Modeling Self-Heating Effects in Nanoscale Devices
It is generally acknowledged that modeling and simulation are preferred alternatives to trial and error approaches to semiconductor fabrication in the present environment, where the cost of process runs and associated mask sets is increasing exponentially with successive technology nodes. Hence, accurate physical device simulation tools are essential to accurately predict device and circuit performance. Accurate thermal modelling and the design of microelectronic devices and thin film structures at the micro- and nanoscales poses a challenge to electrical engineers who are less familiar with the basic concepts and ideas in sub-continuum heat transport. This book aims to bridge that gap. Efficient heat removal methods are necessary to increase device performance and device reliability. The authors provide readers with a combination of nanoscale experimental techniques and accurate modelling methods that must be employed in order to determine a device's temperature profile.
Smart Internal Stimulus-Responsive Nanocarriers for Drug and Gene Delivery
The concept of smart drug delivery vehicles involves designing and preparing a nanostructure (or microstructure) that can be loaded with a cargo. This can be a therapeutic drug, a contrast agent for imaging, or a nucleic acid for gene therapy. The nanocarrier serves to protect the cargo from degradation by enzymes in the body, to enhance the solubility of insoluble drugs, to extend the circulation half-life, and to enhance its penetration and accumulation at the target site. Importantly, smart nanocarriers can be designed to be responsive to a specific stimulus, so that the cargo is only released or activated when desired. In this volume we cover smart nanocarriers that respond to internal stimuli that are intrinsic to the target site. These stimuli are specific to the cell type, tissue or organ type, or to the disease state (cancer, infection, inflammation etc). pH-responsive nanostructures can be used for cargo release in acidic endosomal compartments, in the lower pH of tumors, and for specific oral delivery either to the stomach or intestine. Nanocarriers can be designed to be substrates of a wide-range of enzymes that are over-expressed at disease sites. Oxidation and reduction reactions can be taken advantage of in smart nanocarriers by judicious molecular design. Likewise, nanocarriers can be designed to respond to a range of specific biomolecules that may occur at the target site. In this volume we also cover dual and multi-responsive systems that combine stimuli that could be either internal or external.
Quantifying Measurement
Measurements and experiments are made each and every day, in fields as disparate as particle physics, chemistry, economics and medicine, but have you ever wondered why it is that a particular experiment has been designed to be the way it is. Indeed, how do you design an experiment to measure something whose value is unknown, and what should your considerations be on deciding whether an experiment has yielded the sought after, or indeed any useful result? These are old questions, and they are the reason behind this volume. We will explore the origins of the methods of data analysis that are today routinely applied to all measurements, but which were unknown before the mid-19th Century. Anyone who is interested in the relationship between the precision and accuracy of measurements will find this volume useful. Whether you are a physicist, a chemist, a social scientist, or a student studying one of these subjects, you will discover that the basis of measurement is the struggle to identify the needle of useful data hidden in the haystack of obscuring background noise.
Skeptical Odysseys
Issued on the 25th anniversary of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), this book brings together personal statements by the leading skeptics of the world. CSICOP, the first major organization of skeptics on the contemporary scene, is worldwide in scope and is dedicated to the skeptical evaluation of both paranormal and religious claims in the light of scientific inquiry. All of the articles are original and written especially for this collection. Many pieces are autobiographical; others reflect on the current state of research into paranormal claims. The contributors focus on ESP and parapsychology, astrology, UFOlogy, the difference between science and pseudoscience, alternative medicine, magic, near-death experiences, spiritual energy, Bible codes, and religious claims that purport to have empirical foundations. Among the thirty-seven distinguished contributors are Martin Gardner (former columnist for "Scientific American"), Leon Jaroff (former science editor of "Time"), Philip J. Klass (the leading UFO skeptic), Antony Flew (noted British philosopher), Kendrick Frazier (editor of the" Skeptical Inquirer"), the late Steve Allen (noted author, comedian, and television pioneer), Bill Nye ("The Science Guy"), Jean-Claude Pecker (one of France's leading astronomers), Joe Nickell (paranormal investigator), Susan J. Blackmore (parapsychologist), Eugenie Scott (critic of "creationism"), among others. Contributors come from the USA, Canada, Britain, France, India, the Netherlands, Spain, Mexico, and Russia. This is a unique and exciting history of the current skeptical movement.
Science Without Limits
What role does the "human factor" play in the scientific process? How does it influence discovery? This volume examines the role of the scientist in the process of understanding the world. Perlman emphasizes the interactive human character of scientific inquiry, a dynamic interplay between human beings and their surroundings embodying attempts to understand, anticipate, and cope with nature. Scientists, ancient or modern, are seen as a conscious part of nature, interacting both physically and mentally with the world, forming an open system with what is observed, measured and explained. Perlman takes a historical approach, addressing the early search for natural order, recognition of rhythms in nature, the use of guiding faiths or assumptions, building conceptual models and projecting them upon nature, feedback, perpetual modification and reorganization of ideas, and the eventual recognition of interlocking scientific worlds. He also addresses scientific survival techniques, learning from experience, natural causes in the scientific process, conceptual images and science and society.
Understanding Science
Humanity reaps the many advantages of science while bemoaning the frequent misapplications and abuses of modern technology. Yet far too many of us admit to possessing little, if any, real knowledge of what scientists actually do, why they do it, or whether they should be otherwise occupied in more productive pursuits. Non-scientists need to appreciate the nature, purpose, and goals of science. Conversely, the narrow focus of many science enthusiasts fails to recognize that science cannot help but interact with sources of knowledge beyond its realm, placing scientific endeavors within a swirling caldron of competing knowledge claims. In Understanding Science, noted author and researcher Arthur N. Strahler, whose career in science spans more than half a century, fills this double void by offering insights into both the philosophy and the sociology of science.
Studies Show
If you're not sure what to make of all the claims and counterclaims, this new book will help cut through the conflicting reports and contradictory findings.We are bombarded daily with media reports of startling new findings from "just released" studies often in major, authoritative publications on consumer products, medications, foods, alcohol, safety devices, social behavior, public policy, and much more. The decisions of millions of consumers, professionals, and government agencies can be influenced by just one study.Light, humorous, and entertaining, Studies Show reviews sample studies to expose their traps and pitfalls. In plain English, statistics analyst John H. Fennick discusses the methods of good and bad studies to explain how scientific results can differ sometimes radically. Fennick shows that when armed with common sense and critical intelligence, we can understand almost any study.
Time Traveling with Science and the Saints
Using the biblical dictum, "by their fruits shall ye know them" (Mt. 7:20), humanist George Erickson surveys the historical record of the defenders of faith and the proponents of reason. His analysis challenges the commonly held belief that despite its many abuses religion on balance civilized the world. Beginning with the unfettered progress of science in pre-Christian, polytheistic societies, he notes that this progress was soon actively thwarted by the growing Christian throng. Aided by the carrot-and-stick appeal of heaven and hell, missionary passion, superstitions, and miracles, Christianity gradually overwhelmed its religious competitors while simultaneously working to destroy all interest in scientific reasoning. Yet even amidst these suffocating, often bloody conditions, certain individuals doggedly pursued new and dangerous, frequently heretical scientific research, sometimes at the risk of their lives. Erickson briefly profiles such pioneers as Giordano Bruno, Copernicus, Galileo, Darwin, Linnaeus, and others. While condemning the Christianity that produced such abominations as the Inquisition and witch hunts, Erickson concludes on an optimistic note, emphasizing that science and secular society have broken free from centuries of religious opposition, and continue to benefit the world through mass education, modern medicine, and technological progress.
Modeling Electrochemical Dynamics and Signaling Mechanisms in Excitable Cells with Pathological Case Studies
Modeling Electrochemical Dynamics and Signaling Mechanisms in Excitable Cells with Pathological Case Studies covers the neuronal cell communication system in excitable cells, recognizing the most relevant mechanisms of cell communication. Along with new findings in biotechnology, medicine and pathological cases for clinicians, the book highlights electrochemical potential in living nerve and muscle cells. Written for physiological scientists, pharmaceutical scientists, medical doctors, biologists and physicists, this book an essential read for a real understanding of the signals as we see them.
Art in Science Museums
Art in Science Museums brings together perspectives from different practitioners to reflect on the status and meaning of art programmes in science centres and museums around the world.Presenting a balanced mix of theoretical perspectives, practitioners' reflections, and case-studies, this volume gives voice to a wide range of professionals, from traditional science centres and museums, and from institutions born with the very aim of merging art and science practices. Considering the role of art in the field of science engagement, the book questions whether the arts might help curators to convey complex messages, foster a more open and personal approach to scientific issues, become tools of inclusion, and allow for the production of totally new cultural products. The book also includes a rich collection of projects from all over the world, synthetically presenting cases that reveal very different approaches to the inclusion of art in science programmes.Art in Science Museums should be of great interest to academics, researchers and postgraduate students working in the fields of museum studies, cultural heritage management, material culture, science communication and contemporary art. It should also be essential reading for museum professionals looking to promote more reflective social science engagement in their institutions.
Making AI Intelligible
Can humans and artificial intelligences share concepts and communicate? Making AI Intelligible shows that philosophical work on the metaphysics of meaning can help answer these questions. Herman Cappelen and Josh Dever use the externalist tradition in philosophy to create models of how AIs and humans can understand each other. In doing so, they illustrate ways in which that philosophical tradition can be improved. The questions addressed in the book are not only theoretically interesting, but the answers have pressing practical implications. Many important decisions about human life are now influenced by AI. In giving that power to AI, we presuppose that AIs can track features of the world that we care about (for example, creditworthiness, recidivism, cancer, and combatants). If AIs can share our concepts, that will go some way towards justifying this reliance on AI. This ground-breaking study offers insight into how to take some first steps towards achieving Interpretable AI.
El beso virtual
Narra una historia de ficci籀n cient穩fica sobre la invenci籀n de uno de los descubrimientos m獺s importantes del siglo XX: el rayo l獺ser. Explica qu矇 es el rayo l獺ser, c籀mo funciona y cu獺les son sus principales aplicaciones, as穩 como la producci籀n de im獺genes tridimensionales u hologramas -uno de los m獺s famosos es precisamente el beso virtual-. Juan Tonda obtuvo en M矇xico, en 1997, el Premio Nacional de Divulgaci籀n de la Ciencia.
