Impact of science and technology on society Books

Book SynopsisForeword by Jane Goodall Thirty inspiring stories of diverse women using geospatial technology to advance science and help resolve important issues facing the world. Like the first volume, Women and GIS, Volume 2: Stars of Spatial Science tells how 30 women in many different STEM fields applied themselves, overcame obstacles, and used maps, analysis, imagery, and geographic information systems (GIS) to contribute to their professions and the world. Sharing the experiences of their childhoods, the misstarts and challenges they faced, and the lessons they learned, each story is a celebration of a woman’s unique life path and of the perseverance, dedication, and hard work it takes to achieve success. This book includes multicultural women at various points in their careers such as: Barbara Ryan -- Dedicated to open spatial data for everyone Cecille Blake -- Growing GIS capacity in Jamaica and for North and South American countries Rhiannan Price -- Advocating to make a difference for vulnerable populations Verónica Vélez -- Fighting for social and racial justice in education Tanya Harrison -- Bringing Mars to the masses From planetary scientists to civil engineers, entrepreneurs to urban planners, the strong, passionate women in Women and GIS, Volume 2: Stars of Spatial Science serve as guiding stars to motivate readers who are developing their own life stories and to inspire their potential to meaningful achievements. Table of ContentsForeword Preface Temenoujka Bandrova, building on her love of drawing and math Ashali Bhandari, planning for a more resilient India Cecille Blake, growing GIS from the ground up in Jamaica Janey Camp, improving communities inside and out Nicole D. Franklin, furthering equity and social justice Sophia Garcia, ensuring that every person counts Valrie Grant, a vision for spreading the joys of geotechnology Elizabeth Groff, using GIS to expand criminal justice policy Tanya Harrison, bringing Mars to the masses Grania Kelly, using art and science to create landscape stories Amrita Lal, powering drones over the South Pacific Kelsey Leonard, using tribal wisdom to care for water resources Megan McCabe, leading the search for a lost airliner Anne Hale Miglarese, bringing technology to the developing world Catherine Nakalembe, empowering the people close to the land Anita Palmer, advocating for students and the world Olivia Powell, championing GIS in the police service Rhiannan Price, fostering sustainable development Barbara J. Ryan, promoting open data for everyone Diana Sinton, connecting spatial thinkers to GIS Hoáng Chi Smith, helping refugees tell their stories Amy Steiger, piloting a career in the office and in the field Eleanor Stokes, going where the big questions lead her Hannah Trew, speaking out loud and clear in a unifying voice Ingrid H. J. Vanden Berghe, Belgium's "geo-broker" of GIS data Verónica Vélez, fighting for social and racial justice in education German Whitley, choosing her own GIS adventures Chyana Lena Williams, bringing geo-business intelligence to Africa Susan Wolfinbarger, shaping our understanding of global conflict Rae Wynn-Grant, saving the bears and the wildlife Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisImpressive stories of women using geospatial technology to create sustainable solutions for problems the world faces. The third volume in the Women and GIS series shows how 31 diverse women in various STEAM fields discovered their passion, broke down barriers, and used maps, analysis, imagery, and geographic information systems (GIS) to advance their fields and improve the world. Sharing their experiences from childhood and throughout their careers, each woman reveals her journey in an inspiring recollection of the obstacles she has overcome, the knowledge she has gained along the way, and how tenacity and determination have helped her succeed. Each woman shares tips and words of wisdom that she's gained along the way, including: Priscilla Mbama Abasi: “Think big! Think about going to space, think about building things no one has seen before.” Arianna Armelli: “If you are like me and crave the freedom to explore a path of the unknown, aka entrepreneurship, a career in STEM will foster the technical foundation to achieve those goals.” Gabi Fleury: “The best advice I was given starting out was ‘forge your own path.’ Conservation isn’t a structured, straight-line career, you can get into it in many ways. This is exciting, but it also can be really challenging, because you have to be flexible, innovative, and always on the lookout for the next opportunity.” Healy Hamilton: “Success, to me, is a daily feeling that you are living true to your values, that you are meaningfully contributing to the world you want to create.” Katharine Hayhoe: “While it’s important to have people you respect and trust give you feedback at key points in your career, when it all comes down to it, you have to make the decisions that feel right for you, not the ones that necessarily look best on paper. You’re the one who has to live with them.” Featuring strong, persevering women from around the globe, the stories found in Women and GIS, Volume 3: Champions of a Sustainable World will inspire readers who are developing their own life stories to strive for success and achieve amazing accomplishments.Table of ContentsForeward Preface 1. Priscilla Mbama Abasi, Making maps and flying drones to save lives 2. Arianna Armelli, Founding a tech company that protects against flood risks 3. Marygrace Balinos, From imagined cities to real solutions 4. Fiona Becker, Blending the beauty of science and art 5. Maggie Cawley, Traveling the open road for open data 6. Hanan Darwishe, Reaching for the stars with her feet on the ground 7. Elena Field, Mapping the unknown in the Antarctic 8. Gabi Fleury, Forging a path to coexistence with wildlife 9. Africa Flores-Anderson, Fighting for a sustainable world, from Guatemala to the Himalayas 10. Miriam González, Democratizing access to geospatial data 11. Healy Hamilton, Answering life’s calling to help save life on earth 12. Katharine Hayhoe, Spreading the word on climate change—and action 13. Jacque Larrainzar, Mapping a city’s path to racial and gender equity 14. Annita Lucchesi, Carving out space for Indigenous mapping 15. Savanna Nagorski/Melissa K. Schutten, Supporting urban development and the tribal communities 16. Trisalyn Nelson, Turning geography into practical solutions 17. Linda Ochwada, Bringing geospatial AI and innovation to Africa 18. Zarith Pineda, Generating empathy through equitable design 19. Maya Quiñones, Bringing forestry data to life in the Caribbean 20. Alice Rathjen, Spiritual journey using GIS to map genomes 21. Maria-Alicia Serrano, Bridging communities using insights from GIS 22. Alina Shemetova, Energizing GIS from a legacy of science 23. Arielle Simmons, Protecting watersheds for generations to come 24. Lauren Sinclair, Making GIS fun for middle schoolers 25. Regan Smyth, Seeing the big picture and working to keep it real 26. Patricia Solis, Serving as an ambassador for people, places, and peace 27. Navya Tripathi, Pioneering the future of GIS 28. Kalpana Viswanath, Pinning her business on the safety of cities 29. Julia Wagemann, Expanding the network of female leaders in GIS 30. Faustine Williams, Improving health outcomes for underserved populations

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Book SynopsisWe are the first species with the ability to leave planet Earth and expand the horizons of existence into the infinite realm of the universe. Humanity has been working, learning and building toward this accomplishment throughout history. Those who live and work in space will be no different from their predecessors who left ancient homelands to venture into the unknown wilderness. But to travel and work in space, one must not only know the physical characteristics of the space environment, but also something about the human beings involved. Living in Space explains: -Technology necessary for staying happy, healthy and alive in space. - Effects of acceleration on the human body - The long term affects of living in zero-g conditions - The most harmful forms of ionizing radiation for humans - Nutrition and Sanitation - Basic problems of working in space. The people who go into space to live and work are setting the foundation for humanity’s future.Table of Contents1. Space is for People 2. What is a Human Being? 3. Atmospheres 4. Keeping Cool 5. Acceleration 6. Weightlessness 7. Radiation 8. Nutrition and Sanitation 9. Working in Space 10. Designing for Human Beings 11. Recreation in Space 12. Health and Medicine in Space 13. Space Complexes 14. Social Aspects of Space Living 15. The Giant Leap Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisSweeping in scope, penetrating in analysis, and generously illustrated with examples from the history of science, this new and original approach to familiar questions about scientific evidence and method tackles vital questions about science and its place in society. Avoiding the twin pitfalls of scientism and cynicism, noted philosopher Susan Haack argues that, fallible and flawed as they are, the natural sciences have been among the most successful of human enterprises-valuable not only for the vast, interlocking body of knowledge they have discovered, and not only for the technological advances that have improved our lives, but as a manifestation of the human talent for inquiry at its imperfect but sometimes remarkable best. This wide-ranging, trenchant, and illuminating book explores the complexities of scientific evidence, and the multifarious ways in which the sciences have refined and amplified the methods of everyday empirical inquiry; articulates the ways in which the social sciences are like the natural sciences, and the ways in which they are different; disentangles the confusions of radical rhetoricians and cynical sociologists of science; exposes the evasions of apologists for religious resistance to scientific advances; weighs the benefits and the dangers of technology; tracks the efforts of the legal system to make the best use of scientific testimony; and tackles predictions of the eventual culmination, or annihilation, of the scientific enterprise. Writing with verve and wry humor, in a witty, direct, and accessible style, Haack takes readers beyond the "Science Wars" to a balanced understanding of the value, and the limitations, of the scientific enterprise.Trade Review"[A] searching look at how science interacts with & is influenced by other areas of human endeavor... . one thought-provoking discussion after another. ..." - Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisAcclaimed science writer Barry Parker completes his trilogy on Einstein with this new work showing the incredibly wide-ranging influence of Einstein's many discoveries. In the first volume, Einstein's Brainchild, Parker focused on relativity, the most famous and important of the great genius's ideas. In the second volume, Einstein's Passions, his human side and diverse interests beyond science were Parker's main topic. Now the author turns once again to Einstein as creative scientist, concentrating on his prolific output of far-reaching contributions that complement and broaden his discovery of relativity. Moreover, Parker provides an indelible portrait of the man behind the theories. In clear and eloquent language, the author helps us appreciate the breadth and richness of Einstein's vision: from Einstein's theories supporting time travel, to his research on curved space, the cosmological constant, black holes, worm holes, gravity waves, cosmic lenses, to quantum theory, and beyond. Parker also discusses Einstein's reluctant connection with atomic weapons, his pacifist philosophy, his quest for the elusive unified field theory, and the relationship of his work to the recent "hot" area of superstrings. Even readers already familiar with Einstein's work will discover a wealth of new material in this singular contribution to the Einstein corpus. Parker's gift for turning complex physics into lucid prose has produced the most complete and accessible volume to elucidate for everyone the magnificent contributions of this most brilliant of scientists.

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Book SynopsisSome people claim that evolution is "just a theory". Do you know what a scientific theory really is? Just a theory is an overview of the modern concepts of science. A clear understanding of the nature of science will enable you to distinguish science from pseudoscience (which illegitimately wraps itself in the mantle of science), and real social issues in science from the caricatures portrayed in postmodernist critiques. Prof. Ben-Ari's style is light (even humorous) and easy to read, bringing the latest concepts of science to the general reader. Of particular interest is his analysis of the terminology of science (fact, law, proof, theory) in relation to the colloquial meaning of these terms. Between chapters are biographical vignettes of scientists - both familiar and unfamiliar - showing their common commitment to the enterprise of science, together with a diversity of backgrounds and personalities. This accessible, informative, and comprehensive work will give lay readers a good grasp of real science.

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Book SynopsisMany ancient myths from around the world tell of catastrophic destruction by fire and flood. These ubiquitous legends are so extreme that they are often dismissed as imaginative exaggerations. In EARTH UNDER FIRE Paul LaViolette connects these 'myths' to recent scientific findings in astronomy geology and archaeology to reconstruct the details of prehistoric global disasters and to explain how similar tragedies could recur in the near future. Compelled by his decryption of an ancient warniong hidden in zodiac constellation lore LaViolette worked with information from many scientific sources including astronomical observations polar core measurements and other geological data to confirm that our Galaxy's core exploded near the end of the last ice age. This explosion unleashed a barrage of cosmic rays and enveloped the solar system in a dense nebula which led to periods of persistent darkness frigid cold severe solar storms searing heat and mountainous floods that plagued mankind for many generations. Linking his scientific findings to details preserved in the myths and monuments of ancient civilisations he demonstrates how past civilisations accurately recorded the causes of these cataclysmic events knowledge of which may be crucial for the human race to survive the next catastrophic superwave cycle. This information reveals the intelligence and ingenuity of our ancestors who when faced with extinction found the means to warn us that the apocalypse them could occur once again.Trade Review"This is an amazing book, and a little complicated, so plan to spend some time on this one. But, it's well written, well thought out and exceptionally researched." * Olav Phillips, The Anomalies Network, Mar 2008 *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments 1. CIPHER IN THE SKY Message from the Past The Science of Cosmogenesis The Riddle of the Sphinx The Encryption of the Cosmic Microwave Temperature Gradient2. THE GALACTIC CONNECTION The Galactic Center Indicators Was the Galactic Center Visible in Ancient Times? Cosmic Procreation Activity in the Core of Our Galaxy Cosmic Benchmarks3. THE CHARGE OF THE BULL Galactic Superwaves The Blue Star The Eye of Re The Temple of Dendera Distant Thunder Ice Core Evidence of Prehistoric Cosmic Ray Volleys4. COSMIC DUST INVASIONS Arrival The Age of Darkness The Battle of Horus and Set Horus’s Nearly Fatal Sting Validation Discovery of the 15,800-years-B.P. Cosmic Event Dusty Aftermath Venus: The Star That Smoked5. THE AGE OF ICE Thermal Freeze Dark Clouds Up Ahead Ragnarok (the Twilight of the Gods) Fierce Winds6. THE CONFLAGRATION The T Tauri Effect Lunar Evidence of an Active Ice Age Sun The Canyons of Mars The Myth of Phaethon and the Sun Chariot Other Myths about the Burning of the World Terrestrial Evidence for a Prehistoric Global Warming and Solar Outburst Solar Storms and Geomagnetic Flips7. THE GREAT EXTINCTION In Search of a Cause Glacier Waves The Mystery of the Frozen Mammoths8. FLOOD LEGENDS AND CIPHERS Atlantis and the Flood Thus Spake Zeus Asgard and the Bifrost Bridge A Zodiacal Date for the Flood Flood Legends from Asia, Oceania, and the Near East9. FLOOD LEGENDS FROM THE AMERICAS American Indian Legends The Barasana Star Lore Archaeological Evidence for the Flood 10. TESTIMONY IN THE SKY The Galactic Radio Background Emission Supernova Remnant Signposts Do Superwaves Trigger Supernovae? Extragalactic Evidence for Superwaves11. CYCLES OF DESTRUCTION Geocosmic Cycles The Days of Brahma The Journey of the Hopi12. PROPHECIES The Day of the Lord The Revelation of Saint John The Fátima Prophecy Future Vision13. REQUIEMAPPENDIX A: Coordinates and Proper Motions for Key Constellation StarsAPPENDIX B: The Duration of Galactic Core ExplosionsAPPENDIX C: Attempts to Move the Scientific Investigation Forward Getting the Word Out Subsequent Investigation Attempts Glasnost Predictions and Their Later Verification: Chronology--1979 to PresentAPPENDIX D: ChronologiesNotesBibliographyIndexIndex of Myths and Legends

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Book SynopsisThe experiences in families, communities, and peer-groups that help young African American women "swim against the tide" of the white, male science education systemTrade Review"Swimming Against the Tide addresses a crucial lacunae in the body of literature on women in science, particularly women of color. This is a ‘new’ and innovative approach, since very few book publications on women in science have addressed the subject of African American women in science and from an age specific and culturally relevant perspective. Theoretically and methodologically strong, this is an example of feminist scholarship at its best." —Josephine Beoku-Betts, Professor of Women’s Studies and Sociology, Florida Atlantic University"Swimming Against the Tide addresses important research issues, with implications for the cultivation and retention of scientific talent and for practice and policy in science education. It also has implications for understanding the 'culture of science’ and the factors that encourage/discourage participation. Hanson’s statistical data and analyses are significant in the strength of findings, [in the] power of inference for young women's interest in and perceptions about science, and for the ways in which race and gender do/do not operate together in affecting outcomes for young women"— Mary Frank Fox, Advance Professor in the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology"[A]n excellent resource for those who are not familiar with this body of literature about race and science.... This book, overall, is an important contribution to our understanding of the gender, race, and class dynamics that influence the career decision-making of young women...Hanson's synthesis of previous studies on the subject makes this a valuable resource for those hoping to expand and deepen an understanding about how our educational system and science culture itself should be transformed to be a welcoming place for all who have an interest in exploring nature and the world in which we live." —Teachers College RecordTable of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements 1. Introduction: Understanding Young African American Women's Experiences in Science 2. The Conceptual Framework: A Critical-Feminist Approach 3. Young African American Women's Experiences in Science: "Science Is Like Opening A Present from Your Favorite Aunt. You Just Can't Wait to Open It Because You Know There Is Something Wonderful and Unique Inside." 4. Influences—Teachers and Schools: "They Looked at Us Like We Weren't Supposed to Be Scientists." 5. Influences—Family and Community: "My Mother Never Minded Me Using Her Kitchen Utensils to Dig Up Insects and Worms to Explore." 6. Influences—Peers: "I Know Plenty of Girls at My School [Who] Love Science." 7. Conclusions: "Science Is Not About Which Race Likes It Better, It Is About Doing What You Like." Appendix A: Tables Appendix B: Detail on Knowledge Networks Sampling Appendix C: Test for Vignettes Appendix D: Selected Questions from Knowledge Networks Survey Appendix E: Detail on NELS Sampling and Data Notes Reference Index

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Book SynopsisTechnology continues to unlock new ways for Americans to live and work. To illustrate these changes, this broadside explores the promise of online platforms such as Uber and Airbnb. Unfortunately, instead of embracing innovation, many cities insist on applying antiquated regulations or completely banning these new services to protect special interestsat the expense of workers and consumers.These fights go far beyond the sharing economy. To promote the benefits of new technology, it is time for states to step up and overrule cities when local policies threaten innovation. If cities are going to remain a driving force for economic progress, then states need to save so-called progressive cities from themselves.

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Book SynopsisIn Zero Hour for Gen X, Matthew Hennessey calls on his generation, Generation X, to take a stand against tech-obsessed millennials, apathetic baby boomers, utopian Silicon Valley visionaries, and the menace to top them all: the soft totalitarian conspiracy known as the Internet of Things. Soon Gen Xers will be the only cohort of Americans who remember life as it was lived before the arrival of the Internet. They are, as Hennessey dubs them, the last adult generation, the sole remaining link to a time when childhood was still a bit dangerous but produced adults who were naturally resilient. More than a decade into the social media revolution, the American public is waking up to the idea that the tech sector's intentions might not be as pure as advertised. The mountains of money being made off our browsing habits and purchase histories are used to fund ever-more extravagant and utopian projects that, by their very natures, will corrode the foundations of free society, leaving us all helpless and digitally enslaved to an elite crew of ultra-sophisticated tech geniuses. But it's not too late to turn the tide. There's still time for Gen X to write its own future. A spirited defense of free speech, eye contact, and the virtues of patience, Zero Hour for Gen X is a cultural history of the last 35 years, an analysis of the current social and historical moment, and a generational call to arms.

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Book SynopsisEvery day, new technologies affect your life at home, at work and at play. But how often do you pause to consider how your computer, mp3 player, mobile phone or Blackberry influence your spiritual life your beliefs, your faith, your fundamental understanding of God? With wit and verve, Stephen Spyker leads you on a lively journey through the many ways technology impacts on how we think about faith and how we practise it. He explores the role of new spiritual communities, the personal relationships we have with our gadgets, our changing expectations, helping you to think about the many, often subtle, ways technology has seeped into every aspect of our lives and changed the way we "do" faith. Can online churches replace traditional houses of worship? Will my iPod give me peace of mind? Is technological convenience undermining our ability to create community and make commitments? Whether a technophile or technophobe, no matter your faith or background, this book will entertain and challenge you while encouraging you to take a fresh look at spirituality in our modern world.

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Book SynopsisNow that we’ve pretty much ruined planet Earth—no big secret—science tells us the human race could be doomed. Well, not all science, but some of it, enough to have sparked a lively interest in setting up someplace else. But where? The answer is the moon of course, and that’s what this book explores: the many ways in which today’s scientists, entrepreneurs, architects and, yes, a few loonies are working to get colonies established there ASAP. Filled with research, interviews and expert projections, these pages reveal how a web of fantastic new technologies could give mankind a brand new start off-world. The only worm in the ointment is human nature. It’s the one thing pioneers in this business almost never discuss. Yet it’s of vital concern: given a second chance on the moon, will we use it to create at last a sane and peaceful society? Or will we make a desperate hash of things all over again? Here’s your doorway to the moon of tomorrow. Pass through and decide for yourself.

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Book Synopsis What makes us alive? Is it our DNA? Our genetics? Is it our atomic composition that gives us life? Somehow, all of this feels radically dissonant from our everyday experience. In Life Beyond Molecules and Genes, experimental biologist Stephen Rothman makes the bold case that it is, in fact, our adaptive abilities, hewn by evolution, that make us alive. In making this point, he reveals a hidden harmony between science and life as we live it. The traditionally accepted understanding of adaptive properties (e.g., the abilities to obtain food, avoid predators, procreate) has been that these are actions of living things or traits that they express. Rothman makes the provocative assertion that this foundational element of the modern materialist perspective is entirely backwards. Our adaptive properties do not exist because we are alive, but rather we are alive because they exist. The implications of this assertion turn the theory of evolution by natural selection on its head by revealing that life transcends its material nature. Students and scholars of the biological sciences as well as those interested in the philosophy of science will find this work both fascinating and challenging, perhaps even controversial. For centuries, the field of biology has focused on the seemingly mundane task of identifying and cataloging life's chemical substances, while ignoring its grand question: "What is it that makes us alive?" With Life beyond Molecules and Genes, perhaps the field will move a bit closer toward an answer.

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Book Synopsis Gathering thinkers from ten countries and various scientific and spiritual backgrounds, Global Perspectives on Science and Spirituality leads readers on a fascinating tour of distinctly non-Western approaches to topics in these two fields. These voices add fresh and invigorating input to a dialogue that has thus far been predominantly guided by scholars from the United States or Western Europe. The award-winning researchers in this volume were selected from a pool of over one hundred and fifty applications. They offer the very best scholarship from underrepresented regions around the globe. The essays cover a broad spectrum of scientific fields, spanning mathematical physics, robotics, biosemiotics and other new schools of theoretical biology, embryonic stem cells, cognitive science, and the concept of opening the human mind to broader ideas of reality. Hailing from some of the top research institutions in India, Japan, Russia, Korea, China, and a variety of Eastern European nations, contributors offer unique insights into their cultures' spiritual and philosophical traditions. At the same time, they deftly engage concepts from the ongoing Western dialogue in its terms, delving deeply, at times, into schools of thought like phenomenology or process thought. Scholars, students, researchers, and anyone seeking new ways of understanding the interplay of spirituality and science will discover a multitude of windows into previously underexplored research areas in these truly interdisciplinary essays. Indeed, any of these pieces could serve as the basis for entirely new long-term study programs. Table of Contents Preface / vii Introduction / ix Pranab Das Elon University, United States 1. The Puzzle of Consciousness and Experiential Primacy: Agency in Cognitive Sciences and Spiritual Experiences / 3 Sangeetha Menon National Institute of Advanced Studies, India 2. Religion, Science, and Lebenswelt: New Interdisciplinary Crossroads / 21 Ilya Kasavin Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia 3. Science and Spirituality in Modern India / 39 Makarand Paranjape Jawaharlal Nehru University, India 4. Kokoro [Mind-Heart-Spirit]: Affirming Science and Religion in the Japanese Context / 55 Paul Swanson Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture, Japan 5. Daoism and the Uncertainty Principle / 69 Jiang Sheng Shandong University, China 6. Whitehead Reconsidered from a Buddhist Perspective / 93 Ryusei Takeda Ryukoku University, Japan 7. Sanctity of Life: A Reflection on Human Embryonic Stem Cell Debates from an East Asian Perspective / 107 Heup Young Kim Kangnam University, South Korea 8. Aut Moses, Aut Darwin? / 125 A. Markoš, F. Grygar, L. Hajnal, K. Kleisner, Z. Kratochvíl, and Z. Neubauer Charles University, Czech Republic 9. Human Origins: Continuous Evolution versus Punctual Creation / 143 Grzegorz Bugajak and Jacek Tomczyk Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, Poland 10. Mathematics as a Formal Ontology: The Hermeneutical Dimensions of Natural Sciences and Eastern Patristics / 165 Alexei Chernyakov S t. Petersburg School of Religion and Philosophy, Russia 11. Is Mathematics Able to Open the Systems of the Human Intellect? / 179 Botond Gaál Debrecen Reformed Theological University, Hungary 12. On the Role of Transcendence in Science and in Religion / 191 Ladislav Kvasz Catholic University in Rozomberok, Slovakia Contributors / 207 Index / 213

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Book SynopsisThe great paradox of science in the twentieth century is that the more we learn, the less we seem to know. In this volume, John Templeton and scientist Robert Herrmann address this paradox. Reviewing the latest findings in fields from particle physics to archaeology, from molecular biology to cosmology, the book leads the reader to see how mysterious the universe is, even to the very science that seeks to reduce it to a few simple principles. Far from concluding that religion and science are in opposition, the book shows how these two fields of inquiry are intimately linked, and how much they can offer to one another. Formerly published by Continuum in 1994.Table of Contents Introduction / 1 1. A Short History of Saving and Investment / 10 2. American Political Realignment and the Origins of Welfare / 35 3. Wall Street and the Second Economic Revolution / 54 4. Depression and the New Deal / 86 5. The Great Social Security Debate / 110 6. The New Health-Care Imperative / 142 7. Houses, Highways, and Physical Capital 8. Education, Training, and Human Capital / 217 9. The Savings Strategy for Shrinking the Welfare State / 258 Conclusion / 277 Notes / 285 Index / 303

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Book SynopsisHow did human beings acquire imaginations that can conjure up untrue possibilities? How did the Universe become self-aware? In The Runes of Evolution, Simon Conway Morris revitalizes the study of evolution from the perspective of convergence, providing us with compelling new evidence to support the mounting scientific view that the history of life is far more predictable than once thought. A leading evolutionary biologist at the University of Cambridge, Conway Morris came into international prominence for his work on the Cambrian explosion (especially fossils of the Burgess Shale) and evolutionary convergence, which is the process whereby organisms not closely related (not monophyletic), independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches. In The Runes of Evolution, he illustrates how the ubiquity of convergence hints at an underlying framework whereby many outcomes, not least brains and intelligence, are virtually guaranteed on any Earth-like planet. Conway Morris also emphasizes how much of the complexity of advanced biological systems is inherent in microbial forms. By casting a wider net, The Runes of Evolution explores many neglected evolutionary questions. Some are remarkably general. Why, for example, are convergences such as parasitism, carnivory, and nitrogen fixation in plants concentrated in particular taxonomic hot spots? Why do certain groups have a particular propensity to evolve toward particular states? Some questions lead to unexpected evolutionary insights: If bees sleep (as they do), do they dream? Why is that insect copulating with an orchid? Why have sponges evolved a system of fiber optics? What do mantis shrimps and submarines have in common? If dinosaurs had not gone extinct what would have happened next? Will a saber-toothed cat ever re-evolve? Cona Morris observes: “Even amongst the mammals, let alone the entire tree of life, humans represent one minute twig of a vast (and largely fossilized) arborescence. Every living species is a linear descendant of an immense string of now-vanished ancestors, but evolution itself is the very reverse of linear. Rather it is endlessly exploratory, probing the vast spaces of biological hyperspace. Indeed this book is a celebration of how our world is (and was) populated by a riot of forms, a coruscating tapestry of life.” The Runes of Evolution is the most definitive synthesis of evolutionary convergence to be published to date.Trade Review"The runes of evolution spell out a surprising message: Some evolutionary outcomes are virtually inevitable. Or, so goes the argument of Cambridge palaeontologist Simon Conway Morris, resting on two key premises: Evolution repeats itself in unexpected ways: Very different lineages evolve to have similar traits. Conway Morris calls this 'convergence.' Precursors of complex traits, such as a nervous system, are found in much simpler organisms. Conway Morris calls this 'evolutionary inherency.' The premises are supported with a wealth of data—thousands of references across the book’s 27 chapters. The intriguing tale is told by way of a journey over many different areas in which we find convergence and inherency, with touches of humour along the way." —Zachary Ardern, BioLogos“Conway Morris’s exploration of the phenomenon of convergence in biological evolution is rife with implications for Christian theology. It lends credence to a Christian view of God’s providential action in history, and it supports an ecological view of the interdependence of all things in God’s creation. It also fits with a scriptural account of a story-shaped world.” —Ian Curran, Christian Century "This is a very good book. The author is most effective when presenting his evidence as both glaringly obvious and unfairly maligned. Not everyone will like the volume’s familiar tone, but the overall excellence of the writing is hard to deny. Many of the book’s grandest ideas were already covered in his previous publications, but The Runes of Evolution is nevertheless Conway Morris’ most comprehensive statement on convergence to date, and is thus well worth reading." —Abraham H. Gibson, Quarterly Review of Biology (September 2017)This book was presumably written by Morris more for fellow natural scientists than for philosophers and theologians, but in each case so as to prove that his hypothesis of ongoing convergence in evolution is not a series of fortuitous coinci-dences but empirical evidence of established patterns or in-built mechanisms within the evolutionary process. Three hundred pages of text with double columns of print on each page and 150 pages of endnotes make that clear. Names of different species, genera, families, orders, classes, and so on turn up on virtually every page so that the nonprofessional reader ends up hunting for summary statements by Morris at the end of each major subdivision within the 26 chapters. Yet despite its obvious density and degree of detail for the ordinary reader, the implications of this book for philosophical/theological understanding of the God–world relationship and for the classic distinction between the natural and the supernatural within creation are in my judgment very significant. —Joseph A. Bracken, SJ, Xavier University, Cincinnati

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Book SynopsisToday, only a few people outside of the scientific community are conversant with the tradition of science and its many breakthroughs. The rest are scientifically illiterate. So say Frank R. Spellman and Joni Price-Bayer, authors of In Defense of Science: Why Scientific Literacy Matters. This book explains why ordinary citizens need to have an understanding of science, its methods, and its groundbreaking discoveries. The authors introduce the most basic scientific concepts in accessible and straightforward language. Along the way they debunk several misconceptions of science and scientists, and arrive at a view of science as an integral part of society, policy, and everyday life. The book begins with an introduction to science and its basic concepts, including a brief and entertaining history of science and scientific discoveries, before taking on current views of science in society. It surveys the many sources of our ideas of science, including pop culture, classics of literature, news media, and political discourse. Much of the information from these sources tends to mislead, and the only way to guard against such misinformation is to become scientifically literate, and promote scientific literacy in society. The book therefore delves into the reasons that so many people do not understand basic scientific principles and do not keep up with scientific breakthroughs, and finishes by examining the current state of science education. It includes many resources for further reading, and is presented in an engaging and entertaining way. It offers much food for thought for anyone concerned with science in today's world.Trade ReviewTwenty-first century reports from the National Academy of Sciences and others reveal a blatant deficiency in the scientific and mathematical abilities of American high school and college students. Paired with the steadily decreasing population of graduate students pursuing advanced STEM degrees, it is obvious that scientific illiteracy is impeding US technological growth as a country. Here, Spellman (environmental health, Old Dominion Univ.), a prolific author, and Price-Bayer (speech language pathologist, Norfolk Public Schools) attempt to remedy scientific illiteracy by addressing the importance of sound scientific exploration while appealing to popular culture....The book provides extensive references to scientific and pedagogical reports for further exploration. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers and lower-division undergraduates. * CHOICE *Table of ContentsChapter 1 1 What is Science? Chapter 2 2 Why Science? Chapter 3 3 Science in Pop Culture Chapter 4 4 Alternative Sciences Chapter 5 5 Good Science vs. Feel Good Science Chapter 6 6 Science, Politics, and Religion Chapter 7 7 Please, No Science! I Hate Math! Chapter 8 8 Science Is Hard Work-Too Hard! Chapter 9 9 Science Is Only for Nerds, Geeks, and Weirdoes! Chapter 10 10 Science Education and Science Careers

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Book SynopsisToday, only a few people outside of the scientific community are conversant with the tradition of science and its many breakthroughs. The rest are scientifically illiterate. So say Frank R. Spellman and Joni Price-Bayer, authors of In Defense of Science: Why Scientific Literacy Matters. This book explains why ordinary citizens need to have an understanding of science, its methods, and its groundbreaking discoveries. The authors introduce the most basic scientific concepts in accessible and straightforward language. Along the way they debunk several misconceptions of science and scientists, and arrive at a view of science as an integral part of society, policy, and everyday life. The book begins with an introduction to science and its basic concepts, including a brief and entertaining history of science and scientific discoveries, before taking on current views of science in society. It surveys the many sources of our ideas of science, including pop culture, classics of literature, news media, and political discourse. Much of the information from these sources tends to mislead, and the only way to guard against such misinformation is to become scientifically literate, and promote scientific literacy in society. The book therefore delves into the reasons that so many people do not understand basic scientific principles and do not keep up with scientific breakthroughs, and finishes by examining the current state of science education. It includes many resources for further reading, and is presented in an engaging and entertaining way. It offers much food for thought for anyone concerned with science in today's world.Trade ReviewTwenty-first century reports from the National Academy of Sciences and others reveal a blatant deficiency in the scientific and mathematical abilities of American high school and college students. Paired with the steadily decreasing population of graduate students pursuing advanced STEM degrees, it is obvious that scientific illiteracy is impeding US technological growth as a country. Here, Spellman (environmental health, Old Dominion Univ.), a prolific author, and Price-Bayer (speech language pathologist, Norfolk Public Schools) attempt to remedy scientific illiteracy by addressing the importance of sound scientific exploration while appealing to popular culture....The book provides extensive references to scientific and pedagogical reports for further exploration. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers and lower-division undergraduates. * CHOICE *Table of ContentsChapter 1 1 What is Science? Chapter 2 2 Why Science? Chapter 3 3 Science in Pop Culture Chapter 4 4 Alternative Sciences Chapter 5 5 Good Science vs. Feel Good Science Chapter 6 6 Science, Politics, and Religion Chapter 7 7 Please, No Science! I Hate Math! Chapter 8 8 Science Is Hard Work-Too Hard! Chapter 9 9 Science Is Only for Nerds, Geeks, and Weirdoes! Chapter 10 10 Science Education and Science Careers

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThe shift from orality to literacy that began with the invention of the phonetic alphabet, and which went into high-gear with Gutenberg’s printing press more than 500 years ago, helped make the modern world. Some commentators have argued that this shift from orality to literacy marked a much broader, cultural shift of cataclysmic proportions. Today, with everything from e-mail to blogs, iPods and podcasts, through Google, Yahoo, eBay, and with cutting-edge smart phones, we find ourselves developing relationships with these newest communication tools that aren’t simply allowing us to communicate faster, farther and with more ease than ever before. We aren’t just moving around ideas, data, and information at unimaginable speed and scale. Our interminglings and fusions with digital communication technologies are also altering both individual and group consciousness in fundamental ways—how we form and sustain relationships, how we think and perceive, what it means to see and to feel. We are remaking human identity once more, and manufacturing a new kind of culture along the way. The processes bound up in our digination may well be consequential to the trajectory of human evolution. That time-honored trope: the notion that technology is not the problem, rather, it’s how people use technology that’s the problem is shown to be wanting. Highlighting Marshall McLuhan’s “tetrads” or laws of media as a primary tool of analysis, R.C. MacDougall argues in line with other media ecologists that it’s not so much how we use certain tools that matters, it’s that we use them. More than any other technological form perhaps, communication technologies play particularly powerful and systemic roles in our culture, or any culture for that matter. Late adopters and even abstainers are not exempt from the psychological, social and cultural effects (and side-effects) of modern digital communication technology. While there are certainly varying degrees of immersion—that is to say, while some of us live in the high-rise downtown district, some at the city limits, and still others out in the proverbial “woods"—we all live in Digination today.Trade ReviewDigination's core premise is that technology impacts everyone in many ways—socially, culturally, politically, and psychologically. Life in a digital nation is not simply a reality where humans utilize technology. Conversely, technology is an agent that affects people both individually and collectively as a society. Through a media ecologist's lens, MacDougall (Curry College) weaves theory, empirical data, and his own perspective into an account of technology and its influence on humankind. The volume, part of the publisher's "Communication Studies" series, is divided into 11 chapters. The author begins with an examination of the contributions of media theorist Marshall McLuhan, whose influence is evident throughout the work. The core of the book consists of seven chapters, each focusing on an individual technology. E-mail, blogs, search engines, personal music devices, podcasts, laptops, and eBay take their turn as subjects in this examination. Finally, an appendix of McLuhan tetrads or charts that visually represent the societal effects of individual technologies closes the book. An interesting, timely analysis of the human relationship with the machine. Summing Up: Recommended. * CHOICE *I am impressed with the scope and depth of Dr. MacDougall's understanding of media and their influence on psyche and society alike. [Digination] is going to be useful … [MacDougall] demonstrates an unusual degree of ability to work with the more sophisticated tools that I and my father developed for the study of human technologies. -- Dr. Eric McLuhan, Internationally-known and award-winning lecturer on communication and media, co-author Laws of Media (with Marshall McLuhan).Digination represents a major contribution to the media ecology literature. I particularly enjoyed the way in which media ecology and biology are combined. -- Robert K. Logan, Chief Scientist - sLab OCAD U, author of Understanding New Media: Extending Marshall McLuhanTable of ContentsChapter 1 Understanding our Digination Chapter 2 Lost Logos: Finding the Art and Argument in McLuhan's Message Chapter 3 Indigenous E-mail: Identity Construction and the Oral/Textual Interface Chapter 4 Blogs:The News Medium Chapter 5 Information, Interactivity, and the Denizen of Digination Chapter 6 Search Engineering and the Emerging Information Ecology Chapter 7 Portable Digital Music Devices and the Sound-Tracked Lifeworld Chapter 8 Podcasting and Lifeworld:From Sound Track to Narractive Track Chapter 9 Knitting, Napping, and Notebook Computers (and other mnemotechnical systems) Chapter 10 eBay Ethics:Prefiguring the "Digital Democracy" Chapter 11 Media Ecology and a Biological Approach to Understanding Our Digination Chapter 12 Appendix: The Tetrads Chapter 13 References Chapter 14 Index

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Book SynopsisThe shift from orality to literacy that began with the invention of the phonetic alphabet, and which went into high-gear with Gutenberg’s printing press more than 500 years ago, helped make the modern world. Some commentators have argued that this shift from orality to literacy marked a much broader, cultural shift of cataclysmic proportions. Today, with everything from e-mail to blogs, iPods and podcasts, through Google, Yahoo, eBay, and with cutting-edge smart phones, we find ourselves developing relationships with these newest communication tools that aren’t simply allowing us to communicate faster, farther and with more ease than ever before. We aren’t just moving around ideas, data, and information at unimaginable speed and scale. Our interminglings and fusions with digital communication technologies are also altering both individual and group consciousness in fundamental ways—how we form and sustain relationships, how we think and perceive, what it means to see and to feel. We are remaking human identity once more, and manufacturing a new kind of culture along the way. The processes bound up in our digination may well be consequential to the trajectory of human evolution. That time-honored trope: the notion that technology is not the problem, rather, it’s how people use technology that’s the problem is shown to be wanting. Highlighting Marshall McLuhan’s “tetrads” or laws of media as a primary tool of analysis, R.C. MacDougall argues in line with other media ecologists that it’s not so much how we use certain tools that matters, it’s that we use them. More than any other technological form perhaps, communication technologies play particularly powerful and systemic roles in our culture, or any culture for that matter. Late adopters and even abstainers are not exempt from the psychological, social and cultural effects (and side-effects) of modern digital communication technology. While there are certainly varying degrees of immersion—that is to say, while some of us live in the high-rise downtown district, some at the city limits, and still others out in the proverbial “woods"—we all live in Digination today.Trade ReviewDigination's core premise is that technology impacts everyone in many ways—socially, culturally, politically, and psychologically. Life in a digital nation is not simply a reality where humans utilize technology. Conversely, technology is an agent that affects people both individually and collectively as a society. Through a media ecologist's lens, MacDougall (Curry College) weaves theory, empirical data, and his own perspective into an account of technology and its influence on humankind. The volume, part of the publisher's "Communication Studies" series, is divided into 11 chapters. The author begins with an examination of the contributions of media theorist Marshall McLuhan, whose influence is evident throughout the work. The core of the book consists of seven chapters, each focusing on an individual technology. E-mail, blogs, search engines, personal music devices, podcasts, laptops, and eBay take their turn as subjects in this examination. Finally, an appendix of McLuhan tetrads or charts that visually represent the societal effects of individual technologies closes the book. An interesting, timely analysis of the human relationship with the machine. Summing Up: Recommended. * CHOICE *I am impressed with the scope and depth of Dr. MacDougall's understanding of media and their influence on psyche and society alike. [Digination] is going to be useful … [MacDougall] demonstrates an unusual degree of ability to work with the more sophisticated tools that I and my father developed for the study of human technologies. -- Dr. Eric McLuhan, Internationally-known and award-winning lecturer on communication and media, co-author Laws of Media (with Marshall McLuhan).Digination represents a major contribution to the media ecology literature. I particularly enjoyed the way in which media ecology and biology are combined. -- Robert K. Logan, Chief Scientist - sLab OCAD U, author of Understanding New Media: Extending Marshall McLuhanTable of ContentsChapter 1 Understanding our Digination Chapter 2 Lost Logos: Finding the Art and Argument in McLuhan's Message Chapter 3 Indigenous E-mail: Identity Construction and the Oral/Textual Interface Chapter 4 Blogs:The News Medium Chapter 5 Information, Interactivity, and the Denizen of Digination Chapter 6 Search Engineering and the Emerging Information Ecology Chapter 7 Portable Digital Music Devices and the Sound-Tracked Lifeworld Chapter 8 Podcasting and Lifeworld:From Sound Track to Narractive Track Chapter 9 Knitting, Napping, and Notebook Computers (and other mnemotechnical systems) Chapter 10 eBay Ethics:Prefiguring the "Digital Democracy" Chapter 11 Media Ecology and a Biological Approach to Understanding Our Digination Chapter 12 Appendix: The Tetrads Chapter 13 References Chapter 14 Index

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Book SynopsisThis interdisciplinary study traces the radical changes that occurred in the understanding of the biological body and of human incarnation beginning in the first third of the seventeenth century. It is the first to examine the importance of that new corporeality in the determination of sensibility and passion in French culture of the seventeenth century. This study analyzes the development and deployment of the aesthetic body_that is, in its full etymological sense, a body whose principal function is the generation of affectivity_through an opening chapter on physiology to chapters on four major senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch). The study traces the intervention of the aesthetic body in representative cultural discourses: ethics, theatrical spectacle, rhetoric, artistic and moral judgment of 'taste,' and sociopolitical anthropology.

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