Science & Nature Books

Book SynopsisNathan Wolfe is the Lorry I. Lokey Visiting Professor in Human Biology at Stanford University and Director of Global Viral Forecasting, a pandemic early warning system which monitors the spillover of novel infectious agents from animals into humans. Wolfe has been published in or profiled by Nature, Science, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Economist, Forbes and many others. Wolfe was the recipient of a Fulbright fellowship in 1997 and was awarded the National Institutes of Health (NIH) International Research Scientist Development Award in 1999 and the prestigious NIH Director's Pioneer Award in 2005.Trade ReviewNathan Wolfe is saving the world from near-inevitable pandemic ... a kick-ass book -- Mary Roach, author of StiffAn excellent piece of scientific gothic, rich in descriptions of the threat we face from emerging viruses ... thought-provoking * Nature *Part autobiography, part warning ... enthralling * BBC Focus *Quietly terrifying ... It's hard not to feel a bit feverish at times while reading * Boston Globe *Wolfe has an important story to tell and as a virologist at the forefront of pandemic forecasting, he is the perfect person to tell it. He explains the science clearly and never stoops to sensationalism - the evidence of our increasing vulnerability to pandemics speaks for itself * Guardian *The world's most prominent virus hunter * New Yorker *The plague-ridden future imagined by this authoritative, measured, yet gripping book is extremely alarming * Sunday Times *A good place to start preparing for what might come * New Humanist *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTubes: Behind the Scenes at the Internet by Andrew Blum is...''Utterly engrossing. The year''s most original and stimulating ''travel'' book. Even the most geek-wary of readers will enjoy'' Independent''Entertaining and illuminating. Excels at rooting the Internet in real-world locations. Full of memorable images that make its complex architecture easier to comprehend'' ObserverThe Internet. Home to the most important and intimate aspects of our lives. Our careers, our relationships, our selves, all of them are out there - online. So ... where is that exactly? And who''s in charge again? And what if it breaks?In Tubes Andrew Blum takes us on a gripping backstage tour of the real but hidden world of the Internet, introducing us to the remarkable clan of insiders and eccentrics who own, design and run it everyday. He uncovers the secret data warehouses where our online selves are stored, peels back the wires that tranTrade ReviewUtterly engrossing. The year's most original and stimulating 'travel' book. Even the most geek-wary of readers will enjoy * Independent, Book of the Week *Entertaining and illuminating. Excels at rooting the Internet in real-world locations. Full of memorable images that make its complex architecture easier to comprehend * Observer *An engaging reminder that, cyber-Utopianism aside, the Internet is as much a thing of flesh and steel as any industrial-age lumber mill or factory ... An excellent introduction to the nuts and bolts of how exactly it all works and a timely antidote to oft-repeated abstractions about "cyberspace" or "cloud computing" * Economist *Makes hard-to-grasp concepts easy to understand, even obvious. The history, in particular, is one of the best and most memorable I have ever read * New Scientist *A Quixotic and winning book with a knack for bundling packets of data into memorable observations. This valuable book leaves you with its share of unsettling visions, but there are comic ones too * The New York Times *For a full understanding of the Internet on every level, this book is a must-read * Techzone *A great, playful, wondrous read * ArsTechnica *Blum is perhaps the millennial generation's John McPhee, chronicling an arcane journey of deep relevance to everyday life. For non-techies, the book is a very accessible revelation * Forbes *All too awesome to behold. Andrew Blum's fascinating book demystifies the earthly geography of this most ethereal terra incognita -- Joshua Foer, author of Moonwalking with EinsteinA brilliantly smart idea executed with investigative skill and flair. Readers will never send an email so carelessly again. * Independent Books of the Year *Compelling and profound. You will never open an e-mail in quite the same way again -- Tom Vanderbilt, author of the New York Times bestseller TrafficOne of our best writers. A compelling story of an altogether new realm where the virtual world meets the physical -- Paul Goldberger, Pulitzer Prize-winning New Yorker criticThe Internet really IS a series of tubes! Who knew? * David Pogue, Technology Editor of The New York Times *At once funny, prosaic, sinister and wise, Blum's tale is a beautifully written account of the true human cost of all our remote connectivity -- Bella Bathurst, author of The Lighthouse StevensonsWith infectious wonder, Andrew Blum introduces us to the Internet's geeky wizards and takes us on an amiably guided tour of the world they've created ... the Internet that Blum's beautifully lucid prose makes real turns out to be if anything a more marvelous place than the cloudy dreamland we'd imagined -- Donovan Hohn, author of Moby DuckAn illuminating journey of discovery * Sunday Express *Total immersive reading * The Wharf *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn The Net Delusion: How Not to Liberate the World Evgeny Morozov argues that our utopian, internet-centric thinking holds devastating consequences for the future of democracy. We were promised that the internet would set us free. From the Middle East''s ''twitter revolution'' to Facebook activism, technology would spread democracy and bring us together as never before. We couldn''t have been more wrong. In The Net Delusion Evgeny Morozov shows why internet freedom is an illusion. Not only that - in many cases the net is actually helping oppressive regimes to stifle dissent, track dissidents and keep people pacified, with companies such as Google and Amazon helping them do it. This book shows that free information doesn''t mean free people - and that, right now, everyone''s liberty is at stake. ''Offers a rare note of wisdom and common sense, on an issue overwhelmed by digital utopians''   Malcolm GladwellTrade ReviewEvgeny Morozov offers a rare note of wisdom and common sense, on an issue overwhelmed by digital utopians -- MALCOLM GLADWELLGleefully iconoclastic ... not just unfailingly readable: it is also a provocative, enlightening and welcome riposte to the cyber-utopian worldview. * The Economist *A delight ... his demolition job on the embarrassments of "internet freedom" is comprehensive ... as we go down the rabbit-hole of WikiLeaks, Morozov's humane and rational lantern will help us land without breaking our legs. -- Pat Kane * The Independent *A passionate and heavily researched account of the case against the cyber-utopians ... only by becoming "cyber-realists" can we hope to make humane and effective policy. -- Bryan Appleyard * New Statesman *Evgeny Morozov is wonderfully knowledgeable about the Internet-he seems to have studied every use of it, or every political use, in every country in the world (and to have read all the posts). And he is wonderfully sophisticated and tough-minded about politics. This is a rare combination, and it makes for a powerful argument against the latest versions of technological romanticism. His book should be required reading for every political activist who hopes to change the world on the Internet. * Michael Walzer, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton *The Net Delusion is considerably more than an assault on political rhetoric ... a war against complacency. -- Tom Chatfield * Observer *Required reading for all ... a compelling primer and rebuff to the "cyber utopians" ... trenchant and persuasive. -- John Kampfner * Sunday Times *Lively and combative ... dauntingly well-informed ... injects a welcome dose of common sense into an issue that has been absurdly lacking in it. -- John Preston * Sunday Telegraph *Piercing...convincing...timely. -- Ben Hammersley * Financial Times *[M]ore than rewards a respectful reading, not only for the author's impressive knowledge of the internet toolbox...but because of his ability to relate such technological gadgetry to the increasing challenges that are being posed to entrenched authoritarianism -- James M Murphy * Times Literary Supplement *Selected by the New York Times as one of the 100 Notable Books of 2011 * New York Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA thrilling journey through the recent discoveries in astronomy that point to our cosmic significanceIn The Copernicus Complex, the renowned astrophysicist and author Caleb Scharf takes us on a cosmic adventure like no other, asserting that the age-old Copernican principle is in need of updating. When Copernicus proposed that the Earth was not the fixed point at the center of the known universe (and therefore we are not unique), he set in motion a colossal scientific juggernaut, forever changing our vision of nature. But the principle, Scharf argues, has never been entirely true-we do live at a particular time, in a particular location, under particular circumstances. By bringing together the latest discoveries in cutting-edge astronomy, Scharf shows how many aspects of our cosmic home are genuinely unique, and reveals what it means for our quest to determine whether we are alone in the universe.Trade ReviewMind-blowing stuff . . . An original and gripping look at the universe and our place in it . . . I am pleased to report that this book, which aims to show us our place in the grand scheme of things, will not make you lose your marbles. However it may, to use the parlance of a bygone era, blow your mind a bit. In one four-page period, my marginal notes went from "!" to "!!" to "!!!" . . . A mind-expanding book . . . You won't be quite the same after reading it -- Nicholas Lezard * Guardian *The Copernicus Complex delivers its argument with comparable clarity, insight and humour. There is much to enjoy along the way, including a compelling account of the extraordinary diversity of planetary systems we now know to exist * Telegraph *The Copernicus Complex addresses a perennial mystery: the cosmic significance (or perhaps the insignificance) of life on Earth. Caleb Scharf summarizes current debates on how life began and how pervasive it is, explaining how our perspective has been changed by the recent discovery that there are millions of Earth-like planets in the Milky Way. He sets his theme in a historical context, writing in an engaging and accessible style -- Sir Martin Rees, author of Just Six Numbers and From Here to InfinityA tantalising approach to the mysteries of the universe -- Peter Forbes * Independent *[A] witty, adroitly marshalled treatise on human significance -- Robin McKie * Observer *An intoxicating collection of questions answered with other questions, and startling discoveries that make creation even more mysterious . . . Books such as these remind us that we are lucky to be here at all, and even luckier to be here now * Guardian *How reasonable is it to think that we are alone in the vast expanses of space? And how significant is life on Earth on the Universal (or multiversal) scale? These are the questions that astrobiologist Caleb Scharf addresses intelligently and comprehensively in his beautifully written The Copernicus Complex * Nature *

Read more less

Book SynopsisMichio Kaku, the international bestselling author of Physics of the Impossible, gives us a stunning and provocative vision of the future of the mindRecording memories, mind reading, videotaping our dreams, mind control, avatars, and telekinesis - no longer are these feats of the mind solely the province of overheated science fiction. As Michio Kaku reveals, with the latest advances in brain science and recent astonishing breakthroughs in technology, they already exist. In The Future of the Mind, the New York Times-bestselling author takes us on a stunning, provocative and exhilarating tour of the top laboratories around the world to meet the scientists who are already revolutionising the way we think about the brain - and ourselves.''Summons up the sheer wonder of science'' - Daily Telegraph''Compelling ... Kaku thinks with great breadth, and the vistas he presents us are worth the trip'' - New York Times Book ReviewTrade ReviewCompelling ... Kaku thinks with great breadth, and the vistas he presents us are worth the trip * New York Times Book Review *Summons up the sheer wonder of science * Daily Telegraph *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA Sunday Times and Financial Times Book of the YearWhat happens in our brains when we wake up, savour a meal or a glass of wine, walk the dog, stare at a screen, daydream or sleep? World-renowned neuroscientist Susan Greenfield draws on her own pioneering research to illuminate the mystery of consciousness, and how our brains make us who we are. ''Offers tantalising clues to the universe inside our heads'' Rob Kingston, Sunday Times, Science Books of the Year''One of the few brain researchers making a serious effort to investigate the rich continuum of conscious thoughts and feelings that underlie every moment of our waking lives'' Clive Cookson, Financial Times''An illuminating, engrossing journey'' Nature''Her writing is clear, sharp, devoid of difficult jargon and chatty. The brain''s complexity comes across vividly'' Anil Ananthaswamy, New ScientistTrade Review[Greenfield is] often described as the foremost female scientist in Britain, but is one of the best of any gender, anywhere, at getting complicated ideas across * Independent on Sunday *

Read more less

Book SynopsisMichael Clugston was born in Lurgan, Northern Ireland, in 1950 and educated at Epsom College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he was the Major Scholar in Chemistry in 1969. He continued his studies and research at both Harvard and Cambridge, before going into full-time school mastering at Tonbridge School in 1978, where he has been ever since. He has written extensively on Chemistry and Science more generally, and was shortlisted for the Salters Prize for Chemistry teachers in 2000.Trade ReviewConcise, rigorous and lucid -- Max PerutzThere should be one in each lab for reference * School Science Review *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Pain is bad, right? In this fascinating book, Brock Bastian will convince you otherwise. Drawing on both vivid everyday examples and surprising laboratory findings, he shows how pain, suffering, and struggle give us pleasure, make us kinder, focus our thoughts, and give our life meaning'' Paul Bloom, author of Against EmpathyIn today''s culture, happiness has become the new marker of success, while hardships are viewed as personal weaknesses, or problems to be fixed. We increasingly try to eradicate pain through medication and by insulating ourselves from risk and offence, despite being the safest generation to have ever lived. Yet in his research, renowned social psychologist Brock Bastian has found that suffering and sadness are neither antithetical to happiness nor incidental to it: they are a necessary ingredient for emotional well-being.Drawing on psychology, neuroscience and internationally acclaimed findings from Bastian''s own laTrade ReviewPain is bad, right? In this fascinating book, Brock Bastian will convince you otherwise. Drawing on both vivid everyday examples and surprising laboratory findings, he shows how pain, suffering, and struggle give us pleasure, make us kinder, focus our thoughts, and give our life meaning. Bastian is a brilliant researcher and deep thinker and THE OTHER SIDE OF HAPPINESS is a delight to read -- Paul Bloom, author of AGAINST EMPATHYBrock Bastian skilfully shatters the zeitgeist of positive thinking, showing how struggle and suffering are vital elements of a life well lived -- Adam Grant, author of ORIGINALS and OPTION B with Sheryl SandbergThis is a marvellous, thought-provoking challenge to how we think about and go about the pursuit of happiness. If you're tired of all the simple minded books telling you to just cheer up and be happy, this is the book for you! -- Roy F. Baumeister, author of WILLPOWER: REDISCOVERING THE GREATEST HUMAN STRENGTHExplains why hardship sometimes yields richer lives that are laden with meaning, deep social connections, and unexpected bliss. A beautifully written and important book that should be required reading for anyone who's ever wondered why well-being so often flourishes in unexpected places -- Adam Alter, author of DRUNK TANK PINK

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn inquisitive, expansive and fascinating exploration of humans as creatures of our own makingOther species adapt to their environments; we alone create ours. Over generations, we have remade the world to suit ourselves - using improved knowledge and technology to confront the traditional scourges - and for the most part we enjoy prosperity beyond the dreams of our ancestors. What''s more, in changing our world, we have also reshaped the human phenotype - the interaction between genes and environment that moulds our bodies and minds. The results can be seen in the streets of our post-industrial cities. We grow taller and heavier than before, and live longer. We think and behave differently, and die from once rare diseases. Our experiences of life have been transformed, and in turn so have our societies.Weaving together biology, social anthropology, epidemiology and history, Edwin Gale examines the shifting physical and mental dimeTrade ReviewA fascinating thesis argues that biologically we are unlike any generation that has gone before... [Gale's] book is humane and fascinating and it boasts a compelling argument. You will not be bored reading it and if you can't be bothered to read it cover to cover you can simply open it at random to find a good story for your next dinner party. -- James Marriot * Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisCHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN, DAILY TELEGRAPH, NEW STATESMAN AND BBC SCIENCE FOCUS''An intimate, unique, and inspiring perspective on the life and work of one of the greatest minds of our time. Filled with insight, humour, and never-before-told stories, it''s a view of Stephen Hawking that few have seen and all will appreciate'' James Clear, author of Atomic HabitsAn icon of the last fifty years, Stephen Hawking seems to encapsulate genius: not since Albert Einstein has a scientific figure held such a position in popular consciousness. In this enthralling memoir, writer and physicist Leonard Mlodinow tells the story of his friend and their collaboration, offering an intimate account of this giant of science. The two met in 2003, when Stephen asked Leonard if he would consider writing a book with him, the follow up to the bestselling A Brief History of Time. As they spent years working on a seconTrade ReviewA very fine book indeed. Mlodinow is himself a physicist of some distinction, but he is also a very skilled writer. Writing of the stubbornness that enabled Hawking to pursue theoretical physics despite his motor neurone disease, he says, "It allowed his spirit to dance in the prison of his limp body." The great merit of this book is to convey so vividly the dance, the spirit and the prison -- Ray Monk * New Statesman Books of the Year *Even Stephen Hawking's brain was not a computer; fellow physicist Leonard Mlodinow provides a warm and three-dimensional portrait of a brilliant and stubborn human being, rather than simply a genius in a chair * Daily Telegraph Books of the Year *One of the most touching biographies of the year shows the human side of the great physicist Stephen Hawking, as seen by his friend and collaborator Leonard Mlodinow. With admirably easy-to-grasp digressions into favourite subjects such as Einstein, dark energy and black holes, Mlodinow tells us about Hawking the man -- Katy Guest * Guardian Books of the Year *A personal and intellectual biography - and tremendously entertaining. . . Leonard Mlodinow is himself a theoretical physicist, and a brilliant writer to boot. . . Five stars -- Daily Telegraph * Steven Poole *Hawking's collaborator retells his story with humour and fondness, and helps us know the famous scientist as he really was. . . Highly enjoyable. . . a tender account, full of genuine affection, which doesn't shy away from Hawking's intense focus, self-centredness and unpredictability -- Guardian * Jim Al-Khalili *A compelling read. . . fresh and worthwhile. As a serious theoretical physicist who co-wrote two books with Hawking, Leonard Mlodinow saw the great man from a unique vantage point. He can delve into intimate details and survey the intellectual high ground -- James McConnachie * Sunday Times *Leonard Mlodinow has done the impossible. He has skillfully woven together a thoughtful, insightful, intimate, and engaging portrait of Stephen Hawking, one of the greatest minds of our times, while being scrupulously faithful to the physics. Hawking would have been proud of this book -- Michio KakuStartlingly good ... What really comes over is his modest delight that he made a friend of such an eminent man. Mlodinow explains the science with a clarity and an elegance. You will learn from this what you signally failed to learn from A Brief History of Time -- Daily MailStephen Hawking was a unique scientist and person, and Leonard Mlodinow's book is a unique glimpse into how he worked and lived. As educational as it is touching, this is a deeply human look at a mind that spanned the cosmos -- Sean Carroll, author of Something Deeply HiddenDespite the acclaim, there is still much to discover about Steven Hawking ... theoretical physicist Leonard Mlodinow offers an intimate glimpse inside the famous scientist's life * New Scientist *Hugely enjoyable. . . fresh and compelling. Instead of the spellbound exaltation of a great mind, it is a humane and intimate portrayal of a brilliant scientist. It is also written from a special vantage point. Mlodinow, a theoretical physicist and gifted author, spent several years working with Hawking, co-writing two books. Their working sessions form the narrative backbone of this emotionally satisfying and intellectually stimulating memoir John Paul Rathbone, Financial Times -- Financial Times * John Paul Rathbone *An intimate, unique, and inspiring perspective on the life and work of one of the greatest minds of our time. Filled with insight, humour, and never-before-told stories, it's a view of Stephen Hawking that few have seen and all will appreciate -- James Clear, author of Atomic HabitsStephen Hawking surpassed science and touched the world with his transcendent genius and heroic courage that inspired millions. In this intimate memoir, his long-time friend and physics collaborator Leonard Mlodinow, one of the finest science writers of our time, shares insights into Hawking that humanizes him while also revealing what made him one of history's greatest minds -- Michael Shermer, author of The Believing Brain

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Brilliant. You won''t find a clearer, more engaging guide to what we know (or would like to know) about the universe and how it is put together'' Bill BrysonCelebrated physicist and global bestselling author Paul Davies tells the story of the universe in thirty cosmological conundrumsIn the constellation of Eridanus there lurks a cosmic mystery. It''s as if something has taken a huge bite out of the universe, leaving a super-void. What could be the culprit? A super massive black hole? Another, bigger universe? Or an expanding vacuum bubble, destined to envelop and annihilate everything in existence?Scientists now understand the history of our universe better than the history of our own planet, but they continue to uncover startling new riddles-the hole in the universe being just one. In this electrifying book, award-winning physicist Paul Davies walks us through the puzzles and paradoxes that have preoccupied cosmologists from ancient Greece to the present day. Laying bare the audacious research that has led us to mind-bending solutions, Davies reveals how we might begin to approach the greatest outstanding enigmas of all.Trade ReviewBrilliant. You won't find a clearer, more engaging guide to what we know (or would like to know) about the universe and how it is put together. -- Bill Bryson * author of The Body: A Guide for Occupants *Paul Davies gives us a thought-provoking, fascinating, and delightful journey through some of the big questions that have perplexed and tantalized scientists throughout history. These are the questions and paradoxes that have stumped and teased history's greatest minds. What happened before the beginning? What is the meaning of the universe? Are there other universes? -- Michio KakuPaul Davies brings his customary lucidity to a survey of some of the most fascinating and puzzling aspects of our universe, simultaneously educating us about its vertiginous wonders and giving us a real sense of science's questions as it confronts and explores them and wrestles with their mystery. It is an absorbing and stimulating read, one of the best of its kind. -- A.C. Grayling * author of The Frontiers of Knowledge *Compelling ... Davies excels in succinctly addressing the cosmological conundrums that haven't received as much attention as dark matter, dark energy, what triggered the big bang and the fate of the universe * Forbes *A whistle-stop tour of the biggest mysteries that cosmologists are investigating today ... a fun way of making sure you're all caught up on where cosmology is at today * Physics World *What's Eating the Universe? is a veritable feast for curious minds. Davies, a polymath and lyrical writer, masterfully tackles all the big questions ranging from why this Universe to the meaning of life and the significance of the present moment-a whirlwind journey through ideas that have shaped our understanding of the cosmos and its constituents. -- Priyamvada Natarajan * author of Mapping the Heavens: The Radical Scientific Ideas That Reveal the Cosmos *A great introduction for readers new to physics ...Lessons in cosmology and astrophysics abound in this enthusiastic primer * Publishers Weekly *Understanding theoretical physics is a daunting task, but What's Eating the Universe?is here to guide readers through the field. Each chapter is short-less than 10 pages-but jargon-free and full of information ... Regardless of the reader's prior physics knowledge, the book provides an accessible introduction to cosmology * Physics Today *What's Eating the Universe? is Paul Davies at his very best. He brings a lifetime of experience in explaining mysteries of space and time to offer thought-provoking essays on deep questions in bite-sized, easily digestible chunks. There is no better overview of the advances made by cosmologists in recent decades. -- John Gribbin * author of Six Impossible Things: The ‘Quanta of Solace’ and the Mysteries of the Subatomic World *A delightful account of the cutting edge of modern cosmology. He is truly exceptional at explaining all of this in his inimitable style--let's say 'astropoetry' -- Simon Mitton, University of CambridgeA whistle-stop tour of the major questions in contemporary cosmology -- Philip Ball, author of Beyond Weird: Why Everything You Thought You Knew about Quantum Physics Is Different

Read more less

Book SynopsisA timeless and majestic portrait of Africa by renowned writer Peter Matthiessen (1927-2014), author of the National Book Award-winning The Snow Leopard and the new novel In Paradise A finalist for the National Book Award when it was released in 1972, this vivid portrait of East Africa remains as fresh and revelatory now as on the day it was first published. Peter Matthiessen exquisitely combines nature and travel writing to portray the sights, scenes, and people he observed firsthand in several trips over the course of a dozen years. From the daily lives of wild herdsmen and the drama of predator kills to the field biologists investigating wild creatures and the anthropologists seeking humanity''s origins in the rift valley, The Tree Where Man Was Born is a classic of journalistic observation. This Penguin Classics edition features an introduction by groundbreaking British primatologist Jane Goodall.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSince the release of the documentary Blackfish in 2013, millions around the world have focused on the plight of the orca, the most profitable and controversial display animal in history. Yet, until now, no historical account has explained how we came to care about killer whales in the first place. Drawing on interviews, official records, private archives, and his own family history, Jason M. Colby tells the exhilarating and often heartbreaking story of how people came to love the ocean''s greatest predator. Historically reviled as dangerous pests, killer whales were dying by the hundreds, even thousands, by the 1950s--the victims of whalers, fishermen, and even the US military. In the Pacific Northwest, fishermen shot them, scientists harpooned them, and the Canadian government mounted a machine gun to eliminate them. But that all changed in 1965, when Seattle entrepreneur Ted Griffin became the first person to swim and perform with a captive killer whale. The show proved wildly popular, and he began capturing and selling others, including Sea World''s first Shamu.Over the following decade, live display transformed views of Orcinus orca. The public embraced killer whales as charismatic and friendly, while scientists enjoyed their first access to live orcas. In the Pacific Northwest, these captive encounters reshaped regional values and helped drive environmental activism, including Greenpeace''s anti-whaling campaigns. Yet even as Northwesterners taught the world to love whales, they came to oppose their captivity and to fight for the freedom of a marine predator that had become a regional icon. This is the definitive history of how the feared and despised killer became the beloved orca--and what that has meant for our relationship with the ocean and its creatures.Trade ReviewDetailed, determinedly even-handed and often fascinating. * Lucy Atkins, Times Literary Supplement *Jason Colby's Orca...left me with feelings of gratitude for his hard work, admiration and envy for his skills as a historian and storyteller, and also some new hopes about the possibilities of writing about animals and history.....The characters, human and cetacean, are drawn with extraordinary empathy and care, and their experiences, hopes, and worries, as told by Colby, are powerful....The photographs, of which there are more than forty, are both exceptional and thoughtfully curated. * Nigel Rothfels, Humanimalia *Timely ... Over forty oral history interviews, added to substantial archival and secondary research, allow Colby to weave a history that highlights the agency and complexities of orca capture and captivity ... This engaging book should garner a wide audience of academics and orca enthusiasts. The clear narrative and interesting stories moreover make it suitable for undergraduate courses in both Pacific Northwest history and environmental history * Jen Corrinne Brown, American Historical Review *Colby is an easy and engaging writer... He utilizes extensive interviews he conducted with many of the most colorful and important people involved in the story: those who captured whales, the promoters, fishermen, scientists, and the citizens and politicians who became involved in the fight to halt the capture. * Carmel Finley, Journal of American History *This is an affecting book, personal and political all at once, and written by a scholar who has worked hard to recover and relay painful tales of the wild orcas that encountered humans and the humans that did the encountering. Nearly all those meetings began in panic and pain, most of it the whales', though some of it that of the men who came to believe they were doing the wrong thing wresting these breathtaking animals from their world, to deliver them to our own, which has been changed by the resulting episodes of captivity and captivation. * D. Graham Burnett, author of The Sounding of the Whale *This fascinating history reveals what happens when humans became captivated by captive orcas. Colby poignantly locates the very origins of conservation in the tense, tender, and tragic relationships between humans and cetaceans. This finely textured social history of the Pacific Northwest opens up the story of how 'killer whales', once cast as deadly pests * became popular attractions and emotional, intelligent 'orcas'.Daniel Bender, author of The Animal Game: Searching for Wildness at the American Zoo *With Orca, Jason Colby takes readers on a riveting journey. In a matter of decades, the Pacific Northwest's killer whales traveled from despised vermin to regional sweethearts. Their emotional passage revealed the true wildcard of wildlife management: navigating the swirling opinions of human populations. A timely book, Orca brings history to bear on a fraught relationship between two apex predators. Colby traces the rise in human affection for the whales but also the emergence of a cruel realization as audiences cheered captives' performances in aquariums across the globe. Love and fandom could kill and maim as efficiently as fear and contempt. In the end, it's unclear whether orcas benefited from the connection they forged with people. * Jon Coleman, author of Vicious: Wolves and Men in America *Killer whales, or orcas, the apex marine predators, were once widely feared as dangerous vermin and were shot on sight. Yet over the past fifty years, a sea change in attitudes towards this remarkable animal took place, and today the species is a revered and cherished global icon of the wild marine environment. In this compelling book, Jason Colby chronicles this transition in our relationship with the killer whale and tells an enthralling story complete with drama and excitement. It is sure to be an important addition to the libraries of natural historians and whale enthusiasts alike. * John Ford, Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada *Colby shines a light on how little we understand of these magnificent creatures. His book gives a glimpse into a mysterious yet strangely familiar world, brought to life in a story that's tragic, heartbreaking, and finally hopeful. * Foreword Reviews (starred review) *A good choice for serious fans of Pacific Northwest and marine history. * Kirkus *A revealing look at how the human view of orcas has changed... Colby persuasively contends that, despite legitimate concerns popularized by the 2013 documentary Blackfish, about the effects of captivity on orcas, the animals avoided extinction because their presence in accessible public venues enabled people to relate to them... Colby has produced an originally argued and accessibly jargon-free consideration of a hot-button animal conservation issue. * Publishers Weekly *Killer whales, also known as orcas, are idolized, loved, and even revered. Such sentiments, however, have not always been held toward this species, as historian Jason Colby reveals in his new book, Orca... Colby does an excellent job of framing these events within the larger environmental movement of the time, as well as placing them within the context of the nationalism that was spreading on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border at the time." * Robin W. Baird, Science *[Told] with the depth and passion the topic deserves. * Lynda V. Mapes, Seattle Times *Immersive and dramatic... Colby demonstrates the speed at which societal attitudes can also shift the baseline of our expectations. In this age of extinction, with ongoing changes in ocean chemistry and physics, it is the potential for a sea change in public attitude that presents hope. * Sascha Hooker, Nature *An exceptional book and a significant contribution to the conservation of killer whales, Orca brings together a wealth of information and tells the stories of the captive whales and the people who pursued, cared for, and studied them - and ultimately fought for their freedom... It instantly takes its place as one of the best books ever written about the interactions between killer whales and settler society on the coastlines of B.C. and Washington State. It should be read by every whale enthusiast, naturalist, fishing guide, graduate student, researcher, marine resource manager, and politician on the Pacific coast. * Anna Hall, Ormsby Review *It is a story not just of the orca business, but also of the evolution of Americans' relationship to the oceans and marine life-the growth of marine parks parallels the shift from an extractive approach to the ocean, as mainly a source of fish, to a recreational one. It intersects, too, with the birth of the modern environmental movement in the 1960s and 70s. * Rachel Riederer, New Republic *[Colby] has produced an exhaustive, nuanced, essential account of the captures, unearthing a forgotten bit of Northwest history. * Nancy Macdonald, Literary Review of Canada *A riveting behind-the-scenes 'tell all,' told from the perspectives of the individuals that witnessed this important period in our history. This book is a historical account of how an industry formed, nearly destroying the very commodity on which it depended, coupled with an infusion of science that helped us to better understand killer whale life history. Colby retells a tragic yet sobering story of the good and dark sides of the delicate relationship between humans and other sentient beings. * Eric L. Walters, Journal of Mammalogy *An exhaustively researched and well-written account. * Paul Brown, Resurgence & Ecologist *An engaging but in-depth history...Orca is an exciting new offering at the intersection between histories of the display of live cetaceans, which generally focus on the environmental movement and its pushback against keeping captive dolphins and orcas, and histories of the modern commercial whaling industry, which generally focus purely on the harvesting of larger whales….The book is both an intensely local history of the Pacific Northwest in the late twentieth century and also a more global history of human relationships with large predators and animals in captivity.….Colby provides an exhaustive account of changing perceptions of killer whales and how this related to the development of the environmental movement into which they were embedded, all over the span of just a couple of decades. * Jakobina Arch, Environmental History *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. "The Most Terrible Jaws Afloat" 2. The Old Northwest 3. Griffin's Quest 4. Murray Newman and Moby Doll 5. Namu's Journey 6. A Boy and His Whale 7. Fishing for Orcas 8. Skana and the Hippie 9. The Scores at Pender Harbor 10. Supply and Demand 11. The White Whale 12. Penn Cove Roundup 13. Whaling in the New Northwest 14. Big Government and Big Business 15. The Legend of Mike Bigg 16. "All hell broke loose" 17. New Frontiers 18. Haida's Song 19. The Legacy of Capture Epilogue Acknowledgements Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisIt''s time for a story of human evolution that goes beyond describing ape-men and talks about what women and children were doing.In a few decades, a torrent of new evidence and ideas about human evolution has allowed scientists to piece together a more detailed understanding of what went on thousands and even millions of years ago. We now know much more about the problems our ancestors faced, the solutions they found, and the trade-offs they made. The drama of their experiences led to the humans we are today: an animal that relies on a complex culture. We are a species that can and does rapidly evolve cultural solutions as we face new problems, but the intricacies of our cultures mean that this often creates new challenges.Our species'' unique capacity for culture began to evolve millions of years ago, but it only really took off in the last few hundred thousand years. This capacity allowed our ancestors to survive and raise their difficult children during times of extreme climate chaos. Understanding how this has evolved can help us understand the cultural change and diversity that we experience today.Lesley Newson and Peter Richerson, a husband-and-wife team based at the University of California, Davis, began their careers with training in biology. The two have spent years together and individually researching and collaborating with scholars from a wide range of disciplines to produce a deep history of humankind. In A Story of Us, they present this rich narrative and explain how the evolution of our genes relates to the evolution of our cultures. Newson and Richerson take readers through seven stages of human evolution, beginning seven million years ago with the apes that were the ancestors of humans and today''s chimps and bonobos. The story ends in the present day and offers a glimpse into the future.Trade ReviewEncapsulating seven million years of human history can be challenging; however, the authors have done a brilliant job of extrapolating key themes and explaining them in a consumable format. An additional strength of this book is the acknowledgment of females and children in the evolutionary journey. In closing, this book is a great read for people of all levels of background in evolutionary science, who want to learn more about the recent findings in this field. * Yvanna Todorova, Evolutionary Anthropology *This is a splendid book ... Sometimes a book really works and this is one such case. * Michael Ruse, Quarterly Review of Biology *... a smart and engaging book by two seasoned thinkers and scientific writers... The stories embedded in each chapter by Newson and Richerson are ingenious, appealing, and reflect the solid scholarly material presented simply and directly before and after any given story. All the pieces fit together nicely... enjoyably readable and profoundly informative about the power of cultural evolution. * leonardo.info *A Story of Us provides a thoroughly modern and refreshingly gender-balanced analysis of human evolution. Accurate and authoritative, with superb illustrations, and innovative use of storytelling to bring the science to life, Lesley Newson and Peter Richerson have produced an exceptional book. Readers are not only given an up-to-date precis of human evolution, but also treated to an expert analysis of the role of culture as a driver of evolutionary adaptation and a much-needed critique of 'human nature.' * Kevin Laland, author of Darwin's Unfinished Symphony: How Culture Made the Human Mind *Jargon-free books about human origins are rare as hens' teeth. A Story of Us—an easily readable 'new look' by biologists Lesley Newson and Peter Richerson—is hence extremely welcome. It displays an expert command of recent developments in fields ranging from anatomy and behavior through fossils to genetics, providing an engaging account of our evolution over the past 7 million years. The focus on social behavior and cooperation offsets past over-emphasis on competitiveness and aggression. It's also refreshing to see proper inclusion of women and youngsters, typically pale background figures in previous accounts. * Robert D. Martin, Emeritus Curator of Biological Anthropology, The Field Museum in Chicago and Academic Guest, Institute for Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zürich *A Story of Us hits all the right notes in imagining what life was like at seven major stopping-points of the human journey from our ape ancestors. Original, colorful and well-informed, Newson and Richerson's time machine is a beautifully conceived introduction to the evolutionary science of us. * Richard Wrangham, Ruth B. Moore Professor of Biological Anthropology, Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University *In this highly original approach to telling the seven-million-year human story, Newson and Richerson bring our ancient ancestors back to life, showing us that the key to being human is not just having a larger brain: it is having highly interconnected minds that generate and share cultural adaptations. No Homo sapiens is an island. I loved reading this book, because it really is the 'story of us.' * Jonathan Haidt, Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership, New York University—Stern School of Business and author of The Righteous Mind *With plainspoken erudition, Lesley Newson and Peter Richerson integrate narrative accounts and lucid descriptions to deftly guide the reader from the dawn of humanity, through dense thickets of scientific research, to the origins of agriculture, and into the modern age. A Story of Us provides a rich and accessible account of how humans evolved and why we are so different from other species. * Joseph Henrich, Professor and Chair of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University and author of The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous *A Story of Us is, without a doubt, the best current account of the evolutionary history of our species. The Newson-Richerson team skillfully blends engaging narrative with solid scientific review of recent exciting advances that illuminate the human origins. * Peter Turchin, Project Leader of Social Complexity and Collapse at the Complexity Science Hub Vienna and author of Ultrasociety: How 10,000 Years of War Made Humans the Greatest Cooperators on Earth *Table of ContentsChapter 1: Getting Beyond the Ape-Men Chapter 2: Ape Ancestor (About 7 Million Years Ago) Chapter 3: Apes that Walked Upright (About 3 Million Years Ago) Chapter 4: Early Humans (About 1.5 Million Years Ago) Chapter 5: Humans Like Us (About 100 Thousand Years Ago) Chapter 6: Ice Age Humans (About 30,000 Years Ago) Chapter 7: Building Today's World Chapter 8: Another Transformation - Modern Times Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis Handbook provides an authoritative in-depth understanding of China's progression and future global position from over sixty leading scholars on China, who explain the development of China's innovation capabilities, the causes and their views about the future direction. Xiaolan Fu, Jin Chen, and Bruce McKern bring together international scholars and experts to explain how China managed, in a very short period of time, to become the world's second-largest economyand a leader in many fields of innovation.Trade ReviewChina has gone from a relatively poor and isolated economy with a defective economic model to a powerhouse in a matter of four decades. This Handbook will help readers understand how that happened. In applying multiple lenses to understanding this complex journey, one learns about the role of the state and the private sectors, the key mindsets and policy frameworks, and China's experimental approach to finding pathways to progress in the absence of clear roadmaps. Readers will be left with little doubt that the China case is important, not only for its scale, but for real innovation in finding ways to accelerate innovation processes. As the world faces important challenges, in which accelerated innovation is a critical capability, the China experience covered in this volume holds important lessons for a wide range of developed and emerging economies. * Michael Spence, Nobel Laureate and William R. Berkley Professor in Economics and Business, New York University *At the core of the rise of China has been the formation of a strong national innovation system. In this handbook on innovation in China, sixty scholars from within and outside China analyze, how the system has been shaped by combining markets with planning, national priorities with openness and central decision-making with regional strategies. Contributions also capture important new developments in China's innovation system aiming at environmental sustainability and the promotion of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence. The handbook is a must-read for scholars, businessmen and policy makers who want to understand the history and future of China and its role in the world. * Bengt Åke Bertil Lundvall, Professor Emeritus, Department of Business and Management, Aalborg University *Table of ContentsIntroduction: China's Journey to Innovation Xiaolan Fu, Bruce McKern and Jin Chen PART I - The Development of Innovation in China: Theory, Policy and Practice 1.1. Capabilities Accumulation and Development: What History Tells the Theory Giovanni Dosi and Xiaodan Yu 1.2. China's Industrial Development Strategies and Policies Justin Yifu Lin and Jianjun Zhou 1.3. The Development of Innovation Studies in China Rongping Mu, Jin Chen and Wenjing Lyu 1.4. China's S&T Progress through the Lens of Patenting Gary Jefferson and Renai Jiang PART II - Building China's Innovation Capabilities 2.1. China's National and Regional Innovation Systems Lan Xue, Daitian Li and Zhen Yu 2.2. The Great Dialectic: State versus Market in China Loren Brandt and Eric Thun 2.3. Entrepreneurship and Innovation of SMEs in China Jin Chen and Liying Wang 2.4. Financing for innovation in China Changwen Zhao and Xiheng Jiang 2.5. Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education and Its Implications for Human Capital Development in China Fang Lee Cooke PART III - National Incentives for an Innovation Driven Economy 3.1. System Reform, Competition, and Innovation in China Weiying Zhang 3.2. Reforms of the Science and Technology Management System Zhijian Hu, Zhe Li and Xianlan Lin 3.3. Mass entrepreneurship and Mass Innovation in China Jian Gao and Rui Mu PART IV - Developing Innovation-Favouring Institutions and Ecosystem 4.1. The Role of Clusters in the Development of Innovation Capabilities in China Tuoyu Li and Jiang Wei 4.2. China's Science-Based Innovation and Technology Transfer in the Global Context Jizhen Li, Ximing Yin and Subrina Shen 4.3. Science Parks and High-tech Zones Susan M. Walcott 4.4. Venture Capital, Angel Capital & Other Finance, IPOs and Acquisitions Lin Lin 4.5. Intellectual Property Rights Protection Can Huang and Naubahar Sharif 4.6. Innovation Elements in Traditional Chinese Culture Jin Chen and Qingqian Wu PART V- Openness and the Acquisition of Technology and Capabilities 5.1. Innovation Strategies of MNCs in China and Their Contribution to the National Ecosystem Bruce McKern, George Yip and Dominique Jolly 5.2. Foreign Technology Transfers in China Xiaolan Fu and Jun Hou 5.3. China's International Migration: Status and Characteristics Huiyao Wang 5.4. Chinese Outward Foreign Direct Investments and Innovation Vito Amendolaigne, Xiaolan Fu, and Roberta Rabellotti 5.5. Internationalization of Chinese R&D Max von Zedtwitz and Xiaohong Iris Quan 5.6. International Innovation Collaboration in China Kaihua Chen, Ze Feng and Xiaolan Fu 5.7. Open Innovation for Development in China Jin Chen and Yufen Chen PART VI - Innovation with Chinese Characteristics 6.1. Chinese Cost Innovation, the Shanzhai phenomenon, and Accelerated Innovation Peter Williamson 6.2. Global Supply Chains as Drivers of Innovation in China Michael Murphree and Dan Breznitz 6.3. Market Demand, Consumer Characteristics, and Innovation in Chinese Firms Hengyuan Zhu and Qing Wang 6.4. Chinese Firms' Move to the Forefront in Digital Technologies Jiang Yu and Yue Zhang 6.5. China's Financial Innovation: Process, Drive, and Impacts Liqing Zhang 6.6. The Puzzle of the Underdog's Victory: How Chinese Firms Achieve Stretch Goals Through Exploratory Bricolage Peter Ping Li, Shihao Zhou and Zhengyin Yang PART VII - Innovation capability transition and upgrading for an inclusive and sustainable innovation system 7.1. Green Innovation in China Ping Huang and Rasmus Lema 7.2. Innovating for the Poor: The Inclusive Innovation System in China Xiaobo Wu and Linan Lei 7.3. Manufacturing Power Strategy: Advanced Manufacturing Joerg Mayer and Huifeng Sun 7.4. Facing the Future of China's Science and Technology Development Jiaofeng Pan, Guanghua Chen and Xiao Lu Conclusion Xiaolan Fu, Bruce McKern, Jin Chen and Ximing Yin

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe 21st century offers a dizzying array of new technological developments: robots smart enough to take white collar jobs, social media tools that manage our most important relationships, ordinary objects that track, record, analyze and share every detail of our daily lives, and biomedical techniques with the potential to transform and enhance human minds and bodies to an unprecedented degree. Emerging technologies are reshaping our habits, practices, institutions, cultures and environments in increasingly rapid, complex and unpredictable ways that create profound risks and opportunities for human flourishing on a global scale. How can our future be protected in such challenging and uncertain conditions? How can we possibly improve the chances that the human family will not only live, but live well, into the 21st century and beyond?This book locates a key to that future in the distant past: specifically, in the philosophical traditions of virtue ethics developed by classical thinkers fTrade ReviewThe book is an excellent contribution to moral philosophy, applied ethics and ethics of technology. In addition, I can imagine fruitful connections to other fields; e.g., to political philosophy and development economics, to discuss the roles of policies and institutions in enabling people to cultivate relevant virtues and extend relevant human capabilities, or to moral psychology or computer-human interaction, to empirically study the ways in which people may cultivate virtues in interaction with technologies. * Marc Steen, Journal of Moral Philosophy *Vallor bursts virtue ethics into 21st century relevance with her technomoral analyses. This is a wonderfully written and engaging tour de force that leaves few technological stones unturned. You certainly don't need to be a philosopher to understand Vallor's persuasive account of how to lead the good life in a world littered with ever new techno-pitfalls. It is a must read for everyone involved in the creation and governance of new technology. * Noel Sharkey, Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and of Public Engagement, University of Sheffield *Shannon Vallor's book, which she appropriately previewed at a conference in China, is an insightful effort to think virtue from both Western and Eastern traditions and bring it to bear in the techno-lifeworld. It cannot help but challenge all of us who live in this world to think more deeply about who we are and what we are doing. * Carl Mitcham, Renmin University of China *Technology and the Virtues is the first extended analysis of technology and ethics drawing on virtue theory. Vallor has made an extraordinary contribution to the philosophy of technology that will have long-lasting influence. The book has it all: current relevance, philosophical depth and rigor, sociotechnical understanding of technology, practical implications, and lucid and engaging prose. * Deborah G. Johnson, Anne Shirley Carter Olsson Chair of Applied Ethics, University of Virginia *With insight, erudition, and dare I say wisdom, Shannon Vallor makes the classical virtue ethics of Confucius, Aristotle, and the Buddha a hot topic for this technological age. Creatively and convincingly she demonstrates that technomoral virtues are essential for navigating the contemporary landscape being shaped by social networks, robots, and biotechnologies." - Wendell Wallach, author of A Dangerous Master and Chair of the Technology and Ethics Study Group at Yale University's Interdisciplinary Center for BioethicsHow to live well with emerging technologies that will radically change our lives is one of the main issues of contemporary moral theory. The book Technology and the Virtues by Shannon Vallor is a welcomed attempt to answer this question...the book is very interesting, as it highlights a number of differences in a debate that, while being global, shows how different, culturally determined discourses can be developed. * Metascience *Shannon Vallor makes a compelling argument for renewing the cultivation of the virtues in order to meet the challenges of our technological age...Vallor takes a comprehensive approach, addressing both theory and applications...The cumulative case is quite impressive. Vallor ranges over three widely diverse moral traditions from the ancient world, then connects their concerns with the intricacies of urgent contemporary problems...Students and scholars of both the virtues and technology will find a great deal to interest and stimulate them here. Moreover, Vallor's book captures the special blend of excitement and precariousness that is woven into our lives today by our use and reliance on constantly changing technology. * Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Technology and the Virtues is a valuable contribution to both virtue theory and philosophy of technology; those working at the intersection of these fields will need to take Vallor's work into account. At the same time, the book would work well in the classroom. Vallor leads her reader from the basics of virtue theory, through key virtue ethical traditions and new technosocial virtues, to compelling discussions of the application of virtue ethics * and technosocial virtuesto emerging technologies…As a starting point for investigating the application of virtue theory to technology, one would be hard-pressed to find a better option than this ambitious volume.Ethics *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Envisioning the Good Life in the 21st Century and Beyond Part I: Foundations for a Technomoral Virtue Ethic Chapter One: Virtue Ethics, Technology and Human Flourishing Chapter Two: The Case for a Global Technomoral Virtue Ethic Part II: Cultivating the Technomoral Self: Classical Virtue Traditions as a Contemporary Guide Chapter Three: The Practice of Moral Self-Cultivation in Classical Virtue Traditions Chapter Four: Cultivating the Foundations of Technomoral Virtue Chapter Five: Completing the Circle with Technomoral Wisdom Chapter Six: Technomoral Wisdom for an Uncertain Future: 21st Century Virtues Part III: Meeting the Future with Technomoral Wisdom, Or How to Live Well with Emerging Technologies Chapter Seven: New Social Media and the Technomoral Virtues Chapter Eight: Surveillance and the Examined Life: Cultivating the Technomoral Self in a Panoptic World Chapter Nine: Robots at War and at Home: Preserving the Technomoral Virtues of Care and Courage Chapter Ten: Knowing What to Wish For: Technomoral Wisdom and Human Enhancement Technology Epilogue References

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Chapter 1: From Tomahawks to Telescopes Chapter 2: Rising Stars Chapter 3: The Rocketeers Chapter 4: Foreign Intelligence Across the Rhine Chapter 5: Lights in the Night Sky Chapter 6: Genius Blooms Chapter 7: The People's Observatory Chapter 8: Opportunity Knocks - Doors Open Wide Chapter 9: Inventing Modern Optical Sciences Chapter 10: Power for the People Donald E. Osborn Chapter 11: A View to National Security Chapter 12: In Space at Last Chapter 13: Slowly Fades the Supernova Appendix 1: List of Acronyms and Abbreviations Appendix 2: Literature by Aden and Marjorie Meinel Appendix 3: Select publications of Edison Pettit, Hannah Steele Pettit, and Helen Pettit Knaflich References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisOver the course of a generation, algorithms have gone from mathematical abstractions to powerful mediators of daily life. In evolving from static computer programs hand-coded by engineers to the products of machine learning, these technologies have made our lives more efficient, more entertaining, and, sometimes, better informed. At the same time, complex algorithms are increasingly crushing the basic rights of individual citizens. Allegedly anonymized datasets and statistical models routinely leak our most sensitive personal information; applications for everything from loans to college reflect racial and gender bias. Meanwhile, users manipulate algorithms to game search engines, spam filters, online reviewing services and navigation apps. Understanding and improving the science behind the algorithms that run our lives is quickly becoming one of the most pressing issues of this century. Traditional solutions, such as laws, regulations and watchdog groups, have proven woefully inadequate, at best. Derived from the cutting-edge of scientific research, The Ethical Algorithm offers a new approach: a set of principled solutions based on the emerging and exciting science of socially aware algorithm design. Weaving together the science behind algorithm design with stories of citizens, lawyers, scientists, and activists experiencing the trial-and-error of research in real-time, Michael Kearns and Aaron Roth present a strikingly original way forward, showing how we can begin to work together to protect people from the unintended impacts of algorithms--and, sometimes, protect the science that could save us from ourselves.Trade Review...the authors take us on a journey through the main socio-algorithmic problems representing social constraints upon algorithms, their consequences and trade-offs. [T]hey provide concrete technical solutions for the challenges discussed throughout the book's 5 chapters: privacy, fairness, user-data-algorithm feedback loop, data-driven scientific discoveries and (brief) thoughts on the ethical issues (transparency, accountability, morality) yet to be pursued scientifically. * ESSSAT News & Reviews *It is elegantly written, easy to read and full of entertaining examples. * Martin Peterson, Prometheus *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Algorithmic Privacy: The Power of Randomization Chapter 2: Fairness: Discriminating Algorithms Chapter 3: Games People Play (With Algorithms) Chapter 4: Lost in the Garden: Led Astray by Data Chapter 5: Risky Business: Interpretability, Morality, and the Singularity Some Concluding Thoughts Acknowledgements Notes

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis Very Short Introduction traces the history and cultural impact of the elements on humankind, and examines why people have long sought to identify the substances around them. Looking beyond the Periodic Table, the author examines our relationship with matter, from the uncomplicated vision of the Greek philosophers, who believed there were four elements - earth, air, fire, and water - to the work of modern-day scientists in creating elements such as hassium and meitnerium. Packed with anecdotes, The Elements is a highly engaging and entertaining exploration of the fundamental question: what is the world made from? ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewBall is one of the most prolific and imaginative of contemporary science writers. He has plenty of attitude, boasts a fine knowledge of visual art and a literary sensibility, and his science is encyclopaedic. * Chemistry in Britain *A delight of a book.... Elegantly written...it's far-reaching, entertaining and salted with anecdote.... It could become a classic. Hold on to your first edition * Roy Herbert, New Scientist *engaging tour of the chemical elements * Sunday Telegraph *Philip Ball's book is an excellent introduction. I would have loved the book as an enthusiastic sixteen year-old and I would recommend it as a Christmas present to anyone at that age, and to journalists who may occasionally wish to appear smarter than they actually are. * Simon Robinson, Chemistry and Industry *a series of invigorating dips * Guardian *Ball's choices are sound, his style is attractive * Evening Standard *Ball brings the periodic table to life * Maia Weinstock, Discover *A beautifully written and elegantly illustrated synthesis of chemistry and culture. Popularization of science at its very best. * Sir John Meurig Thomas, University of Cambridge *The book contains some delightful anecdotes * David Johnson, Times Higher Educational Supplement *Table of Contents1. Aristotle's Quartet: The elements in antiquity ; 2. Revolution: How oxygen changed the world ; 3. Gold: The most desirable element ; 4. The Eightfold Path: Organizing the elements ; 5. The Atom Factories: Making new elements ; 6. The Chemical Brothers: Why isotopes are useful ; 7. For All Practical Purposes: Technologies of the elements ; End notes ; Futher reading

Read more less

Book SynopsisSince the time of Turing, computer scientists have dreamed of building artificial general intelligence (AGI) - a system that can think, learn and act as humans do. Over recent years, the remarkable pace of progress in machine learning research has reawakened discussions about AGI. But what would a generally intelligent agent be able to do? What algorithms, architectures, or cognitive functions would it need? To answer these questions, we turn to the study of natural intelligence. Humans (and many other animals) have evolved precisely the sorts of generality of function that AI researchers see as the defining hallmark of intelligence. The fields of cognitive science and neuroscience have provided us with a language for describing the ingredients of natural intelligence in terms of computational mechanisms and cognitive functions and studied their implementation in neural circuits. Natural General Intelligence describes the algorithms and architectures that are driving progress in AI research in this language, by comparing current AI systems and biological brains side by side. In doing so, it addresses deep conceptual issues concerning how perceptual, memory and control systems work, and discusses the language in which we think and the structure of our knowledge. It also grapples with longstanding controversies about the nature of intelligence, and whether AI researchers should look to biology for inspiration. Ultimately, Summerfield aims to provide a bridge between the theories of those who study biological brains and the practice of those who are seeking to build artificial brains.Trade ReviewThis book will be of interest to students and researchers in cognitive psychology, neuroscience, computer science, and cognitive science. * Choice *Table of Contents1: Turing's question 2: The nature of intelligence 3: The language of thought 4: The structure of knowledge 5: The problem of abstraction 6: The value of action 7: The control of memory 8: A picture of the mind

Read more less

Book SynopsisSuitable for undergraduate and graduate physics students, this unique textbook provides an ideal entry point into particle, nuclear, and astroparticle physics and presents the modern concepts, theories, and experiments that explain the elementary constituents and basic forces of the universe.Trade ReviewIn this long-awaited, agile and modern textbook, the author takes an innovative deep approach which favours quick and unexpected connections between diverse subjects while stimulating critical thinking and further inquiry. It is a fluent, fascinating book with an exhaustive description of the most updated particle and nuclear physics state of the art. * Lucia Votano, emeritus Frascati INFN National Laboratory *Professor Terranova offers a fresh, much-needed look at the way the foundations of particle and nuclear physics are introduced to university students. This textbook exhibits a fine balance of mathematical rigour, clarity, useful examples, and completeness. It is a stimulating reading that will please the most exigent scholars. * Antonio Bueno, University of Granada *An excellent undergraduate textbook that covers many aspects of modern particle physics, including quarks and the Higgs boson, assuming only basic notions of Special Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. An invaluable reference for any student or teacher who wants a simple but complete introduction to our current understanding of the fundamental interactions in Nature. * Alberto Zaffaroni, Milano-Bicocca University *This book is written as a captivating story of particle physics that enlightens students on the beauty of particle physics and motivates them to pursue further studies of the subject. * Alessandro Tricoli, Brookhaven National Laboratory *Table of Contents1: Setting the scene 2: Scattering and decay 3: Measurements in particle physics 4: Accelerators and colliders 5: Symmetries and antimatter 6: Electromagnetic interactions 7: The modern theory of strong interactions 8: Flavor symmetries and the quark models 9: From QCD to nuclear physics 10: Weak interactions 11: Radioactivity and cosmic engines 12: The electroweak theory 13: At the forefront of the Standard Model Free

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis textbook provides the first comprehensive overview of synchrotron physics at an introductory level, covering the fundamental underpinning physics, and combining rigorous treatment of the main concepts with a fresh outlook, rich in images and graphics.Aimed at students and practitioners alike, this book describes all topics in a way that requires only undergraduate knowledge in physics and mathematics, and, with only a few exceptions, all results are derived from first principles. The book also emphasizes the relevance of the synchrotron-light concept throughout the broader fabric of physics, covering areas such special relativity, classical electrodynamics, quantum theory, astrophysics, optical physics, classical mechanics, and computational physics.As well as basic concepts related to the generation of synchrotron light by charged particles in accelerators and their special relativity and classical electrodynamics underpinning, this textbook also covers quantum mechanical and quantum optics descriptions of synchrotron light emission, the key role played by synchrotron light emission in the cosmos, and the generalisation of the concept of synchrotron emission to interactions other than the electromagnetic interaction.Taking the reader on a journey across the landscape of physics, this book aims to unite a number of often-disconnected communities of learners and practitioners through the connecting thread of synchrotron light.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book provides an expert perspective and a unique insight into the essence of the science of materials, introducing the reader to ten fundamental concepts underpinning the subject. It is suitable for undergraduate and pre-university students of physics, chemistry and mathematics.Trade ReviewThere is no doubt that the intellectual quality of this book is extremely high. This is a book written by a materials scientist at the top of their game - one who has taught the subject as well being a world expert. This is distilled wisdom. * Mark Miodownik, University College London *This is a nicely written book. Great care has been taken to be economical with words, while giving clear explanations using accessible examples. This book appears to be a concise summary of the thinking of the author over several decades of teaching and research in the field. * Andrew Horsfield, Imperial College London *Sutton has succeeded in collecting the principal concepts of materials science into a short book. The content is accessible to students in the physical sciences and is elegantly presented. Sutton's goal to present things in the simplest form does not compromise rigor. * W. Craig Carter, Massachusetts Institute of Technology *Table of Contents1: When is a Material Stable? 2: Phase Diagrams 3: Restless Motion 4: Defects 5: Symmetry 6: Quantum Behaviour 7: Small is Different 8: Collective Behaviour 9: Materials by Design 10: Metamaterials 11: Biological Matter as a Material

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow does the brain work? How different is a human brain from other creatures'' brains? Is the human brain still evolving? In this fascinating book, Michael O''Shea provides a non-technical introduction to the main issues and findings in current brain research, and gives a sense of how neuroscience addresses questions about the relationship between the brain and the mind. Chapters tackle subjects such as brain processes, perception, memory, motor control and the causes of ''altered mental states''. A final section discusses possible future developments in neuroscience, touching on artificial intelligence, gene therapy, the importance of the Human Genome Project, drugs by design, and transplants. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade Review'O'Shea writes with real enthusiasm.' * The Guardian *Table of Contents1. Mind and brain: what's the problem? ; 2. Let's get physical ; 3. Sight, sound, and imagination ; 4. "Last week's potatoes!" ; 5. Perception to action ; 6. Altered states of mind ; 7. Where do we go from here?

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe processes in a single living cell are akin to that of a city teeming with molecular inhabitants that move, communicate, cooperate, and compete. In this Very Short Introduction, Philip Ball explores the role of the molecule in and around us - how, for example, a single fertilized egg can grow into a multi-celled Mozart, what makes spider''s silk insoluble in the morning dew, and how this molecular dynamism is being captured in the laboratory, promising to reinvent chemistry as the central creative science of the century.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition If the intimate workings of molecules seem invisible, through Philip Ball's lively pros we see them--coming to life, helping us live. A special delight of this excellent book is the tie that emerges between the wondrous molecules of nature and those chemists make in the laboratory. * Ronald Hoffmann, Chemistry Nobel Laureate 1981 *Almost no aspect of the exciting advances in molecular research studies at the beginning of the 21st Century has been left untouched and in so doing, Ball has presented an imaginative, personal overview, which is as instructive as it is enjoyable to read. * Harry Kroto, Chemistry Nobel Laureate 1996 *At no point does Stories of the Invisible sacrifice sound science for sound bites - we are in the hands of a scholar and true believer. * John Emsley Nature 20/08/2001 *This is a very readable and non-technical survey . . . All of the ingredients of a good work of ficiton are here. It really is a good bedtime read for all. * THES 04/01/2002 *Stories of the Invisible is a lucid account of the way that chemists see the molecular world . . . the text is enriched with many historical and literature references, and is accessible to the reader untrained in chemistry * THES, 04/01/2002 *Table of Contents1. Engineers of the Invisible: Making molecules ; 2. Vital Signs: The molecules of life ; 3. Take the Strain: Materials from molecules ; 4. The Burning Issue: Molecules and energy ; 5. Good Little Movers: Molecular motors ; 6. Delivering the Message: Molecular communication ; 7. The Chemical Computer: Molecular informatoin ; Notes and Further Reading

Read more less

Book SynopsisDarwin''s theory that our ancestors were apes caused a furore in the scientific world and outside it when The Origin of Species was published in 1859. Arguments still rage about the implications of his evolutionary theory, and scepticism about the value of Darwin''s contribution to knowledge is widespread. In this analysis of Darwin''s major insights and arguments, Jonathan Howard reasserts the importance of Darwin''s work for the development of modern biology.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewJonathan Howard has produced an intellectual tour de force, a classic in the genre of popular scientific exposition which will still be read in fifty years' time. * Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations ; 1. Darwin's life ; 2. The foundations of Darwinism ; 3. Natural selection and the origin of species ; 4. The evidence for evolution by natural selection ; 5. Sex, variation, and heredity ; 6. Man ; 7. Perfection and progress ; 8. Darwinism and ideology ; 9. Darwin as a scientist: an evaluation ; Further Reading ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisBefore the discovery of insulin, a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes was a death sentence. One hundred years after a milestone medical discovery, ''Insulin - The Crooked Timber'' tells the story of how insulin was transformed from what one clinician called ''thick brown muck'' into the very first drug to be produced using genetic engineering, one which would earn the founders of the US biotech company Genentech a small fortune.Yet when Canadian doctor Frederick Banting was told in 1923 that he had won the Nobel Prize for this life-saving discovery, he was furious. For the prize had not been awarded to him alone - but jointly with a man whom he felt had no right to this honour. The human story behind this discovery is one of ongoing political and scientific controversy.Taking the reader on a fascinating journey, starting with the discovery of insulin in the 1920s through to the present day, ''Insulin - The Crooked Timber'' reveals a story of monstrous egos, toxic career rivalries, and a few Trade Review[uses] a blend of profound research, lively writing and personal knowledge of diabetes * Andrew Robinson, Nature *The lengthy bibliography and endnotes are a testament to the extensive research that has been carried out to produce this fascinating account. * Arpan K. Banerjee, Hektoen International *The story of insulin over the past 100 years, as the historian of science (and former molecular biologist) Kersten Hall shows in this dense and fascinating book, is also a microcosm of developments in science more widely, and of changes in the politics and economics of healthcare.[...] The pleasures of this book lie mainly in the storytelling detail and the gossipy richness of the lives, friendships and feuds glimpsed in the hubbub of decades pursuing the improvement of human health. * Steven Poole, Daily Telegraph *... comprehensive account of the modern medical history of the hormone... * Jerome Groopman, New York Review of Books *A fascinating book by an author with excellent credentials, well written and meticulously researched. * Geoff Gill, University of Liverpool *A timely book, pulling together many interesting stories about the scientific side of insulin. * John Pickup, King's College London School of Medicine *Reviews the events around the discovery of insulin in an original and well-documented manner. * Pierre Lefèbvre, University of Liège *Written in a clear and engaging style, the book provides a fresh take on historic events and also delves into aspects that have not been adequately explored previously. * Jeffrey Friedman, Rockefeller University *It is a good read and scholarly account. * Arpan Banerjee, Hektoen International Journal *Insulin-the Crooked Timber is essential reading for anyone concerned with the history of insulin. * Social History of Alcohol and Drugs. *Hall's The Crooked Timber expertly combines careful attention to the science with thoughtful consideration of its historical and philosophical dimensions. * Neelanjana Ray, History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences *Table of ContentsPreface Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth? Introduction Taming the Tiger 1: The Pissing Evil - a colourful description of diabetes by 17th century English physician Thomas Willis 2: Thick Brown Muck - Canadian scientist Fred Banting wins the Nobel Prize for the discovery of insulin... and is furious 3: The Vision of Ezekiel - clinicians are stunned at the power of insulin to save lives, but it proves to be a double-edged sword 4: A Greek Tragedy - German clinician Georg Zuelzer snatches defeat from the jaws of victory 5: The Wasp's Nest - insulin proves to be a poisoned chalice for its discoverers 6: Be Careful What You Wish For - the case of Romanian scientist Nicolai Paulesco underlines the truth of an old proverb 7: 'In Praise of Wool' - the humble wool fibre sets in motion a revolution in biochemistry 8: A Boastful Undertaking - a discovery made in a fume-filled stable offers the key to unlocking insulin 9: The Blobs That Won a Nobel Prize - or two, all thanks to some coloured spots on a piece of filter paper 10: The Prophet in the Labyrinth - biochemist Erwin Chargaff helps unlock the secrets of DNA, but fears where this may lead 11: The Clone Wars - a conflict in which insulin proves to be a decisive weapon 12: Wall Street Gold - in an act of modern day alchemy, insulin makes stock market history 13: 'Don't You Want Cheap Insulin?' - What is it exactly that we want from science? And does the story of insulin have any lessons for us today? Bibliography Figures List and Acknowledgements for Images Acknowledgements End notes

Read more less

Book SynopsisTwo questions guide this seven-year project: First, how can we approach the phenomenon, representation, and interpretation of total solar eclipses? Second, how can we heal the historical divide separating the natural sciences from the humanities, arts, history, and theology? The result of this interdisciplinary investigation into eclipses is an exciting look behind the scenes - into labs, archives, and museums, as well as around fieldwork in astronomy, meteorology, animal behaviour, and ecophysiology.Carefully prepared for readers from all backgrounds, these voices invite us to imagine a liberated mode of discovery, perception, creativity, and knowledge-production across the traditional academic divisions. A uniquely prismatic representation of total solar eclipses emerges, itself rising to a model of communal thinking, together, across disciplinary borders. This book is Tom McLeish''s final project and scholarly testament. Dedicated to him and to astrophysicist Jay M. Pasachoff (contrTrade ReviewWonderful and wonder-full! This splendidly illustrated book explores total solar eclipses and their effect on us through art, music and words. * Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell DBE FRS FRSE FRAS FInstP, Astrophysics, University of Oxford *A courtside seat to watch scientists, scholars, artists, and musicians toss ideas right (awesome!) and wrong (interesting!) back and forth over centuries of wonder. Nothing as real and completely out of human control or influence as the total solar eclipse has been so endlessly fascinating, provocative, and compelling; get your ticket here. * Michael O'Hare, Professor of the Graduate School at the University of California and Goldman School of Public Policy *Superb! This book touched my soul! Fabulous stuff and the first of its kind! So rich in thought with delectable prose on the history, art and science of the ages that surround eclipses. Henrike Lange and Tom McLeish have done something extraordinary: From one momentary cosmic event they virtuously generated lasting inspiration to chase knowledge and wisdom... Even the most experienced eclipse chasers will feel enriched and further enlightened by an eclipse after delving into this book... A true tome on the total solar eclipse. * Mike Kentrianakis, American Astronomical Society 2017 Total Solar Eclipse Project Manager, Amateur Astronomers Association of New York, IAU's Working Group on Solar Eclipses *I enjoyed the book... I emerged with my over 30 eclipse experiences freshly anchored in mysticism, history, and legend while clothed in new garments of art, music and literature. For both the scientist and the artist, Eclipse and Revelation gives view of the "other side"... The work becomes a tapestry that stitches history, passion, nature, weather, art, and music with a thread of mysticism and wonder. This ambitious volume welds so many dissimilar views of a shared experience: One chapter explains the physics behind the glow of the corona; another, Dante's eclipse muse. Ancient and medieval history... blend with the magnificence of art and poetry; animal and atmosphere respond in muted sympathy, all bound by the glory of the total eclipse. * Jay Anderson, Canadian meteorologist and eclipse chaser *A total solar eclipse is a spectacle without equal. Henrike Christiane Lange and Tom McLeish study the human and cultural impact of totality. Every human culture has a mythology about solar eclipses. These stories should be told and this book is an excellent survey of many cultures across the continents and throughout the centuries. I especially enjoyed the excerpts from Tom McLeish's travel diary from August 2017 which capture the thrill of the chase and the allure of the corona in the co-authored Introduction. Chapter 2 by my late friend Jay Pasachoff on the solar corona is a masterclass in science communication. I highly recommend Eclipse & Revelation to anyone interested in solar eclipses and their many interactions with humanity. * Michael Zeiler, Cartographer and Eclipse Chaser *Genius! Truly marvelous and relevant work, beautifully illustrated and delivered: an utterly brilliant new take on interdisciplinary collaborations between the arts, humanities, and sciences exploring a gripping natural phenomenon across human history. Unlike any other, this book includes fascinating perspectives and early science from ancient Asia, Assyria, Babylonia, India, China, Greece and Rome, the scientific revolution to the present... - all topped off with the latest meteorological methods and a conclusion that creates a poetic awareness of the entire cosmos... Lange and McLeish deliver a passionate defence of the liberal arts and a delightful account of the perpetual curiosity, excitement, joy, and enduring love of wisdom at the core of the scientific and scholarly life. * Andrew Stewart, Professor emeritus, History of Art and Classics at the University of California, Berkeley *Table of ContentsHenrike Christiane Lange (University of California, Berkeley) & Tom McLeish (University of York): Preface - "Cosmos" is for Harmony Henrike Christiane Lange (University of California, Berkeley) & Tom McLeish (University of York): Introduction - Chasing the Total Solar Eclipse: On the Road and in the Archive PART I - COSMOS 1: Tom McLeish (University of York) and Mike Frost (British Astronomical Association): The Cosmic Clockwork: The How and When of Total Solar Eclipses 2: Jay Pasachoff (Williams College): The Unveiling of the Corona 3: Philipp Nothaft (All Souls College Oxford): Pre-Modern Astronomies of Eclipses in the Near-East and Europe 4: Mike Frost (British Astronomical Association): From Science to Story: Testimony of an Eclipse Chaser PART II - HISTORY AND RELIGION 5: John Steele (Brown University): Solar Eclipses Across Early Asia 6: Giles Gasper (Durham University): 'The Face of the World Was Wretched, Horrifying, Black, Remarkable: Solar Eclipses in the Middle Ages 7: Anna Marie Roos (University of Lincoln): Annus Tenebrosus: Black Monday, Faith, and Political Fervour in Early Modern England 8: David Bentley Hart (NDIAS): Signs and Portents: Reflections on the History of Solar Eclipses PART III - ARTS AND LITERATURE 9: Alison Cornish (New York University): Dante's Total Eclipses 10: Roberta J.M. Olson (Wheaton College, Massachusetts, and The New-York Historical Society Museum & Library): Eclipsed? The Nineteenth-Century Quest to Capture Solar Eclipses in Art, Science, and Technology 11: Henrike Christiane Lange (University of California, Berkeley): Total Eclipse of the Art: Vision, Occlusion, Representation 12: Elaine Stratton Hild (Universität Würzburg): When Words Fail: Eclipse, Music, and Sound PART IV - ANIMALS, WEATHER, ENVIRONMENT 13: Steven Portugal (Royal Holloway): Animal Behaviour and Eclipse 14: Giles Harrison (Department of Meteorology, University of Reading): Weather and the Solar Eclipse: Nature's Meteorological Experiment Henrike Christiane Lange (University of California, Berkeley) and Tom McLeish (University of York): Conclusion - The Moon and the Sun in the Afternoon Mike Frost (British Astronomical Association): APPENDIX - The Eclipse Chaser's Toolkit

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor many animals, behavioural adjustments represent the first response to human-modified conditions. By improving reproduction and survival, such adjustments can play the lead in maintaining viable populations in the face of rapid environmental change. Behavioural responses, however, can also be maladaptive and reduce individual fitness, particularly if favourable ''reaction norms'' have not yet evolved because animals are encountering conditions that they have never experienced before. Clearly, behaviour matters. But how can we capitalise on our understanding of animal behaviour to improve conservation and management outcomes? Behavioural Responses to a Changing World: Challenges and Applications - a companion volume to the first edition published in 2012 - examines wildlife behavioural responses to human-induced environmental change through a translational lens. Despite considerable and growing interest in research on the topic, the predictive value and practical application of what has been learned remains underappreciated and underutilized in the context of developing real-world solutions. To redress this, the current book builds upon the foundations of the original volume, but with a more applied perspective that focuses on highlighting how different forms of environmental challenges - from climate change to urbanisation - influence animal behaviour, and how we can effectively harness knowledge of animal behaviour to effect practical solutions to predicting and mitigating the weighty impacts of a radically changed and changing world.

Read more less

Book SynopsisClassical and Quantum Parametric Phenomena provides an overview of the phenomena arising when parametric pumping is applied to oscillators. These phenomena include parametric amplification, noise squeezing, spontaneous symmetry breaking, activated switching, cat states, and synthetic Ising spin lattices. To understand these effects, topics such as nonlinear and stochastic dynamics, coupled systems, and quantum mechanics are introduced. Throughout the book, introductions are kept as succinct as possible and attention is focused on understanding parametric oscillators. As a result, the text helps readers to familiarize themselves with many aspects of parametric systems and understand the common theoretical origin of nanomechanical sensors, optical amplifiers, and superconducting qubits.Parametric phenomena have enabled important scientific breakthroughs over the last decades and are still at the focus of intense research efforts. This book provides a resource for experimental and theoretTrade ReviewIt is a good time to publish this book because the importance of parametric resonators is again growing reflecting the various practical applications. The included Python code is very nice and useful for the students who start to learn the detailed physics behind the theory. * Hiroshi Yamaguchi, NTT Basic Research Laboratories, Kanagawa *The book is timely and will be appreciated by physicists working in different areas from condensed matter physics to quantum information, as well as people working in mechanical and electrical engineering. It will be used not only as a textbook, but also as a reference. * Mark Dykman, Michigan State University *A fantastic addition to the literature. * Guillermo Villanueva, EPF Lausanne *The book contains a cogent discussion of the different subjects in the context of exercises based on numerical Python codes; this will be especially useful for self-teaching. * Christian Brosseau, Optica Fellow and Professor of Physics, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France *Table of ContentsIntroduction 0.1: Historical Review 0.2: Present and Future 1 The Harmonic Resonator 1.1: Newton's Equation of Motion 1.2: Response of the Driven Resonator 1.3: Matrix Formulation 1.4: Parametric Modulation 1.5: Floquet Theory 1.6: Summary of Chapter 1 1.7: Exercises for Chapter 1 2 The Duffing Resonator 2.1: The Quartic Potential 2.2: The Cubic Potential 2.3: Summary of Chapter 2 2.4: Exercises for Chapter 2 3 Degenerate Parametric Pumping 3.1: The Nonlinear Parametric Resonator 3.2: Parametric Pumping via Three-Wave Mixing 3.3: Summary of Chapter 3 3.4: Exercises for Chapter 3 4 Dissipation and Force Fluctuations 4.1: The Role of Force Noise 4.2: The Fluctuation-Dissipation Theorem 4.3: The Probability Distribution Approach 4.4: Summary of Chapter 4 4.5: Exercises for Chapter 4 5 Parametric Resonators with Force Noise 5.1: Multistability and Quasi-Stable Solutions 5.2: Parametric Amplification Below Threshold 5.3: Parametric Pumping Above Threshold 5.4: Hierarchy of Relevant Timescales 5.5: Summary of Chapter 5 5.6: Exercises for Chapter 5 6 Coupled Harmonic Resonators 6.1: Static Coupling 6.2: Nondegenerate Three-Wave Mixing 6.3: Alternative Types of Coupling 6.4: Summary of Chapter 6 6.5: Exercises for Chapter 6 7 Coupled Parametric Oscillators 7.1: Equations for N Coupled Parametric Oscillators 7.2: Examples for N = 2 7.3: Networks with N > 2 7.4: Summary of Chapter 7 7.5: Exercises for Chapter 7 8 The Quantum Harmonic Oscillator 8.1: From Classical to Quantum Fluctuations 8.2: From First to Second Quantization 8.3: Quantum State Representations 8.4: Summary of Chapter 8 8.5: Exercises for Chapter 8 9 From Closed to Open Quantum Systems 9.1: Coupling to a Thermal Environment 9.2: The Driven Quantum Resonator 9.3: Summary of Chapter 9 9.4: Exercises for Chapter 9 10 The Quantum Parametric Oscillator 10.1: General Hamiltonian 10.2: Quantum Parametric Phenomena 10.3: Coupled Quantum Parametric Oscillators 10.4: Summary of Chapter 10 10.5: Exercises for Chapter 10 11 Experimental Systems 11.1: Mechanical Resonator Example 11.2: Electrical Resonator Example 11.3: Optical Resonator Example 11.4: Rescaling of the Numerical Values 11.5: Summary of Chapter 11 11.6: Exercises for Chapter 11 List of Important Symbols

Read more less

Book SynopsisBayesian ideas have recently been applied across such diverse fields as philosophy, statistics, economics, psychology, artificial intelligence, and legal theory. Fundamentals of Bayesian Epistemology examines epistemologists'' use of Bayesian probability mathematics to represent degrees of belief. Michael G. Titelbaum provides an accessible introduction to the key concepts and principles of the Bayesian formalism, enabling the reader both to follow epistemological debates and to see broader implicationsVolume 1 begins by motivating the use of degrees of belief in epistemology. It then introduces, explains, and applies the five core Bayesian normative rules: Kolmogorov''s three probability axioms, the Ratio Formula for conditional degrees of belief, and Conditionalization for updating attitudes over time. Finally, it discusses further normative rules (such as the Principal Principle, or indifference principles) that have been proposed to supplement or replace the core five.Volume 2 gives arguments for the five core rules introduced in Volume 1, then considers challenges to Bayesian epistemology. It begins by detailing Bayesianism''s successful applications to confirmation and decision theory. Then it describes three types of arguments for Bayesian rules, based on representation theorems, Dutch Books, and accuracy measures. Finally, it takes on objections to the Bayesian approach and alternative formalisms, including the statistical approaches of frequentism and likelihoodism.Trade ReviewMichael G. Titelbaum provides an accessible introduction to the key concepts and principles of the Bayesian formalism, enabling the reader both to follow epistemological debates and to see broader implications * MathSciNet *Table of ContentsIII Applications 6: Confirmation 7: Decision Theory IV Arguments for Bayesianism 8: Representation Theorems 9: Dutch Book Arguments 10: Accuracy Arguments Challenges and Objections 11: Memory Loss and Self-Location 12: Old Evidence, Logical Omniscience 13: Alternatives to Bayesianism 14: Comparisons, Ranges, Dempster-Shafer

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis unique synthesis uses examples from a diverse and expanding carnivoran literature, drawing from all carnivoran families and spanning the world's oceans and continents, to produce a clearly written and richly illustrated book that reviews our current state of knowledge of carnivoran ecology.Table of Contents1: Introduction 2: Functional morphology 3: Evolution and historical biogeography 4: Physiological ecology 5: Sensory biology and neuroanatomy 6: Community ecology 7: Interactions with non-prey animals 8: Interactions with prey 9: Cascades 10: Population ecology 11: How carnivorans affect humans 12: How humans affect carnivorans Appendix I List of extant carnivoran species Appendix II List of non-carnivoran species mentioned

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow did science come to have such a central place in Western culture? How did our ways of thinking, and our moral, political, and social values come to be modelled around scientific values? Stephen Gaukroger traces the story of how these values developed, and how they influenced society and culture from the 19th to the mid-20th century.Trade ReviewThis is a remarkable work of scholarship and the fifty-page bibliography is a testament to the author's breadth of knowledge and reading, which forms the scientific basis for his outstanding contribution to the field. * Dr. Arpan K. Banerjee, Hektoen International *The question the author has set out to answer is, on the face of it, quite simple: How is it that science, utterly marginal in Europe's medieval culture, has become central to our modern culture? It is this very question that, for many a historian but also philosopher or sociologist of science, has stood in the background or even at the forefront of their decision to become one. Yet no one so far has had the courage, and the stamina, and the scholarly experience, and the vast erudition, and the organizing power, and the familiarity with a number of indispensable languages that Stephen Gaukroger displays and that are needed to engage the question on anything like the scale it deserves. . . . there are many reasons for profoundly admiring Gaukroger's achievement. * H. Floris Cohen, Isis *This is the much-awaited fourth volume of a series, Science and the Shaping of Modernity, that canvasses the history of science with a keen eye to the broader cultural context.... The erudition and dense attention to detail are breathtaking at times. I marvel to think that one scholar could command so much knowledge of the subject, both primary and secondary sources, and bring to bear such sophisticated philosophical judgment. * Margaret Schabas, University of British Columbia *This is a remarkable work of scholarship and the fifty-page bibliography is a testament to the author's breadth of knowledge and reading, which forms the scientific basis for his outstanding contribution to the field. * Arpan Banerjee, Hektoen International Journal *Table of ContentsPreface List of Illustrations List of Plates Introduction Part I: Civilization 1: Science and the Origins of Civilization 2: The Evolution of Civilization Part II: The Unity of Science 3: The Promotion of Unification 4: The Unity of the Physical Sciences 5: The Autonomy of the Material Sciences 6: The Autonomy of the Life Sciences 7: The Unity of the Life Sciences Part III: The Expansion of Scientific Understanding 8: The Problem of the Human Sciences 9: Understanding the World: Science versus Philosophy Part IV: The Pursuit of Science by Other Means: 'Applied' and 'Popular Science' 10: Technology and the Limits of Scientific Theorizing 11: Science For and By the Public Part V: Science and the Civilizing Process 12: The Modernization of the Population: Accommodating the Human to the Scientific Image Conclusion 13: Science and the Shaping of Modernity Bibliography of Works Cited Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisDimensional Analysis Across the Landscape of Physics introduces readers to the powerful idea that almost all physical quantities in science and engineering can be described using only five base dimensions: mass, length, time, charge, and temperature, and combinations thereof. Starting with the basics of how this foundational intellectual concept arises, it illustrates the use of dimensional analysis in approaching the solutions to textbook-level problems in physics and adjacent fields, ranging from introductory courses, through the advanced undergraduate curriculum, to advanced Physics electives. It covers the core curricular topics of classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermal physics, and quantum mechanics. It includes examples of the use of dimensional analysis applied to topics from other related fields such as geosciences, meteorology, engineering, and biophysics to emphasize the utility of such methods across the proverbial landscape of physics. There is also coverage of more specialized topics, such as advanced quantum mechanics, particle physics, field theory, condensed matter physics, and astrophysics and gravitation. Many worked examples are included, as well as an extensive array of end-of-chapter problems, with a solution manual available to instructors. In addition to covering the standard topics in the undergraduate curriculum, the book explores how dimensional analysis has been used (and continues to be used) in research across all fields of physics, citing examples from the historical literature and from very recent research results. The work includes extensive references to the original papers for further study, as well as useful ancillary material, including a dimensional analysis ''dictionary'', brief introductions to data-fitting, and connections to metrology. There is an emphasis throughout on the use of modern symbolic programming to streamline the process of the solving systems of linear equations needed for a dimensional analysis approach, with several Mathematica templates provided for reader use.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPresenting a ground-breaking view of technology trends and their impact on our society, Artificial Era contributes to the current debate about the consequences of technological innovations. Alongside different viewpoints and statistics on the use of robots worldwide, productivity, and job displacement, Gissel Velarde identifies the particular problem of the lack of diversity in AI communities - and how that can exacerbate representation issues in employment, civil rights, gender, and education if no actions are taken.A timely, inciteful book which will be required reading for scholars and professionals working with AI and automation, and leaders in business and government interested in better understanding it and its effects on business and society.Trade ReviewOriginal, informative and easy to read. A good guide for understanding the future and facing it * Carlota Perez, Author of Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital: The Dynamics of Bubbles and Golden Ages *Highly recommended. * Alexis Marechal Marin, Head of the Computer Systems Engineering Department, Universidad Privada Boliviana, La Paz, Bolivia *There are already numerous books on artificial intelligence and its social impact, but Gissel Velarde's book has two characteristics that make it valuable and different. The first is that it is based on some 300 references in its bibliography, which gives it a very remarkable scientific character. The second is that AI is presented from the point of view of a Bolivian woman, who has lived in several European countries, and with a multidisciplinary professional profile. * Emilia Gómez, AI and Music Researcher, emiliagomez.com *A very natural and human vision of this new artificial era. * Isabel Barbancho, Full Professor, Universidad de Málaga, Spain *From the very beginning, the book invites us to think, to reflect, to question; and it does it from the freedom that we have to positioning ourselves in some place of the world of knowledge and reasoning. Is it fiction? Is it reality?...I invite you to read this text without fear or prejudice, enjoy it from beginning to end not only to include it in the reading list of the year, but to reflect, decide and act. * Willy Castro Guzmán, University Professor and Researcher, Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica *Dr. Velarde presents in this book a realistic perspective of the role technology, in particular artificial intelligence (AI), is playing and will play in our lives both at a personal level and at the society level. Instead of focusing only on the potential dilemmas of general artificial intelligence, she discusses important topics including the need for national and international strategies for AI development, as well as the consequences of developing biased AI models in a world with large inequalities (gender, racial, class, etc.). * Carlos Cancino-Chacón, Assistant Professor Institute of Computational Perception, Johannes Kepler University Linz *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat does it mean to say that mutation is random? How does mutation influence evolution? Are mutations merely the raw material for selection to shape adaptations? The author draws on a detailed knowledge of mutational mechanisms to argue that the randomness doctrine is best understood, not as a fact-based conclusion, but as the premise of a neo-Darwinian research program focused on selection. The successes of this research program created a blind spot - in mathematical models and verbal theories of causation - that has stymied efforts to re-think the role of variation. However, recent theoretical and empirical work shows that mutational biases can and do influence the course of evolution, including adaptive evolution, through a first come, first served mechanism.This thought-provoking book cuts through the conceptual tangle at the intersection of mutation, randomness, and evolution, offering a fresh, far-reaching, and testable view of the role of variation as a dispositional evolutionaTable of Contents1: Introduction: A Curious Disconnect 2: Ordinary Randomness 3: Practical Randomness 4: Evolutionary Randomness 5: Mutational Mechanisms and Evolvability 6: Randomness as Irrelevance 7: The Problem of Variation 8: Climbing Mount Probable 9: The Revolt of the Clay 10: Moving On Appendix A: Mutation Exemplars Appendix B: Counting the Universe of Mutations Appendix C: Randomness Quotations Appendix D: Irrelevance Quotations

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe central aim of this accessible book is to show how the gene's-eye view differs from the traditional organismal account of evolution, trace its historical origins, clarify typical misunderstandings and, by using examples from contemporary experimental work, show why so many evolutionary biologists still consider it an indispensable heuristic.Trade ReviewThis is the first time a conceptually and historically complete book on the subject has been published. It definitely merits reading and careful study by anyone interested in grand questions of evolutionary theory. * Evolution *I hope that his fascinating book is read widely; it is unmissable for anyone interested in evolution—and in life itself. * Areo *Even though Ågren is an avid supporter of the gene's-eye view of evolution, his coverage of the topic remains commendably unbiased throughout. * Chemistry and Industry *'Science needs ingenious points-of-view that help us understand the world. Few perspectives are more famous – or notorious – than that of the selfish gene. Merging biology and history of science, Ågren unravels its origins, explains why it is useful, and when its utility has been overstretched. Whether you're a fan or a critic, this is an essential guide to the gene's eye view.' * Tobias Uller, Professor of Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sweden *'Arvid Ågren has undertaken the most meticulously thorough reading of the relevant literature that I have ever encountered, deploying an intelligent understanding to pull it into a coherent story. As if that wasn't enough, he gets it right.' * Richard Dawkins *'Since its inception in the 1970s, the "gene's eye view of evolution" has been a controversial idea in evolutionary biology. In this lucid and scholarly book, Arvid Ågren provides a masterful treatment of the intricate and often confusing debates over the value and limitations of the gene's eye view. I highly recommend his book to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of this important issue.' * Samir Okasha, Professor of Philosophy of Science, University of Bristol, UK *'The idea of the selfish gene revolutionised evolutionary thinking and led to many new insights. But from the outset it received strong criticism, not all of it baseless. In the first dedicated book on the idea since it was proposed, Arvid Ågren expertly explores the power and nuances of the selfish gene concept. At times taking sides, at others leaving history to decide, he is always perceptive, scholarly, balanced and good natured. Interwoven with asides on the principal players, this fine book succeeds in being both enlightening and engaging.' * Andrew Bourke, Professor of Evolutionary Biology, University of East Anglia, UK *'Somewhat like evolution itself, argumentation in evolutionary biology has proceeded along one path in a sea of possibilities. The past and present players all have their own backgrounds - where they were trained and whose writings had impressed them. Meanwhile, the basics are simple: Once there's variation that is linked to fitness, as well as heritability, evolution is bound to happen. The result is a fascinating tension: undisputed principles coexist with strong opinions, and depending on who you ask, pondering 'if I were that gene, what would I do to improve my success?' either offers deep insight or is a serious waste of time. If you want to know why, read this masterful book.' * Hanna Kokko, Professor, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Switzerland *'This book's conversational style, clear presentation and well-planted surprises make it ideal for both general readers and students in a broad range of fields. The selfish gene is alive and well and continues to inspire and irritate, which is why we see gene level arguments of fans and critics alike in past and present debates. Best of all, as we follow the gene's eye view around in Agren's book, we find ourselves educated about current views in exciting subfields-from evolutionary systems theory to Major Transitions and Selfish Genetic Elements- and rewarded with a treasure trove of references.' * Ullica Segerstrale, author of Defenders of the Truth and Nature's Oracle, Professor of Sociology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, USA *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: A New Way to Read Nature 1: Historical Origins 2: Defining and Refining Selfish Genes 3: Difficulties of the Theory 4: Inclusive Fitness and Hamilton's Rule 5: Empirical Implications Conclusion: The Gene's-Eye View Today

Read more less

Book SynopsisAimed primarily at experimental chemists, physicists, electronic engineers and material scientists interested in particulate and granular magnetic materials, this textbook is the culmination of over 40 years'' research into the subject.The text is divided into two parts. Part One covers the basic physics of magnetism from a relatively low level, including an explanation of some of the unusual terminology in magnetism such as the idea of poles and flux, whose origins are little understood. The complexity of the unit systems in magnetism are also presented. Thereafter a brief review of the principles of domain theory is presented and thermal activation effects and their correct measurement are discussed in some detail. The topic of exchange bias, where an antiferromagnetic material is grown in intimate contact with a ferromagnet, is presented in significant detail reviewing old theories and numerical models but then focusing on what has become known as the York Model of Exchange Bias whiTrade ReviewBoth a topical and established subject that is fundamental to the fabrication and development of a wide range of existing and emerging engineering devices. * David Cardwell, University of Cambridge *A high quality text for the physics and many technological applications of magnetism. * E. Dan Dahlberg, University of Minnesota *Table of ContentsPART I - BASIC CONCEPTS 1: Concepts, Terminology and Units 2: Magnetic Domains 3: Thermal Activation Effects 4: Exchange Bias 5: Magneto-Resistance PART II - APPLICATIONS OF MAGNETIC NANOPARTICLES AND GRANULAR THIN FILMS 6: Ferrofluids 7: Magnetic Recording 8: Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM) 9: Outlook for Future Developments Appendix A - Demagnetising Factors for a Prolate and Oblate Spheroids Free

Read more less

Book SynopsisHistories you can trust.The first part of the book tells the story of science in both East and West from antiquity to the Enlightenment: from the ancient Mediterranean world to ancient China; from the exchanges between Islamic and Christian scholars in the Middle Ages to the Chinese invention of gunpowder, paper, and the printing press; from the Scientific Revolution of sixteenth and seventeenth century Europe to the intellectual ferment of the eighteenth century.The chapters that follow focus on the increasingly specialized story of science since end of the eighteenth century, covering experimental science in the laboratory from Michael Faraday to CERN; the exploration of nature, from intrepid Victorian explorers to twentieth century primatologists; the mapping of the universe, from the discovery of Uranus to Big Bang theory; the impact of evolutionary ideas, from Lamarck, Darwin, and Wallace to DNA; and the story of theoretical physics, from James Clark Maxwell to Quantum Theory and beyond. A concluding chapter reflects on how scientists have communicated their work to a wider public, from the Great Exhibition of 1851 to the internet in the early twenty-first century.Trade ReviewA fabulous series of essays from more than a dozen science historians that show science interacting with and being influenced by culture and society. Morus and company succeed in showing science as a product of human culture, not a phenomenon apart from it. * Publishers Weekly *This book successfully shows for a general audience that science is culture and that "science"-singular-has never existed...chapeau for a beautiful andnuanced comprehensive history of science. * Floor Haalboom, Erasmus M C Rotterdam andUtrecht Univ, Isis Journal of the History of Science Society *This book is both conventional and not, sweeping yet focused, and really fun to read as both a reference source and as a piece of world history. * New Books in Science podcast *Table of Contents1: James Evans: Science in the Ancient Mediterranean World 2: Donald Harper: Science in Ancient China 3: Sonja Brentjes: Medieval Science in the West and Middle East 4: Dagmar Schaefer: Science in the Medieval East 5: John Henry: The Scientific Revolution 6: Jan Golinski: Enlightenment Science 7: Iwan Rhys Morus: Experimental Cultures 8: Amanda Rees: Exploring Nature 9: Robert Smith: Mapping the Universe 10: Peter Bowler: The Meaning of Life 11: Matthew Stanley: Theoretical Visions 12: Charlotte Sleigh: Communicating Nature

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis thought-provoking book introduces a way to study ecosystems that is resonant with current thinking in the fields of earth system science, geobiology, and planetology. Instead of organizing the subject around a hierarchical series of entities (e.g. genes, individuals, populations, species, communities, and the biosphere), the book provides an alternative process-based approach and proposes a truly planetary view of ecological science. It demonstrates how the idea of fundamental ecological processes can be developed at the systems level, specifically their involvement in control and feedback mechanisms. This enables the reader to reconsider fundamental ecological processes such as energy flow, guilds, trade-offs, carbon cycling, and photosynthesis, and to put them in a global (and even planetary) context. In so doing, the book places a much stronger emphasis on microorganisms. Since publication of the first edition in 2006, ever growing societal concern about environmental sustainability has ensured that the earth system science/Gaian approach has steadily gained traction. Its integration with ecology is now more important than ever if ecological science is to effectively contribute to the massive problems and future challenges associated with global environmental change. The Fundamental Processes in Ecology is an accessible text for senior undergraduates, graduate student seminar courses, and researchers in the fields of ecology, environmental sustainability, earth system science, evolutionary biology, palaeontology, history of life, astrobiology, planetology, climatology, geology, and physical geography.Table of ContentsPreface Part I: Introduction 1: Introducing the Thought Experiment Part II: The Fundamental Processes 2: Energy Flow 3: Multiple Guilds 4: Trade-offs and Biodiversity 5: Dispersal 6: Ecological Hypercycles: Covering a Planet with Life 7: Merging of Organismal and Ecological Physiology 8: Photosynthesis 9: Carbon Sequestration Part III: Emerging Systems 10: Nutrient Cycling as an Emergent Property 11: Historical Contingency and the Development of Planetary Ecosystems 12: From Processes to Systems

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe goal of this primer is to raise awareness, knowledge and understanding amongst 16-19-year-old students of climate-linked changes in nature and biodiversity affecting the plants and animals in our seas, coastlines, lakes and terrestrial habitats. It demonstrates how a substantial array of biological observations, research experiments and models provide confidence in the accuracy and validity of current and future predictions. All levels of biological organisation from individual organisms to ecosystems are being influenced and changes are projected to increase in coming decades. However, much remains to be discovered and this primer highlights potential future roles for 16-19 students -- from volunteers to career researchers - through which they can help in transforming and mitigating future impacts.Digital formats and resourcesThe book is available for students and institutions to purchase in a variety of formats, and is supported by online resources: The e-book offers a mobile-com

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe book provides a non-specialist introduction to the reasons why we can make sense of the world around and within us, facing the oceans of complexity which inhabit both. The book provides a scientific and easily accessible description of some of the key physical mechanisms by which the wonderful gift of life materializes in the natural world.Trade ReviewThis book gives a nontechnical survey of complex systems, strongly emphasizing the connection of fundamental physics to biology. Starting with a very nice foundational discussion, the Succi goes on to look at the connection developed by Boltzmann between microscopic physics and macroscopic biology...the thoughtful reader will be rewarded. * Choice *This is an interesting exploration of how the complex macroscopic world is derivable from microscopic physics, and how the non-linearity of complex systems leads to issues of predictability and at the same time accounts for physical structures. The author gives personal comments on his own appreciation of the physics throughout the book, as well as a thought-provoking conclusion suggesting that our experience of time is a consequence of the emergence of complexity. * E. Kincanon, Gonzaga University, CHOICE connect *Complexity is between the two infinities "very big" and "very small" - always a fascinating subject. The author explains things in a very easy-going way, and adds some entertaining stories and thoughts which make it entertaining to read. * Christian Beck, Queen Mary University of London *Complexity science is of critical importance in the modern world, but not on the radar screen of the average reader. This book, designed for the general public, is intended to fix that problem in a very enjoyable and entertaining style. * Bruce Boghosian, Tufts University *A fresh and competent view on a very interesting scientific topic. * Guido Caldarelli, School IMT Alti Studi Lucca *Sauro Succi's new book is both superb and essential. Succi, with clarity and wit, takes us from quarks and Boltzmann to soft matter - precisely the frontier of physics and life. Someone said, “There is no truth beyond magic”. Succi shows us the magic at the edge of life. * Stuart Kauffman, MacArthur Fellow, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Gold Medal Accademia Lincea *Table of ContentsPreface Part 1: COMPLEXITY 1: Introducing Complexity 2: The Guiding Barriers 3: Competition and Cooperation 4: Nonlinearity, The Mother of Complexity 5: The Dark Side of Nonlinearity 6: The Bright Side of Nonlinearity 7: Networks, The Fabric of Complexity Part 2: THE SCIENCE OF CHANGE 8: Good Old Thermodynamics 9: The Man Who Trusted Atoms 10: Biological Escapes 11: Cosmological Escapes 12: Free Energy Part 3: THE PHYSICS-BIOLOGY INTERFACE 13: Survival in Molecular Hyperland, the Ozland Valleys 14: Free Energy Funnels 15: Soft Matter, The Stu that Dreams Are Made Of 16: Water, the Wonderuid Part 4: COMPLEXITY AND THE HUMAN CONDITION 17: Time and the Complexity of the Human Condition 18: Harness the Hybris: Hallelujah! 19: Appendices Epilogue Acknowledgements References

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe book explores the surprising connections between the study of the universe on the largest scales, and the physics of the infinitely small, and investigates the extraordinary potential of multi-messenger astronomy to provide answers to the key questions of fundamental physics and thus revolutionise our understanding of the universe.Trade ReviewThe author lets his enthusiasm for the subject and its research enterprises shine through, which is an excellent feature * Dave Pike, The Observatory *Particularly timely, and of great appeal to a wide readership from the professional scientist to the intelligent layperson * Professor Sir James Hough, University of Glasgow *A timely, engrossing, witty yet scholarly work, this book is essential reading for anybody interested in the cutting edge of cosmology. Prof. Bertone is an expert guide with the rare gift of presenting complex ideas in an accessible, original and compelling way. An armchair journey to the limits of the known universe and beyond! * Professor Roberto Trotta, Imperial College London and International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) *This is an excellent book that will convey to the lay public the excitement of recent discoveries that are bringing us novel and even revolutionary insights about the nature of the cosmos we inhabit * Professor Abhay Ashtekar, Director of the Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry at Pennsylvania State University *A clear and readable account of humanity's fascination with the cosmos, from ancient times to the Nobel prizewinning observation of gravitational waves. Explains the triumphs and crises of current theories of the origin and structure of the universe in simple, accessible terms. Enjoyable and informative * Professor Ian Stewart FRS, author of Calculating the Cosmos *An intriguing blend of cosmic mysteries and observational probes, with a delightfully accessible approach * Joseph Silk, Homewood Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University *A lively introduction to the newly emerging field of multi-messenger astronomy, outlining the certainties and possibilities as well as the intriguing open questions - a must-read for young minds who want to venture into this new and exciting journey of cosmic exploration * Priyamvada Natarajan, astrophysicist and author of Mapping the Heavens: The Radical Scientific Ideas That Reveal the Cosmos *With equal parts flair and sophistication, Bertone takes us on an incredible tour of our universe's greatest mysteries. The language is at times so evocative you might forget you're actually learning something! * Dan Hooper, Head of the Theoretical Astrophysics Group, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago *In this charming book, Gianfranco Bertone considers puts cutting-edge ideas -- black holes, dark energy, inflationary cosmology -- into their proper context as part of humanity's ongoing quest to understand the universe. Wonderfully written, Tale of Two Infinities manages to illuminate cosmic vistas while never losing sight of the human perspective * Sean Carroll, author of Something Deeply Hidden: Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime *The detection of gravitational waves in 2015 was just the beginning. The insatiably curious seeking context and some sense of the promise of these new starry messengers should look no further. Gianfranco Bertone is a sure guide, and A Tale of Two Infinities is an engaging tour * Jim Baggott, author of Quantum Reality *The recent developments in Cosmology have shown that the infinitely big (the Universe) and the infinitely small (fundamental forces and particles, structure of spacetime at the microscopic, subatomic level) have never been so close to each other. Physicists studying both "infinities" ask the same questions and look for the same answers. The reader will feel comfortably cradled between these two infinities. The text manages to present the latest, on-going "revolution" brought about by the recent direct detection of gravitational waves in a simple way yet respecting and reflecting the deep meaning of it. Enjoy! * Licia Verde, ICREA professor, Instituto de Ciencias del Cosmos (ICC), University of Barcelona *Table of ContentsThe architecture of the cosmos 9 Spheres of heaven Dark foundations Cosmic inferno Stories of a certain Gravity Queen of the cosmos The order of heaven The most beautiful theory The new messengers Gravitational waves Einstein's last gift Ghost Particles Black Holes Phenomenology of the absurd Quantum effects Upcoming waves Dark Matter Halos, streams, and lenses New Physics New portals Dark Energy Possible explanations Quantum origins The future Quantum genesis In the beginning Inflation Primordial waves

Read more less