Search results for ""scientific american""

From the Scopes “Monkey Trial” of 1925 to the court ruling against the Dover Area School Board’s proposed intelligent design curriculum in 2005, few scientific topics have engendered as much controversy—or grabbed as many headlines—as evolution. And since the debate shows no signs of abating, there is perhaps no better time to step back and ask: What is evolution? Defined as the gradual process by which something changes into a different and usually more complex and efficient form, evolution explains the formation of the universe, the nature of viruses, and the emergence of humans. A first-rate summary of the actual science of evolution, this Scientific American reader is a timely collection that gives readers an opportunity to consider evolution’s impact in various settings. Divided into four sections that consider the evolution of the universe, cells, dinosaurs, and humans, Evolution brings together more than thirty articles written by some of the world’s most respected evolutionary scientists. As tour guides through the genesis of the universe and complex cells, P. James E. Peebles examines the evidence in support of an expanding cosmos, while Christian de Duve discusses the birth of eukaryotes. In an article that anticipated his book Full House, Stephen Jay Gould argues that chance and contingency are as important as natural selection for evolutionary change. And Ian Tatersall makes two fascinating contributions, submitting his view that the schematic of human evolution looks less like a ladder and more like a bush. With the latest on what’s being researched at every level of evolutionary studies, from prospects of life on other planets to the inner working of cells, Evolution offers general readers an opportunity to update their knowledge on this hot topic while giving students an introduction to the problems and methodologies of an entire field of inquiry.

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The international public health scare that resulted last year when a man infected with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis flew overseas from the United States and back illustrates both the fear and the potential impact of highly infectious diseases in a global age. At a time when scientists warn of the potential for an influenza epidemic to rival the deadly outbreak of 1919 and newspapers feature alarming headlines about incidences of mad cow disease, infectious disease will be a critical area of concern and scientific study in the twenty-first century."Infectious Disease" collects thirty of the most exciting, innovative, and significant articles on communicable illness published in the pages of "Scientific American" magazine since 1993. With sections devoted to viral infections, infectious disease, the immune system, and global management and treatment issues, "Infectious Disease" provides general readers and students with an excellent overview of recent research in the field. Roger I. Glass discusses a potential vaccine for the rotavirus - a leading cause of severe childhood diarrhea worldwide and frequent killer of young children in developing nations. Jeffery K. Taubenberger and colleagues investigate the virulent strain of influenza that killed nearly 40 million people in 1919 to suggest treatments and recommend preventative measures. And Paul R. Epstein looks into whether global warming could be harmful to our health, untangling research that suggests that many diseases will flourish as Earth's atmosphere heats up.The prominence of disease in the ecology and evolution of human society has spurred investment in research and technology development, and as a consequence the topic is much discussed in the general and scientific media. "Infectious Disease" is the essential sourcebook for anyone looking for the solid science and compelling narrative behind the stories that make headlines.

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Science increasingly informs athletic training, and technology is used every day to maintain and even enhance physical performance. In this volume, Scientific American's top writers present in clear, accessible prose information about present--and future--advances that enhance not only athletic performance, but also the vitality of the rest of the population.Body, mind, gear, and thechnique are explored. Specific topics include: Whether science can determine if sports psychology worksHow the cellular biology of muscle may explain why a particular athlete winsWhat skateboarders do to bend the laws of physicsWhy there's concern about a sophisticated new way of cheating - gene doping This highly informative colume provides excellent background on controversial issues in spectator and participartory sports today.

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Explore the wonders of science with the very best of guides! Have you ever wished that you could observe underwater creaturesundetected? Or watch the very moment a caterpillar becomes abutterfly? Or create your own rain? Well, with Scientific AmericanGreat Science Fair Projects, you can! Enter the fascinating worldof Scientific American--the ultimate science authority--and learnhow to build an underwater periscope, photograph a lunar eclipse,grow hydroponic plants, and much, much more! From creating your ownnon-newtonian fluids (slime, putty, and goop!) to teaching a sowbug how to run through a maze, you'll be astounded at the number ofincredible things you can do with Scientific American Great ScienceFair Projects. Based on the long-standing and well-respected"Amateur Scientist" column in Scientific American, each experimentcan be done with ordinary materials found around the house or thatare easily available at low cost. Whether you're looking for agreat idea for your next science fair project, want to astonishyour friends and family with your discoveries, or are justintrigued by the world around you, you'll find endless hours ofscientific \fun in this one-of-a-kind project book! ScientificAmerican magazine reaches more than three million readers globallyby subscription, on newsstands, and online at www.sciam.com. The company also publishes Scientific American Explorations, aquarterly family magazine, and the Scientific American Archive, anonline archive of issues from 1993 to the present atwww.sciamarchive.com

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Good news about getting older from Scientific American and Scientific American Mind The Scientific American Healthy Aging Brain taps into the most current research to present a realistic and encouraging view of the well-aged brain, a sobering look at what can go wrong––and at what might help you and your brain stay healthy longer. Neurologists and psychologists have discovered the aging brain is much more elastic and supple than previously thought, and that happiness actually increases with age. While our short-term memory may not be what it was, dementia is not inevitable. Far from disintegrating, the elder brain can continue to develop and adapt in many ways and stay sharp as it ages. Offers new insights on how an aging brain can repair itself, and the five best strategies for keeping your brain healthy Shows how older brains can acquire new skills, perspective, and productivity Dispels negative myths about aging Explores what to expect as our brains grow older With hope and truth, this book helps us preserve what we’ve got, minimize what we’ve lost, and optimize the vigor and health of our maturing brains.

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Who do we love? Who loves us? And why? Is love really a mystery, or can neuroscience offer some answers to these age-old questions? In her third enthralling book about the brain, Judith Horstman takes us on a lively tour of our most important sex and love organ and the whole smorgasbord of our many kinds of love-from the bonding of parent and child to the passion of erotic love, the affectionate love of companionship, the role of animals in our lives, and the love of God. Drawing on the latest neuroscience, she explores why and how we are born to love-how we're hardwired to crave the companionship of others, and how very badly things can go without love. Among the findings: parental love makes our brain bigger, sex and orgasm make it healthier, social isolation makes it miserable-and although the craving for romantic love can be described as an addiction, friendship may actually be the most important loving relationship of your life. Based on recent studies and articles culled from the prestigious Scientific American and Scientific American Mind magazines, The Scientific American Book of Love, Sex, and the Brain offers a fascinating look at how the brain controls our loving relationships, most intimate moments, and our deep and basic need for connection.

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Oil and the Future of Energy brings together the most important and accessible science writing on a topic of intense public interest and concern. In addition to oil, writers cover carbon and climate change, hydrogen, nuclear power, conservation, renewable resources, transitional strategies, and visionaries in the field today. With their impeccable reputation for top science reporting, the editors of Scientific American present influential research and thinking from the most important scientists working with these burning global issues today. This one volume is an unparalleled resource for businesspeople, investors, and individuals who care about the planet.

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"Rich and readable...personal, witty and ironic." --Scientific American

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Cat Bohannon is a researcher and author with a PhD from Columbia University in the evolution of narrative and cognition. Her essays and poems have appeared in Scientific American, Mind, Science Magazine, The Best American Nonrequired Reading, The Georgia Review, The Story Collider and Poets Against the War. She lives in the US with her partner and two offspring.

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Professor Harvey Whitehouse is Chair of Social Anthropology at the University of Oxford and Director of the Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion. One of the world's leading experts on the evolutionary basis of human culture, Whitehouse's work has featured in the Telegraph, Guardian, Scientific American and New Scientist, and he has delivered talks at the World Economic Forum and the United Nations. He lives in Oxford.

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Text in Arabic. Available for the first time in Arabic, Scientific American sets out to debunk urban lore and cultural mythology. In this two-part best-selling series, scientists cast their analytical eye on long-standing claims to determine if they are fact of fiction. Based on the Strange But True columns, here youll find some of the most surprising, fascinating, useful and just plain wacky topics confronted by SA writers over the years.

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Ferris Jabr is a contributing writer for The New York Times magazine and Scientific American. He has also written for The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Harper's, Foreign Policy, National Geographic, Wired, Outside, McSweeney's, and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among other publications. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his husband, Ryan, their dog, Jack, and more plants than they can count. Becoming Earth is his first book.

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Text in Arabic. Available for the first time in Arabic, Scientific American sets out to debunk urban lore and cultural mythology. In this two-part best-selling series, scientists cast their analytical eye on long-standing claims to determine if they are fact of fiction. Based on the Strange But True columns, here youll find some of the most surprising, fascinating, useful and just plain wacky topics confronted by SA writers over the years.

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Martin Gardner fue el artífice de la popularísima y mítica sección de pasatiempos matemáticos de la revista " Scientific American " , que dio cabida a cualquier problema que presentara aspectos curiosos o divertidos. Aunque pocas cosas hay más entretenidas que tales desafíos al ingenio y a la capacidad de razonar, la función que desempeñan estos juegos no es sólo recreativa, ya que un buen pasatiempo matemático aporta más a la matemática que una docena de artículos mediocres. Esta magnífica recopilación permite viajar al aficionado a regiones donde la matemática se eleva por encima del sentido común y crea una forma de imaginación más rica aún que la asociada tradicionalmente a la fabulación literaria.

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Collected and enhanced from Dennis Shasha's popular Scientific American column, here are thirty-six of the most innovative and emotive mathematical puzzles ever to appear in its pages. Edgy, challenging and representing the ultimate in recreational mathematical games, Puzzling Adventures dares the reader to work out the logic underlying venture fund investments, escape a Minotaur, catch a polar bear, play power politics, work out if a witness is lying, spy on contraband traders and verify DNA. An encrypted set of stories and commentary float above the puzzles. They need decrypting to discover their hints. The hints lead to a surprise—if the reader can work them out.

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NATIONAL BESTSELLERA NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY NPR, HARPER'S BAZAAR, TOWN & COUNTRY, KIRKUS REVIEWS, ESQUIRE, ELECTRIC LITERATURE, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN AND MORE!“One of the most pleasurable, inventive reads of the year… fiendishly, deliciously fun.—San Francisco ChronicleA profound exploration of human nature, the allure of pleasure and the choices we make in the face of adversity.”—NPR, Books We Love“It’s rare to read anything that feels this unique.” –GABRIELLE ZEVIN, New York Times bestselling author of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and TomorrowLand of Milk and Honey is truly exceptional.–ROXANE GAY, New York Times bestselling author of Bad Feminist“A sharp, sensual piece of art.”–RAVEN LEILANI, New

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Written in a lively and entertaining style, Facts and Fictions in Mental Health examines common conceptions and misconceptions surrounding mental health and its treatment. Each chapter focuses on a misconception and is followed by a discussion of related findings from scientific research. A compilation of the authors' "Facts and Fictions" columns written for Scientific American Mind, with the addition of six new columns exclusive to this book Written in a lively and often entertaining style, accessible to both the undergraduate and the interested general reader Each chapter covers a different "fiction" and allows readers to gain a more balanced and accurate view of important topics in mental health The six new columns examine myths and misconceptions of considerable interest and relevance to undergraduates in abnormal psychology courses Introductory material and references are included throughout the book

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'What a saga! Scifi with honest, complex humanity, physics, biology, sociology' - Tom Hanks'Aurora is a magnificent piece of writing, certainly Robinson's best novel since his mighty Mars trilogy, perhaps his best ever' - GuardianOur voyage from Earth began generations ago. Now, we approach our destination. A new home. Aurora.Brilliantly imagined and beautifully told, Aurora is the work of a writer at the height of his powers.'An accessible novel packed with big ideas, wonders, jeopardy and, at the end, a real emotional punch' SFX'Aurora is Robinson's best book yet . . . Heart-wrenching, provocative' Scientific American'Kim Stanley Robinson is one of science fiction's greats' Sunday TimesNovels by Kim Stanley Robinson:IcehengeThe Memory of WhitenessA Short, Sharp ShockAntarcticaThe Years of Rice and SaltGalileo's Dream2312ShamanAuroraNew York 2140Red Moon

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Written in a lively and entertaining style, Facts and Fictions in Mental Health examines common conceptions and misconceptions surrounding mental health and its treatment. Each chapter focuses on a misconception and is followed by a discussion of related findings from scientific research. A compilation of the authors' "Facts and Fictions" columns written for Scientific American Mind, with the addition of six new columns exclusive to this book Written in a lively and often entertaining style, accessible to both the undergraduate and the interested general reader Each chapter covers a different "fiction" and allows readers to gain a more balanced and accurate view of important topics in mental health The six new columns examine myths and misconceptions of considerable interest and relevance to undergraduates in abnormal psychology courses Introductory material and references are included throughout the book

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A Selection of the Scientific American Book ClubProfiling 50 of the world’s most popular playthings—including their history, trivia, and the technology involved—this guide uncovers the hidden science of toys. Discover how an Etch A Sketch writes on its gray screen, why a boomerang returns after it is thrown, and how an RC car responds to a remote control device. Leaving no detail unrevealed, the guide includes original patent-application blueprints and photos of the “guts” of several devices. Inventors and museum curators also offer their observations of favorite gizmos while dispelling (or confirming) several toy legends. Complete with explanations of do-it-yourself experiments and tips on reverse engineering old toys to observe their interior mechanics, this entertaining and informative reference even provides pointers on how budding toy makers can build their own toys using only recycled materials and a little ingenuity.

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A lo largo de más de veinte años, Martin Gardner publicó en la revista " Scientific American " una sección de pasatiempos matemáticos que alcanzó gran éxito. La magnífica acogida que dieron a esa columna mensual tanto los lectores habituales de la publicación como los científicos y matemáticos se explica por el " genio lúdico " de su autor (tan afín a Lewis Carroll) para las matemáticas y la lógica, así como por su talento para explorar amenamente el árbol de conexiones de cualquier juego o pasatiempo con campos establecidos de la ciencia. Además de la divertida exposición de una serie de trucos y pasatiempos con cerillas, billetes de banco, fichas de dominó y piezas de ajedrez, " Circo matemático " se ocupa de otros temas tan interesantes como las ilusiones ópticas, las esferas e hiperesferas, los paseos aleatorios, los números cíclicos, la inteligencia artificial, el álgebra de Boole y el ábaco.

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A lo largo de más de veinte años, Martin Gardner publicó en la revista " Scientific American " una sección de pasatiempos matemáticos que alcanzó gran éxito gracias a su maestría y talento para aunar rigor con entretenimiento y guiar así al lector, mediante divertimientos y desafíos al ingenio, hacia cuestiones centrales de la ciencia y de las matemáticas, potenciando asimismo la imaginación. " Carnaval matemático " es una nueva recopilación que alterna capítulos dedicados a trucos con naipes y juegos de monedas con trabajos que plantean y resuelven problemas directamente relacionados con la física (por ejemplo, el de la botella de leche y el huevo pelado) o examinan cuestiones a caballo entre las matemáticas y las artes y humanidades (la superelipse de Piet Hein, la increíble numerología del doctor Fliess o el arte de M. C. Escher). Otros libros de Martin Gardner en esta colección: " Circo matemático " y " Nuevos pasatiempos matemáticos " .

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This “delightful…compelling” (Scientific American) and revelatory look at the science behind why animals play “will fill you with joy and wonder” (Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus).Acclaimed science writer David Toomey takes us on a fast-paced and entertaining tour of playful animals and the scientists who study them. From octopuses on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to meerkats in the Kalahari Desert to brown bears on Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, we follow adventurous researchers as they design and conduct experiments seeking answers to new, intriguing questions: When did play first appear in animals? How does play develop the brain, and how did it evolve? Are the songs and aerial acrobatics of birds the beginning of avian culture? Is fairness in dog play the foundation of canine ethics? And does play direct and possibly accelerate evolution? Monkeys belly flop, dolphins tail-walk, elep

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Did you ever wonder why cheap wine tastes better in fancy glasses? Why sales of Macintosh computers soared when Apple introduced the colourful iMac? New research on emotion and cognition has shown that attractive things really do work better, as Donald Norman amply demonstrates in this fascinating book, which has garnered acclaim everywhere from Scientific American to The New Yorker . Emotional Design articulates the profound influence of the feelings that objects evoke, from our willingness to spend thousands of dollars on Gucci bags and Rolex watches, to the impact of emotion on the everyday objects of tomorrow.Norman draws on a wealth of examples and the latest scientific insights to present a bold exploration of the objects in our everyday world. Emotional Design will appeal not only to designers and manufacturers but also to managers, psychologists, and general readers who love to think about their stuff.

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Praised by Nature ("stunning"), the London Times ("remarkable"), and the Guardian ("mesmeric"), this lavishly illustrated book chronicles the remarkable history of anatomical illustration. Before the invention of photography, artists played an essential role in medical science, recording human anatomy in startlingly direct and often moving images. Over 400 years, beginning with Vesalius, they charted the main systems of the body, made precise studies of living organs, documented embryonic development, and described pathologies. Human Anatomy includes portfolios of the work of 19 great anatomical artists, with concise biographies, and culminates with the Visible Human Project, which uses digital tools to visualize the human body. Praise for Human Anatomy: "From Leonardo da Vinci's exquisite pen-and-ink drawings of the human skeleton to the digital Visible Human Project in its three-dimensional glory, this fascinating book . . . documents more than 500 years of anatomical illustration in living color." -Scientific American

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A Scientific American Top Ten Book of 2023If forests are the lungs of the planet, then animals migrating across oceans, streams, and mountains-eating, pooping, and dying along the way-are its heart and arteries, pumping nitrogen and phosphorus from deep-sea gorges up to mountain peaks, from the Arctic to the Caribbean. Without this conveyor belt of crucial, life-sustaining nutrients, the world would look very different. The dynamics that shape our physical world-atmospheric chemistry, geothermal forces, plate tectonics, and erosion through wind and rain-have been explored for decades. But the effects on local ecosystems of less glamorous forces-rotting carcasses and deposited feces-as well as their impact on the global climate cycle, have been largely overlooked. The simple truth is that pooping and peeing are daily rituals for almost all animals, the ellipses of ecology that flow through life. We eat, we poop, and we die. From the volcanoes of Iceland to the tropical waters of Hawaii,

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Martin Gardner wrote the Mathematical Games column for Scientific American for twenty-five years and published more than seventy books on topics as diverse as magic, religion, and Alice in Wonderland. Gardner's illuminating autobiography is a candid self-portrait by the man evolutionary theorist Stephen Jay Gould called our "single brightest beacon" for the defense of rationality and good science against mysticism and anti-intellectualism. Gardner takes readers from his childhood in Oklahoma to his varied and wide-ranging professional pursuits. He shares colorful anecdotes about the many fascinating people he met and mentored, and voices strong opinions on the subjects that matter to him most, from his love of mathematics to his uncompromising stance against pseudoscience. For Gardner, our mathematically structured universe is undiluted hocus-pocus--a marvelous enigma, in other words. Undiluted Hocus-Pocus offers a rare, intimate look at Gardner's life and work, and the experiences that shaped both.

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"Number Theory in Science and Communication" is a well-known introduction for non-mathematicians to this fascinating and useful branch of applied mathematics . It stresses intuitive understanding rather than abstract theory and highlights important concepts such as continued fractions, the golden ratio, quadratic residues and Chinese remainders, trapdoor functions, pseudo primes and primitive elements. Their applications to problems in the real world are one of the main themes of the book. This revised fifth edition is augmented by recent advances in coding theory, permutations and derangements and a chapter in quantum cryptography. From reviews of earlier editions – "I continue to find [Schroeder’s] Number Theory a goldmine of valuable information. It is a marvelous book, in touch with the most recent applications of number theory and written with great clarity and humor.’ Philip Morrison (Scientific American) "A light-hearted and readable volume with a wide range of applications to which the author has been a productive contributor – useful mathematics outside the formalities of theorem and proof." Martin Gardner

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Martin Gardner wrote the Mathematical Games column for Scientific American for twenty-five years and published more than seventy books on topics as diverse as magic, religion, and Alice in Wonderland. Gardner's illuminating autobiography is a candid self-portrait by the man evolutionary theorist Stephen Jay Gould called our "single brightest beacon" for the defense of rationality and good science against mysticism and anti-intellectualism. Gardner takes readers from his childhood in Oklahoma to his varied and wide-ranging professional pursuits. He shares colorful anecdotes about the many fascinating people he met and mentored, and voices strong opinions on the subjects that matter to him most, from his love of mathematics to his uncompromising stance against pseudoscience. For Gardner, our mathematically structured universe is undiluted hocus-pocus--a marvelous enigma, in other words. Undiluted Hocus-Pocus offers a rare, intimate look at Gardner's life and work, and the experiences that shaped both.

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A fascinating exploration of the natural history of scent and human perceptions of fragrance from the viewpoint of plant and pollinator “An evocative journey that awakens one’s curiosity to an oft-forgotten sense.”—Dana Dunham, Scientific American Plants have long harnessed the chemical characteristics of aromatic compounds to shape the world around them. Frankincense resin from the genus Boswellia seals injured tissues and protects trees from invading pathogens. Jasmine produces a molecule called linalool that attracts pollinating moths with its flowery scent. Tobacco uses a similarly sweet-smelling compound called benzyl acetone to attract pollinators. Only recently in the evolutionary history of plants, however, have humans learned to co-opt their fragrances to seduce, heal, protect, and alter moods themselves. In this wide-ranging and accessible new book, biologist-turned-perfumer Elise Vernon Pearlstine turns our human-centered perception of fragrance on its head and investigates plants' evolutionary reasons for creating aromatic molecules. Delving into themes of spirituality, wealth, power, addiction, royalty, fantasy, and more, Pearlstine uncovers the natural history of aromatic substances and their intersection with human culture and civilization.

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Leading-edge empirical observations are increasingly difficult to reconcile with 'scientific' materialism. Laboratory results in quantum mechanics, for instance, strongly indicate that there is no autonomous world of tables and chairs out there. Coupled with the inability of materialist neuroscience to explain consciousness, this is forcing both science and philosophy to contemplate alternative worldviews. Analytic idealism - the notion that reality, while equally amenable to scientific inquiry, is fundamentally mental - is a leading contender to replace 'scientific' materialism. In this book, the broad body of empirical evidence and reasoning in favor of analytic idealism is reviewed in an accessible manner. The book brings together a number of highly influential essays previously published by major media outlets such as Scientific American and the Institute of Art and Ideas. The essays have been revised and improved, while two never-before-published essays have been added. The resulting argument anticipates a historically imminent transition to a scientific worldview that, while elegantly accommodating all known empirical evidence and predictive models, regards mind - not matter - as the ground of all reality.

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