Science & Nature - Books

Global Bestseller Written By Donella H. Meadows

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The classic book on systems thinking—with more than half a million copies sold worldwide! "This is a fabulous book… This book opened my mind and reshaped the way I think about investing."—Forbes "Thinking in Systems is required reading for anyone hoping to run a successful company, community, or country. Learning how to think in systems is now part of change-agent literacy. And this is the best book of its kind."—Hunter Lovins. In the years following her role as the lead author of the international bestseller, Limits to Growth—the first book to show the consequences of unchecked growth on a finite planet—Donella Meadows remained a pioneer of environmental and social analysis until her untimely death in 2001. Thinking in Systems is a concise and crucial book offering insight for problem solving on scales ranging from the personal to the global. Edited by the Sustainability Institute’s Diana Wright, this essential primer brings systems thinking out of the realm of computers and equations and into the tangible world, showing readers how to develop the systems-thinking skills that thought leaders across the globe consider critical for 21st-century life. Some of the biggest problems facing the world—war, hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation—are essentially system failures. They cannot be solved by fixing one piece in isolation from the others, because even seemingly minor details have enormous power to undermine the best efforts of too-narrow thinking. While readers will learn the conceptual tools and methods of systems thinking, the heart of the book is grander than methodology. Donella Meadows was known as much for nurturing positive outcomes as she was for delving into the science behind global dilemmas. She reminds readers to pay attention to what is important, not just what is quantifiable, to stay humble, and to stay a learner. In a world growing ever more complicated, crowded, and interdependent, Thinking in Systems helps readers avoid confusion and helplessness, the first step toward finding proactive and effective solutions. # ThinkinginSystems

The Future of the Brain

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The world's top experts take readers to the very frontiers of brain scienceIncludes a chapter by 2014 Nobel laureates May-Britt Moser and Edvard MoserAn unprecedented look at the quest to unravel the mysteries of the human brain, The Future of the Brain takes readers to the absolute frontiers of science. Original essays by leading researchers such as Christof Koch, George Church, Olaf Sporns, and May-Britt and Edvard Moser describe the spectacular technological advances that will enable us to map the more than eighty-five billion neurons in the brain, as well as the challenges that lie ahead in understanding the anticipated deluge of data and the prospects for building working simulations of the human brain. A must-read for anyone trying to understand ambitious new research programs such as the Obama administration's BRAIN Initiative and the European Union's Human Brain Project, The Future of the Brain sheds light on the breathtaking implications of brain science for medicine, psychiatry, and even human consciousness itself.Contributors include: Misha Ahrens, Ned Block, Matteo Carandini, George Church, John Donoghue, Chris Eliasmith, Simon Fisher, Mike Hawrylycz, Sean Hill, Christof Koch, Leah Krubitzer, Michel Maharbiz, Kevin Mitchell, Edvard Moser, May-Britt Moser, David Poeppel, Krishna Shenoy, Olaf Sporns, Anthony Zador.

De elementen

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Het Elementaire Deeltje De elementen traceert de geschiedenis en de culturele impact van de elementen op de mens, en onderzoekt onze lange speurtocht naar de bouwstenen van onze omgeving. Philip Ball kijkt daarbij naar het periodiek systeem der elementen, maar stelt ook de relatie van de mens met materie centraal. Vanaf de nog eenvoudige ideeën van de Griekse filosofen die meenden dat er vier elementen waren - aarde, lucht, vuur en water -, tot het werk van moderne wetenschappers die zelf elementen creëren zoals hassium en meitnerium. De elementen bevat hoofdstukken over specifieke elementen, zoals goud, ijzer en zuurstof. Ball bespreekt hoe zij onze cultuur en technologie hebben gevormd.

Breve historia de la Tierra (con nosotros dentro)

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Un apasionante recorrido por la historia de la biosfera para concienciar a nuestra sociedad sobre la importancia de respetar el entorno.La Tierra es un planeta con una larga historia al que hace miles de millones le nació la vida. Desde entonces, la actividad de los distintos organismos ha ido creando las condiciones ambientales en las que nosotros, la especie Homo sapiens, vinimos al mundo. Unos recién llegados que, como el resto de los seres vivos, dejamos nuestra huella. Desde hace muy poco tiempo, unos diez mil años, empezamos a comportarnos de una manera extremadamente peculiar: en vez de adaptarnos al entorno, empezamos a modificarlo en nuestro beneficio. A partir de entonces se puede decir que nuestra huella se ha ido convirtiendo más bien en un pisotón.El paleontólogo Juan Luis Arsuaga y la historiadora Milagros Algaba realizan un apasionante recorrido por la historia de la biosfera desde sus orígenes hasta nuestros días y hacen un especial hincapié en la relación del hombre con la Tierra. Una invitación a reflexionar sobre el futuro incierto de nuestro planeta.

Applications of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence in Smart Energy Systems

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In the era of propelling traditional energy systems to evolve towards smart energy systems, including power generation, energy storage systems, and electricity consumption have become more dynamic. The quality and reliability of power supply are impacted by the sporadic and rising use of electric vehicles, domestic loads, and industrial loads. Similarly, with the integration of solid state devices, renewable sources, and distributed generation, power generation processes are evolving in a variety of ways. Several cutting-edge technologies are necessary for the safe and secure operation of power systems in such a dynamic setting, including load distribution, automation, energy regulation & control, and energy trading. This book covers the applications of various big data analytics,artificial intelligence, and machine learning technologies in smart grids for demand prediction, decision-making processes, policy, and energy management. The book delves into the new technologies for modern power systems such as the Internet of Things, Blockchain for smart home and smart city solutions in depth.Technical topics discussed in the book include:• Hybrid smart energy system technologies• Smart meters• Energy demand forecasting• Use of different protocols and communication in smart energysystems• Power quality and allied issues and mitigation using AI• Intelligent transportation• Virtual power plants• AI based smart energy business models• Smart home solutions• Blockchain solutions for smart grids.

Odd Patent Requests

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Odd Patent Requests explores the fascinating world of patented inventions that never quite made it into practical use, examining the intersection of technological aspiration and real-world functionality. The book delves into the creativity behind patented inventions and the limitations preventing them from becoming functional or marketable products. One intriguing aspect is how the patent system sometimes protects seemingly absurd ideas, from flying bicycles to self-rocking baby cribs. It highlights the often-tenuous relationship between invention and utility, offering insights valuable to those interested in technology, business, or the history of innovation.The book progresses through three key sections. It begins by introducing the patent system and criteria for patentability. Next, it examines case studies grouped by area of invention, such as transportation, personal care, and automated devices, discussing their technical design and reasons for their lack of adoption. Finally, it analyzes the broader implications of these "odd" patent requests, exploring their cultural significance and lessons for future inventors.The book draws upon real patent filings and historical records, making it unique by focusing on the unusual and often humorous side of innovation and challenging the notion that all patents signify significant technological advancements.

Draci z raja

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Astrofyzik, spisovateľ, popularizátor vedy a kritického myslenia Carl Sagan navždy zmenil naše chápanie vesmíru. Vo svojej vizionárskej knihe Draci z raja jedinečným spôsobom prepája antropológiu, evolučnú biológiu a psychológiu. V roku 1978 za ňu získal Pulitzerovu cenu. Legendárny astronóm a polyhistor v knihe kombinuje poznatky o tom, ako sa vyvíjali ľudské gény a mozog od praveku až po súčasnosť a ako funguje naše myslenie a vnímanie v porovnaní so zvieratami. Text, ktorý od svojho vzniku nestratil nič na aktuálnosti, odhaľuje, ako náš mozog funguje v porovnaní s počítačmi, prečo spíme a snívame alebo ako sa nám ukladajú spomienky. Venuje sa nadčasovým témam ako AI, definícii života a smrti, nášmu vzťahu k prírode, civilizáciám na iných planétach, a vedecké zistenia z rôznych disciplín prepája s mýtmi a legendami, ktoré tvoria súčasť našich dejín a kultúry.

Elusive

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Nell’estate del 1964, un giovane e solitario professore dell’Università di Edimburgo scrive due articoli scientifici che cambieranno la comprensione della natura dell’universo. Peter Higgs ipotizza l’esistenza di una particella elementare – oggi nota come “bosone di Higgs” – senza la quale non ci sarebbero atomi, persone, pianeti o stelle, ma solo particelle irrequiete che attraversano lo spazio in uno splendido isolamento. Per quasi cinquant’anni, alcuni dei più grandi progetti di fisica sperimentale hanno cercato di dimostrarne l’esistenza. «Scommetto 100 dollari che non esiste nessun bosone di Higgs», ha affermato una volta Stephen Hawking. La straordinaria smentita è arrivata nel 2012 dal CERN di Ginevra: la “particella di Dio” esiste. Insignito del Premio Nobel per la Fisica l’anno successivo, al momento dell’annuncio Higgs era introvabile, intento a «bere una pinta di birra artigianale» al porto di Leith per sfuggire al clamore mediatico. Collega e amico di Higgs, oltre che scrittore d’eccezione, Frank Close ripercorre la storia della fisica dell’ultimo secolo e le tappe di un’indagine scientifica senza precedenti che ha definitivamente eliminato l’ipotesi di un vuoto privo di materia. Una narrazione accurata, chiara e avvincente sullo scienziato scozzese la cui immaginazione ha ispirato 9 791256 140381 generazioni di studiosi.

Diatoms and Sustainable Agriculture

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This book highlights the multifaceted role of diatoms in revolutionizing agricultural practices toward sustainability. The introductory chapter of Diatoms and Sustainable Agriculture examines the fundamental role of diatoms in fostering a circular economy within the agricultural sector, discussing the challenges and prospects associated with integrating diatoms into sustainable agricultural practices. Additionally, it reviews the potential of diatoms as natural plant growth promoters, elucidating the mechanisms through which these microorganisms enhance crop productivity while reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The chapter also covers the pivotal role of diatoms in agricultural watersheds, serving as indicators of ecosystem health and guiding strategies for maintaining river integrity. Furthermore, the book introduces the potential of diatoms for agricultural wastewater bioremediation and applications of diatom frustules as biosensors for the early detection of plant pathogens. The subsequent chapters explore the current status and future prospects of diatoms as insect control agents, highlighting their potential as environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional pesticides. Toward the end, the text delves into the intersection of artificial intelligence and diatom microalgae-based agriculture. This book serves as an important source for researchers and academicians in phycology, biotechnology, and agricultural sciences.

Chitosan-Based Drug Delivery Systems

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This book overviews current advances in chitosan-based drug delivery systems, focusing on fabrication technology, methods, and applications. Chitosan, a renewable polysaccharide obtained by chitin deacetylation, is suitable as a biodegradable matrix for the production of different drug delivery systems owing to its biocompatibility, bio adhesive, antibacterial activity, haemostatic action, adsorption, properties, and functional capabilities. The current research trends are to continue innovative modifications of chitosan derivatives, nanotechnologies, stimuli-responsive delivery, and theragnostic techniques to improve promising chitosan-based drug delivery systems. This book is intended for scientists, researchers, and industrialists who are working on chitosan and chitosan-based drug delivery systems in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biomedical science, biomedical engineering, nanotechnology, and material engineering.

Understanding Supercomputing

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In this book you'll discover what constitutes a 'supercomputer', how the supercomputers of today function, how you can make your own computer into a super machine - through networking - and what tomorrow holds in store for computer usage in terms of hardware, software and everyday applications.

Summary of Stuart Ritchie's Science Fictions

Science & Nature

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The world learned that undergraduate students have psychic powers. A paper published in a peer-reviewed psychology journal by a top professor found that some unconscious, evolved psychic desire nudged students towards the erotic picture. #2 A paper published in a top psychology journal found that some unconscious, evolved psychic desire nudged students towards the erotic picture. But when three psychologists re-ran the experiment with different undergraduate students, they found nothing. #3 The world learned that some undergraduate students have psychic powers. But when three psychologists re-ran the experiment with different undergraduate students, they found nothing. #4 In 2018, a paper was published in a peer-reviewed psychology journal that found that some unconscious, evolved psychic desire nudged students towards the erotic picture. But when three psychologists re-ran the experiment with different undergraduate students, they found nothing.

Payoff. Ukryta logika kształtująca naszą motywację

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Czy premia przyznana pracownikowi może zaszkodzić jego produktywności? Co ma wspólnego zaufanie z motywacją? Jakie pokutują błędne przekonania o wartości pracy?Bestsellerowy autor Dan Ariely ujawnia fascynujące spojrzenie na motywację i pokazuje, jak bardzo złożony jest to temat. Zajmujemy się nim i we własnym domu, i w sali konferencyjnej, a im bardziej staramy się motywować partnerów i dzieci, przyjaciół i współpracowników, tym wyraźniej widać, że historia motywacji jest o wiele bardziej skomplikowana i fascynująca, niż zakładaliśmy.Ariely sprawdza, jak można wykorzystać wiedzę o motywacji do podejmowania ważnych decyzji w życiu i spróbować odpowiedzieć na zasadnicze pytanie: dlaczego w ogóle cokolwiek robimy?

Adaptive PHY-MAC Design for Broadband Wireless Systems

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The next generation mobile communication networks (4G) have the challenging target of The next generation mobile communication networks (4G) have the challenging target of providing a peak data rate of 1 Gigabit per second local area and 100 Megabit per second wide area. The ability to offer such high data rates in 100MHz bandwidth requires overall a very high spectral efficiency, and hence the need for multi-antenna techniques (MIMO) with spatial multiplexing, fast dynamic link adaptation and packet scheduling, wideband access techniques, and most likely non-contention based spectrum sharing among multiple operators. Many of these required technology components and techniques are well researched and established. Adaptive PHY-MAC Design for Broadband Wireless Systems explains how one can integrate and optimise their use in providing the target cell data rates with high availability. The authors address the ability to cope with interference and enhanced physical layer processing, and simultaneously, the multifaceted system level design. Focus is also on the selection of technology components and techniques, which leads to the highest spectral efficiency and peak data rate availability with reasonable Quality of Service (QoS) support, such as improved outage scenario, reduced delay, guaranteed bit rate, etc.In short, this book will answer questions such as, how individual techniques relate to each other, how can we benefit the gains by suitable combinations of different technologies and how to choose different technological solutions in different scenarios, etc.The next generation mobile communication networks (4G) have the challenging target of The next generation mobile communication networks (4G) have the challenging target of providing a peak data rate of 1 Gigabit per second local area and 100 Megabit per second wide area.

Greenhouse of the Dinosaurs

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Donald R. Prothero's science books combine leading research with first-person narratives of discovery, injecting warmth and familiarity into a profession that has much to offer nonspecialists. Bringing his trademark style and wit to an increasingly relevant subject of concern, Prothero links the climate changes that have occurred over the past 200 million years to their effects on plants and animals. In particular, he contrasts the extinctions that ended the Cretaceous period, which wiped out the dinosaurs, with those of the later Eocene and Oligocene epochs.Prothero begins with the "greenhouse of the dinosaurs," the global-warming episode that dominated the Age of Dinosaurs and the early Age of Mammals. He describes the remarkable creatures that once populated the earth and draws on his experiences collecting fossils in the Big Badlands of South Dakota to sketch their world. Prothero then discusses the growth of the first Antarctic glaciers, which marked the Eocene-Oligocene transition, and shares his own anecdotes of excavations and controversies among colleagues that have shaped our understanding of the contemporary and prehistoric world. The volume concludes with observations about Nisqually Glacier and other locations that show how global warming is happening much quicker than previously predicted, irrevocably changing the balance of the earth's thermostat. Engaging scientists and general readers alike, Greenhouse of the Dinosaurs connects events across thousands of millennia to make clear the human threat to natural climate change.

Tropane Alkaloids

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This book covers the current research on the plant-based tropane alkaloids (TA) and TA-bearing plants. The first part includes an overview of “tropane alkaloids in context to diversity, biosynthesis and significance. The second part covers aspects of in-vitro and allied interventions in these alkaloids. TAs belong to one of the world’s oldest phytomedicines with their valuable ethno-pharmacological applications. The book compiles scientific ideas, perspectives and challenges in this area. Further, the book attempts to investigate the loopholes in existing methodologies, challenges and possible solutions through well thought-out scientific discussions from various eminent research groups. This book is of high interest to students and researchers in biotechnology, plant biology and pharmacology. As the TAs are of high commercial medicinal value, this book is also a relevant collection of articles for industry experts.

Plauderei über natürliche und künstliche Intelligenz

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Das Buch behandelt in leicht verständlicher Sprache die Entwicklung der Forschung auf dem Gebiet der Künstlichen Intelligenz. Deren Leistungen werden verglichen mit den von Menschen und ausgewählten Tieren erbrachten.

Nature-Based Solutions for Decentralised Liquid Waste Management

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When water is used once and is no longer fit for human consumption or any other use, it is considered liquid waste. Proper disposal, treatment and reuse of wastewater wherever possible will help in combating diseases as well as meeting water scarcity. The selection and adoption of appropriate technologies plays a very important role in this whole exercise and has far-reaching implications on the success in achieving a circular water economy. The selection of technologies is even more important. New concepts are continuously being added to achieve a sustainable society, focusing on the new tool of circular economy. Various reuse options of waste; either water or solids (e.g., agricultural irrigation, industrial process recycling, resource recovery, biogas production etc.) as part of a circular economy, are being identified and tested. This book caters to the role of nature-based solutions in a circular water economy and includes chapters on how to tackle wastewater treatment with the help of sustainable bio-based technologies. This may include Bio-based technologies for the treatment of domestic/municipal/industrial/agro-industrial wastewater/sludges including but not limited to: Leach pit, Soak pit, Magic Pits, Kitchen Garden, and Community Soak pits etc. Waste Stabilization Ponds Duck Weed Pond system Constructed Wetlands Soil Bio Technology DEWATS Reed bed System Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (ABR) Moving Bed Bio-Film Reactor (MBBR) Urine treatment technologies The book covers increased efficiency of treatment for example by using process modification, integration of technologies or selectively enriched biota. Investigation of pollutant removal processes/transformations, to better understand and optimize the design and improve the performance of these wastewater treatment systems are also included.

Don't Be Such a Scientist, Second Edition

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When Randy Olson first described his life-changing encounter with an acting teacher in Don’t Be Such a Scientist, it seemed like the world of science was on the cusp of gaining new respect in the public eye. Through his writing, speaking, and films, Olson challenged scientists to toss out jargon in favor of a more human approach, bringing Hollywood lessons to the scientific community. Yet today, in everything from government funding cuts to climate change denial, science is under attack. And while communicating science is more crucial than ever, the scientific community still struggles to connect with everyday people.The time is right for a new edition of Olson’s revolutionary work. In Don’t Be Such a Scientist, Second Edition, Olson renews his call for communication that stays true to the facts while tapping into something more primordial, more irrational, and ultimately more human. In more than 50 pages of new material, Olson brings his pioneering message to this new age, providing tools for speaking out in anti-science era and squaring off against members of the scientific establishment who resist needed change.Don’t Be Such a Scientist, Second Edition is a cutting and irreverent manual to making your voice heard in an age of attacks on science. Invaluable for anyone looking to break out of the boxes of academia or research, Olson’s writing will inspire readers to “make science human”—and to enjoy the ride along the way.

InterPlanetary Transmissions: Stardust

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This volume is a record of the Santa Fe Institute’s second InterPlanetary Festival, nicknamed Stardust, held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in June of 2019. The InterPlanetary Festival fuses an exploration of complex systems and technological innovation with music, film, art, food, drinks, and more. During the Summer of Stardust, as the world observed the fiftieth anniversary of the momentous Apollo 11 Moon landing, the Festival celebrated human ingenuity and pondered what the next half-century might hold. Conversations centered on building other worlds — imaginatively in literature, experimentally in simulation and games, and literally in architectural design. Attendees and panelists wrestled with topics as wide-ranging as time, the future of cities, and the meaning of intelligence. In this book, transcripts of the Festival panel discussions, each paired with new introductions by contributors including physicist Sean Carroll, poet, artist, and curator Anaïs Duplan, and speculative-fiction writer Rebecca Roanhorse, commemorate the creativity and insight generated at this one-of-a-kind cosmic event.

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