Science & Nature - Books

L'éco-pouvoir

Science & Nature

L'auteur soutient brillamment le paradoxe suivant : au départ, les revendications écologiques étaient profondément critiques des savoirs scientifiques et techniques et du développement social qu'ils conduisent. Trente ans plus tard, leur traduction en politiques d'environnement débouche au contraire sur un appel croissant aux experts, détenteurs véritables d'un " éco-pouvoir " montant." L'environnement " et ses " problèmes " sont devenus un enjeu d'une telle force d'évidence qu'il paraît presque impossible d'apporter la contradiction à ce projet : " il faut protéger l'environnement ! " C'est précisément cet ordre, au double sens de commandement et d'idéal d'organisation, qu'interroge ce livre profond et informé. L'auteur soutient brillamment le paradoxe suivant : au départ, les revendications écologiques étaient profondément critiques des savoirs scientifiques et techniques et du développement social qu'ils conduisent. Trente ans plus tard, leur traduction en politiques d'environnement débouche au contraire sur un appel croissant aux experts, ingénieurs et techniciens, détenteurs véritables d'un éco-pouvoir montant. La rationalité scientifique et technique, longtemps cible privilégiée de l'opprobre écologique, se prétend désormais au service de la dépollution et de la sauvegarde des milieux naturels. Notre capacité collective à débattre de ces questions demeure en revanche très faible. Les médias, qui donnent trop souvent une représentation naturaliste naïve du monde, ont leur part de responsabilité dans cette situation, et l'auteur en fait une critique sans cession. Mais il analyse aussi avec précision le jeu de l'administration publique dans la gestion des nuisances par débats contradictoires. Il passe enfin au crible le rôle des associations de défense, qui s'exténuent dans des mobilisations et des contre-expertises sans moyens suffisants. Avec le concept d' " éco-pouvoir ", Pierre Lascoumes dévoile l'émergence d'une nouvelle rationalité, qui prétend prendre le contrôle de tous les systèmes vivants, avec les effets de normalisation qui en découlent.

Micro and Nano Semiconductor Devices for Digital, Analog and Sensor Design

Science & Nature

Stay ahead of the curve in the rapidly evolving world of portable electronics with this expert guide, which offers a deep dive into the advanced semiconductor materials and low-power design techniques essential for fabricating the next generation of high-performance micro and nano devices. In the era of smart portable and flexible electronic devices, technology needs to continuously evolve for improved performance. Advanced techniques, efficient computing algorithms, and models help develop efficient solutions at a low cost using low power for these devices. This book provides a detailed discussion of the design techniques, advanced semiconductor materials, fabrication techniques, and applications of efficient micro and nano devices. Expert insights will guide a deep-dive into modern design techniques using the latest tools, software, and simulators in a virtual environment. This guide’s forward-looking approach makes it an essential resource for exploring the challenges and future of sensor design.

Microalgal Biotechnology

Science & Nature

Microalgae are a valuable resource of carbon materials that may be used in biofuels, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and health supplements. There are, however, many challenges in the microalgae production process, such as mass cultivation, strain improvement, biomass disruption, and reprocessing of nutrients and water that have been encumbering the microalgal industry. Microalgal biotechnology has the capability to introduce remarkable breakthroughs and innovations. This volume highlights current advancements in the field of microalgal biotechnology.The key features of the book:• Presents the role of microalgae in various industries, including food, agriculture,aquaculture, biofuel, and metabolites• Shows the historical and prospective uses of microalgae elements for economic andecological benefits• Explains the integrated technologies for massive production of microalgae-derivedproducts• Includes industrial case studies that illustrate sustainable production of microalgaeproducts• Discusses current developments and advances in microalgae bioprocessing

Nanobiotechnology for Sustainable Bioenergy and Biofuel Production

Science & Nature

Nanobiotechnology for Sustainable Bioenergy and Biofuel Production provides insights into the most recent innovations, trends, concerns and challenges in the production of biofuels. This book highlights a number of key research topics and practical applications of modern nanomaterials and nanocomposite-driven enzyme biotechnology for biofuels production, including the advances in the nanoscaffolds design (nanomaterials support) for immobilizing bioenergy producing enzymes (nanobiocatalyst system), the recent trends in biomass processing (untreated/treated agriculture and food waste, grasses, algal, etc.) using advanced nanobiocatalysts for biofuels production and the scale-up study of bioenergy production using nanomaterials immobilized enzymes and biofuel harvesting using nanomaterials.At the outset of new nanobiotechnology applications in biofuel production, there is a need for a new resource in the bioenergy field. This book delivers an overview of the contributions of biofuel production and the most up-to-date advances in nanobiotechnology to a diverse audience ranging from post-graduate students to researchers in biochemical engineering, biotechnology, bioremediation and environmental studies and pharmaceutical professionals.Key Features• Outlines the most recent nanobiotechnological advances in biofuels and bioenergy for biofuels productions• Covers biodiesel, bioethanol, biomethane, biohydrogen, biorefineries and biofuel harvesting using nanomaterials• Explains the scale-up nanobiotechnological study of biofuel production at the bioreactor level

Grid-Scale Energy Storage Systems and Applications

Science & Nature

Grid-Scale Energy Storage Systems and Applications provides a timely introduction to state-of-the-art technologies and important demonstration projects in this rapidly developing field. Written with a view to real-world applications, the authors describe storage technologies and then cover operation and control, system integration and battery management, and other topics important in the design of these storage systems. The rapidly-developing area of electrochemical energy storage technology and its implementation in the power grid is covered in particular detail. Examples of Chinese pilot projects in new energy grids and micro grips are also included. Drawing on significant Chinese results in this area, but also including data from abroad, this will be a valuable reference on the development of grid-scale energy storage for engineers and scientists in power and energy transmission and researchers in academia. - Addresses not only the available energy storage technologies, but also topics significant for storage system designers, such as technology management, operation and control, system integration and economic assessment - Draws on the wealth of Chinese research into energy storage and describes important Chinese energy storage demonstration projects - Provides practical examples of the application of energy storage technologies that can be used by engineers as references when designing new systems

Proceedings of the International Conference on Cybersecurity, Situational Awareness and Social Media

Science & Nature

This book highlights advances in Cyber Security, Cyber Situational Awareness (CyberSA), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Social Media. It brings together original discussions, ideas, concepts and outcomes from research and innovation from multidisciplinary experts. It offers topical, timely and emerging original innovations and research results in cyber situational awareness, security analytics, cyber physical systems, blockchain technologies, machine learning, social media and wearables, protection of online digital service, cyber incident response, containment, control, and countermeasures (CIRC3). The theme of Cyber Science 2022 is Ethical and Responsible use of AI. Includes original contributions advancing research in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Blockchain, Cyber Security, Social Media, Cyber Incident Response & Cyber Insurance.Chapters “Municipal Cybersecurity—A Neglected Research Area? A Survey of Current Research", "The Transnational Dimensionof Cybersecurity: The NIS Directive and its Jurisdictional Challenges" and "Refining the Mandatory Cybersecurity Incident Reporting under the NIS Directive 2.0: Event Types and Reporting Processes” are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Experimental Ecophysiology and Biochemistry of Trees and Shrubs

Science & Nature

The existence and competition of trees and shrubs to sustain and put forth growth under varied environmental conditions is dependent on the interactions that occur between the plant metabolic processes and the prevailing environmental conditions. In order to understand the productivity of trees and shrubs, it is a prerequisite to know the experimental techniques of these vital processes. This volume provides a comprehensive presentation of this topic.The first part of this book deals with various aspects of experimental ecophysiology and recent research results of studies on plant pigments, epicuticular wax, leaf nutrients, carbon fixation, all supported by literature. The second part of the volume describes various laboratory techniques such as diffusion, imbibition, calorimetry, atomic absorption, mineral nutrition, nutrition analysis of forage, litterfall chemistry, nutrient cycle, etc. The third and fourth parts deal with advances in the techniques in the development of ecophysiology.The book will serve as an important handbook and resource for students, faculty and teachers, technicians, and researchers and scientists involved in forest science dealing with ecophysiology and biochemistry of woody and crop plants.

¿Por qué confiar en la ciencia?

Science & Nature

En ¿Por qué confiar en la ciencia? la profesora Naomi Oreskes ofrece respuestas claras y convincentes a las preguntas de cuándo y por qué los hallazgos científicos son confiables. Explica la base de la confianza en la ciencia en una prosa muy legible, e ilustra su argumento con vívidos ejemplos de la ciencia funcionando como debería, y cómo no debería, en asuntos centrales de nuestras vidas. Los lectores encontrarán aquí una enérgica defensa de la confiabilidad del consenso científico que no se basa en ningún método en particular o en las cualidades de los científicos, sino en el carácter de la ciencia como empresa colectiva.

Strani mondi. La ricerca di nuovi pianeti e della vita oltre il Sistema solare

Science & Nature

Da quando si riteneva che la Terra fosse al centro dell’universo a quando si è scoperto che non c’è un solo sistema solare nell’universo sono passati secoli. In compenso, negli ultimi vent’anni sono stati contati più di duemila pianeti in orbita intorno ad altre stelle; e dopo che i primi “avvistamenti” hanno rivelato solo enormi pianeti inabitabili, caldissimi e composti in gran parte da gas tossici, oggi cominciano ad arrivare le prime notizie di mondi potenzialmente ospitali. Sebbene ogni ricerca di civiltà aliena abbia registrato al momento solo fallimenti, non siamo mai stati così vicini alla possibilità di trovare la vita al di fuori della Terra. Jayawardhana ripercorre tutte le tappe di questa straordinaria caccia: le storie dei protagonisti, i progressi tecnologici, i traguardi raggiunti e le ultime scoperte – incluse le sue – che stanno rivoluzionando il nostro modo di guardare al cosmo e stanno gettando nuova luce sull’origine e l’evoluzione dei pianeti.BIORay Jayawardhana è astronomo, professore universitario, scrittore e giornalista scientifico. Lavora su alcuni dei più grandi telescopi del mondo per studiare le origini dei pianeti e delle galassie che formano l’universo. È autore di Cacciatori di neutrini (Codice edizioni, 2014).

Genes in Development

Science & Nature

In light of scientific advances such as genomics, predictive diagnostics, genetically engineered agriculture, nuclear transfer cloning, and the manipulation of stem cells, the idea that genes carry predetermined molecular programs or blueprints is pervasive. Yet new scientific discoveries—such as rna transcripts of single genes that can lead to the production of different compounds from the same pieces of dna—challenge the concept of the gene alone as the dominant factor in biological development. Increasingly aware of the tension between certain empirical results and interpretations of those results based on the orthodox view of genetic determinism, a growing number of scientists urge a rethinking of what a gene is and how it works. In this collection, a group of internationally renowned scientists present some prominent alternative approaches to understanding the role of dna in the construction and function of biological organisms.Contributors discuss alternatives to the programmatic view of dna, including the developmental systems approach, methodical culturalism, the molecular process concept of the gene, the hermeneutic theory of description, and process structuralist biology. None of the approaches cast doubt on the notion that dna is tremendously important to biological life on earth; rather, contributors examine different ideas of how dna should be represented, evaluated, and explained. Just as ideas about genetic codes have reached far beyond the realm of science, the reconceptualizations of genetic theory in this volume have broad implications for ethics, philosophy, and the social sciences.Contributors. Thomas Bürglin, Brian C. Goodwin, James Griesemer, Paul Griffiths, Jesper Hoffmeyer, Evelyn Fox Keller, Gerd B. Müller, Eva M. Neumann-Held, Stuart A. Newman, Susan Oyama, Christoph Rehmann-Sutter, Sahotra Sarkar, Jackie Leach Scully, Gerry Webster, Ulrich Wolf

The Open Laboratory: The Best Writing on Science Blogs 2006

Science & Nature

A collection of 50 selected blog posts showcasing the quality and diversity of writing on science blogs till 2006.

L'universo meccanico

Science & Nature

Nel 1665 Londra viene colpita da una pestilenza che si porta via un quinto dei suoi abitanti. L'anno successivo un incendio devastante fa quasi altrettante vittime. Proprio in quei due anni Isaac Newton, un giovane scontroso, magro e allampanato, inventa il calcolo infinitesimale e calcola la forza di gravità della Luna, prima pedina della legge di gravitazione universale. Negli stessi, pochi anni, altri uomini, riuniti attorno alla neonata Royal Society, fanno scoperte che rivoluzioneranno per sempre le nostre vite. L'universo meccanico è la storia vera di quel pugno di uomini geniali, bizzarri e tormentati, che ha inventato il mondo moderno. Per metà narrazione e per metà divulgazione scientifica, è un ritratto di gruppo di alcune delle più grandi menti che siano mai vissute, alle prese con alcuni dei misteri più profondi della natura. Il mondo nel quale erano immersi Newton, Leibniz, Galileo e gli altri era fatto di incendi, guerre, malattie e sporcizia; ogni avversità era interpretata come un atto di punizione divina e la superstizione regnava sovrana. Eppure queste menti sognatrici e brillanti in pochi decenni hanno descritto un universo ordinato come un orologio, regolato da leggi matematiche precise, nel quale pianeti e atomi si muovevano seguendo percorsi prevedibili e meccanici. Sorprendentemente, avevano ragione.

Un erizo en la tormenta

Science & Nature

Esta antología de críticas publicadas originalmente en el New York Review of Books por Stephen Jay Gould, célebre y combativo biólogo darwinista, se ocupa de asuntos como la sociobiología, las teorías raciales, la ingeniería genética y la genética molecular, así como de autores como Jeremy Rifkin o Barbara McClintock.

Apollo Program Volume I - Apollo XI / 11 Preflight: History In Text, Drawings, Photographs And Film

Science & Nature

Apollo Goals "That's one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind." - Neil Armstrong The national effort that enabled Astronaut Neil Armstrong to speak those words as he stepped onto the lunar surface, fulfilled a dream as old as humanity. But Project Apollo's goals went beyond landing Americans on the Moon and returning them safely to Earth: • To establish the technology to meet other national interests in space. • To achieve preeminence in space for the United States. • To carry out a program of scientific exploration of the Moon. • To develop man's capability to work in the lunar environment. The Apollo Spacecraft Apollo was a three-part spacecraft: the command module (CM), the crew's quarters and flight control section; the service module (SM) for the propulsion and spacecraft support systems (when together, the two modules are called CSM); and the lunar module (LM), to take two of the crew to the lunar surface, support them on the Moon, and return them to the CSM in lunar orbit. The flight mode, lunar orbit rendezvous, was selected in 1962. The boosters for the program were the Saturn IB for Earth orbit flights and the Saturn V for lunar flights. CONTENT By CHAPTER: 1. TEXT - APOLLO PROGRAM OVERVIEW, MISSION SUMMARIES AND ASTRONAUT BIOGRAPHIES. 2. TEXT - APOLLO 11 MISSION SPECIFIC 3. SPACECRAFT DRAWINGS 4. MISSION PATCHES 5. PHOTOGRAPHS - PREFLIGHT MISSION SPECIFIC 6. VIDEO - APOLLO 11: 9 JUNE 1989 CREW INTERVIEW COMMEMORATION IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Graphene 101 An Inventor's Guide to Making Graphene

Science & Nature

Graphene is a two dimensional material consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb or chicken wire structure. It is the thinnest material known to man and yet is also one of the strongest materials there is. It conducts electricity as well as copper and is better than all other materials as a conductor of heat. Graphene is almost completely transparent, yet so dense that even the smallest of atoms cannot pass through it.Being such a fascinating material lots of people are interested in it and it has become something of a mystery that is generally thought of as being something only an expensive lab can produce. This is far from the truth. This book grew out of a series of youtube videos i created to show how graphene could be made in your own home with a minimum of materials and tools. So many people asked me to write it down that I have done just that and the result is here in these pages. If you read the book and watch the videos you too can be making graphene at home and experimenting until your heart is content. I have tried to be as full as possible in my descriptions and videos but inevitably I will have missed something - so please - feel free to contact me via my youtube channel with any question you may have and I will do my best to answer them.

Production of Organic Acids and Alcohols from Agricultural Residues and Food Wastes

Science & Nature

This book is a collection of studies on recent technological developments and related challenges in laboratory and industrial applications and processes for the production of biomass-derived organic acids and alcohols. By exploring topics in catalysis, hydrothermal processes, fermentation, and anaerobic digestion, this volume offers a comprehensive overview of how biomass-derived compounds can be transformed into organic acids and essential chemicals. Focusing on laboratory and industrial applications, it highlights advantages and limitations of established methods while presenting innovative techniques for producing biomass-derived organic acids and alcohols.This book provides diverse examples of applications in producing biomass-derived organic acids, alcohols, and biogas, such as polymer enhancement additives, food waste amino acid recovery, and effective use of wastes for nutrient recycling. The scope of the text encompasses lignocellulosic biomass, agricultural residues, food wastes, biomass-derived compounds, and fundamental carbohydrates to develop overall production strategies for organic acids and alcohols. This book is tailored for professionals in academia and industry working with natural renewable materials, platform chemicals, polymers, and materials science. It also serves as a valuable reference for university students studying chemical engineering or environmental sciences. It offers critical insights into sustainable chemical production practices that are crucial for advancing renewable energy solutions.

Production of N-containing Chemicals and Materials from Biomass

Science & Nature

This book is a collection of studies on state-of-art techniques developed for producing value-added N-containing chemicals and N-doped carbon materials from renewable sources via sustainable technologies. Aiming to improve conversion effectiveness and develop innovative techniques for new value-added N-containing products, topics in the text address recent advances, assess and highlight promising methods or technological strategies, and outline direct conversion routes for conversion of renewable resources to N-containing chemicals and materials. World-renowned authorities, experts, and professionals have contributed individual chapters in selected areas to cover the overall topic comprehensively. In addition to researchers and professionals in the field, educators teaching university courses on biomass transformation, biomass energy, energy materials, heterocyclic chemistry, resource materials and sustainable development and green chemistry will find the text informative with new international perspectives.

Scatter, Adapt, and Remember

Science & Nature

In its 4.5 billion–year history, life on Earth has been almost erased at least half a dozen times: shattered by asteroid impacts, entombed in ice, smothered by methane, and torn apart by unfathomably powerful megavolcanoes. And we know that another global disaster is eventually headed our way. Can we survive it? How?As a species, Homo sapiens is at a crossroads. Study of our planet’s turbulent past suggests that we are overdue for a catastrophic disaster, whether caused by nature or by human interference.It’s a frightening prospect, as each of the Earth’s past major disasters—from meteor strikes to bombardment by cosmic radiation—resulted in a mass extinction, where more than 75 percent of the planet’s species died out. But in Scatter, Adapt, and Remember, Annalee Newitz, science journalist and editor of the science Web site io9.com explains that although global disaster is all but inevitable, our chances of long-term species survival are better than ever. Life on Earth has come close to annihilation—humans have, more than once, narrowly avoided extinction just during the last million years—but every single time a few creatures survived, evolving to adapt to the harshest of conditions. This brilliantly speculative work of popular science focuses on humanity’s long history of dodging the bullet, as well as on new threats that we may face in years to come. Most important, it explores how scientific breakthroughs today will help us avoid disasters tomorrow. From simulating tsunamis to studying central Turkey’s ancient underground cities; from cultivating cyanobacteria for “living cities” to designing space elevators to make space colonies cost-effective; from using math to stop pandemics to studying the remarkable survival strategies of gray whales, scientists and researchers the world over are discovering the keys to long-term resilience and learning how humans can choose life over death. Newitz’s remarkable and fascinating journey through the science of mass extinctions is a powerful argument about human ingenuity and our ability to change. In a world populated by doomsday preppers and media commentators obsessively forecasting our demise, Scatter, Adapt, and Remember is a compelling voice of hope. It leads us away from apocalyptic thinking into a future where we live to build a better world—on this planet and perhaps on others. Readers of this book will be equipped scientifically, intellectually, and emotionally to face whatever the future holds.

L'appel pour le climat du Dalaï-Lama - Entretiens avec Franz Alt

Science & Nature

Protégeons ensemble notre environnement ! L'appel vibrant du Dalaï-Lama en faveur du climat.Comment va notre planète ? Sécheresse et feux de forêt provoquent d'épouvantables dégâts. Des réfugiés climatiques se noient. La disparition des espèces prend des proportions consternantes. Le changement climatique est désormais indéniable... Il y va finalement de la survie de l'humanité !Dans son nouveau livre, le Dalaï-Lama nous exhorte à regarder en face notre responsabilité universelle et à agir ensemble pour la protection du climat. Il met notamment l'accent sur l'arrière-plan spirituel du problème actuel : nous devons ré-examiner sur un plan éthique ce dont nous avons hérité, ce pour quoi nous sommes responsables et ce que nous laisserons aux générations futures." Nous, les hommes, sommes l'unique espèce qui détient le pouvoir de détruire notre planète – ou au contraire de la sauver. " Le Dalaï-Lama plaide avec plus de conviction que jamais pour que les politiques agissent enfin véritablement après d'innombrables conférences sur le climat. Son appel s'adresse simultanément au monde afin qu'il joue un rôle plus actif dans le sauvetage de notre planète. Un appel à nous tous, pour nous ouvrir les yeux et nous inspirer !

Core Curriculum for Nephrology Nursing, 6th edition, Complete Set

Science & Nature

Comprising six individual modules written by experts in the field, this revised and expanded edition presents the newest information regarding kidney disease, its treatment, and the nursing care involved. Designed to provide information for the novice as well as the experienced health professional, this edition provides information not published in previous editions. Each module offers self-assessment questions and CNE credit opportunities.

Science & Nature Books