Science & Nature - Books

Le grand saut. Quand les virus des animaux s'attaquent à l'homme

Science & Nature

Un nouveau virus apparaît en Chine. On sait le tour dramatique qu’a pris cette émergence. La Covid-19, comme le SRAS, Ebola, le VIH ou la grippe saisonnière sont des « zoonoses », des infections animales transmises à l’homme et responsables d’épidémies plus ou moins virulentes. Comment se déclenche ce « grand saut » entre les espèces ? Pourquoi certains virus disparaissent quand d’autres ont des effets durables et dévastateurs ? Pour répondre à ces questions, David Quammen nous entraîne dans une enquête mondiale. Les zoonoses n’apparaissent pas totalement par hasard, démontre-t-il. Le bouleversement des écosystèmes, lié en grande partie à l’activité humaine, favorise des sauts inattendus d’une espèce à une autre. Un virus qui s’introduit dans un nouvel écosystème a en effet deux options : trouver un nouvel hôte ou… s’éteindre. L’homme – avec ses sept milliards de congénères – représente donc une cible privilégiée. « Au fil de la lecture, nous avertit la préface de Pascal Picq, on ressent l’ambiance trouble, déliquescente, tragique d’un monde qui échappe inéluctablement à ses acteurs. » Oui, la menace plane : personne ne sait quand, personne ne sait où, mais une chose est sûre, il y aura d’autres pandémies.

Biofuels and Bioproducts from Lignocellulosic Materials

Science & Nature

Biofuels and Bioproducts from Lignocellulosic Materials: Biofuels is Volume II of a comprehensive three-volume set that explores the various possibilities of adding value to lignocellulosic biomass materials by transforming them into bioproducts, biofuels and biomaterials. With an emphasis on microbial biotechnological solutions, each volume examines the use of renewable natural resources, agriculture waste management, and valorization of agro-wastes to sustainably produce energy and fuels, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and biomaterials. Volume II addresses all aspects of biofuel production from lignocellulosic materials, covering technological challenges, international policies, marketability, techno-economic analysis & LCA studies, and challenges & future perspectives. The book highlights the recent advancements and challenges of lignocellulosic biomass conversion into biofuels within a biorefinery concept, and explains the technological approaches and the role of microorganisms and their mechanisms. Recent thermo-chemical and biotechnological approaches are explored, along with their mechanisms of action, for the development of biofuels such as biodiesel, bioethanol, biomethane, biobutanol, producer gas, syngas, hydrogen, dimethylfurane, bio-LPG, and gasoline. Chemical, enzymatic, and advanced microbial biotechnology approaches used in biomass pretreatment are explained, showing readers how to increase biofuel yields from lignocellulosic raw materials. Genetic and metabolic engineering methods that can improve biofuel production are also discussed. Biofuels and Bioproducts from Lignocellulosic Materials: Vol II Biofuels is a valuable reference for students, researchers, and professionals involved in processing lignocellulosic materials for the production of bioenergy, biomaterials, and bioproducts. - Links technological interventions and modern biotechnological methods to provide strategies for the development of biofuels using renewable lignocellulosic resources - Presents recent advanced techniques for biofuels' production from lignocellulosic biomass - Explores microbial biotechnological approaches and challenges in the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels - Explains advanced pretreatment and techno-economic analyses of lignocellulosic biomass - Identifies research gaps in existing and upcoming technologies in the valorization of lignocellulosic materials

The Great Upshift

Science & Nature

35 of the World's Leading Thinkers Map Your Path Forward to a Bright FutureThis vital book leads us beyond today's crisis- and conflict-prone world to a higher stage of our evolution. We have reached a historic turning point - a "point of bifurcation" - at which we must find new ways to upshift our individual and collective consciousness to ensure the desired resolution of these crises. Ervin Laszlo and David Lorimer, drawing on their holistic expertise and global network, have assembled a stellar cast of contributors who decode the big picture to offer exactly what we need now. The world-renowned scientists and visionaries who contribute to this book illuminate where are we today and where we can go from here. They focus on the most burning question of all: how can we upshift ourselves - our ways of healing, of thinking and feeling, and even of intuiting - to respond to the pressing requirements of our time? Their visions empower us to "be the change" we want to see in the world - to help others be a positive and critical part of the great upshift that has already started. This will be our salvation. This compendium of insights into solutions for our world troubled by climate change, conflict, and unsustainable conditions calls for the conscious participation of all of us to implement the verities within.

The Warming Papers

Science & Nature

Chosen for the 2011 ASLI Choice - Honorable Mention (History Category) for a compendium of the key scientific papers that undergird the global warming forecast. Global warming is arguably the defining scientific issue of modern times, but it is not widely appreciated that the foundations of our understanding were laid almost two centuries ago with the postulation of a greenhouse effect by Fourier in 1827. The sensitivity of climate to changes in atmospheric CO2 was first estimated about one century ago, and the rise in atmospheric CO2 concentration was discovered half a century ago. The fundamentals of the science underlying the forecast for human-induced climate change were being published and debated long before the issue rose to public prominence in the last few decades.The Warming Papers is a compendium of the classic scientific papers that constitute the foundation of the global warming forecast. The paper trail ranges from Fourier and Arrhenius in the 19th Century to Manabe and Hansen in modern times. Archer and Pierrehumbert provide introductions and commentary which places the papers in their context and provide students with tools to develop and extend their understanding of the subject.The book captures the excitement and the uncertainty that always exist at the cutting edge of research, and is invaluable reading for students of climate science, scientists, historians of science, and others interested in climate change.

Homo Numericus

Science & Nature

«El ser humano está viviendo por encima de sus posibilidades psicológicas y ecológicas. Necesitamos recuperar urgentemente un horizonte común».Una nueva economía, nuevas sensibilidades e ideologías están reestructurando la sociedad de arriba a abajo. La revolución digital plantea un tremendo desafío social y psicológico. La desmaterialización y la gestión «eficiente» de las relaciones humanas, el aislamiento social y el control algorítmico de nuestras emociones, deseos o miedos está creando un homo numericus más irracional e impulsivo.En este conciso ensayo, el economista Daniel Cohen diagnostica los riesgos y las posibilidades, las luces y las sombras de este tiempo profundamente ambivalente. Sin catastrofismo y sin moralizar, pero con sentido crítico, Cohen explora nuestras posibilidades para resistir un sistema que promueve la adicción compulsiva y la vigilancia extrema. La buena noticia es que la tecnología todavía no controla por completo nuestras vidas. Aún tenemos margen para imaginar un futuro basado en valores compartidos.

The Speed Limit

Science & Nature

"The Speed Limit" delves into the fundamental role of speed, particularly the speed of light, in shaping our understanding of the universe, human transportation, and technological innovation. It examines how this universal constant impacts wave propagation and explores the barriers and theoretical possibilities related to exceeding current speed limitations. The book highlights how the pursuit of surpassing perceived speed limits drives scientific and technological advancement. The book uniquely combines historical context, cutting-edge scientific research, and engineering challenges to present a holistic view of speed. Starting with fundamental concepts like velocity and wave behavior, the book progresses to explore the challenges of high-speed travel, including propulsion systems and the effects of relativistic speeds. It then delves into theoretical physics, examining concepts like wormholes and warp drives. By reframing limitations as opportunities for innovation, "The Speed Limit" emphasizes the value of theoretical exploration in practical applications such as communication networks and faster transportation. It's designed to be accessible to a broad audience interested in science, space exploration, and the potential for future technological breakthroughs.

Chroniques des atomes et des galaxies

Science & Nature

Issus des chroniques hebdomadaires de Hubert Reeves sur France Culture, et faisant suite aux Chroniques du ciel et de la vie, ces textes brefs constituent un véritable tour de force par la simplicité avec laquelle l'auteur présente notre compréhension du cosmos sans pour autant masquer la subtilité des notions évoquées : le Big Bang, la courbure de l'Univers, la matière et l'énergie " sombres ", les univers parallèles, le principe anthropique, les trous noirs, etc. Une remarquable mise à jour des plus récentes découvertes de l'astrophysique et de la cosmologie. Hubert Reeves, astrophysicien, enseigne la cosmologie à Montréal et à Paris. Il a publié au Seuil plusieurs ouvrages dont, Patience dans l'azur, l'Heure de s'enivrer, Malicorne, Poussières d'étoiles, Dernières nouvelles du cosmos, Mal de Terre qui ont rencontré la faveur d'un très large public.

The Principles of Psychology

Science & Nature

Psychology is the Science of Mental Life, both of its phenomena and of their conditions. The phenomena are such things as we call feelings, desires, cognitions, reasonings, decisions, and the like; and, superficially considered, their variety and complexity is such as to leave a chaotic impression on the observer. The most natural and consequently the earliest way of unifying the material was, first, to classify it as well as might be, and, secondly, to affiliate the diverse mental modes thus found, upon a simple entity, the personal Soul, of which they are taken to be so many facultative manifestations. Now, for instance, the Soul manifests its faculty of Memory, now of Reasoning, now of Volition, or again its Imagination or its Appetite.

Cambridge International AS & A Level Biology Student's Book 2nd edition

Science & Nature

This title is endorsed by Cambridge Assessment International Education to support the full syllabus for examination from 2022.Confidently navigate the updated Cambridge International AS & A Level Biology (9700) syllabus with a structured approach ensuring that the link between theory and practice is consolidated, scientific skills are applied, and analytical skills developed.- Enable students to monitor and build progress with short 'self-assessment' questions throughout the student text, with answers at the back of the book, so students can check their understanding as they work their way through the chapters.- Build scientific communication skills and vocabulary in written responses with a variety of exam-style questions. - Encourage understanding of historical context and scientific applications with extension boxes in the student text.- Have confidence that lessons cover the syllabus completely with a free Scheme of Work available online.- Provide additional practice with the accompanying write-in Practical Skills Workbooks, which once completed, can also be used to recap learning for revision.

The Theory of Evolution

Science & Nature

Darwin’s nineteenth-century writings laid the foundations for modern studies of evolution, and theoretical developments in the mid-twentieth century fostered the Modern Synthesis. Since that time, a great deal of new biological knowledge has been generated, including details of the genetic code, lateral gene transfer, and developmental constraints. Our improved understanding of these and many other phenomena have been working their way into evolutionary theory, changing it and improving its correspondence with evolution in nature. And while the study of evolution is thriving both as a basic science to understand the world and in its applications in agriculture, medicine, and public health, the broad scope of evolution—operating across genes, whole organisms, clades, and ecosystems—presents a significant challenge for researchers seeking to integrate abundant new data and content into a general theory of evolution.This book gives us that framework and synthesis for the twenty-first century. The Theory of Evolution presents a series of chapters by experts seeking this integration by addressing the current state of affairs across numerous fields within evolutionary biology, ranging from biogeography to multilevel selection, speciation, and macroevolutionary theory. By presenting current syntheses of evolution’s theoretical foundations and their growth in light of new datasets and analyses, this collection will enhance future research and understanding.

Clone

Science & Nature

The birth of Dolly -- the world's first clone -- placed in our hands the secret of creation. Few discoveries have so altered our notion of what it means to be human, or presented such a Gordian knot of ethical, spiritual, and scientific questions. Noted science journalist Gina Kolata broke the news nationally in The New York Times and was the first reporter to speak with Dr. Ian Wilmut, the embryologist who cloned Dolly. Now Kolata reveals the story behind Dolly, interweaving the social and cultural tales of our fear and fascination with cloning, reaching back nearly a century, with the riveting scientific accountof how a clone came to be and the mind-boggling questions Dolly presents for our future.Clone is a compelling blend of scientific suspense, dreams dashed, and frauds exposed, with provocative philosophical questions and an astute assessment of why Dolly's birth was only possible now. Like The Making of the Atomic Bomb, Lucy, and Chaos, this book gives us a window on history in the making, and an understanding of its profound effect on our lives.

Rosicrucian Doctrines and Tenets

Science & Nature

Trustworthy information is unavailable concerning the actual philosophical beliefs, political aspirations, and humanitarian activities of the Rosicrucian Fraternity. Today, as of old, the mysteries of the Society are preserved inviolate by virtue of their essential nature; and attempts to interpret Rosicrucian philosophy are but speculations, anything to the contrary notwithstanding.

L'Heure de s'enivrer. L'univers a-t-il un sens ?

Science & Nature

" Ainsi, toutes ces combinaisons infiniment fertiles de la matière, cette activité nucléaire des étoiles, ce bourdonnement électromagnétique des nébuleuses interstellaires, cette fièvre biochimique exubérante de l'océan primitif, tout n'aurait d'autre sens que de préparer l'holocauste nucléaire ? La conscience n'émergerait-elle – en quinze milliards d'années – que pour s'éliminer en quelques minutes ? L'univers engendre la complexité. La complexité engendre l'efficacité. Mais l'efficacité n'engendre pas nécessairement le sens. Elle peut aussi conduire au non-sens. Potentiellement, le conflit est inscrit depuis les temps les plus reculés, dans le développement de l'univers et l'édification de la complexité. Avec l'homme, il prend sa dimension tragique. Simultanément, une issue se dessine. Il revient à l'être humain de donner un sens à la réalité. Nous (notre génération) sommes les témoins et les acteurs de cette période de l'histoire où ce problème entre dans sa phase décisive. Si nous avons un rôle à jouer dans l'univers, c'est d' aider la nature à accoucher d'elle-même. L'être le plus menaçant est aussi le seul qui puisse faire réussir l'accouchement. L'intelligence n'est pas nécessairement un cadeau empoisonné. L'absurde est encore évitable. L'éveil de la jubilation est, peut-être, l'antidote le plus efficace. " Hubert Reeves

Sustainable Agriculture Reviews

Science & Nature

This book presents advanced reviews on latest developments and future trends of animal biotechnology with focus on computational and experimental approaches. The articles in this book discusses the implications of recent methods in animal biotechnology to improve the livestock production. Applications of omics technologies and system biology approaches for livestock production and animal disorders were discussed in detail. The evolution of transgenic technology,genome editing and markers for early pregnancy detection were elucidated in this book. A couple of chapters were dedicated to understanding the role of gut microbiome, probiotics and prebiotics on livestock health and production. The nanomaterials have been shown been shown beneficial effects in biological applications. This book also discussed the veterinary applications of nanomaterials. The articles of this book provide state of the art information that is appropriate to academicians, researchers and students who are involved in the animal biotechnology research.

From NWICO to WSIS

Science & Nature

Two major events have framed global media policies since World War II: the New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO) in the 1970s–80s and the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in 2003–05. Yet they are rarely studied in their continuity/discontinuity and the intermediary period between the two phases is often ignored although it is a crucial factor in the debate over information flows and their international geopolitics. The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is the first event of its kind within the United Nations to deal with the issue of information in the digital era. This book attempts to fill a gap in the current bibliography as it spans two historical periods that are usually treated separately: the New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO) on the one hand, and the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) on the other. To encompass the two events, and assess the continuities and discontinuities between them, the analytical framework is diachronic, with the definition of three main phases. Their distinctive issues are developed in the three sections of the book: 1. The first phase (1970–80) deals with NWICO, especially in relation to information as news, related to the press and with few powerful actors at the global level. 2. The second phase (1980–2000) deals with the period where the NWICO outcomes are diluted while another view of information as data, related to the rise of information and communication technologies (ICTs), emerges in the political discourse. 3. The third phase (2000–) deals with WSIS both as a legacy of NWICO and as a proposal of a new global governance of media as a process rather than a structure within a single institution.

Alchemy and Its Exponents

Science & Nature

Alchemy was more than a powerful science which could help as it was supposed to transform metals into gold, water into wine or something else miraculous. Alchemy was created in late antiquity in the Alexandrian epoch and was a form of ritual hermetic art. To a large extent it was based on the teaching of 4 primary elements of Aristotle. Work by Manly Hall will provide interesting facts of prominent names that will definitely attract your attention about this mystical science.

SpaceDisc 1 | Shuttle Takes Flight

Science & Nature

The SpaceDisc archives were assembled in the 1980s, and published on laser videodisc in a series of eight volumes. At the time, SpaceDisc provided educators and the public with unprecedented access to a vast visual record of space exploration and astronomy. 35 years later, SpaceDisc still stands as an unrivaled record of the Golden Age of Space Exploration. After being out of print for 15 years, SpaceDisc is being re-released as ebooks. SpaceDisc 1 | Shuttle Takes Flight tells the story of the development and flight testing of the Space Shuttle. The text provides a system-by-system review of the Shuttle’s main components, and in-depth reports of each test flight. The image galleries comprise 2,931 still photos and 45 video clips, including all of the photos taken by the astronauts during the STS-1, STS-2, STS-3 and STS-4 missions. The video clips capture many historic moments and first-of-their-kind views of launch, ascent, and on-orbit events and activities. The story of the Shuttle’s remarkable early years continues in SpaceDisc 2 | Shuttle Goes To Work. The two volumes together constitute the most comprehensive collection of images from the first 11 shuttle missions presently available, a must-have for aerospace professionals and space enthusiasts alike.

Uncovering Student Ideas About Engineering and Technology

Science & Nature

Have you been wondering how well your students understand engineering and technology concepts? Have you been wishing for formative assessment tools in both English and Spanish? If so, this is the book for you. Like the other 11 books in the bestselling Uncovering Student Ideas series, Uncovering Student Ideas About Engineering and Technology does the following: • Brings you engaging questions, also known as formative assessment probes. The book’s 32 probes are designed to uncover what students know—or think they know—about what technology and engineering are, how to define related problems, and how to design and test solutions. The probes will help you uncover students’ current thinking about everything from the purpose of technology to who can become an engineer to how an engineering design process works. • Offers field-tested teacher materials that provide best answers along with distracters designed to reveal preconceptions and misunderstandings that students commonly hold. Since the content is explained in clear, everyday language, even engineering and technology novices can grasp and teach it effectively. • Is convenient even for time-starved teachers like you. The new probes are short, easy-to-administer activities that come ready to reproduce for speakers of both English and Spanish. In addition to explaining the engineering and technology content, the teacher materials note links to A Framework for K–12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards and suggest grade-appropriate ways to present material so students will learn it accurately. Uncovering Student Ideas About Engineering and Technology has the potential to help you take an important first step in teaching for understanding—and perhaps transform your teaching about STEM-related topics.

Microbial Biocontrol: Food Security and Post Harvest Management

Science & Nature

This second volume of a two-volume work reviews beneficial bioactive compounds from various microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, cyanobacteria in plant diseases management and the postharvest management of fruits using microbial antagonists. Furthermore, it reviews the impact of climate change on food security and addressed the legal aspects of microbial biocontrol applications.The two-volume work “Microbial Biocontrol” introduces to mechanisms of plant-microbe interactions and explores latest strategies of how microbes can be applied in biocontrol and management of plant pathogens, replacing chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The book covers different groups of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, but also the interplay of entire microbiomes, and reviews their specific benefits in crop growth promotion, in enhancing the plants’ tolerance against biotic and abiotic stress as well as in post-harvest management of various plant diseases. Novel tools such as CRISPR/Cas9 and microbe derived nanoparticles are also addressed besides the legal aspects of biocontrol applications.Today, rising global population and changing climatic conditions emerge as a major challenge for agronomist farmers and researchers in fulfilling the requirements of global food production. The conventional agricultural practices utilize undistributed use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to enhance growth and yield of agricultural products and fresh foods, but their extensive and continuous use have led to a range of negative consequences on the food quality and safety, to environment as well as to human and animal health. Microbial biocontrol applications are presented as a solution, paving the way to a sustainable agriculture in compliance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).The book addresses researchers in academia and agriculture.

Lettere a un astrofisico

Science & Nature

«Scrivere lettere è diventato una specie di arte perduta.» Eppure, «quando il mondo eccita la vostra curiosità, quando non sapere qualcosa vi rende inquieti, quando la vostra angoscia esistenziale trabocca, a volte non vi resta che scrivere una lettera vera e propria a qualcuno». Neil deGrasse Tyson, uno dei più importanti e acclamati astrofisici a livello internazionale, ogni anno ne riceve migliaia. Il più delle volte da perfetti sconosciuti che si rivolgono a lui - che ha dedicato la sua vita all'esplorazione e alla spiegazione dei misteri dell'universo - in cerca di un consiglio, di conforto o ispirazione. Alcuni scrivono per discutere idee e convinzioni, altri per condividere emozioni, curiosità e ansie.In questo libro, intimo e personale, l'autore raccoglie una breve ma rappresentativa parte di quella corrispondenza, e ci accompagna dietro le quinte del suo mondo. Tyson risponde, con grande sincerità, sui temi più disparati: dalla scienza alla fede, dalla filosofia alla politica, dalla morte all'etica. Per farlo, attinge alla propria esperienza di scienziato e soprattutto di uomo, svelando a sua volta le proprie insicurezze e le proprie paure, ma anche le speranze e le certezze maturate negli anni. Perché dietro ognuna di quelle lettere ed email si cela in fondo un'unica «aspirazione, che tutti abbiamo provato prima o poi: la ricerca di senso nella nostra vita; un bisogno inesausto di comprendere quale sia il nostro posto in questo mondo e in questo universo».Lettere a un astrofisico è una fotografia dell'insieme di conoscenze che Tyson ha cercato «di insegnare, di chiarire e in sostanza di mettere in comune con le menti curiose» nel corso della sua lunga carriera. È il mondo visto attraverso la lente di un astrofisico-insegnante. Un mondo che ora condivide con tutti noi.

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