Science & Nature - Books

Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology in Medicine

Science & Nature

NANOMATERIALS AND NANOTECHNOLOGY IN MEDICINE A comprehensive introduction to nanomaterials and their application in the field of medicine The use of nanotechnology and nanomaterials more generally is an emerging field that has generated a lot of interest in the last few years. To this point, there have been few books that deal with the recent advances in nanomaterials or nanocomposites in the medical discipline. Intended as a one-stop reference, Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology in Medicine provides the reader with the most-up-to-date and comprehensive exploration of the field of nanomedicine. The scope of the topic is huge, with nano applications in every medical specialization—from diagnostics to pharmaceuticals, from biological therapies to surgical devices, and from regenerative therapies to gene therapy. As such, this volume provides the most comprehensive coverage of this intriguing field of study. Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology in Medicine readers will also find: An application-oriented book dedicated towards helping researchers find solutions to both fundamental and applied problems Chapters written by leading researchers from industry, academy, government, and private research institutions across the globe Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology in Medicine is a useful reference for medical doctors, medical practitioners, post-doctoral research fellows, senior graduate students, and medical libraries.

The Secret of Our Success

Science & Nature

How our collective intelligence has helped us to evolve and prosperHumans are a puzzling species. On the one hand, we struggle to survive on our own in the wild, often failing to overcome even basic challenges, like obtaining food, building shelters, or avoiding predators. On the other hand, human groups have produced ingenious technologies, sophisticated languages, and complex institutions that have permitted us to successfully expand into a vast range of diverse environments. What has enabled us to dominate the globe, more than any other species, while remaining virtually helpless as lone individuals? This book shows that the secret of our success lies not in our innate intelligence, but in our collective brains—on the ability of human groups to socially interconnect and learn from one another over generations.Drawing insights from lost European explorers, clever chimpanzees, mobile hunter-gatherers, neuroscientific findings, ancient bones, and the human genome, Joseph Henrich demonstrates how our collective brains have propelled our species' genetic evolution and shaped our biology. Our early capacities for learning from others produced many cultural innovations, such as fire, cooking, water containers, plant knowledge, and projectile weapons, which in turn drove the expansion of our brains and altered our physiology, anatomy, and psychology in crucial ways. Later on, some collective brains generated and recombined powerful concepts, such as the lever, wheel, screw, and writing, while also creating the institutions that continue to alter our motivations and perceptions. Henrich shows how our genetics and biology are inextricably interwoven with cultural evolution, and how culture-gene interactions launched our species on an extraordinary evolutionary trajectory.Tracking clues from our ancient past to the present, The Secret of Our Success explores how the evolution of both our cultural and social natures produce a collective intelligence that explains both our species' immense success and the origins of human uniqueness.

Au temps des catastrophes

Science & Nature

Nous avons changé d'époque : l'inéluctabilité du bouleversement global du climat s'est désormais imposée. Pollution, empoisonnement par les pesticides, épuisement des ressources, baisse des nappes phréatiques, inégalités sociales croissantes ne peuvent plus être envisagés de manière isolée. Le réchauffement climatique a des effets en cascade sur les êtres vivants, les océans, l'atmosphère, les sols. Ce n'est pas un " mauvais moment à passer " avant que tout ne redevienne " normal ".Mais nos dirigeants sont incapables de prendre acte de la situation. Guerre économique oblige, notre mode de croissance, irresponsable, voire criminel, doit être maintenu coûte que coûte. Ce n'est pas pour rien que la catastrophe de La Nouvelle-Orléans a frappé les esprits : la réponse qui a été apportée – l'abandon des pauvres tandis que les riches se mettaient à l'abri – apparaît comme un symbole de la barbarie qui vient, celle d'une Nouvelle-Orléans à l'échelle planétaire.Mais dénoncer n'est pas suffisant. Il s'agit d'apprendre à briser le sentiment d'impuissance qui nous menace, à expérimenter ce que demande la capacité de résister aux expropriations et aux destructions du capitalisme.

Complex Networks & Their Applications XIII

Science & Nature

This book highlights cutting-edge research in network science, offering scientists, researchers, students, and practitioners a unique update on the latest advances in theory and a multitude of applications. It presents the peer-reviewed proceedings of the XIII International Conference on Complex Networks and their Applications (COMPLEX NETWORKS 2024). The carefully selected papers cover a wide range of theoretical topics such as network embedding and network geometry; community structure, network dynamics; diffusion, epidemics, and spreading processes; machine learning and graph neural networks, as well as all the main network applications, including social and political networks; networks in finance and economics; biological networks and technological networks.

Delphi Collected Works of Albert Einstein US (Illustrated)

Science & Nature

Widely regarded as the most influential physicist of the twentieth century, Albert Einstein developed the special and general theories of relativity. His work won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921 for its explanation of the photoelectric effect. Einstein also made important contributions to statistical mechanics and quantum theory. His mass-energy equivalence formula E = mc2, which arises from special relativity, is the world’s most famous equation. Einstein’s groundbreaking work, decades ahead of its time, continues to inform and inspire the work of scientists across the world. This eBook presents Einstein’s collected works, with numerous illustrations, rare translations, concise introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Einstein’s life and works * Concise introductions to the major texts * The complete ‘Annus mirabilis Papers’ of 1905 * Images of how the books were first published, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts * Excellent formatting of the texts * Fully illustrated with the original equations * Easily locate the sections you want to read * Special Supplementary Material section, with seminal essays evaluating Einstein’s contribution to physics * Ordering of texts into chronological order and genres CONTENTS: Annus mirabilis Papers On a Heuristic Point of View about the Creation and Conversion of Light (1905) On the Movement of Small Particles (1905) On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies (1905) Does the Inertia of a Body Depend upon its Energy-Content? (1905) Other Works The Development of Our Views on the Composition and Essence of Radiation (1909) The Field Equations of Gravitation (1915) The Foundation of the Generalised Theory of Relativity (1916) Relativity: The Special and General Theory (1916) Dialog about Objections against the Theory of Relativity (1918) Time, Space and Gravitation (1919) A Brief Outline of the Development of the Theory of Relativity (1920) The Bad Nauheim Debate (1922) The Meaning of Relativity (1922) Sidelights on Relativity (1922) Fundamental Ideas and Problems of the Theory of Relativity (1923) Supplementary Material Principle of Relativity (1909) by H. Minkowski The Foundations of Einstein’s Theory of Gravitation (1920) by Erwin Freundlich Einstein’s Theories of Relativity and Gravitation (1921) by J. Malcolm Bird Einstein and the Universe by Charles Nordmann (1922)

Future-Oriented Technology Analysis

Science & Nature

The application of foresight to address the challenges of uncertainty and rapid change has grown dramatically in the past decade. In that period, the techniques have been greatly refined and the scope has been broadened to encompass future-oriented technology analysis (FTA) and more recently, the concept and practice of strategic intelligence.FTA addresses directly the longer-term future through the active and continuous development of visions, and pathways to realise these visions. It is increasingly seen as a valuable management and policy tool complementing, and extending further into the future, classical strategy, planning, and decision-making approaches.This book charts the development of FTA and provides the first coherent description and analysis of its practical application and impact in the worlds of business, government, education and research in both advanced and developing countries. It draws on papers addressing the application of FTA around the globe which were presented at the Second International Seville Seminar in September 2006.The insights and practical experience will be invaluable for company managers, government ministers and officials, researchers and academics with responsibilities for effective planning and decision-making in an increasingly turbulent and unpredictable world.

Gravity's Shadow

Science & Nature

According to the theory of relativity, we are constantly bathed in gravitational radiation. When stars explode or collide, a portion of their mass becomes energy that disturbs the very fabric of the space-time continuum like ripples in a pond. But proving the existence of these waves has been difficult; the cosmic shudders are so weak that only the most sensitive instruments can be expected to observe them directly. Fifteen times during the last thirty years scientists have claimed to have detected gravitational waves, but so far none of those claims have survived the scrutiny of the scientific community. Gravity’s Shadow chronicles the forty-year effort to detect gravitational waves, while exploring the meaning of scientific knowledge and the nature of expertise. Gravitational wave detection involves recording the collisions, explosions, and trembling of stars and black holes by evaluating the smallest changes ever measured. Because gravitational waves are so faint, their detection will come not in an exuberant moment of discovery but through a chain of inference; for forty years, scientists have debated whether there is anything to detect and whether it has yet been detected. Sociologist Harry Collins has been tracking the progress of this research since 1972, interviewing key scientists and delineating the social process of the science of gravitational waves. Engagingly written and authoritatively comprehensive, Gravity’s Shadow explores the people, institutions, and government organizations involved in the detection of gravitational waves. This sociological history will prove essential not only to sociologists and historians of science but to scientists themselves.

Die lange Reise

Science & Nature

Beeindruckend und inspirierend: Die faszinierende Reise der sympathischen Astronautin zur ISS»Ich bin für eine Weile nicht auf dem Planeten. Zurück im Mai«. Das war die Abwesenheitsnotiz von Samantha Cristoforetti, als sie 200 Tage auf der ISS verbrachte. Bis die Ingenieurin und Pilotin endlich in das Raumschiff stieg, war es ein weiter Weg, den sie mit Wissbegier, Beharrlichkeit und einer Portion Glück absolvierte – als eine von nur wenigen Frauen. Persönlich und humorvoll schildert sie ihre Erfahrungen, von den harten Astronautenlehrjahren über die Zeit im All bis hin zur Rückkehr auf die Erde. Welche Gedanken begleiten die letzten Stunden vor dem Abflug? Womit entspannt man sich nach einem langen Arbeitstag auf der Raumstation? Wie fängt man einen Raumtransporter ein? Mit einem wunderbaren Blick für die Herausforderungen und Merkwürdigkeiten des Astronautenberufs nimmt sie uns mit auf eine unvergleichliche Reise.Seit 28. April 2022 ist Samantha Cristoforetti für fünf Monate erneut auf der ISS.

Dotknij, poczuj, zobacz

Science & Nature

Ta ciekawa i błyskotliwa lektura rzuca nowe światło na naszą obecność w świecie. Jeżeli poszukujecie sposobu na życie pełną piersią i chcecie doświadczać rzeczywistości w sposób pogłębiony, koniecznie przeczytajcie tę pełną olśnień książkę.Mela KotelukŻyjemy w miastach zalanych betonem, otoczeni ekranami, nieustannie podłączeni do sieci. Stopniowo tracimy umiejętność korzystania z dobroci natury.Nie wszystko jednak stracone. Okazuje się, że naszej więzi z przyrodą nie zniszczyły negatywne zjawiska i ciągle jest niezwykle silna.Peter Wohlleben na podstawie najnowszych badań naukowych oraz własnych wieloletnich obserwacji otwiera nam oczy i uszy. Zachęca, by widzieć, słyszeć i czuć mocniej. By uświadomić sobie potęgę swoich zmysłów i wsłuchiwać się we własne ciało. W nagrodę otrzymamy od natury dużo dobrego – w otoczeniu drzew nasze ciśnienie się znormalizuje, kolor zielony nas uspokoi, a las wyostrzy nam zmysły.Ukojenie, jakie daje natura, jest nie do przecenienia.Pozwólmy jej na to.

Biotechnology For Fruit Crop Improvement

Science & Nature

Fruits are a major source of fibre, nutrients, and antioxidants; all essential for a healthy diet. Fruit crops play a key role in the economy of both developed and developing countries, and as such, efforts have been made to improve the quality of these crops using both conventional breeding and genetic engineering, which emerged as a major tool for introducing desirable genes in fruit crops. However, societal distrust for such technologies, coupled with misleading and false information regarding their safety, means that traditional GM technology has been difficult, or impossible to commercialize successfully. For the past two decades, genetic transformation of fruit crops has mainly focused on the enhancement of biotic and abiotic tolerance; however, there are few cases of field evaluation and commercialization of these transgenic plants worldwide. Induced and spontaneous mutations have played an important role in developing improved cultivars of various fruit trees as a supplementary method to conventional breeding. Genes governing important agronomic or quality phenotypes can be verified and transferred by modern biotechnology tools into elite cultivars to ultimately achieve genetic improvement in fruit and vegetable crops. This book is an essential reading for all those involved both in cultivation and the processing of fruit and vegetables.

Phycoremediation

Science & Nature

This book provides an in-depth exploration of phyco-based green technologies, focusing on their application in wastewater remediation. The book explores the transformative potential of phyco-based green technologies in wastewater remediation, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional methods. As environmental concerns mount, the integration of algal cultivation emerges as a promising solution for nutrient recovery and ecosystem sustainability. This comprehensive volume delves into the latest advancements and ongoing research in the field, providing readers with a thorough understanding of microalgal applications in wastewater treatment.Key concepts include the biochemical composition of wastewater-grown microalgae, the use of photobioreactor systems, and the conversion of algal biomass into biofuels and other value-added products. Readers will discover innovative approaches such as microalgae-bacteria consortia, genetic enhancements for improved nutrient recovery, and the use of immobilized microalgae systems. The book also addresses the challenges and future prospects of these technologies, providing a comprehensive overview of their economic and environmental implications.Researchers, scientists, and professionals in fields such as biotechnology, environmental science, and waste management will find this volume particularly valuable. It also serves as a reference for graduate and postgraduate students, as well as industry personnel working in green technologies and ecosystem sustainability. By offering a detailed analysis of current advancements and future possibilities, this book equips readers with the knowledge needed to contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable future.

Είμαστε μόνοι;

Science & Nature

Στις μέρες μας, βρίσκονται σε εξέλιξη ερευνητικά προγράμματα τα οποία αποσκοπούν στην ανίχνευση —μέσω ραδιοτηλεσκοπίων— κάποιων μηνυμάτων που ίσως αποστέλλονται από προηγμένους εξωγήινους πολιτισμούς. Αν κατορθώσουμε να λάβουμε τέτοια σήματα ή αν ανακαλύψουμε βακτηριακή ζωή στον Άρη ή σ' ένα μετεωρίτη, οι αποδείξεις ύπαρξης εξωγήινης ζωής θα μας φέρουν αντιμέτωπους με κεφαλαιώδους σημασίας ερωτήματα. Η ζωή προέρχεται από μία και μοναδική πηγή, από την οποία διασκορπίστηκε παντού, ή μήπως εμφανίστηκε ανεξάρτητα σε πολλά διαφορετικά σημεία; Η εμφάνισή της αποτελεί «θαύμα» —ένα απίθανο συμβάν— ή είναι αναπόφευκτη συνέπεια των νόμων της βιολογίας και της φυσικής; Άραγε υπάρχει κάποιος σκοπός —μια γενική τάση από το απλό στο σύνθετο, από τα μικρόβια στη νόηση— που είναι ενσωματωμένος στη λειτουργία του σύμπαντος; Τι θα σήμαινε για μας και για τη θέση μας στο σύμπαν η ύπαρξη νοημόνων εξωγήινων; Για πολύ καιρό, αυτά τα ζητήματα αποτελούσαν αντικείμενο της θεολογίας ή της επιστημονικής φαντασίας. Ο Paul Davies δείχνει με ποιον τρόπο τα φωτίζει και τα αναλύει στις μέρες μας ο επιστημονικός συλλογισμός και η επιμελής έρευνα.

Inflight Science

Science & Nature

The perfect companion to any flight - a guide to the science on view from your window seat. There are few times when science is so immediate as when you're in a plane. Your life is in the hands of the scientists and engineers who enable tons of metal and plastic to hurtle through the sky at hundreds of miles an hour. Inflight Science shows how you stay alive up there - but that's only the beginning. Brian Clegg explains the ever changing view, whether it's crop circles or clouds, mountains or river deltas, and describes simple experiments to show how a wing provides lift, or what happens if you try to open a door in midair (don't!). On a plane you'll experience the impact of relativity, the power of natural radiation and the effect of altitude on the boiling point of tea. Among the many things you'll learn is why the sky is blue, the cause of thunderstorms and the impact of volcanic ash in an enjoyable tour of mid-air science. Every moment of your journey is an opportunity to experience science in action: Inflight Science will be your guide.

Hope Dies Last

Science & Nature

One of Heatmap's 18 Climate Books to Read in 2025The award-winning environmental journalist’s extraordinary, long-awaited portrait of hope and resilience as we face a fractured and uncertain futureIn this profoundly human and moving narrative, the bestselling author of The World Without Us returns with a book ten years in the making: a study of what it means to be a human on the front lines of our planet’s existential crisis. His new book, Hope Dies Last, is a literary evocation of our current predicament and the core resolve of our species against the most precarious odds we have ever faced.To write this book, Weisman traveled the globe, witnessing climate upheaval and other devastations, and meeting the people striving to mitigate and undo our past transgressions. From the flooding Marshall Islands to revived wetlands in Iraq, from the Netherlands and Bangladesh to the Korean DMZ and to cities and coastlines in the U.S. and around the world, he has encountered the best of humanity battling heat, hunger, rising tides, and imperiled nature. He profiles the innovations of big thinkers—engineers, scientists, conservationists, economists, architects, and artists—as they conjure wildly creative, imaginative responses to an uncertain, ominous future. At this unprecedented point in history, as our collective exploits on this planet may lead to our own undoing and we could be among the species marching toward extinction, they refuse to accept defeat.Hope Dies Last fills a crucial gap in the global conversation: Having reached a point of no return in our climate confrontation, how do we feel, behave, act, plan, and dream as we approach a future decidedly different from what we had expected?

Ti sembra il caso?

Science & Nature

Erri e Paolo sono entrambi napoletani. Sono diventati amici. Anche se Paolo vive e lavora in California. Erri comincia a scrivere, e Paolo risponde. Ne nasce una sequenza di missive in cui si parla di dna, di orologio circadiano, di olfatto, dei ritmi che cadenzano le risposte del corpo – e della psiche – alle sollecitazioni ambientali, e più in generale all’universo. Gli studi di Paolo Sassone-Corsi hanno a che fare, per l’appunto, con i geni clock che producono proteine all’interno di ogni cellula, accendendo risposte cicliche che governano le nostre funzioni fisiologiche. De Luca interroga, sollecita, provoca l’amico lontano. Sassone-Corsi cerca sintonie, spiega, si sottrae alla condizione segregata e oscura dello scienziato. Con leggerezza il clima fraterno del carteggio prende la forma di un’avventura dello spirito – Erri e Paolo sanno entrambi che la nettezza di certe risposte scientifiche corre accanto a un mistero che è ragione del sapere ma anche condizione umana. “Perché siamo qui?” è pur sempre la domanda e la risposta che poesia e scienza continuano a condividere.

Marx

Science & Nature

En esta breve introducción el renombrado filósofo Peter Singer expone la visión central que unifica el pensamiento de Marx y nos permite entender su punto de vista como un todo. Presentándolo como un filósofo principalmente preocupado por la libertad humana, en lugar de como un economista o un científico social, Singer consigue explicar ideas clave de Marx, como la alienación, el materialismo histórico o la teoría económica del capital, en un lenguaje sencillo. En estas páginas, Singer explora si las concepciones de Marx siguen siendo relevantes en el siglo XXI. ¿El hecho de que las ocho personas más ricas del planeta posean tanto como la mitad de la población mundial vendría a confirmar la óptica marxista? ¿La facilidad con que los políticos conservadores pueden ganarse los votos de la clase trabajadora apelando al nacionalismo socavaría su visión de la lucha de clases y la inevitable victoria final del proletariado? Singer reflexiona aquí sobre cuestiones cruciales como estas y analiza también el papel de internet en nuestra sociedad en tanto que “fuerza productiva”. El libro concluye con una evaluación del legado de Marx y la pregunta de hasta qué punto resulta realista en la actualidad la propuesta de reemplazar el capitalismo por un sistema de producción mejor.

Dumnezeu, om, animal, masina

Science & Nature

Traducere și note de Iulian Comănescu Într-un secol paradoxal, înspãimântat și totodată fascinat de inteligența artificială, omului contemporan îi revine o datorie grea. El trebuie să reflecteze asupra destinului civilizației în lumina – sau în întunericul – evoluțiilor fără precedent ale tehnologiei. Începând cu filozofii Antichității, trecând prin Descartes și ajungând la transumaniști, Meghan O’Gieblyn ne poartă într-o călătorie spre adâncurile fricilor și speranțelor noastre legate de sensul vieții și de relevanța culturii și a metaforelor pe care le-am creat, într-o lume care își schimbă aproape zilnic chipul și reperele. Cine va învinge în lupta care se duce astăzi pentru viitorul omenirii? Tendința noastră de a umaniza tehnologia, sau tehnologizarea umanitatății dincolo de limita recognoscibilului? Cartea de față este un răspuns la această întrebare care ne bântuie. „Dumnezeu, om, animal, mașină este o creație hibridă, o carte erudită în cel mai remarcabil mod, care îmbină istoria, critica și filozofia.“ — The New York Times „O carte scrisă cu un talent excepțional de a explica cele mai complicate idei filozofice legate de modul în care omul creează sens.“ — Publisher’s Weekly

Advances in Applied Mechanics

Science & Nature

This book reports on advances in applied mechanics research and applications. It covers methods, modeling, and simulation tools for products design, material behavior analysis, and for optimizing production processes. It also reports on cutting-edge techniques for increasing performance of mechanical systems. The book gathers selected contributions to the 11th International Congress for Applied Mechanics (JET’2022), held on November 16-18, 2022, in Marrakech, Morocco. The congress was organized by the Franco-Maghreb Association of Mechanics and Materials (AF3M) with the close collaboration of the Moroccan Society of Mechanical Sciences (SMSM). Overall, this book gives a special emphasis to theoretical and practical advances in mechanics, supporting sustainable and environmentally friendly development. It covers applications in transportation, building engineering, bioengineering and manufacturing.

Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 3

Science & Nature

Because you demanded it! Since publication of Volume 1 of this series, thousands of teachers are using these innovative classroom tools to improve student learning in science. Following in the footsteps of earlier volumes in the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series, this all-new book provides short, easy-to-administer probes that determine what misconceptions students bring to the classroom about the nature of science and about physical, life, Earth, and space sciences. This new volume in our bestselling series provides more topic areas for classroom use as well as guidance on how teachers can use the probes for their own learning. As outlined in previous volumes, teachers— like their students— can have misconceptions that come to the fore when administering the probes. Volume 3 provides 10 detailed suggestions for teachers on how to use the probes to uncover, accurately assess, and correct their own preconceptions as well as their students' (e.g., do the probes yourself, examine student responses with other teachers, embed the probes into existing professional development programs, select specific areas to focus on, examine student thinking across grade spans, categorize ideas, and crunch data to create classroom profiles). Volume 3 offers five life science probes, seven Earth and space science probes, ten physical science probes, and three nature of science probes. This volume is an invaluable resource for classroom teachers, preservice teachers, professional developers, and college science and preservice faculty.

The Principia: Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy

Science & Nature

"A result of astonishing scholarship and collaboration among a wide group of talented people." -- Psychological Reports "Cohen and Whitman's translation deserves to become the new standard. . . . " -- Physics Today "Copes ably with puzzles of Newtonian commentary. . .[A] new and handsome edition." -- London Review of Books "Will be of interest to a wide scientific and scholarly audience…the new translation flows smoothly and elegantly." -- Times Higher Education Supplement

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