Science & Nature - Books

Industrial Ecology

Science & Nature

Die Industrial Ecology, eine noch junge Forschungsdisziplin mit Schwerpunkt in den Natur-, Ingenieur- und Planungswissenschaften, sucht nach gangbaren Lösungswegen und nimmt sich dabei die Natur selbst zum Vorbild. Ökosysteme wirtschaften mit Sonnenenergie und nachwachsenden Rohstoffe, rezyklieren ihre Abfälle, sind robust und eigensicher und schaffen es, mit Komplexität umzugehen. In diesem Buch gehen Experten der Industrial Ecology der Frage nach, wie nachhaltig nach dem Vorbild von Ökosystemen gewirtschaftet werden kann, ohne dabei aus den Augen zu verlieren, wie dies alles mit einer gerechten und ökonomisch stabilen gesellschaftlichen Entwicklung vereinbar ist.

High Tide

Science & Nature

The No Logo of climate change – a book that shows how global warming is not a theory we should still debate, but something that has already happened on a global scale.Climate change is not a concern for the future. It's happening right now. In this book – based on the latest scientific evidence – the author takes us around the world to show the impact of global warming already being felt in people's lives.From sand-buried houses in China to thawing Alaskan plains, the author witnesses some of the worst effects of climate change at first hand. Some, like the floods in the UK, are near home. Others – like the drowning Pacific island of Tuvalu – are a world away from the exhaust pipes and factory chimneys that are actually causing global warming.But this isn't simply an inventory of disaster, it's a wry look at how people around the globe are coping as their world changes at unprecedented speed. In the process, the author eats whale blubber in Alaska, swims in shark-infested waters off the Great Barrier Reef and struggles to the top of Andean peaks in Peru. An adventure with a conscience and an argument with an urgent purpose, High Tide is an extremely important book.Reviews‘With High Tide, Mark Lynas has given us a tremendous gift: he has time-travelled into our terrifying collective future, a future that has already arrived in the farthest reaches of the globe. Go with him on this breathtaking, beautifully told journey – to island nations being engulfed by rising tides, to towns swallowed by encroaching desert, to glaciers melting into oceans – and I promise that you will come back changed, determined to alter the course of history.’Naomi Klein, author of No Logo‘Clear, lucid and informative.’ New Statesman‘A thoroughly engaging and well-researched book.’ TLS‘If you are among those who think climate change is an uncertain, remote issue over which scientists are unsure, politicians talk endlessly to little effect, and mere individuals have no power at all, this book may be for you … Lynas tells us to keep repeating the climate change message. Read his book, and that is exactly what you will do.’ Guardian‘There will be many more books like High Tide, but this will be remembered as the first … it’ll be the one with the original vision … Not unworthy of comparison with Orwell and certainly the breaker of new ground.’ IndependentAbout the authormark lynas is an activist, journalist and traveller, based in Oxford. He was editor of the website www.oneworld.net, has been involved in protests against GM crops, road-building, Manchester’s second runway etc, and as a result has made many appearances in the press and TV as a commentator on environmental issues. He also throws custard pies at lunatics who pronounce global warming a fantasy.

Jak powstała bomba atomowa

Science & Nature

Stworzenie bomby atomowej na zawsze zmieniło bieg historii. Coś, co zaczęło się jako zaledwie interesujący problem teoretyczny w fizyce, z przerażającą szybkością zmieniło się w broń masowej zagłady.Tę sagę o fizyce, polityce i psychologii człowieka czyta się jak kryminał. Stosując najlepsze zasady suspensu, Rhodes stopniowo wprowadza wielkich graczy: od Roosevelta i Einsteina po wizjonerskich pionierów teorii kwantowej i zastosowania rozszczepienia termojądrowego, w tym Plancka, Szilarda, Bohra, Oppenheimera, Fermiego, Tellera, Meitnera, von Neumanna i Lawrence’a. Naukowcy – dotąd znani w bardzo wąskich kręgach – wyszli ze swoich wież z kości słoniowej i stanęli w centrum uwagi mediów. Rozmach tej pracy obejmuje najwcześniejsze zapowiedzi energii jądrowej w powieściach H.G. Wellsa, oślepiający błysk Trinity, pierwszej próby jądrowej, program Manhattan, którego kulminacją było zrzucenie bomb na Hiroszimę i Nagasaki, i wyścig zbrojeń podczas zimnej wojny.Ta przełomowa książka szczegółowo opowiada o nauce, ludziach i realiach społeczno-politycznych. Umiejętności Rhodesa w tworzeniu fascynujących portretów biograficznych dorównuje jedynie jego rygorystyczna wiedza. Książka nagrodzona Pulitzerem, National Book Award i Nagrodą Krajowego Stowarzyszenia Krytyków Książki (NBCCA).

Origini

Science & Nature

Adevăratele noastre origini nu sunt doar umane, nici măcar terestre, ci cosmice. Inspirându-se din cele mai recente descoperiri științifice și valorificând conexiunile curente dintre geologie, biologie, astrofizică și cosmologie, Origini explică salturile tulburătoare pe care le-am înregistrat în modul nostru de a înțelege cosmosul.De la prima imagine a nașterii unei galaxii la explorarea lui Marte prin intermediul lui Spirit Rover, ajungând la descoperirea apei pe unul dintre sateliții naturali ai lui Jupiter, autorii Neil deGrasse Tyson și Donald Goldsmith ne conduc, cu claritate și exuberanță, printr-un tur electrizant al cosmosului."O explorare accesibilă și extrem de bine scrisă a apelor adânci ale cosmologiei, astrofizicii și exobiologiei." – Kirkus Reviews„Cine ar putea să-și dorească doi ghizi mai buni pentru un tur al universului decât Tyson și Goldsmith?" – Michio Kaku, autorul bestsellerurilor Lumi paralele, Viitorul omenirii și Viitorul minții umane

Mechanika kwantowa

Science & Nature

Drugi tom serii autorstwa Leonarda Susskinda. Pierwszy, „Teoretyczne minimum”, dotyczył mechaniki klasycznej. „Mechanika kwantowa. Teoretyczne minimum” to książka dla wszystkich, którzy kiedykolwiek zastanawiali się nad tym, jak bardzo niezrozumiała jest mechanika kwantowa. Autor dostarcza narzędzi, które nie tylko umożliwiają zapoznanie się ze sposobem myślenia fizyków o mechanice kwantowej, lecz także dają praktyczną podstawę, by o własnych siłach pogłębiać wiedzę i poszerzać umiejętności. A wszystko to z charakterystyczną dla Leonarda Susskinda lekkością, błyskotliwością i poczuciem humoru! To właśnie prawdziwa mechanika kwantowa. Leonard Susskind wyjaśnia najbardziej skomplikowane aspekty naszej rzeczywistości z zachwycającą jasnością. Jeśli chcesz wiedzieć, w jaki sposób fizycy myślą o świecie, ta książka stanowi najlepszy początek. Sean Carroll, fizyk, autor „Cząstki na końcu Wszechświata” i „Stąd do wieczności i z powrotem” Leonard Susskind – profesor fizyki teoretycznej katedry im. Felixa Blocha w Stanford University, jeden z twórców teorii strun. Susskind jest członkiem Academy of Sciences oraz American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a także laureatem licznych nagród, w tym przyznawanej przez American Institute of Physics nagrody dla autorów najlepszych publikacji popularnonaukowych. Autor „Kosmicznego krajobrazu”, „Bitwy o czarne dziury” i „Teoretycznego minimum”. Art Friedman – inżynier oprogramowania i wieczny student fizyki, słuchacz wykładów Leonarda Susskinda.

When the Earth Was Green

Science & Nature

Winner, A Friend of Darwin Award, 2024 A gorgeously composed look at the longstanding relationship between prehistoric plants and life on EarthFossils plants allow us to touch the lost worlds from billions of years of evolutionary backstory. Each petrified leaf and root show us that dinosaurs, saber-toothed cats, and even humans would not exist without the evolutionary efforts of their leafy counterparts. It has been the constant growth of plants that have allowed so many of our favorite, fascinating prehistoric creatures to evolve, oxygenating the atmosphere, coaxing animals onto land, and forming the forests that shaped our ancestors’ anatomy. It is impossible to understand our history without them. Or, our future.Using the same scientifically-informed narrative technique that readers loved in the award-winning The Last Days of the Dinosaurs, in When the Earth Was Green, Riley Black brings readers back in time to prehistoric seas, swamps, forests, and savannas where critical moments in plant evolution unfolded. Each chapter stars plants and animals alike, underscoring how the interactions between species have helped shape the world we call home. As the chapters move upwards in time, Black guides readers along the burgeoning trunk of the Tree of Life, stopping to appreciate branches of an evolutionary story that links the world we know with one we can only just perceive now through the silent stone, from ancient roots to the present.

Proof of the Proton Radius

Science & Nature

Balungi explains deep ideas in physics in an easy-to-understand way. Think Physics is a series aimed to solving the big problems in physics.The book targets topics that physics researchers and students spend time wondering about, like the origin of gravity and the universe. It also goes into the theories that seem right but are wrong and shows why they are wrong a rarity in science books. Think Physics series is a rigorously correct, lighthearted, and cleverly designed problem solving book for physicists of all ages.* Has been tested, rewritten, and retested to ensure that you can teach yourself all about major unsolved physics problems* Requires no math--mathematical treatments and applications are included in optional sections so that you can choose either amathematical or nonmathematical approachIn this PART ONE of Think Physics series :Using a logical approach, Balungi resolves the proton radius puzzle for you.

Rosso di sera...

Science & Nature

Prefazione all'edizione italiana di Dino Zardi Il meteo è un aspetto centrale della nostra quotidianità. È un argomento di conversazione, un’applicazione sullo smartphone e, spesso, la prima cosa che consultiamo al mattino. Eppure, dietro questi semplici gesti quotidiani c’è la più ampia e complessa infrastruttura che l’umanità abbia mai predisposto: un trionfo di scienza, tecnologia e cooperazione globale. Ma che cos’è la “macchina del tempo” e chi l’ha costruita? Andrew Blum ci guida in un affascinante viaggio attraverso questo prodigio d’uso comune. Per scoprire come funzionano le previsioni del tempo, ci porta a visitare le più antiche stazioni di osservazione e ad assistere al lancio di satelliti modernissimi. Entra nei laboratori, negli uffici, nei quartier generali, ci parla delle prime intuizioni e osservazioni scientifiche, e della perfetta organizzazione che consente lo scambio di informazioni a livello globale. Brillante nella forma e riccamente documentato, il libro apre uno scorcio su una parte universale della nostra vita quotidiana, facendo luce sui rapporti che abbiamo con la tecnologia, il pianeta e la comunità globale.

Nanomaterials for Green Energy

Science & Nature

Nanomaterials for Green Energy focuses on the synthesis, characterization and application of novel nanomaterials in the fields of green science and technology. This book contains fundamental information about the properties of novel nanomaterials and their application in green energy. In particular, synthesis and characterization of novel nanomaterials, their application in solar and fuel cells and batteries, and nanomaterials for a low-toxicity environment are discussed. It will provide an important reference resource for researchers in materials science and renewable energy who wish to learn more about how nanomaterials are used to create cheaper, more efficient green energy products. - Provides fundamental information about the properties and application of new low-cost nanomaterials for green energy - Shows how novel nanomaterials are used to create more efficient solar cells - Offers solutions to common problems related to the use of materials in the development of energy- related technologies

Introduction to Scientific Publishing

Science & Nature

This book is a very concise introduction to the basic knowledge of scientific publishing. It starts with the basics of writing a scientific paper, and recalls the different types of scientific documents. In gives an overview on the major scientific publishing companies and different business models. The book also introduces to abstracting and indexing services and how they can be used for the evaluation of science, scientists, and institutions. Last but not least, this short book faces the problem of plagiarism and publication ethics.

L'invention de la régulation génétique

Science & Nature

À travers l’exemple de l’opéron, ce livre s’attache à explorer le contexte théorique, philosophique et politique qui a accompagné l’essor de la biologie moléculaire française. L’élaboration du modèle de l’opéron lactose a marqué un tournant dans l’histoire des sciences de la vie. Cet évènement fondateur a reposé, sans s’y résumer, sur la collaboration entre François Jacob, André Lwolff et Jacques Monod (tous trois prix Nobel 1965). Après avoir retracé les origines lointaines des programmes de recherche qui ont rendu possible une telle collaboration, les études ici réunies montrent comment ce modèle a été accueilli par les biologistes et les perspectives nouvelles qu’il a fait émerger.

Des hommes libres

Science & Nature

Trois générations de fermiers anglais se sont succédé sur la même terre. James Rebanks était encore adolescent lorsque son grand-père lui a transmis son savoir. Cet homme était le dernier maillon d'une agriculture millénaire. Pour lui, les champs et les bêtes avaient un nom, le paysage vibrait, les mouettes se nourrissaient des vers que sa charrue sortait du sol.Quand vient le tour du père de James, le monde agricole n'a que le mot " progrès " à la bouche. Les petites fermes sont acculées. Il faut se moderniser, rationaliser, s'agrandir ou périr. C'est une souffrance et une perte de sens.Lorsque James hérite du domaine, il décide d'intégrer les acquis de la science et de l'écologie pour réensauvager sa terre. Il fait de son exploitation une utopie, un modèle d'agriculture du xxie siècle.Écrivain exceptionnel, James Rebanks est lu par des centaines de milliers de lectrices et de lecteurs. Il nous réconcilie avec le monde paysan et transmet une philosophie de vie dont chacun peut s'inspirer.

Escuchar a las piedras

Science & Nature

Cada tipo de roca contiene una historia que se entrelaza con la nuestra, moldeando la vida de la Tierra y la de sus habitantes de forma invisible y poderosa. La Tierra se ha reinventado a sí misma durante más de cuatro mil millones de años, y las rocas han custodiado el registro de toda su existencia. La mayoría de nosotros ignoramos la extraordinaria historia que esconden, porque somos incapaces de interpretar la valiosa información cifrada en ellas. Durante las últimas tres décadas la geología ha experimentado una revolución silenciosa, pasando de ser un conjunto gris de datos descriptivos a ofrecer una visión del mundo unificada, capaz de abordar grandes preguntas existenciales sobre los orígenes y los posibles destinos de nuestro planeta.De la mano de la geóloga Marcia Bjornerud nos adentramos en las atribuladas vidas de las rocas, descubriendo cómo se entrelazan con las nuestras de maneras sorprendentes, ya que son la infraestructura oculta que mantiene al planeta en funcionamiento, desde los acuíferos de arenisca que purifican el agua que bebemos hasta las formaciones de basalto que regulan lentamente el clima global. Arquitectas de la topografía del mundo y administradoras de la química oceánica, las rocas, con sus largas y complejas vidas de miles de millones de años, tienen personalidades propias y distintas, su propio lenguaje. Algunas son extrovertidas, mientras que otras son reservadas y crípticas. Otras son como celebridades, famosas y bellas, aunque de poca importancia funcional para el mundo, mientras que aquellas que parecen simples y aburridas son esenciales para la estabilidad a largo plazo del planeta.En esta apasionada reivindicación de las piedras y su papel fundamental en nuestro ecosistema, Bjornerud sostiene que los humanos deberíamos sentirnos parte de una comunidad que incluye otros animales, plantas, agua y rocas, y también nos invita a sentirnos habitantes de un planeta antiguo y sólido como las rocas. Una perspectiva de gran valor en un momento en el que muchos sistemas humanos que alguna vez parecieron robustos muestran signos de fragilidad.

The Freezing Point

Science & Nature

"The Freezing Point" explores the physics governing how substances transition from liquid to solid, emphasizing that it's more than just a fixed temperature. The book highlights the interplay of temperature, pressure, and intermolecular forces, revealing how manipulating these factors can alter freezing points for various technological applications. Understanding freezing is crucial, impacting fields from materials science to climate science.The book starts by establishing a foundation in thermodynamics, covering concepts like enthalpy and entropy. It then digs into intermolecular forces, explaining how different types of bonding affect freezing temperature. A significant portion focuses on pressure's effect on the freezing point, often overlooked but essential for understanding deep-sea environments and industrial processes.Examples of phase diagrams are used to clarify the physics, and colligative properties are discussed in the context of antifreeze solutions. The book supports its arguments with experimental data, phase diagrams, and thermodynamic calculations, drawing from research articles and industrial case studies.Its unique value lies in bridging the gap between theory and practice, showcasing real-world applications in food preservation, cryosurgery, and antifreeze design. The book progresses systematically, building from basic principles to complex applications, making it accessible to students and anyone curious about the physics of freezing.

The Melting Point

Science & Nature

"The Melting Point" explores the physics of melting, elucidating why different substances transition from solid to liquid at vastly different temperatures. It begins by establishing the thermodynamic and kinetic principles governing melting as a phase transition, highlighting the energy required to disrupt a solid's atomic lattice structure. The book emphasizes the crucial role of intermolecular forces, from weak Van der Waals interactions to strong covalent and metallic bonds, in determining a substance's melting point. Understanding these principles is vital, as the melting point dictates the behavior and application of materials across diverse fields.The book progresses by investigating specific classes of materials, analyzing the features that influence their melting behaviors. It also delves into industrial applications, such as metallurgy, polymer processing, and pharmaceutical manufacturing, where controlling melting points is critical. The book uniquely bridges theoretical concepts with real-world applications, demonstrating that melting point, far from being a mere constant, is a critical parameter.The book traces the historical context of melting point research, connecting early experiments to modern computational simulations, and presents experimental data, thermal analysis measurements, structural characterization studies, and computational modeling.

Science and Religion in Education

Science & Nature

This book brings together the latest research in education in relation to science and religion. Leading international scholars and practitioners provide vital insights into the underlying debates and present a range of practical approaches for teaching. Key themes include the origin of the universe, the theory of evolution, the nature of the human person, the nature of science and Artificial Intelligence. These are explored in a range of international contexts. The book provides a valuable resource for teachers, students and researchers in the fields of education, science, religious education and the growing specialist field of science and religion.Science and Religion in Education is a compelling read for current and future generations of academic researchers and teachers who wish to explore the fascinating intersect between science education and religious studies. The research findings and insights presented by these international scholars offer new dimensions on contemporary practice. - Vaille Dawson, Professor of Science Education, University of Western AustraliaScience and Religion in Education offers a fascinating and diverse collection of chapters surveying the current state of thinking about how science and religion can be understood in education. The book offers a wealth of thought-provoking material for anyone interested in the natures of science and religion, their relationship(s), or their representation within the curriculum. - Professor Keith Taber, University of CambridgeScience education and religious education are uncomfortable bedfellows. This book, written in part as a response to the – perhaps too clear – accounts of Ian Barbour, provides suitably nuanced pictures of how science and religion are dealt with in schools. Whatever the views of specialists, young people ‘receive’ an education in both science and religion: hearing their voices is refreshing in such a serious academic account. -Julian Stern, Professor of Education and Religion, York St John UniversityHumans have long endeavored to make sense of the world often using science and religion. Yet, these two great traditions are frequently seen as incompatible. This useful volume features thoughtful contributions from experts whose work straddles the divide and provides educators with arguments, engaging strategies and historical perspectives to help build a bridge and allow a fruitful discussion in schools. - William F. McComas, Distinguished Professor of Science Education, University of ArkansasEqual parts critical examination of existing models for the relationship between science and religion, scholarly exposition of newer models, and insights toward practical application in classrooms, this book is an invaluable resource for science and religion educators. If you have been thinking it is time we looked beyond Barbour’s taxonomy, you will want to read this book. If you havenot, I implore you to read this book. - Jason Wiles, Associate Professor of Biology and Science Education, Syracuse University

Evolution Education Re-considered

Science & Nature

This collection presents research-based interventions using existing knowledge to produce new pedagogies to teach evolution to learners more successfully, whether in schools or elsewhere. ‘Success’ here is measured as cognitive gains, as acceptance of evolution or an increased desire to continue to learn about it. Aside from introductory and concluding chapters by the editors, each chapter consists of a research-based intervention intended to enable evolution to be taught successfully; all these interventions have been researched and evaluated by the chapters’ authors and the findings are presented along with discussions of the implications. The result is an important compendium of studies from around the word conducted both inside and outside of school. The volume is unique and provides an essential reference point and platform for future work for the foreseeable future.

Wormhole Theories

Science & Nature

Wormhole Theories explores the intriguing possibility of shortcuts through space-time, examining whether these concepts, often relegated to science fiction, could exist within the framework of general relativity. The book addresses the theoretical physics governing wormholes, along with practical challenges like stabilization and the need for exotic matter. It begins by tracing the evolution of wormhole concepts, starting with Einstein and Rosen's initial bridge solutions. A core argument is that while general relativity permits wormholes, their existence hinges on exotic matter with negative mass-energy density, a substance yet unobserved. Even with exotic matter, maintaining stability against gravitational collapse poses significant challenges. The book progresses by introducing the mathematics of general relativity, then examining exotic matter's properties, and finally analyzing proposed stabilization methods. It concludes with potential implications for interstellar travel, time travel, and connections to quantum gravity. The book's value lies in its balanced assessment of theoretical possibilities and practical challenges, emphasizing the need for further research. It makes interdisciplinary connections between physics, mathematics, cosmology, and philosophy. By addressing current controversies like the existence of exotic matter and the potential for time travel paradoxes, Wormhole Theories provides a nuanced perspective on the state of wormhole research.

Nanofluid Heat Transfer

Science & Nature

Future-proof your thermal system designs with this essential guide, providing a comprehensive, cutting-edge exploration of nanofluids to drive innovation and efficiency in heat transfer. The development and application of nanofluids aligns with the broader trend towards miniaturization and higher efficiency in thermal systems. As industries continue to push the boundaries of performance and efficiency, the integration of nanofluids into thermal management solutions represents a forward-thinking approach that addresses these demands. In the context of disciplinary development, the study of nanofluids is situated at the intersection of nanotechnology, materials science, and thermal engineering. The unique properties of nanofluids have prompted extensive research aimed at understanding their behavior and optimizing their use in practical applications. This book contributes to this growing body of knowledge by providing comprehensive insights into the preparation, stability, and thermophysical properties of nanofluids. It also explores advanced computational models and experimental techniques essential for predicting and analyzing the heat transfer performance of nanofluids. This book, by providing a detailed exploration of the theoretical and practical aspects of nanofluids, serves as a valuable resource for researchers, engineers, and industry professionals aiming to harness the potential of this cutting-edge technology to drive innovation and efficiency in thermal systems.

Hover Cars

Science & Nature

Hover Cars explores the exciting possibility of magnetic levitation (maglev) applied to personal transportation, envisioning a future where vehicles float above roadways. The book examines how electromagnetism and superconducting materials could revolutionize urban mobility, offering a potential solution to traffic congestion and improving transportation efficiency. Did you know that maglev trains already exist, reaching impressive speeds by eliminating friction? This technology, when scaled down and adapted, could transform personal vehicles, leading to floating cars. The book carefully traces the evolution of maglev, from its early theoretical concepts to the engineering challenges of creating practical, personal transport.It begins by introducing the basic principles of magnetic levitation and superconducting materials. Later chapters delve into the propulsion systems, energy needs, and infrastructure required for a hover car network. The book also considers the broader societal and economic implications, presenting a balanced view of the technology's potential impact on urban planning and the automotive industry. This exploration uniquely focuses on applying maglev to road vehicles, unlike many discussions centered solely on high-speed trains.By presenting established scientific principles and current technological capabilities, the book offers a practical, engineering-focused overview. It's a valuable resource for anyone interested in sustainable technology and the future of transportation, acknowledging ongoing debates about economic viability and environmental impact while presenting a nuanced assessment of the challenges and opportunities.

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