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Conservation of Saline Wetland Ecosystems: An Initiative towards UN Decade of Ecological Restoration
by Laxmi Kant Sharma Rajashree NaikThis authored book is a comprehensive collection of information on saline wetland ecosystems, focusing on the application of advanced technologies like LiDAR, UAVs, and artificial intelligence for the conservation of these critical ecosystems. Saline lakes, known for their extreme conditions, play a vital role in global water systems. This book investigates how advanced tools such as airborne and spaceborne multispectral/hyperspectral sensors, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAVs), and spectroradiometers, combined with AI and the Internet of Things (IoT), can be harnessed for effective restoration and conservation efforts. The book is enriched with detailed infographics, flowcharts, graphs, and tables, making complex information accessible and engaging. A dedicated section of case studies provides practical examples that highlight the real-world impact of the discussed technologies. This book will be of interest to academicians, scientists, ecologists, hydrologists, limnologists, earth data scientists, ecosystem conservationists, environmental planners, engineers, policymakers, geologists, data analysts, climate scientists, and remote sensing and GIS specialists. It also serves as valuable reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of ecology, wetlands, and earth and environmental sciences
Conservation of the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly in Australia
by Tim R. New Donald P.A. SandsThis survey of one the longest insect conservation campaigns in Australia deals with recovery of one of the most iconic endemic butterflies, the Richmond birdwing, threatened by clearance and fragmentation of subtropical rainforest in eastern Australia and the spread of an alien larval food-plant. Its conservation has involved many aspects of community involvement, developed over more than 20 years, and focused on habitat restoration and weed eradication, in conjunction with conservation of remaining forest fragments. The work has involved the entire historical range of the butterfly, addressed threats and emphasised landscape connectivity, and has enhanced recovery through extensive plantings of native food plants. Interest has been maintained through extensive publicity, community education and media activity, and the programme has provided many lessons for advancing insect conservation practice in the region.
Conservation of Tropical Birds
by Navjot S. Sodhi Cagan H. Sekercioglu Jos Barlow Scott K. RobinsonConservation of Tropical Birds has been written by four conservation biologists whose expertise spans all the tropical regions of the world. It is the first book to cover all the major issues in tropical bird conservation. Current problems faced by tropical bird conservationists are summarised and potential solutions outlined based on the results of case studies. Birds are key indicators of ecosystem health, and such a well-studied group of organisms, that they provide an excellent lens through which to examine global conservation problems caused by phenomena such as climate change, declines in ecosystem services, habitat loss, fires, overexploitation, and invasive species. Therefore, the book also provides an engaging synopsis of the general issues in conservation and the problems faced by other wildlife. This book serves as an important resource and companion to all people interested in observing and conserving birds in the tropics and elsewhere.
Conservation of Tropical Plant Species
by M. N. Normah H. F. Chin Barbara M. ReedThe book is designed to provide a review on the methods and current status of conservation of the tropical plant species. It will also provide the information on the richness of the tropical plant diversity, the need to conserve, and the potential utilization of the genetic resources. Future perspectives of conservation of tropical species will be discussed. Besides being useful to researchers and graduate students in the field, we hope to create a reference for a much wider audience who are interested in conservation of tropical plant diversity.
Conservation of Wildlife Populations: Demography, Genetics, and Management
by L. Scott MillsPopulation ecology has matured to a sophisticated science with astonishing potential for contributing solutions to wildlife conservation and management challenges. And yet, much of the applied power of wildlife population ecology remains untapped because its broad sweep across disparate subfields has been isolated in specialized texts. In this book, L. Scott Mills covers the full spectrum of applied wildlife population ecology, including genomic tools for non-invasive genetic sampling, predation, population projections, climate change and invasive species, harvest modeling, viability analysis, focal species concepts, and analyses of connectivity in fragmented landscapes. With a readable style, analytical rigor, and hundreds of examples drawn from around the world, "Conservation of Wildlife Populations (2nd ed)" provides the conceptual basis for applying population ecology to wildlife conservation decision-making. Although targeting primarily undergraduates and beginning graduate students with some basic training in basic ecology and statistics (in majors that could include wildlife biology, conservation biology, ecology, environmental studies, and biology), the book will also be useful for practitioners in the field who want to find - in one place and with plenty of applied examples - the latest advances in the genetic and demographic aspects of population ecology. Additional resources for this book can be found at: www.wiley.com/gomillswildlifepopulations.
Conservation of Wildlife Populations
by L. Scott MillsPopulation ecology has matured to a sophisticated science with astonishing potential for contributing solutions to wildlife conservation and management challenges. And yet, much of the applied power of wildlife population ecology remains untapped because its broad sweep across disparate subfields has been isolated in specialized texts. In this book, L. Scott Mills covers the full spectrum of applied wildlife population ecology, including genomic tools for non-invasive genetic sampling, predation, population projections, climate change and invasive species, harvest modeling, viability analysis, focal species concepts, and analyses of connectivity in fragmented landscapes. With a readable style, analytical rigor, and hundreds of examples drawn from around the world, Conservation of Wildlife Populations (2nd ed) provides the conceptual basis for applying population ecology to wildlife conservation decision-making. Although targeting primarily undergraduates and beginning graduate students with some basic training in basic ecology and statistics (in majors that could include wildlife biology, conservation biology, ecology, environmental studies, and biology), the book will also be useful for practitioners in the field who want to find - in one place and with plenty of applied examples - the latest advances in the genetic and demographic aspects of population ecology.Additional resources for this book can be found at: www.wiley.com/go/mills/wildlifepopulations.
Conservation Paleobiology: Science and Practice
by Gregory P. Dietl Karl W. FlessaIn conservation, perhaps no better example exists of the past informing the present than the return of the California condor to the Vermilion Cliffs of Arizona. Extinct in the region for nearly one hundred years, condors were successfully reintroduced starting in the 1990s in an effort informed by the fossil record—condor skeletal remains had been found in the area’s late-Pleistocene cave deposits. The potential benefits of applying such data to conservation initiatives are unquestionably great, yet integrating the relevant disciplines has proven challenging. Conservation Paleobiology gathers a remarkable array of scientists—from Jeremy B. C. Jackson to Geerat J. Vermeij—to provide an authoritative overview of how paleobiology can inform both the management of threatened species and larger conservation decisions. Studying endangered species is difficult. They are by definition rare, some exist only in captivity, and for those still in their native habitats any experimentation can potentially have a negative effect on survival. Moreover, a lack of long-term data makes it challenging to anticipate biotic responses to environmental conditions that are outside of our immediate experience. But in the fossil and prefossil records—from natural accumulations such as reefs, shell beds, and caves to human-made deposits like kitchen middens and archaeological sites—enlightening parallels to the Anthropocene can be found that might serve as a primer for present-day predicaments. Offering both deep-time and near-time perspectives and exploring a range of ecological and evolutionary dynamics and taxa from terrestrial as well as aquatic habitats, Conservation Paleobiology is a sterling demonstration of how the past can be used to manage for the future, giving new hope for the creation and implementation of successful conservation programs.
Conservation Practices in Museums: For Researchers and Museum Professionals
by Nobuyuki KambaThe author introduces conservation science and management of cultural heritages in museums. In particular, a comprehensive conservation study and practical techniques are described. Aspects such as examination and diagnosis of cultural heritage by scientific data recording of humidity, luminosity, intensity of vibration and shock, among others, are introduced. Preventive and remedial conservation with X-ray imaging and X-ray fluorescence and other risk-control methods are also explained. The author provides basic theories based on a scientific view for the methods introduced in this book. They can be compared with those used at other museums, and readers can employ them to adapt and improve their methods. Today, maintaining smooth internal communication is key for scientists and curators with different academic backgrounds and from different departments working together on conservation projects at the museum.The author addresses the current global trend of preserving rather than repairing cultural heritage at museums and emphasizes its importance.
Conservation Psychology: Understanding and Promoting Human Care for Nature (Oxford Library Of Psychology Ser.)
by Susan Clayton Gene MyersThis textbook introduces the reader to the new and emerging field of Conservation Psychology, which explores connections between the study of human behavior and the achievement of conservation goals. People are often cast as villains in the story of environmental degradation, seen primarily as a threat to healthy ecosystems and an obstacle to conservation. But humans are inseparable from natural ecosystems. Understanding how people think about, experience, and interact with nature is crucial for promoting environmental sustainability as well as human well-being. The book first summarizes theory and research on human cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to nature and goes on to review research on people's experience of nature in wild, managed, and urban settings. Finally, it examines ways to encourage conservation-oriented behavior at both individual and societal levels. Throughout, the authors integrate a wide body of published literature to demonstrate how and why psychology is relevant to promoting a more sustainable relationship between humans and nature.
Conservation Science for the Cultural Heritage: Applications of Instrumental Analysis (Lecture Notes in Chemistry #79)
by Evangelia A. VarellaConservation Science is a rather innovative application of instrumental analysis with steadily increasing importance. Although the first attempts for preserving material from the cultural heritage on a scientific basis are found in the 19th century pioneer chemistry years, only the use of sophisticated physicochemical techniques results in effective identification and deterioration studies of monuments and objects, and in reliable intervention procedures. This volume allows to gain solid knowledge and improved skills on the ways separation schemes and diagnostic methodologies are applied in the safeguarding and authentication of tangible works of art; as well as on the modes of implementing novel safeguarding practices built on well-established principles - such as the use of laser in the decontamination of objects. All techniques are covered at a state-of-the-art level; while selected applications permit addressing major groups of materials and artefacts. Conservation Science is nowadays taught at master's level in all developed countries, and museum laboratories increasingly adopt scientific approaches in their restoration initiatives. The book is intended as a valuable tool for students and professionals active in these frames. In addition, it provides an indispensable manual for participants in the specialized intensive courses, which are systematically offered by the authors under the auspices of the relevant European network.
Conservation Social Science: Understanding People, Conserving Biodiversity
by Ivan R. Scales Daniel C Miller Michael B. MasciaConservation Social Science Groundbreaking book that examines the essential contribution of the social sciences to understanding and conserving biodiversity across the globe Authored by leading scholars at the nexus of social science and biodiversity conservation, Conservation Social Science addresses the growing realization that biodiversity conservation is, at heart, a social phenomenon. Threats to biological diversity are influenced by a wide range of political, economic and cultural factors. The conservation of biodiversity is conceived and carried out by people. Biodiversity conservation is a manifestation of human beliefs and values. Choices about which species and habitats to conserve, how to prioritize efforts, and how to conserve them are inherently social − with consequences not just for wildlife but also human lives and livelihoods. Key topics covered in this thought-provoking text include: An introduction to key social science disciplines and how each field specifically relates to biodiversity conservation How to make social sciences an integral part of conservation strategies and initiatives How social science theories and analytic approaches can explain and help predict patterns of human behavior How biodiversity conservation as a ubiquitous societal phenomenon can provide insights into human society in general Conservation Social Science is an essential, one-of-a-kind survey of novel approaches to explaining and fostering more effective, just, and enduring conservation of biodiversity. It is academically rigorous and comprehensive in scope, yet sufficiently nontechnical and concise to be accessible to a global audience of students, faculty, and environmental professionals and policymakers.
Conservation Tillage in U.S. Agriculture: Environmental, Economic, and Policy Issues
by Noel UriDiscover farming techniques that will decrease soil erosion and costs!Soil erosion from U.S. croplands has long been recognized as a national problem. Conservation Tillage in U.S. Agriculture: Environmental, Economic, and Policy Issues is the first ever complete study of the costs and benefits of using conservation tillage to prevent soil erosion. Designed for professionals working in the areas of soil science, agronomy, economics, environmental studies, and agriculture, this complete study covers everything from machinery and trends in conservation tillage to its adoption to use in regions of the United States.With this in-depth manual, you will examine different types of tillage and the many benefits this practice can ensure, such as improving water quality, increasing organic matter in your soil, sequestering carbon, and providing habitat and food for wildlife. Covering the economic, environmental, and policy issues of this practice, Conservation Tillage in U.S. Agriculture features: the history of conservation tillage case studies on costs and benefits of differing conservation tillage practices with various crops tables and graphs of trends, and case studies concerning the use of different farming methods U.S. Department of Agriculture soil conservation policies how to prevent soil erosion without harming the environment factors affecting conservation tillage, adoption, and use for crops such as peanuts, potatoes, beets, tobacco, and vegetables. With the help of this book, you will measure the benefits and costs of conservation tillage based on profitability and environmental impact and explore the positive and negative environmental consequences that may involve air, land, water, and/or the health and ecological status of wildlife. Conservation Tillage in U.S. Agriculture is a timely and informative look at conservation tillage practices that will help you improve residue management and create better conditions for wildlife and the environment.
Conservative Conservationist: Russell E. Train and the Emergence of American Environmentalism
by J. Brooks FlippenIn the history of American environmentalism, Russell E. Train plays a starring role. Few individuals have been so influential in creating the United States' environmental policies and encouraging conservation efforts around the world. In this absorbing new biography, J. Brooks Flippen describes Train's significance within the fascinating history of the contemporary environmental movement.A lifelong Republican, Train left a successful judicial career to found the African Wildlife Leadership Foundation. As the problems of pollution and unrestrained growth became apparent, he adopted a more ecological approach to nature and became a leader of the emerging environmental movement of the 1960s. He soon headed the Conservation Foundation, one of the first organizations to appreciate that humans represent only one strand in the "web of life." President Richard Nixon appointed Train as the initial chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality just as the country celebrated its first Earth Day. There he helped craft the most important environmental legislation in U.S. history. After three years, he became administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, enforcing regulations during the Energy Crisis and much of the troubled 1970s.With the election of Democrat Jimmy Carter, Train returned to the private sector as head of the American affiliate of the World Wildlife Fund. He found himself increasingly at odds with many Republicans as a new, more ideological brand of conservatism grew and bipartisanship faded. Train's Republican credentials and environmental advocacy made him a vestige of the past and, in a sense, a hope for the future.Given complete access to the personal papers and recollections of Russell Train, Flippen casts an unbiased eye on this remarkable man and the causes he has so fervently promoted. Of a prominent Washington family, Train has known every president from Herbert Hoover to George W. Bush. His life and career illustrate the political dynamics of modern environmentalism and illuminate the insider culture of Washington, D.C.
The Conservative Futurist: How to Create the Sci-Fi World We Were Promised
by James PethokoukisDiscover the surprising case for how conservatism can help us achieve the epic sci-fi future we were promised. America was once the world&’s dream factory. We turned imagination into reality, from curing polio to landing on the Moon to creating the internet. And we were confident that more wonders lay just over the horizon: clean and infinite energy, a cure for cancer, computers and robots as humanity&’s great helpers, and space colonies. (Also, of course, flying cars.) Science fiction, from The Jetsons to Star Trek, would become fact. But as we moved into the late 20th century, we grew cautious, even cynical, about what the future held and our ability to shape it. Too many of us saw only the threats from rapid change. The year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the Great Downshift in technological progress and economic growth, followed by decades of economic stagnation, downsized dreams, and a popular culture fixated on catastrophe: AI that will take all our jobs if it doesn&’t kill us first, nuclear war, climate chaos, plague and the zombie apocalypse. We are now at risk of another half-century of making the same mistakes and pushing a pro-progress future into the realm of impossibility. But American Enterprise Institute (AEI) economic policy expert and long-time CNBC contributor James Pethokoukis argues that there&’s still hope. We can absolutely turn things around—if we the people choose to dream and act. How dare we delay or fail to deliver for ourselves and our children. With groundbreaking ideas and sharp analysis, Pethokoukis provides a detailed roadmap to a fantastic future filled with incredible progress and prosperity that is both optimistic and realistic. Through an exploration of culture, economics, and history, The Conservative Futurist tells the fascinating story of what went wrong in the past and what we need to do today to finally get it right. Using the latest economic research and policy analysis, as well as insights from top economists, historians, and technologists, Pethokoukis reveals that the failed futuristic visions of the past were totally possible. And they still are. If America is to fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, take full advantage of emerging tech from generative AI to CRISPR to reusable rockets, and launch itself into a shining tomorrow, it must again become a fully risk-taking, future-oriented society. It&’s time for America to embrace the future confidently, act boldly, and take that giant leap forward.
The Conservator's Cookbook: Solution Preparation for the Heritage Professional
by Laura ChaillieThe Conservator’s Cookbook is a collection of practical, step-by-step guides outlining how to prepare various solutions, adhesives, gels, and other mixtures used in heritage conservation.While most conservators learn the chemical rationale of solution-making during their training, the actual process of preparing these compounds can be neglected or eventually forgotten. This “cookbook” provides a non-exhaustive and adaptable resource, compiling practical recipes from across heritage conservation literature into a single volume. Drawing from techniques used in furniture, paper, paintings, textiles, and other conservation specialisms, each “recipe” in the Cookbook begins with a short summary of key chemical ideas, before relating step-by-step instructions. The solutions range from simple dissolutions (adhesive resins), to more complex cleaning systems (utilising surfactants, chelation agents, and enzymes) and gelled carriers. Each “recipe” is followed with collections of technical data which help to bridge the gap between chemical understanding and practical application. The Cookbook also provides important notes on health and safety and laboratory best practice, addressing some common misunderstandings and encouraging more sustainable approaches. Intended for the experienced professional and conservation student alike, The Conservator’s Cookbook is a crucial reference work that provides a starting point for practical experimentation and interaction between different conservation specialisms.
Conserving and Managing Historical Urban Landscape: An Integrated Morphological Approach (The Urban Book Series)
by Xiaoxi Li Ye ZhangThis book focuses on urban morphology and its application to urban conservation and management. The rapid disappearance of historical urban landscapes, especially in developing countries, is largely attributed to the lack of historic awareness and broad-brush demolition and redevelopment in urban development. The book provides a new, integrated morphological approach that enables fine-grained and cross-scale examination of urban form based on both its historicity and socio-economic potential, with the aims of informing more responsive and context-specific conservation and management of historical urban landscapes. The robustness of this new approach and the feasibility of its application to urban conservation practice are tested and demonstrated by three case studies in drastically different cultural contexts, namely Ludlow, a medieval town in the UK, Chinatown in Singapore and a historic quarter in Nanjing, China. Combining historico-geographical and configurational approaches, the book also makes a significant breakthrough in terms of coordinating and synthesizing different traditions of urban morphology, which has been a key challenge to this field over the past decades. In addition, by using multi-source data, ranging from conventional cartographic maps to computer-generated and open online data, the integrated approach innovatively relates qualitative and quantitative aspects of urban form and links the qualitative and quantitative analyses of formal structure. As an interdisciplinary study merging geography, urban history, urban planning and design, this book is to be primarily used as a reference book for graduate students and scholars in various fields who are interested in urban form and urban conservation and management. In addition, it offers practitioners in urban planning and design a useful tool for managing changes in historical urban landscapes. Lastly, it contributes to developing a common platform to facilitate dialogues among various stakeholders and participants in urban conservation practice.
Conserving Biocultural Landscapes in Malaysia and Indonesia for Sustainable Development
by Saiful Arif Abdullah Amin Setyo Leksono Sun-Kee HongThis book presents perspective on the importance of natural and cultural relationships for conserving bio-cultural landscapes. It explores the approaches and concepts used to conserve bio-cultural landscapes in Malaysia and Indonesia. The book highlights the importance of bio-cultural landscape in sustainable development framework and its link to sustainable development goals are also included. It fills the gap in literature with special focus on this region. The book is of interest to teachers, researchers, climate change scientists, conservationists, capacity builders and policymakers. Also it serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of ecology, and environmental sciences. National and international environmental scientists, policy makers also find this to be a useful read.
Consider a Spherical Patent: IP and Patenting in Technology Business
by Joseph E. GortychGet Critical Insight into the Modern Patenting Scene We are now living in the "IP Era of the Information Age" where technology businesses are placing increasing emphasis on intellectual property (IP) as a way to add to their bottom lines. As a consequence, those working in a technology business or organization will inevitably be thrust into working
Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat
by Bee WilsonSince prehistory, humans have striven to tame fire and ice, and have braved the business ends of mashers, scrapers, and razor-sharp knives--all in the name of creating something delicious (or, at least, edible). The technology of food matters even when we barely notice it is there, but in recent years kitchen technology has become increasingly elaborate and eye-catching, transforming the old-fashioned home kitchen into a bristling stainless steel laboratory. Far from a new development, however, the modern kitchen is only the most recent iteration of an ancient lineage of food technology, as acclaimed food historian Bee Wilson reveals in Consider the Fork. Many of our technologies for preparing food have remained strikingly consistent for thousands of years. The Greeks and Romans already had pestles and mortars. Knives--perhaps mankind's most important gastronomic tool--predate the discovery of that other basic technology, fire. Other tools emerged quite suddenly (like the microwave, whose secrets were unlocked during radar tests conducted during World War II) or in fits and starts (like the fork, which had to endure centuries of ridicule before finally gaining widespread acceptance). For every technology that has endured, others have fallen by the wayside. We no longer feel the need for andirons and bastables, cider owls and dangle spits, even though in their day these would have seemed no more superfluous than our oil drizzlers and electric herb choppers. The evolution of food technology offers a unique window into human history, and Wilson blends history, science, and personal anecdotes as she traces the different technologies that have shaped--or slashed, pounded, whisked, or heated (and reheated)--our meals over the centuries. Along the way she reveals some fascinating facts--showing, for instance, how China's cuisine, its knives, and its eating utensils are all the product of the country's historically scarce fuel supply. To conserve energy, chefs rendered their ingredients quick-cooking by using large, multi-purpose chopping knives to reduce food to small, bite-sized morsels. This technique, in turn, gave rise to the chopstick, which cannot cut. What's more, the discovery of the knife--in Asia and elsewhere--was likely what gave humans our distinctive overbite. Before humans learned to fashion knives out of sharpened rocks, many of us cut our food by clamping it in our front teeth, which gave us perfectly aligned rows of teeth. But Wilson shows that, far from being adventurous innovators, cooks are a notoriously conservative bunch, and only adopt new technologies with great reluctance. The gas range revolutionized cooking when it was first introduced in the 19th century by promising to end "hearth deaths," a constant danger for women wearing billowing, flammable clothing. But indoor gas cooking--safer and more efficient--was nevertheless greeted with widespread suspicion when it was first introduced. Many chefs feared it would taint their food or poison their guests. The same hold true for the refrigerator, which was initially condemned as an unnatural technology that risked changing the fundamental "essence" of food. Perhaps the one exception to this technophobia, says Wilson, was the egg beater, new patents for which proliferated so astonishingly in late 19th-century America. In this fascinating history, Wilson reveals the myriad innovations that have shaped our diets today. An insightful look at how we've changed food and how food has changed us, Consider the Fork reveals the astonishing ways in which the implements we use in the kitchen affect what we eat, how we eat, and how we relate to food.
Consider the Platypus: Evolution through Biology's Most Baffling Beasts
by Maggie Ryan Sandford*FINALIST FOR THE 2020 GENERAL NONFICTION MINNESOTA BOOK AWARDS*Interested in the origins of the species? Consider the Platypus uses pets such as dogs and cats as well as animal outliers like the axolotl and naked mole rat to wittily tackle mind-bending concepts about how evolution, biology, and genetics work.Consider the Platypus explores the history and features of more than 50 animals to provide insight into our current understanding of evolution. Using Darwin's theory as a springboard, Maggie Ryan Sandford details scientists' initial understanding of the development of creatures and how that has expanded in the wake of genetic sequencing, including the:Peppered Moth, which changed color based on the amount of soot in the London air;California Two-Spotted Octopus, which has the amazing ability to alter its DNA/RNA not over generations but during its lifetime;miniscule tardigrade, which is so hearty it can withstand radiation, lack of water and oxygen, and temperatures as low as -328°F and as high 304 °F;and, of course, the platypus, which has so many disparate features, from a duck's bill to venomous spur to mammary patches, that scientists originally thought it was a hoax. Surprising, witty, and impeccably researched, Sandford describes each animal's significant features and how these have adapted to its environment, such as the zebra finch's beak shape, which was observed by Charles Darwin and is a cornerstone of his Theory of Evolution. With scientifically accurate but charming art by Rodica Prato, Consider the Platypus showcases species as diverse as the sloth, honey bee, cow, brown kiwi, and lungfish, to name a few, to tackle intimidating concepts is a accessible way.
Considerations on the AI Endgame: Ethics, Risks and Computational Frameworks (Chapman & Hall/CRC Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Series)
by Soenke Ziesche Roman V. YampolskiyThis seminal volume offers an interdisciplinary exploration into the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence and its societal implications. Written by leading scholars Soenke Ziesche and Roman V. Yampolskiy, the book delves into a multitude of topics that address the rapid technological advancements in AI and the ethical dilemmas that arise as a result.The topics explored range from an in-depth look at AI welfare science and policy frameworks to the mathematical underpinnings of machine intelligence. These subjects include discussions on preserving our personal identity in technological contexts as well as on the question of AI identity, innovative proposals towards the critical AI value alignment problem and a call to merge Western and non-Western approaches towards universal AI ethics. The work also introduces unconventional yet crucial angles, such as the concept of "ikigai" in AI ethics and a pioneering attempt to map a potential AI-driven ikigai universe as well as the role of design formalisation, or "Designometry," in the creation of artefacts.By offering a balanced mix of theoretical and applied insights, the book serves as an invaluable resource for researchers, policymakers and anyone interested in the future of AI and the extent of its impact on society.
Consilience
by E. O. Wilson"A dazzling journey across the sciences and humanities in search of deep laws to unite them." --The Wall Street Journal One of our greatest living scientists--and the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes for On Human Nature and The Ants--gives us a work of visionary importance that may be the crowning achievement of his career. In Consilience (a word that originally meant "jumping together"), Edward O. Wilson renews the Enlightenment's search for a unified theory of knowledge in disciplines that range from physics to biology, the social sciences and the humanities.Using the natural sciences as his model, Wilson forges dramatic links between fields. He explores the chemistry of the mind and the genetic bases of culture. He postulates the biological principles underlying works of art from cave-drawings to Lolita. Presenting the latest findings in prose of wonderful clarity and oratorical eloquence, and synthesizing it into a dazzling whole, Consilience is science in the path-clearing traditions of Newton, Einstein, and Richard Feynman.
Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge
by Edward O. WilsonAuthor that behind disciplines as diverse as physics, biology, anthropology and the arts, lies a small number of natural laws, whose interlocking he calls consilience.
Consilience, Truth and the Mind of God: Science, Philosophy and Theology in the Search for Ultimate Meaning
by Richard J. Di RoccoThis book argues that God can be found within the edifice of the scientific understanding of physics, cosmology, biology and philosophy. It is a rewarding read that asks the Big Questions which humans have pondered since the dawn of the modern human mind, including: Why and how does the universe exist? From where do the laws of physics come? How did life and mind arise from inanimate matter on Earth? Science and religion have a common interest in the answers to such questions, yet many scientists and believers have been at odds for centuries. The author and contributors present a program for moving beyond the vastly different perspectives of reality offered by science and religion. Historical proofs for the existence of God are considered in light of the possibility that the universe may be only one in an eternal multiverse that contains an infinite number of other universes. Readers will find a modification of St. Augustine’s Argument from Truth for the existence of the necessary, self-sufficient being commonly referred to as God. This book is suited to all with an interest in the crossing points of science and religion, providing much food for thought and reflection. If in the end, you cannot accede to philosophy’s proofs, or theism’s invitation to faith, perhaps you will nevertheless say ‘yes’ to the amazing universe in which we live.
Consilience, Truth and the Mind of God: Science, Philosophy and Theology in the Search for Ultimate Meaning
by Richard J. Di RoccoThis book argues that God can be found within the edifice of the scientific understanding of physics, cosmology, biology and philosophy. It is a rewarding read that asks the Big Questions which humans have pondered since the dawn of the modern human mind, including: Why and how does the universe exist? From where do the laws of physics come? How did life and mind arise from inanimate matter on Earth? Science and religion have a common interest in the answers to such questions, yet many scientists and believers have been at odds for centuries. The author and contributors present a program for moving beyond the vastly different perspectives of reality offered by science and religion. Historical proofs for the existence of God are considered in light of the possibility that the universe may be only one in an eternal multiverse that contains an infinite number of other universes. Readers will find a modification of St. Augustine’s Argument from Truth for the existence of the necessary, self-sufficient being commonly referred to as God. This book is suited to all with an interest in the crossing points of science and religion, providing much food for thought and reflection. If in the end, you cannot accede to philosophy’s proofs, or theism’s invitation to faith, perhaps you will nevertheless say ‘yes’ to the amazing universe in which we live.