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Grasp: The Science Transforming How We Learn
by Sanjay Sarma Luke Yoquinto'Sarma's book may be the most important work on education written this century' - SkepticAs the head of Open Learning at MIT, Sanjay Sarma has a daunting job description: to fling open the doors of the MIT experience for the benefit of the wider world. But if you're going to undertake such an ambitious project, you must first ask: How exactly does learning work? What conditions are most conducive? Are our traditional classroom methods - lecture, homework, test, repeat - actually effective? And if not, which techniques are?Grasp takes readers across multiple frontiers, from fundamental neuroscience to cognitive psychology and beyond, as it explores the future of learning. For instance:· Scientists are studying the role of forgetting, exposing it not as a simple failure of memory but a critical weapon in our learning arsenal· New developments in neuroimaging are helping us understand how reading works in the brain. It's become possible to identify children who might benefit from specialised dyslexia interventions - before they learn to read· Many schools have begun converting to flipped classrooms, in which you watch a lesson at home, then do your 'homework' in classAlong the way, Sarma debunks long-held views such as the noxious idea of 'learning styles,' while equipping readers with a set of practical tools for absorbing and retaining information across a lifetime of learning. He presents a vision for learning that's more inclusive and democratic - revealing a world bursting with powerful learners, just waiting for the chance they deserve.Drawing from the author's experience as an educator and the work of researchers and educational innovators at MIT and beyond, Grasp offers scientific and practical insight, promising not just to inform and entertain readers but to open their minds.
Grasping the Water, Energy, and Food Security Nexus in the Local Context: Case study: Karawang Regency, Indonesia (IHE Delft PhD Thesis Series)
by Aries PurwantoThe existence of water, energy, and food (WEF) is critical for people to fulfil their basic needs, to achieve welfare, and to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The WEF security topic is becoming widely discussed in developing and developed countries. Major components of WEF security i.e. availability, accessibility, and quality should be achieved integratedly to avoid unexpected impacts. The interconnectedness among endogenous and exogenous variables such as environmental, socio-economic, and political factors makes this issue immensely complex. The nexus approach attempts to integrate management and governance across sectors and scales to improve WEF security. This study aims to grasp WEF security in a local context and evaluate the implications of planned local interventions by developing a conceptual and quantitative analysis with local stakeholders. Karawang Regency in Indonesia is chosen as the case study. Several strategies for WEF-related sectors are formulated using location quotient (LQ) and competitive position (CP) methods. In addition, qualitative and quantitative system dynamics models are established by involving related stakeholders through group model building. Finally, a nexus-based framework for WEF security is developed to assist local policymakers in doing the evaluation and planning of WEF resources in the region.
Grass: In Search of Human Habitat
by Joe C. TruettThe book explores the deep affinities between humans and our original habitat: grasslands. It traces the evolutionary, historical, and cultural forces that have reshaped North American rangelands over the past two centuries.
Grass, Soil, Hope: A Journey through Carbon Country
by Courtney White Michael PollanThis book tackles an increasingly crucial question: What can we do about the seemingly intractable challenges confronting all of humanity today, including climate change, global hunger, water scarcity, environmental stress, and economic instability? The quick answers are: Build topsoil. Fix creeks. Eat meat from pasture-raised animals. Soil scientists maintain that a mere 2 percent increase in the carbon content of the planet's soils could offset 100 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions going into the atmosphere. But how could this be accomplished? What would it cost? Is it even possible? Yes, says author Courtney White, it is not only possible, but essential for the long-term health and sustainability of our environment and our economy. Right now, the only possibility of large-scale removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere is through plant photosynthesis and related land-based carbon sequestration activities. These include a range of already existing, low-tech, and proven practices: composting, no-till farming, climate-friendly livestock practices, conserving natural habitat, restoring degraded watersheds and rangelands, increasing biodiversity, and producing local food. In Grass, Soil, Hope, the author shows how all these practical strategies can be bundled together into an economic and ecological whole, with the aim of reducing atmospheric CO2 while producing substantial co-benefits for all living things. Soil is a huge natural sink for carbon dioxide. If we can draw increasing amounts carbon out of the atmosphere and store it safely in the soil then we can significantly address all the multiple challenges that now appear so intractable.
Grass Varieties in the United States
by U.S. Dept. of AgricultureThis user-friendly handbook is a working guide to the status of named and experimental grasses available for use in the United States. It provides physical descriptions and status profiles of grass varieties, including turf grass varieties. The handbook also contains maps and descriptions of Land Resources Regions and Plant Hardiness Zones that assist in the understanding of plant adaptation areas. Whenever available, the information in the handbook includes:
Grasshopper (Time-To-Discover)
by Melvin Berger Gilda BergerHow many eyes does a grasshopper have? What is a nymph? What do they eat?
Grasshoppers and Their Relatives (World Book's Animals of the World)
by Patricia BrennanQuestions and answers explores the world of grasshoppers, crickets and katydids, with a close up on the grasshopper.
Grasshoppers (Nature's Children)
by Amanda HarmanDescribes the physical features, habits, and natural habitats of grasshoppers and locusts, which are considered a tasty treat in some parts of the world.
Grasshoppers (Nature's Friends)
by Ann HeinrichsIntroduces distinguishing characteristics, life cycles, and different types of grasshoppers.
Grassland: The History, Biology, Politics, and Promise of the American Prairie
by Richard ManningThe author, an award-winning journalist and nature writer, looks at the grasslands of the American West and Midwest, tracing the region from pre-history to the present. He discusses attempts to control the land and efforts to restore native grasses and wild herds of buffalo, and visits Ted Turner's progressive and controversial Montana ranch. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
Grassland Biomes (Greenwood Guides to Biomes of the World)
by Susan L. WoodwardRetired from teaching biogeography and physical geography, Woodward describes and compares the major grassland regions of the world. After reviewing the nature of grassland generally, she details each biome in temperate and tropical climates in terms of its climatic peculiarities, most prevalent soil types, characteristic structure of the vegetation, and typical plants and animals. Maps, photographs, and line drawing complement the text. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Grassland Ecosystems of China: A Synthesis and Resume (Ecosystems of China #2)
by Linghao Li Jiquan Chen Xingguo Han Wenhao Zhang Changliang ShaoThis book provides a comprehensive overview of grassland ecosystems based on publications by Chinese scholars. It offers an up-to-date review of the recent advances in grassland research in China, discusses the climatic and physical conditions governing the grasslands, describes their types and distribution, and introduces a new classification scheme for grassland ecosystems. Further, it details the plant, animal, and microbial compositions of each grassland ecosystem type, examining the above and below ground relationships between phytomass, vegetation succession, and past/current management practices with a particular focus on the steppes in China. It also includes references that are only available in the Chinese language. This scientifically rigorous book offers insights into knowledge gaps for the scientific community and identifies pressing issues facing practitioners of grassland ecology and management. It can be used as a textbook for undergraduate and graduate students in ecology, environmental science, natural resource management, agriculture, and other relevant fields, and is also a valuable reference resource for researchers studying drylands in China or around the globe.
Grassland Grouse and Their Conservation
by Paul A. JohnsgardPaul Johnsgard, one of the world's leading ornithologists, has written this book as a call to action. Conservationists have seen a marked decline in the populations of North American grouse, particularly the grassland-adapted species. Unless action is taken swiftly, at least one species -- Attwater's prairie-chicken -- is certain to follow the heath hen into extinction. Johnsgard begins with the tragic history of the heath hen, which became extinct in 1932. He devotes a chapter each to the greater and lesser prairie-chickens, greater and Gunnison sage-grouse, and sharp-tailed grouse. Johnsgard argues that habitat loss and excessive hunting are major factors contributing to the decline of each species, particularly the lesser prairie-chicken and the Gunnison sage-grouse, which have been proposed for threatened federal status. This narrative history is troubling but not without hope. Johnsgard discusses places where populations exist that have yet to be preserved, and outlines the steps necessary to conserve these species. A possible future does exist for grassland grouse, and Johnsgard's book points the way toward securing it.
Grasslands: Developments, Opportunities, Perspectives
by S. G. Reynolds J. FrameThis book looks at significant current grassland problems and issues, and provides an insight into grassland productivity in diverse areas of the world, with their various production systems. There is a focus on recent technical advances and the prospects for further innovation, through twenty-one chapters by eminent grassland scientists, grouped i
Grasslands of the World: Diversity, Management and Conservation
by Victor R. Squires Jürgen Dengler Limin Hua Haiying FengThis book begins with a brief account of the extraordinary sequence of events that led to emergence of grasslands as major vegetation formations that now occupy some of the driest and hottest and the highest and coldest on earth as well as vast steppes and prairies in more temperate climes. It is the story of grasses successfully competing with forests and woodlands, aided and abetted by grazing herbivores and by humans and their use of fire as a tool. It is a story of adaptation to changing climates and the changing biophysical environments. A major focus of the book is the Palaearctic biogeographic realm that extends over some 45 million km² and thus more than 1/3 of the terrestrial ice-free surface on Earth. It comprises extensive grasslands of different types and origin, which can be subdivided into (1) natural grasslands with (1a) steppes (climatogenic in dry climates), (1b) arctic-alpine grasslands (climatogenic in cold climates) and (1c) azonal and extrazonal grasslands (pedogenic and topogenic) as well as (2) secondary grasslands created and sustained by human activities, such as livestock grazing, mowing or burning. Grasslands of the Palaearctic do not only form a major basis for the agriculture of the region and thus its food supply, but are also crucial for other ecosystem services and host a supra proportional part of the realm’s plant and animal diversity. To reflect that suitability of grasslands for biodiversity strongly depends on their state, we apply the term High Nature Value grassland to those natural grasslands that are not degraded (in good state) and those secondary grasslands that are not intensified (semi-natural). The situation in a variety of countries where grasslands are evolving under the influence of global climate change is also considered. Case studies are presented on Southern Africa, Eastern Africa, India, China, South America, North America and Australia. The concluding chapter examines a set of themes arising from the chapters that make up the bulk of this book. The following provide a focus: recent history of grassland biomes – brief recap of current thinking and recent trends with special reference to dry grasslands in the Palearctic regions; the current status of grasslands and germplasm resources (biodiversity) – an overview; management systems that ensure sustainability; how to recover degraded grasslands; socio-economic issues and considerations in grassland management; the impacts of environmental problems in grasslands such as future climate change and intensification and the problems/prospects facing pastoralists and other grassland-based livestock producers.
Grasslands on the Third Pole of the World: Structure, Function, Process, and Resilience of Social-Ecological Systems
by Shikui Dong Yong Zhang Hao Shen Shuai Li Yudan XuThis book comprehensively covers the topics of origin and distribution, evolution and types, regional and global importance, biodiversity conservation, plant-soil interfaces, ecosystem functions and services, social-ecological systems, climate change adaptations, land degradation and restoration, grazing management and pastoral production, and sustainable future of the grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), which is a globally unique eco-region called the "Roof of the World" because of its high elevation, “Third Pole on Earth" because of its alpine environment and the "Water Tower in Asia" because of its headwater location. The grassland ecosystem covers above 60% of QTP, which is about 2.5 million km2, 1/4 of Chinese total territorial lands. The grassland ecosystem of the QTP (the Third Pole) is an important part of the palaearctic region, which features alpine cover and low oxygen. The Third Pole's grasslands not only provide important ecosystem functions such as biodiversity conservation, carbon storage, water resource regulation, climate control, and natural disaster mitigation at a global scale, but also provide critical ecosystem services such as pastoral production, cultural inheritance, and tourism and recreation at local and regional scales. The purposes of this monograph are to address the following questions: (1) What are the special features of the Third Pole's grasslands? (2) How have climate changes and human activities changed the structures and functions of the Third Pole's grasslands? (3) How can we cope with land degradation and climate change through innovative restoration and protective actions for Third Pole's grasslands? And (4) How can we promote the sustainable development of social-ecological systems of the Third Pole's grasslands through best management practices including grazing? The goal of this book is to attract the attention of international audiences to realize the importance of the Third Pole’s grasslands, and to call for the actions of global communities to effectively protect and sustainably use the Third Pole's grasslands. This book can be served as textbooks, teaching materials and documentaries for different audiences. The target audiences include students, teachers, researchers, policy makers, planners, government officials, and NGOs in agricultural, environmental and natural resources sectors.
Grassroots Environmental Action: People's Participation in Sustainable Development
by Dharam Ghai Jessica M. VivianManaging resources sustainably on the local level is essential for achieving the global goal of sustainable development. The importance of people's participation for sustainable development has recently become increasingly acknowledged yet there is little understanding of the multiple dimensions that such participation involves. Grassroots Environmental Action questions the viability of traditional management systems. Case studies from Latin America, Asia and Africa focus on areas where local people are vigorous actors in the determination of their own future and that of their environment.
Grating Spectroscopes and How to Use Them
by Ken M. HarrisonGrating Spectroscopes and How to Use Them is written for amateur astronomers who are just getting into this field of astronomy. Transmission grating spectroscopes look like simple filters and are designed to screw into place on the eyepiece of a telescope for visual use, or into the camera adapter for digicam or CCD imaging. Using the most popular commercially made filter gratings - Rainbow Optics (US) and Star Analyzer (UK) - as examples, this book provides the reader with information on how to set up and use the grating one needs to obtain stellar spectrograms. It also discusses several methods on analyzing the results. This book is written in an easy to read style, perfect for getting started on the first night using the spectroscope, and specifically showing how the simple transmission filter is used on the camera or telescope. No heavy mathematics or formulas are involved, and there are many practical hints and tips - something that is almost essential to success when starting out. This book helps readers to achieve quick results, and by following the worked examples, they can successfully carry out basic analysis of the spectra.
Grave Secrets of Dinosaurs: Soft Tissues and Hard Science
by Phil ManningMany of us have seen dinosaur bones and skeletons, maybe even dinosaur eggs, but what did those fearsome animals really look like in the flesh? Soft-tissue fossils give tantalizing clues about the appearance and physiology of the ancient animals. Bone structure is just the beginning of our knowledge today, thanks to amazing digs like these. Drawing on new breakthroughs and cutting-edge techniques of analysis, Dr. Manning takes us on a thrilling, globe-spanning tour of dinosaur mummy finds from the first such excavation in 1908 to a baby dinosaur unearthed in 1980, from a dino with a heart in South Dakota to titanosaur embryos in Argentina. And he discusses his own groundbreaking analysis of Dakota, discovered by Tyler Lyson. Using state-of-the-art technology to scan and analyse this remarkable discovery, National Geographic and Dr. Manning create an incredibly lifelike portrait of Dakota. The knowledge to be gained from this exceedingly rare find, and those that came before it, will intrigue dinosaur-loving readers of all ages.
Grave Secrets of Dinosaurs
by Phil ManningMany of us have seen dinosaur bones and skeletons, maybe even dinosaur eggs...but what did those fearsome animals really look like in the flesh? Soft-tissue fossils give tantalizing clues about the appearance and physiology of the ancient animals. In this exciting book, paleontologist Phillip Manning presents the most astonishing dinosaur fossil excavations of the past 100 years--including the recent discovery of a remarkably intact dinosaur mummy in the Badlands of North Dakota.Bone structure is just the beginning of our knowledge today, thanks to amazing digs like these. Drawing on new breakthroughs and cutting-edge techniques of analysis, Dr. Manning takes us on a thrilling, globe-spanning tour of dinosaur mummy finds--from the first such excavation in 1908 to a baby dinosaur unearthed in 1980, from a dino with a heart in South Dakota to titanosaur embryos in Argentina. And he discusses his own groundbreaking analysis of "Dakota," discovered by Tyler Lyson.Using state-of-the-art technology to scan and analyse this remarkable discovery, National Geographic and Dr. Manning create an incredibly lifelike portrait of Dakota. The knowledge to be gained from this exceedingly rare find, and those that came before it, will intrigue dinosaur-loving readers of all ages.
Gravitation: From Newton to Einstein (SpringerBriefs in Physics)
by Pierre FleuryThis primer proposes a journey from Newton's dynamics to Einstein's relativity. It constitutes a pedagogical, rigorous, and self-contained introduction to the concepts and mathematical formulation of gravitational physics.In particular, much attention is devoted to exploring and applying the basic tools of differential geometry, that is the language of general relativity. Real-world manifestations of relativity, such as time dilation, gravitational waves, and black holes, are also discussed in detail.This book is designed for third-year bachelor or first-year master students in theoretical physics, who are already familiar with Newton's physics, possibly had an introductory course on special relativity, and who are seeking to learn general relativity on a firm basis.
Gravitation: Proceedings Of The 15th Iagrg Conference, N. Bengal University, Nov. 4-7, 1989
by A R PrasannaThis book suitable for post graduates in Physics and Astrophysics aims at introducing the theory of general relativity as an important background for doing astrophysics. Starting from a detailed discussion of the various mathematical concepts for doing general relativity, the book introduces the geometric description of gravity. It gives a brief historical perspective to classical mechanics and electrodynamics making an attempt to establish the necessity of special relativity as propounded by Einstein extending to General Relativity. This book is a good starting point for post graduates wanting to pursue the modern topics of Cosmology, High energy astrophysics and related areas.
Gravitation and Gauge Symmetries (Series In High Energy Physics, Cosmology And Gravitation Ser.)
by M BlagojevicIn the course of the development of electromagnetic, weak and strong interactions, the concept of (internal) gauge invariance grew up and established itself as an unavoidable dynamical principle in particle physics. It is less known that the principle of equivalence, and the basic dynamical properties of the gravitational interaction can also be ex
Gravitation and Spacetime
by Hans C. Ohanian Remo RuffiniThe third edition of this classic textbook is a quantitative introduction for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. It gently guides students from Newton's gravitational theory to special relativity, and then to the relativistic theory of gravitation. General relativity is approached from several perspectives: as a theory constructed by analogy with Maxwell's electrodynamics, as a relativistic generalization of Newton's theory, and as a theory of curved spacetime. The authors provide a concise overview of the important concepts and formulas, coupled with the experimental results underpinning the latest research in the field. Numerous exercises in Newtonian gravitational theory and Maxwell's equations help students master essential concepts for advanced work in general relativity, while detailed spacetime diagrams encourage them to think in terms of four-dimensional geometry. Featuring comprehensive reviews of recent experimental and observational data, the text concludes with chapters on cosmology and the physics of the Big Bang and inflation.
Gravitation Foundations and Frontiers
by T. PadmanabhanCovering all aspects of gravitation in a contemporary style, this advanced textbook is ideal for graduate students and researchers in all areas of theoretical physics. The 'Foundation' section develops the formalism in six chapters, and uses it in the next four chapters to discuss four key applications - spherical spacetimes, black holes, gravitational waves and cosmology. The six chapters in the 'Frontier' section describe cosmological perturbation theory, quantum fields in curved spacetime, and the Hamiltonian structure of general relativity, among several other advanced topics, some of which are covered in-depth for the first time in a textbook. The modular structure of the book allows different sections to be combined to suit a variety of courses. Over 200 exercises are included to test and develop the reader's understanding. There are also over 30 projects, which help readers make the transition from the book to their own original research.