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The Beka-Ocizla Cave System
by Martin Knez Metka Petrič Tadej Slabe Stanka ŠebelaA proposed railway on the 5th European Railway Corridor (Venice-Kiev) between the northern Adriatic ports of Koper (Slovenia) and Trieste (Italy) and the interior of Slovenia required extensive karstological studies and planning. This book contains the knowledge gained from these studies as well as further information on the regional karst surface and underground, the karst hydrogeology and the specific caves of the Beka-Ocizla cave system.
Beleuchtung in Innenräumen - Human Centric Integrative Lighting: Technologie, Wahrnehmung, nichtvisuelle Effekte
by Tran Quoc Khanh Peter Bodrogi Trinh Quang VinhAusführliche Darstellung der technischen und nicht-technischen Aspekte der modernen Beleuchtungstechnik im Blick auf die Wirkung auf den Menschen! Die moderne Lichttechnik befasst sich nicht nur mit den technischen Aspekten von Beleuchtung in Innenräumen, sondern auch mit der Wirkung unterschiedlicher Arten von Beleuchtung auf den Menschen. Über die genaue Kenntnis der physikalischen Eigenschaften von Licht und der Lichterzeugung hinaus werden dazu validierte physiologische und psychologische Wahrnehmungsmodelle benötigt, auf deren Basis Hersteller von Leuchtmitteln und Anbieter von Lichttechniklösungen Design- und Entwicklungsentscheidungen treffen können. Dieses Buch gibt einen Überblick über das Forschungsgebiet des Human Centric Integrative Lighting, also der menschzentrierten Innenraumbeleuchtungstechnik. Nach einer Zusammenfassung der Grundlagen der Lichttechnik im Zusammenspiel mit der menschlichen Wahrnehmung und dem aktuellen Stand der heutigen Innenraumbeleuchtung legen die Autoren die Grundprinzipien des Human Centric Integrative Lighting dar und schildern ausführlich Aspekte wie visuelle Leistungen, Farbqualität und emotionale Wirkung sowie die Korrelation der relevanten Parameter. Im Anschluss diskutieren sie umfassende Lichtqualitätsmodelle und leiten daraus Empfehlungen für die praktische Umsetzung des Konzepts des Human Centric Integrative Lighting ab. * Geballtes Expertenwissen: das Buch ist geschrieben von Deutschlands führenden Wissenschaftlern auf dem Gebiet der Lichttechnik * Kohärente Zusammenfassung des Forschungsstands: das Buch kombiniert die relevanten Forschungsergebnisse aus Zeitschriften, Patentschriften und Normen zu einem einheitlichen Ganzen * Praxisorientierter Ansatz: die wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnisse werden zu Modellen kondensiert, die für Entwickler direkt nutzbar sind
Belief in God in an Age of Science
by John PolkinghorneJohn Polkinghorne is a major figure in today's debates over the compatibility of science and religion. Internationally known as both a theoretical physicist and a theologian-the only ordained member of the Royal Society-Polkinghorne brings unique qualifications to his inquiry into the possibilities of believing in God in an age of science. In this thought-provoking book, the author focuses on the collegiality between science and theology, contending that these "intellectual cousins" are both concerned with interpreted experience and with the quest for truth about reality. He argues eloquently that scientific and theological inquiries are parallel.The book begins with a discussion of what belief in God can mean in our times. Polkinghorne explores a new natural theology and emphasizes the importance of moral and aesthetic experience and the human intuition of value and hope. In other chapters, he compares science's struggle to understand the nature of light with Christian theology's struggle to understand the nature of Christ. He addresses the question, Does God act in the physical world? And he extends his ideas about the role of chaos theory, surveys the prospects for future dialogue between scientific and theological thinkers, and defends a critical realist understanding of the activities of both disciplines. Polkinghorne concludes with a consideration of the nature of mathematical truths and the links between the complementary realities of physical and mental experience.
Belief Revision meets Philosophy of Science (Logic, Epistemology, and the Unity of Science #21)
by Sebastian Enqvist Erik J OlssonBelief revision theory and philosophy of science both aspire to shed light on the dynamics of knowledge - on how our view of the world changes (typically) in the light of new evidence. Yet these two areas of research have long seemed strangely detached from each other, as witnessed by the small number of cross-references and researchers working in both domains. One may speculate as to what has brought about this surprising, and perhaps unfortunate, state of affairs. One factor may be that while belief revision theory has traditionally been pursued in a bottom- up manner, focusing on the endeavors of single inquirers, philosophers of science, inspired by logical empiricism, have tended to be more interested in science as a multi-agent or agent-independent phenomenon.
Believe It or Snot: The Definitive Field Guide to Earth's Slimy Creatures (Does It Fart Series #3)
by Nick Caruso Dani RabaiottiFrom the scientist duo behind the New York Times bestselling sensation Does It Fart? and their excremental follow up True or Poo?, Believe It Or Snot explores the myriad variety of slime in the animal and plant kingdoms.Your little brother isn't the only nose-picking animal.What is hyena butter and would it be appropriate to spread on toast? Why is giraffe saliva such a good lubricant? How does some mollusk mucus work like a fishing pole? And what's the deal with pygmy sperm whales' "anal syrup?"In Believe It or Snot, scientists and bestselling authors Nick Caruso and Dani Rabaiotti detail the slimy secrets of 80 organisms that ooze, drip, dribble, and splatter. Not quite a solid but firmer than a liquid, slime is used by plants and animals for defense, respiration, movement, feeding, communication, and even reproduction. Slime, you might say, is the glue that holds our world together. But that leaves an important question: which creature is earth's slimiest? In this book, the authors dive into the goo and come up with a definitive ranking of earth's slimiest creatures-while offering up a plethora of facts about the natural world's ooze, gunge, sludge, gunk, and goop.
Believers: Faith And Human Nature
by Melvin KonnerAn anthropologist examines the nature of religiosity, and how it shapes and benefits humankind. Believers is a scientist’s answer to attacks on faith by some well-meaning scientists and philosophers. It is a firm rebuke of the “Four Horsemen”—Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens—known for writing about religion as something irrational and ultimately harmful. Anthropologist Melvin Konner, who was raised as an Orthodox Jew but has lived his adult life without such faith, explores the psychology, development, brain science, evolution, and even genetics of the varied religious impulses we experience as a species. Conceding that faith is not for everyone, he views religious people with a sympathetic eye; his own upbringing, his apprenticeship in the trance-dance religion of the African Bushmen, and his friends and explorations in Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and other faiths have all shaped his perspective. Faith has always manifested itself in different ways—some revelatory and comforting; some kind and good; some ecumenical and cosmopolitan; some bigoted, coercive, and violent. But the future, Konner argues, will both produce more nonbelievers, and incline the religious among us—holding their own by having larger families—to increasingly reject prejudice and aggression. A colorful weave of personal stories of religious—and irreligious—encounters, as well as new scientific research, Believers shows us that religion does much good as well as undoubted harm, and that for at least a large minority of humanity, the belief in things unseen neither can nor should go away.
The Believer's Brain: Home of the Religious and Spiritual Mind
by Kenneth M. Heilman Russell S. DondaAbout 90% of people have faith in a supreme being, but our yearning for the divine, and whatever it promises, involves a large divergence in mental states and behaviors. Some adhere to doctrine, supplication, and fastidious religious practices; others have a strong sense they are part of something greater and more universal. However, all religious and spiritual paths are mediated by complex brain networks. When different areas of the brain are stimulated, a person can have a variety of experiences, but there is no specific ‘God spot’ where stimulation enhances religiosity or spirituality. Functional brain imaging shows that there are specific areas of the brain that ‘light up’ when subjects perform certain religious activities, but imaging only provides anatomic correlations, not functional explanations. The Believer's Brain takes a step beyond these singular methodologies, providing converging evidence from a variety study methods of how humans’ brain networks mediate different aspects of religious and spiritual beliefs, feelings, actions, and experiences. Although the book reveals how our brain is the home to the religious and spiritual mind, understanding this gift will not diminish our spirituality or our love or our belief in a supreme being, but will increase appreciation of the apparatus that mediates these mental states.
Believing
by Michael McguireA new book about brain chemistry, neural systems, and the formation of beliefs from the scientist who brought to light serotonin's many crucial roles in human behavior. Beliefs: What are they? How have evolution and culture led to a brain that is seemingly committed to near endless belief creation? And once established, why are most beliefs so difficult to change? Believing offers answers to these questions from the perspective of a leading neuroscientist and expert in brain-behavior research. Combining personal anecdotes and the latest research, Dr. McGuire takes the novel approach of focusing on the central and critical role of brain systems and the ways in which they interact with the environment to create and maintain beliefs. This approach yields some surprising and counterintuitive conclusions: * The brain is designed for belief creation and acceptance. * It is biased in favor of its own beliefs and is highly insensitive to disconfirming evidence. * It prefers beliefs that are pleasurable and rewarding to those that are unfavorable. * Beliefs are "afterthoughts" of unperceived brain activities; they don't cause behavior. * Our consciousness has minimal influence on the neural systems that create beliefs. Based on these observations, McGuire concludes that for the foreseeable future people will continue to hold a multitude of beliefs, many of them intransigent.
The Believing Brain: From Spiritual Faiths to Political Convictions – How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths
by Michael ShermerSynthesizing thirty years of research, psychologist and science historian, Michael Shermer upends the traditional thinking about how humans form beliefs about the world. Simply put, beliefs come first and explanations for beliefs follow. The brain, Shermer argues, is a belief engine. Using sensory data that flow in through the senses, the brain naturally looks for and finds patterns - and then infuses those patterns with meaning, forming beliefs. Once beliefs are formed, our brains subconsciously seek out confirmatory evidence in support of those beliefs, which accelerates the process of reinforcing them, and round and round the process goes in a positive-feedback loop.In The Believing Brain, Shermer provides countless real-world examples of how this process operates, from politics, economics, and religion to conspiracy theories, the supernatural, and the paranormal. Ultimately, he demonstrates why science is the best tool ever devised to determine whether or not our belief matches reality.
The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies—How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths
by Michael Shermer“A wonderfully lucid, accessible, and wide-ranging account of the boundary between justified and unjustified belief.” —Sam Harris, New York Times–bestselling author of The Moral Landscape and The End of FaithIn this work synthesizing thirty years of research, psychologist, historian of science, and the world’s best-known skeptic Michael Shermer upends the traditional thinking about how humans form beliefs about the world. Simply put, beliefs come first and explanations for beliefs follow. The brain, Shermer argues, is a belief engine. From sensory data flowing in through the senses, the brain naturally begins to look for and find patterns, and then infuses those patterns with meaning. Our brains connect the dots of our world into meaningful patterns that explain why things happen, and these patterns become beliefs. Once beliefs are formed the brain begins to look for and find confirmatory evidence in support of those beliefs, which accelerates the process of reinforcing them, and round and round the process goes in a positive-feedback loop of belief confirmation. Shermer outlines the numerous cognitive tools our brains engage to reinforce our beliefs as truths.Interlaced with his theory of belief, Shermer provides countless real-world examples of how this process operates, from politics, economics, and religion to conspiracy theories, the supernatural, and the paranormal. Ultimately, he demonstrates why science is the best tool ever devised to determine whether or not a belief matches reality.“A must read for everyone who wonders why religious and political beliefs are so rigid and polarized—or why the other side is always wrong, but somehow doesn’t see it.” —Dr. Leonard Mlodinow, physicist and author of The Drunkard’s Walk and The Grand Design (with Stephen Hawking)
The Believing Christian: Theology’s New Opportunities
by Lluis OviedoThis book offers an updated version of the credibility treatise as part of a fundamental theology. Focusing on practical arguments that make Christian faith interesting and positive for improving the quality of one's life and relationships, it shows how the Christian faith is beneficial for the individual, the family and society as a whole. The book draws from recent literature on religious coping; religion and resilience; religion and well-being; religion and human flourishing to make the case for Christian faith as a good choice. This book also addresses the most difficult challenges facing the Christian faith in our time, such as a secularising environments, struggles with science, a troubled past, or simply the problem of making faith a convincing life style. It's an important read for scholars of theology, faith, and non-belief.
Believing in Dawkins: The New Spiritual Atheism
by Eric SteinhartDawkin's militant atheism is well known; his profound faith less well known In this book, atheist philosopher Eric Steinhart explores the spiritual dimensions of Richard Dawkins’ books, which are shown to encompass:· the meaning and purpose of life· an appreciation of Platonic beauty and truth· a deep belief in the rationality of the universe· an aversion to both scientism and nihilism As an atheist, Dawkins strives to develop a scientific alternative to theism, and while he declares that science is not a religion, he also proclaims it to be a spiritual enterprise. His books are filled with fragmentary sketches of this ‘spiritual atheism’, resembling a great unfinished cathedral. This book systematises and completes Dawkins’ arguments and reveals their deep roots in Stoicism and Platonism. Expanding on Dawkins’ ideas, Steinhart shows how atheists can develop powerful ethical principles, compelling systems of symbols and images, and meaningful personal and social practices. Believing in Dawkins is a rigorous and potent entreaty for the use of science and reason to support spiritually rich and optimistic ways of thinking and living.
The Believing Scientist: Essays on Science and Religion
by Stephen BarrElegant writings by a cutting-edge research scientist defending traditional theological and philosophical positions Both an accomplished theoretical physicist and a faithful Catholic, Stephen Barr in this book addresses a wide range of questions about the relationship between science and religion, providing a beautiful picture of how they can coexist in harmony. In his first essay, "Retelling the Story of Science," Barr challenges the widely held idea that there is an inherent conflict between science and religion. He goes on to analyze such topics as the quantum creation of universes from nothing, the multiverse, the Intelligent Design movement, and the implications of neuroscience for the reality of the soul. Including reviews of highly influential books by such figures as Edward O. Wilson, Richard Dawkins, Stephen Jay Gould, Francis S. Collins, Michael Behe, and Thomas Nagel, The Believing Scientist helpfully engages pressing questions that often vex religious believers who wish to engage with the world of science.
Bell: Alexander Graham Bell and the Conquest of Solitude
by Robert V. BruceA very well-written and historically well-documented biography of Alexander Graham Bell
'The Bell Curve' in Perspective: Race, Meritocracy, Inequality and Politics (Palgrave Studies in the Theory and History of Psychology)
by William H. TuckerThis open access book examines the implications of The Bell Curve for the social, economic, and political developments of the early 21st century. Following a review of the reception of The Bell Curve and its place in the campaign to end affirmative action, Professor Tucker analyses Herrnstein’s concept of the “meritocracy” in relation to earlier 20th century eugenics and the dramatic increase in economic inequality over the past 30 years. Tucker demonstrates how, contrary to The Bell Curve’s predictions, the reallocation of these huge sums was neither rational nor beneficial for society. The book moves on to situate The Bell Curve within contemporary politics and shows how it can be seen to have played a role in the 2016 US election. This compelling analysis will appeal to scholars and those with an interest in the history of scientific racism, the history of psychology and the sociology of knowledge and science.This is an open access book.
Belle's Journey: An Osprey Takes Flight
by Rob BierregaardTake flight with Belle, an osprey born on Martha's Vineyard as she learns to fly and migrates for the first time to Brazil and back--a journey of more than 8,000 miles.Dr. B. and Dick, two osprey scientists in Massachusetts, observe ospreys and their offspring, tagging one special fledgling with a transmitter to better study migration habits. Follow Belle as she attempts her first flight, conquers her first fishing endeavour, and heads south for her first migration all while her tracking device transmits information about where's she been. Based on information garnered through twenty years of research by the author, Belle's Journey will soar into reader's hearts.
Bell's Theorem and Quantum Realism: Reassessment in Light of the Schrödinger Paradox (SpringerBriefs in Physics)
by Douglas L. Hemmick Asif M. ShakurQuantum theory presents a strange picture of the world, offering no real account of physical properties apart from observation. Neils Bohr felt that this reflected a core truth of nature: "There is no quantum world. There is only an abstract mathematical description." Among the most significant developments since Bohr's day has been the theorem of John S. Bell. It is important to consider whether Bell's analysis supports such a denial of microrealism. In this book, we evaluate the situation in terms of an early work of Erwin Schrödinger. Doing so, we see how Bell's theorem is conceptually related to the Conway and Kochen Free Will theorem and also to all the major anti-realism efforts. It is easy to show that none of these analyses imply the impossibility of objective realism. We find that Schrödinger's work leads to the derivation of a new series of theoretical proofs and potential experiments, each involving "entanglement," the link between particles in some quantum systems. .
Belly-Rippers, Surgical Innovation and the Ovariotomy Controversy (Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in Modern History)
by Sally FramptonThis open access book looks at the dramatic history of ovariotomy, an operation to remove ovarian tumours first practiced in the early nineteenth century. Bold and daring, surgeons who performed it claimed to be initiating a new era of surgery by opening the abdomen. Ovariotomy soon occupied a complex position within medicine and society, as an operation which symbolised surgical progress, while also remaining at the boundaries of ethical acceptability. This book traces the operation’s innovation, from its roots in eighteenth-century pathology, through the denouncement of those who performed it as ‘belly-rippers’, to its rapid uptake in the 1880s, when ovariotomists were accused of over-operating. Throughout the century, the operation was never a hair’s breadth from controversy.
Belonging: A Culture of Place
by Bell HooksWhat does it mean to call a place home? Who is allowed to become a member of a community? When can we say that we truly belong? These are some of the questions of place and belonging that renowned cultural critic Bell Hooks examines in this book.
Belonging After Brain Injury: Relocating Dan (After Brain Injury: Survivor Stories)
by Katie H. WilliamsBelonging After Brain Injury: Relocating Dan explores the life of the author’s brother who has dealt with the effects of a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) for over four decades. It recounts the institutional, psychological, and social labyrinths he and his family have navigated following the TBI he sustained at the age of eighteen. This insightful volume offers a holistic account of the impact of TBI on the survivor and his family. It reveals the difficulties a TBI survivor has had to endure and provides practical information about physical, psychological, and psychosocial symptoms and their consequences. Dan’s story offers new perspectives and strategies that will help alleviate seemingly intractable problems and highlights the central importance of forming connections with others in order to lead a fuller life. The author’s account of her own journey, learning to help care for and advocate for Dan, offers an invaluable guide for TBI survivors and those who care for and support them. Belonging After Brain Injury: Relocating Dan will be of interest to TBI survivors and their families. Its rich insights will be essential reading for medical and mental health professionals, as well those involved in the care and rehabilitation of TBI survivors and families.
Belonging on an Island: Birds, Extinction, and Evolution in Hawai'i
by Daniel Lewis“A book devoted to the beauty of [Hawaiian] birds . . . is a welcome event. [It] will be both an elegy and an important record of what has been lost to us all.” —W. S. Merwin, Pulitzer Prize–winning poet, The Shadow of SiriusA lively, rich natural history of Hawaiian birds that challenges existing ideas about what constitutes biocultural nativeness and belongingThis natural history takes readers on a thousand-year journey as it explores the Hawaiian Islands’ beautiful birds and a variety of topics including extinction, evolution, survival, conservationists and their work, and, most significantly, the concept of belonging. Author Daniel Lewis, an award-winning historian and globe-traveling amateur birder, builds this lively text around the stories of four species—the Stumbling Moa-Nalo, the Kaua‘I ‘O‘o, the Palila, and the Japanese White-Eye.Lewis offers innovative ways to think about what it means to be native and proposes new definitions that apply to people as well as to birds. Being native, he argues, is a relative state influenced by factors including the passage of time, charisma, scarcity, utility to others, short-term evolutionary processes, and changing relationships with other organisms. This book also describes how bird conservation started in Hawai‘i, and the naturalists and environmentalists who did extraordinary work.“With insight, humor, scholarship, and love, Daniel Lewis illustrates how and why the question of who or what “belongs” somewhere is both deceptively complex and increasingly important in today’s Anthropocene world.” —Robert J. Cabin, author of Restoring Paradise: Rethinking and Rebuilding Nature in Hawai‘i“Lewis’s fascinating story of Hawaii is, in microcosm, the history of humans on our fragile Earth.” —Bruce M. Beehler, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Beloved Beasts: Fighting For Life In An Age Of Extinction
by Michelle NijhuisOne of Literary Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2021 A vibrant history of the modern conservation movement—told through the lives and ideas of the people who built it. In the late nineteenth century, as humans came to realize that our rapidly industrializing and globalizing societies were driving other animal species to extinction, a movement to protect and conserve them was born. In Beloved Beasts, acclaimed science journalist Michelle Nijhuis traces the movement’s history: from early battles to save charismatic species such as the American bison and bald eagle to today’s global effort to defend life on a larger scale. She describes the vital role of scientists and activists such as Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson as well as lesser-known figures in conservation history; she reveals the origins of vital organizations like the Audubon Society and the World Wildlife Fund; she explores current efforts to protect species such as the whooping crane and the black rhinoceros; and she confronts the darker side of conservation, long shadowed by racism and colonialism. As the destruction of other species continues and the effects of climate change escalate, Beloved Beasts charts the ways conservation is becoming a movement for the protection of all species—including our own.
Below the Edge of Darkness: A Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea
by Edith WidderA pioneering marine biologist takes us down into the deep ocean to understand bioluminescence—the language of light that helps life communicate in the darkness—and what it tells us about the future of life on Earth. <p><p> Edith Widder’s childhood dream of becoming a marine biologist was almost derailed in college, when complications from a surgery gone wrong caused temporary blindness. A new reality of shifting shadows drew her fascination to the power of light—as well as the importance of optimism. As her vision cleared, Widder found the intersection of her two passions in oceanic bioluminescence, a little-explored scientific field within Earth’s last great unknown frontier: the deep ocean. <p><p> With little promise of funding or employment, she leaped at the first opportunity to train as a submersible pilot and dove into the darkness. Widder’s first journey into the deep ocean, in a diving suit that resembled a suit of armor, took her to a depth of eight hundred feet. She turned off the lights and witnessed breathtaking underwater fireworks: explosions of bioluminescent activity. Concerns about her future career vanished. She only wanted to know one thing: Why was there so much light down there? <p><p> Below the Edge of Darkness takes readers deep into our planet’s oceans as Widder pursues her questions about one of the most important and widely used forms of communication in nature. In the process, she reveals hidden worlds and a dazzling menagerie of behaviors and animals, from microbes to leviathans, many never before seen or, like the legendary giant squid, never before filmed in their deep-sea lairs. Alongside Widder, we experience life-and-death equipment malfunctions and witness breakthroughs in technology and understanding, all set against a growing awareness of the deteriorating health of our largest and least understood ecosystem. A thrilling adventure story as well as a scientific revelation, Below the Edge of Darkness reckons with the complicated and sometimes dangerous realities of exploration. Widder shows us how when we push our boundaries and expand our worlds, discovery and wonder follow. These are the ultimate keys to the ocean’s salvation—and thus to our future on this planet.
Below the Edge of Darkness: Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea
by Edith Widder'A book of marvels, marvellously written' RICHARD DAWKINSA pioneering marine biologist takes us down into the deep ocean to understand bioluminescence, the language of light that helps life communicate in the darkness, and what it tells us about the future of life on Earth.Edith Widder grew up determined to become a marine biologist. But after complications from a surgery during college caused her to go temporarily blind, she became fascinated by light as well as the power of optimism. Her focus turned to oceanic bioluminescence, a scientific frontier, and with little promise of funding or employment she took a leap into the dark. Below the Edge of Darkness explores the depths of the planet's oceans as Widder seeks to understand one of the most important and widely used forms of communication in nature. In the process, she reveals hidden worlds and a dazzling menagerie of behaviours and animals, many never-before-seen or, like the legendary Giant Squid, never-before-filmed in its deep-sea lair. Alongside Widder, we experience life-and-death equipment malfunctions and witness breakthroughs in technology and understanding, all of it set against a growing awareness of the deteriorating health of our largest and least understood ecosystem.This is an adventure story as well as a science story. But it's also about the sometimes complicated business of exploration. And ultimately, Widder shows us that exploration, and the corresponding senses of discovery and wonder, are the keys to the ocean's salvation and thus our future on this planet.'Edie's story is one of hardscrabble optimism, two-fisted exploration and groundbreaking research. As I've said many times, I'd have wrapped my submersible, the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER, in bacon if it would have lured the elusive giant squid from the depths. In Below the Edge of Darkness, Edie tells you how she did it' JAMES CAMERON
Below the Edge of Darkness: Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea
by Edith WidderA pioneering marine biologist takes us down into the deep ocean in this 'thrilling blend of hard science and high adventure' (The New York Times)Edith Widder grew up determined to become a marine biologist. But after complications from a surgery during college caused her to go temporarily blind, she became fascinated by light as well as the power of optimism. Below the Edge of Darkness explores the depths of the planet's oceans as Widder seeks to understand bioluminescence, one of the most important and widely used forms of communication in nature. In the process, she reveals hidden worlds and a dazzling menagerie of behaviours and animals. Alongside Widder, we experience life-and-death equipment malfunctions and witness breakthroughs in technology and understanding, all of it set against a growing awareness of the deteriorating health of our largest and least understood ecosystem.'A vivid account of ocean life' ROBIN MCKIE, GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE DAY'Edie's story is one of hardscrabble optimism, two-fisted exploration and groundbreaking research. She's done things I dream of doing' JAMES CAMERON'A book of marvels, marvellously written' RICHARD DAWKINS