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Waves in an Impossible Sea: How Everyday Life Emerges from the Cosmic Ocean
by Matt StrasslerA theoretical physicist takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey—found in "no other book" (Science)—to discover how the universe generates everything from nothing at all: "If you want to know what's really going on in the realms of relativity and particle physics, read this book" (Sean Carroll, author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe). In Waves in an Impossible Sea, physicist Matt Strassler tells a startling tale of elementary particles, human experience, and empty space. He begins with a simple mystery of motion. When we drive at highway speeds with the windows down, the wind beats against our faces. Yet our planet hurtles through the cosmos at 150 miles per second, and we feel nothing of it. How can our voyage be so tranquil when, as Einstein discovered, matter warps space, and space deflects matter? The answer, Strassler reveals, is that empty space is a sea, albeit a paradoxically strange one. Much like water and air, it ripples in various ways, and we ourselves, made from its ripples, can move through space as effortlessly as waves crossing an ocean. Deftly weaving together daily experience and fundamental physics—the musical universe, the enigmatic quantum, cosmic fields, and the Higgs boson—Strassler shows us how all things, familiar and unfamiliar, emerge from what seems like nothing at all. Accessible and profound, Waves in an Impossible Sea is the ultimate guide to our place in the universe.
Waves in Flows (Advances in Mathematical Fluid Mechanics)
by Tomáš Bodnár Giovanni P. Galdi Šárka NečasováThis volume offers an overview of the area of waves in fluids and the role they play in the mathematical analysis and numerical simulation of fluid flows. Based on lectures given at the summer school “Waves in Flows”, held in Prague from August 27-31, 2018, chapters are written by renowned experts in their respective fields. Featuring an accessible and flexible presentation, readers will be motivated to broaden their perspectives on the interconnectedness of mathematics and physics. A wide range of topics are presented, working from mathematical modelling to environmental, biomedical, and industrial applications. Specific topics covered include:Equatorial wave–current interactionsWater–wave problemsGravity wave propagationFlow–acoustic interactions Waves in Flows will appeal to graduate students and researchers in both mathematics and physics. Because of the applications presented, it will also be of interest to engineers working on environmental and industrial issues.
Waves in Flows: The 2018 Prague-Sum Workshop Lectures (Advances in Mathematical Fluid Mechanics)
by Tomáš Bodnár Giovanni P. Galdi Šárka NečasováThis volume explores a range of recent advances in mathematical fluid mechanics, covering theoretical topics and numerical methods. Chapters are based on the lectures given at a workshop in the summer school Waves in Flows, held in Prague from August 27-31, 2018. A broad overview of cutting edge research is presented, with a focus on mathematical modeling and numerical simulations. Readers will find a thorough analysis of numerous state-of-the-art developments presented by leading experts in their respective fields. Specific topics covered include:ChemorepulsionCompressible Navier-Stokes systemsNewtonian fluidsFluid-structure interactions Waves in Flows: The 2018 Prague-Sum Workshop Lectures will appeal to post-doctoral students and scientists whose work involves fluid mechanics.
Waves in Focal Regions: Propagation, Diffraction and Focusing of Light, Sound and Water Waves
by J.J StamnesUsing numerous mathematical and numerical techniques of diffraction theory, Waves in Focal Regions: Propagation, Diffraction and Focusing of Light, Sound and Water Waves provides a full and richly illustrated description of waves in focal regions. Unlike most books, the author treats electromagnetic, acoustic, and water waves in one comprehensive volume. After an introductory section, the book describes approximate diffraction theories and efficient numerical methods to study the focusing of various kinds of waves. It then covers the physical interpretation of the theories, their accuracy, and the computational savings obtained, emphasizing uniform asymptotic results that remain valid in the vicinity of shadow boundaries and caustics. The next part deals with the focusing of scalar waves, including thorough theoretical analyses and detailed contour maps of diffraction patterns in focal regions for a variety of different system parameters, such as f-number, Frensel number, aperture shape, amplitude distribution, and wavefront aberration. The author proceeds to explore the diffraction and focusing of electromagnetic waves. First solutions are derived for fields radiated by sources, reflected and refracted at plane interfaces, or diffracted by apertures in plane screens, and then these solutions are applied to study the focusing in homogeneous media and through a plane dielectric interface. In both cases, the author includes many computed results of the electromagnetic field distribution near focus. Presenting both theoretical and experimental results, the following part examines the focusing of sound and water waves by means of zone-plate lenses. The book concludes with a detailed study of the diffraction and focusing of water waves and a comparison of the results of both linear and nonlinear theories with those of experiments.
Waves in Neural Media
by Paul C. BressloffWaves in Neural Media: From Single Neurons to Neural Fields surveys mathematical models of traveling waves in the brain, ranging from intracellular waves in single neurons to waves of activity in large-scale brain networks. The work provides a pedagogical account of analytical methods for finding traveling wave solutions of the variety of nonlinear differential equations that arise in such models. These include regular and singular perturbation methods, weakly nonlinear analysis, Evans functions and wave stability, homogenization theory and averaging, and stochastic processes. Also covered in the text are exact methods of solution where applicable. Historically speaking, the propagation of action potentials has inspired new mathematics, particularly with regard to the PDE theory of waves in excitable media. More recently, continuum neural field models of large-scale brain networks have generated a new set of interesting mathematical questions with regard to the solution of nonlocal integro-differential equations. Advanced graduates, postdoctoral researchers and faculty working in mathematical biology, theoretical neuroscience, or applied nonlinear dynamics will find this book to be a valuable resource. The main prerequisites are an introductory graduate course on ordinary differential equations or partial differential equations, making this an accessible and unique contribution to the field of mathematical biology.
Waves in Oceanic and Coastal Waters
by Leo H. HolthuijsenWaves in Oceanic and Coastal Waters describes the observation, analysis and prediction of wind-generated waves in the open ocean, in shelf seas, and in coastal regions with islands, channels, tidal flats and inlets, estuaries, fjords and lagoons. Most of this richly illustrated book is devoted to the physical aspects of waves. After introducing observation techniques for waves, both at sea and from space, the book defines the parameters that characterise waves. Using basic statistical and physical concepts, the author discusses the prediction of waves in oceanic and coastal waters, first in terms of generalised observations, and then in terms of the more theoretical framework of the spectral energy balance. He gives the results of established theories and also the direction in which research is developing. The book ends with a description of SWAN (Simulating Waves Nearshore), the preferred computer model of the engineering community for predicting waves in coastal waters.
Waves, Particles and Fields: Introducing Quantum Field Theory
by Anthony C. Fischer-CrippsThis book fills a gap in the middle ground between quantum mechanics of a single electron to the concept of a quantum field. In doing so, the book is divided into two parts; the first provides the necessary background to quantum theory extending from Planck’s formulation of black body radiation to Schrodinger’s equation; and the second part explores Dirac’s relativistic electron to quantum fields, finishing with an description of Feynman diagrams and their meaning. Much more than a popular account, yet not too heavy so as to be inaccessible, this book assumes no prior knowledge of quantum physics or field theory and provides the necessary foundations for readers to then progress to more advanced texts on quantum field theory. It will be of interest to undergraduate students in physics and mathematics, in addition to an interested, general audience. Features: Provides an extensive yet accessible background to the concepts Contains numerous, illustrative diagrams Presents in-depth explanations of difficult subjects
Waves, Sound, and Light
by Glencoe Mcgraw-HillDiscover the Flexibility to Teach Science Your Way!. "Glencoe Science: Waves, Sound, and Light," a module in the Glencoe Science 15 book series, provides students with accurate and comprehensive coverage of middle school National Science Education Standards. Concepts are explained in a clear, concise manner, and are integrated with a wide range of hands-on experiences, critical thinking opportunities, real-world applications, and connections to other sciences and to non-science areas of the curriculum. Co-authored by National Geographic, unparalleled graphics reinforce key concepts. A broad array of print and technology resources help differentiate and accommodate all learners. The modular approach allows you to mix and match books to meet your specific curriculum needs.
Waves, Sound, and Light
by Mcdougal-Littell StaffEach chapter in Waves, Sound, and Light covers some of the learning goals that are described in the National Science Education Standards (NSES) and the Project 2061 Benchmarks for Science Literacy.
Waves & Their Applications, Module L (HMH Science Dimensions)
by Marjorie Frank Michael Heithaus Michael DiSpezioNIMAC-sourced textbook
Wax Deposition: Experimental Characterizations, Theoretical Modeling, and Field Practices (Emerging Trends And Technologies In Petroleum Engineering Ser.)
by Zhenyu HuangWax Deposition: Experimental Characterizations, Theoretical Modeling, and Field Practices covers the entire spectrum of knowledge on wax deposition. The book delivers a detailed description of the thermodynamic and transport theories for wax deposition modeling as well as a comprehensive review of laboratory testing for the establishment of appropr
The Way Kitchens Work: The Science Behind the Microwave, Teflon Pan, Garbage Disposal, and More
by Ed SobeyHow does a microwave heat food? Why is only one side of aluminum foil shiny? and Is it better to use cold or hot water in a garbage disposal? are among the questions answered in this guide that reveals the hidden science of the kitchen and its trappings. Profiling more than 50 common appliances and utensils, this handbook describes each item's history, reveals interesting trivia about the piece, and discusses the technology involved. In addition to featuring the original patent blueprints and photographs of the "guts" of the culinary tools, this guide recounts quirky side stories such as the role a waffle iron played in Nike's inception and the real reason why socialite Josephine Cochran invented the dishwasher in 1886. Those whose stovetop skills are still in development will appreciate the information on the invention and use of the smoke detector and hand-held fire extinguishers.
The Way of Coyote: Shared Journeys in the Urban Wilds
by Gavin Van HornA hiking trail through majestic mountains. A raw, unpeopled wilderness stretching as far as the eye can see. These are the settings we associate with our most famous books about nature. But Gavin Van Horn isn’t most nature writers. He lives and works not in some perfectly remote cabin in the woods but in a city—a big city. And that city has offered him something even more valuable than solitude: a window onto the surprising attractiveness of cities to animals. What was once in his mind essentially a nature-free blank slate turns out to actually be a bustling place where millions of wild things roam. He came to realize that our own paths are crisscrossed by the tracks and flyways of endangered black-crowned night herons, Cooper’s hawks, brown bats, coyotes, opossums, white-tailed deer, and many others who thread their lives ably through our own. With The Way of Coyote, Gavin Van Horn reveals the stupendous diversity of species that can flourish in urban landscapes like Chicago. That isn’t to say city living is without its challenges. Chicago has been altered dramatically over a relatively short timespan—its soils covered by concrete, its wetlands drained and refilled, its river diverted and made to flow in the opposite direction. The stories in The Way of Coyote occasionally lament lost abundance, but they also point toward incredible adaptability and resilience, such as that displayed by beavers plying the waters of human-constructed canals or peregrine falcons raising their young atop towering skyscrapers. Van Horn populates his stories with a remarkable range of urban wildlife and probes the philosophical and religious dimensions of what it means to coexist, drawing frequently from the wisdom of three unconventional guides—wildlife ecologist Aldo Leopold, Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu, and the North American trickster figure Coyote. Ultimately, Van Horn sees vast potential for a more vibrant collective of ecological citizens as we take our cues from landscapes past and present. Part urban nature travelogue, part philosophical reflection on the role wildlife can play in waking us to a shared sense of place and fate, The Way of Coyote is a deeply personal journey that questions how we might best reconcile our own needs with the needs of other creatures in our shared urban habitats.
The Way of Science
by Dennis R. TrumbleMost people appreciate science on an obvious level. Modern medicine, electric lighting, rapid transportation, and long-distance communication are among the many benefits of science that have made life today healthier and more comfortable than people in earlier eras could have imagined. This book is about a deeper benefit of science, one that, while less obvious, may prove to be far more important in the long run: namely, the ability to look beyond our preconceptions and see the world and ourselves in a truer light. The author makes a compelling case that now more than ever the public at large needs to appreciate the critical-thinking tools that science has to offer and be educated in basic science literacy. Trumble emphasizes that the methods and facts of science are accessible to everyone, and that, contrary to popular belief, understanding science does not require extraordinary intelligence. He also notes that scientific rationality and critical thinking are not only good for our physical well-being but also are fully in sync with our highest moral codes. He illustrates the many ways in which the scientific worldview offers a profound sense of wonder, connectedness, and optimism about the human condition, an inspiring perspective that satisfies age-old spiritual aspirations. At a time of daunting environmental challenges and rampant misinformation, this provides a welcome corrective and reason to hope for the future.
The Way the Wind Blows: Climate Change, History, and Human Action (Historical Ecology Series)
by Joseph A. Tainter Susan Keech McIntosh Roderick J. McIntosh-- Robert W. Harms, Yale University
The Way the Wind Blows: Climate, History, and Human Action
by Joseph A. Tainter Susan Keech Mcintosh Roderick J. McintoshScientists and policymakers are beginning to understand in ever-increasing detail that environmental problems cannot be understood solely through the biophysical sciences. Environmental issues are fundamentally human issues and must be set in the context of social, political, cultural, and economic knowledge. The need both to understand how human beings in the past responded to climatic and other environmental changes and to synthesize the implications of these historical patterns for present-day sustainability spurred a conference of the world's leading scholars on the topic. The Way the Wind Blows is the rich result of that conference. Articles discuss the dynamics of climate, human perceptions of and responses to the environment, and issues of sustainability and resiliency. These themes are illustrated through discussions of human societies around the world and throughout history.
The Way the Wind Blows: Climate, History, and Human Action
by Joseph A. Tainter Susan Keech Mcintosh Roderick J. McintoshScientists and policymakers are beginning to understand in ever-increasing detail that environmental problems cannot be understood solely through the biophysical sciences. Environmental issues are fundamentally human issues and must be set in the context of social, political, cultural, and economic knowledge. The need both to understand how human beings in the past responded to climatic and other environmental changes and to synthesize the implications of these historical patterns for present-day sustainability spurred a conference of the world's leading scholars on the topic. The Way the Wind Blows is the rich result of that conference. Articles discuss the dynamics of climate, human perceptions of and responses to the environment, and issues of sustainability and resiliency. These themes are illustrated through discussions of human societies around the world and throughout history.
The Way Things Work
by David Macaulay Neil ArdleyWhat really makes the things around us tick? Did you know that the principle behind the zip fastener also governed the building of the pyramids? Or that the dentist's drill is a direct descendant of the first windmill? The inner workings of hundreds of machines and devices are explained in this fun, colourful and unique look at technology through time.
The Way Things Work Now
by David MacaulayA New York Times Bestseller Explainer-in-Chief David Macaulay updates the worldwide bestseller The New Way Things Work to capture the latest developments in the technology that most impacts our lives. Famously packed with information on the inner workings of everything from windmills to Wi-Fi, this extraordinary and humorous book both guides readers through the fundamental principles of machines, and shows how the developments of the past are building the world of tomorrow. This sweepingly revised edition embraces all of the latest developments, from touchscreens to 3D printer. Each scientific principle is brilliantly explained--with the help of a charming, if rather slow-witted, woolly mammoth. An illustrated survey of significant inventions closes the book, along with a glossary of technical terms, and an index. What possible link could there be between zippers and plows, dentist drills and windmills? Parking meters and meat grinders, jumbo jets and jackhammers, remote control and rockets, electric guitars and egg beaters? Macaulay explains them all.
The Way Toys Work: The Science Behind the Magic 8 Ball, Etch A Sketch, Boomerang, and More
by Ed Sobey Woody SobeyA Selection of the Scientific American Book ClubProfiling 50 of the world's most popular playthings--including their history, trivia, and the technology involved--this guide uncovers the hidden science of toys. Discover how an Etch A Sketch writes on its gray screen, why a boomerang returns after it is thrown, and how an RC car responds to a remote control device. Leaving no detail unrevealed, the guide includes original patent-application blueprints and photos of the "guts" of several devices. Inventors and museum curators also offer their observations of favorite gizmos while dispelling (or confirming) several toy legends. Complete with explanations of do-it-yourself experiments and tips on reverse engineering old toys to observe their interior mechanics, this entertaining and informative reference even provides pointers on how budding toy makers can build their own toys using only recycled materials and a little ingenuity.
Wayfinding: The Science and Mystery of How Humans Navigate the World
by M. R. O'ConnorAt once far flung and intimate, a fascinating look at how finding our way make us human."A marvel of storytelling." —Kirkus (Starred Review) In this compelling narrative, O'Connor seeks out neuroscientists, anthropologists and master navigators to understand how navigation ultimately gave us our humanity. Biologists have been trying to solve the mystery of how organisms have the ability to migrate and orient with such precision—especially since our own adventurous ancestors spread across the world without maps or instruments. O'Connor goes to the Arctic, the Australian bush and the South Pacific to talk to masters of their environment who seek to preserve their traditions at a time when anyone can use a GPS to navigate. O’Connor explores the neurological basis of spatial orientation within the hippocampus. Without it, people inhabit a dream state, becoming amnesiacs incapable of finding their way, recalling the past, or imagining the future. Studies have shown that the more we exercise our cognitive mapping skills, the greater the grey matter and health of our hippocampus. O'Connor talks to scientists studying how atrophy in the hippocampus is associated with afflictions such as impaired memory, dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, depression and PTSD. Wayfinding is a captivating book that charts how our species' profound capacity for exploration, memory and storytelling results in topophilia, the love of place."O'Connor talked to just the right people in just the right places, and her narrative is a marvel of storytelling on its own merits, erudite but lightly worn. There are many reasons why people should make efforts to improve their geographical literacy, and O'Connor hits on many in this excellent book—devouring it makes for a good start." —Kirkus Reviews
Wayfinding Behavior: Cognitive Mapping and Other Spatial Processes
by Reginald G. GolledgeThe metaphor of a "cognitive map"has attracted wide interest since it was first proposed in the late 1940s. Researchers from fields as diverse as psychology, geography, and urban planning have explored how humans process and use spatial information, often with the view of explaining why people make wayfinding errors or what makes one person a better navigator than another. Cognitive psychologists have broken navigation down into its component steps and shown it to be an interplay of neurocognitive functions, such as "spatial updating"and "reference frames"or "perception-action couplings."But there has also been an intense debate among biologists over whether animals have cognitive maps or have other forms of internal spatial representations that allow them to behave as if they did. Yet until now, little has been done to relate research on human and non-human subjects in this area.In Wayfinding Behavior: Cognitive Mapping and Other Spatial Processes Reginald Golledge brings together a distinguished group of scholars to offer a unique and comprehensive survey of current research in these diverse fields. Among the common themes they discover is the psychologists' "black box"approach, in which the internal mechanisms of spatial perception and route planning are modeled or constructed, like metaphors, based on the behavioral evidence. Cognitive neuroscientists, on the other hand, have attempted to discover the neurocognitive basis for spatial behavior. (They have shown, for example, that damage in the hippocampus system invariably impairs the ability of animals and humans to learn about, remember, and navigate through environments, and studies in humans show that neurons in this system code for location, direction, and distance, thereby providing the elements needed for a mapping system.) Artificial intelligence and robotics theorists attempt to construct intelligent mapping systems using computer technology. In these areas, there is growing evidence that, as in human wayfinding processes, useful representations cannot be achieved without sacrificing completeness and precision.Wayfinding Behavior: Cognitive Mapping and Other Spatial Processes offers not only state-of-the-art knowledge about "wayfinding, "but also represents a point of departure for future interdisciplinary studies. "The more we know," concludes volume editor Reginald Golledge, "about how humans or other species can navigate, wayfind, sense, record and use spatial information, the more effective will be the building of future guidance systems, and the more natural it will be for human beings to understand and control those systems."
Waylon! Even More Awesome: Even More Awesome (Waylon #2)
by Sara PennypackerWaylon thinks most problems can be solved with science. But when it comes to having to share a dog with Baxter Boylen, science may not be very helpful. Baxter is the closest thing to a juvenile delinquent Waylon has ever met. He's always getting called to Principal Rice's office, and now he's even having meetings with the chief of police. At least the two boys can visit their dog, Dumpster Eddy, while they're at the station. Eddy is behind bars in the Stray Animals' Lock-up. When a new Animal Control officer takes over, it looks as though the dog's days are numbered. Waylon comes up with a science-y plan to save Eddy, but can he trust Baxter to help him carry it out?
Ways of Being: Animals, Plants, Machines: The Search for a Planetary Intelligence
by James BridleArtist, technologist, and philosopher James Bridle’s Ways of Being is a brilliant, searching exploration of different kinds of intelligence—plant, animal, human, artificial—and how they transform our understanding of humans’ place in the cosmos.What does it mean to be intelligent? Is it something unique to humans, or shared with other beings—beings of flesh, wood, stone, and silicon? The last few years have seen rapid advances in “artificial” intelligence. But as it approaches, it also gets weirder: rather than a friend or helpmate, AI increasingly appears as something stranger than we ever imagined, an alien invention that threatens to decenter and supplant us. At the same time, we’re only just becoming aware of the other intelligences which have been with us all along, even if we’ve failed to recognize or acknowledge them. These others—the animals, plants, and natural systems that surround us are slowly revealing their complexity, agency, and knowledge, just as the technologies we’ve built to sustain ourselves are threatening to cause their extinction, and ours. What can we learn from them, and how can we change ourselves, our technologies, our societies, and our politics, to live better and more equitably with one another and the non-human world?Artist and maverick thinker James Bridle drawn on biology and physics, computation, literature, art, and philosophy, to answer these unsettling questions. Startling and bold, Ways of Being explores the fascinating, strange and multitudinous forms of knowing, doing, and being which are becoming evident in the present, and which are essential for our survival.Includes illustrations