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The Practical Einstein: Experiments, Patents, Inventions
by József Illy2012 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice MagazineAlbert Einstein may be best known as the wire-haired whacky physicist who gave us the theory of relativity, but that’s just one facet of this genius’s contribution to human knowledge and modern science. As József Illy expertly shows in this book, Einstein had an eminently practical side as well.As a youth, Einstein was an inveterate tinkerer in the electrical supply factory his father and uncle owned and operated. His first paid job was as a patent examiner. Later in life, Einstein contributed to many inventions, including refrigerators, microphones, and instruments for aviation. In published papers, Einstein often provided ways to test his theories and fundamental problems of the scientific community of his times. He delved deeply into a variety of technological innovations, most notably the gyrocompass, and consulted for industry in patent cases and on other legal matters. Einstein also provided explanations for common and mundane phenomena, such as the meandering of rivers. In these and other hands-on examples culled from the Einstein Papers, Illy demonstrates how Einstein enjoyed leaving the abstract world of theories to wrestle with the problems of everyday life.While we may like the idea of Einstein as a genius besotted by extra dimensions and too out-of-this-world to wear socks, The Practical Einstein gives ample evidence that this characterization is both incomplete and an unfair representation of a man who sought to explore the intricacies of nature, whether in theory or in practice.
The Practical Einstein: Experiments, Patents, Inventions
by József IllyThis unique biography of the famous theoretical physicist explores his work in the practical worlds of technology, engineering and experimental physics.Albert Einstein is known as the whacky genius behind the theory of relativity, but that’s just one facet of his contribution to modern science and human knowledge. As József Illy demonstrates in this book, Einstein had an eminently practical side as well.As a youth, Einstein was an inveterate tinkerer in the electrical supply factory owned by his father and uncle. His first paid job was as a patent examiner. He consulted on industrial patent cases and worked on technological innovations, most notably the gyrocompass. Later in life, Einstein contributed to many inventions, including refrigerators, microphones, and instruments for aviation. His published papers often provided ways to test his theories, and he also wrote explanations for common natural phenomena, such as the meandering of rivers.In these and other hands-on examples culled from the Einstein Papers, Illy demonstrates how Einstein enjoyed leaving the abstract world of theories to wrestle with the problems of everyday life.A Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Title
The Practical Entomologist
by Rick Imes<p>From exploring the basic principles of entomology to starting a collection, The Practical Entomologist is the perfect introduction to the world of insects. <p>Beginning with the basics, the text describes what characterizes an insect, including anatomy and the life cycle. It takes an order-by-order look at insects, explaining how each group differs from another and why certain types of insects have been classified together. The book shows you not only what to look for but how and where to look for it -- from capturing and keeping live insects to ways of making a collection and taking photographs. <p>Tips on keeping a field notebook are also included. Packed with more than 200 full-color illustrations, this comprehensive guide is a valuable reference tool for nature enthusiasts.</p>
The Practical Geologist
by Dougal Dixon Raymond I. BernorFrom exploring the basic principles of geology to starting a rock and mineral collection, The Practical Geologist is the perfect introduction to the world of earth science. Beginning with a history of the earth's formation and development, this book explores the substances that compose the planet, movements within the earth, the surface effects of weather and water, and underground landscapes. It shows you how to search for, identify, and extract samples of various rocks and minerals, and for each rock and mineral type there is a brief mineralogy and explanation of its locations. There are also sections on mapping, preparing, and curating specimens, and geological sites on the six continents. Packed with more than 200 full-color illustrations, this comprehensive guide is the essential practical companion for natural science enthusiasts everywhere.
The Practical Handbook of Compost Engineering
by RogerTim HaugThe Practical Handbook of Compost Engineering presents an in-depth examination of the principles and practice of modern day composting. This comprehensive book covers compost science, engineering design, operation, principles, and practice, stressing a fundamental approach to analysis throughout. Biological, physical, chemical, thermodynamic, and kinetic principles are covered to develop a unified analytical approach to analysis and an understanding of the process. A brief history of the development of composting systems, which leads to descriptions of modern processes, is presented. The Practical Handbook of Compost Engineering also discusses the elements of successful odor management at composting facilities, including state-of-the-art odor treatment and enhanced atmospheric dispersion. The book is excellent for all engineers, practitioners, plant operators, scientists, researchers, and students in the field.
The Practical Pyromaniac: Build Fire Tornadoes, One-Candlepower Engines, Great Balls of Fire, and More Incendiary Devices
by William GurstelleCombining science, history, and DIY pyrotechnics, this book for the workbench warrior explains humankind's most useful and paradoxical tool: fire. William Gurstelle, author of the bestselling Backyard Ballistics, presents 25 projects with instructions, diagrams, photos, and links to video demonstrations that enable people of all ages to explore and safely play with fire. From Franklin's stove to Diesel's engine, explosive and fascinating tales are told of the great pyromaniacs who scientifically revealed the mysteries of fire such as "Gunpowder" Joseph Priestly, who discovered oxygen; Antoine Lavoisier, the father of chemistry; and Humphrey Davy, whose chemical discoveries and fiery inventions saved thousands of lives. By following the directions inside, the curious can replicate these breakthrough scientists' experiments and inventions from the simply fascinating one-candlepower engine to the nearly magical fire piston and an incredible tornado of fire.
The Practice Of Crime Scene Investigation (International Forensic Science and Investigation)
by John HorswellThe Practice Of Crime Scene Investigation covers numerous aspects of crime scenes investigation, including the latest in education and training, quality systems accreditation, quality assurance, and the application of specialist scientific disciplines to crime. Written by authors specifically chosen for their expertise in this specialized field, the book includes discussion on fingerprinting, dealing with trauma victims, photofit technology, the role of the pathologist and ballistic expert, clandestine laboratories, and explosives. This comprehensive book is a valuable reference for everyone interested in forensic science and the broader application of the justice system.
The Practice of Constructivism in Science Education
by Kenneth TobinThis volume provides a needed elaboration of theories and potential applications of constructivism in science education. Although the term "constructivism" is used widely, there has been a dearth of materials to guide science educators concerning the potential of constructivism to influence what is done in the field. In fact, there has been a tendency for constructivism to be viewed as a method that can be used in a classroom. This view tends to diminish the power of constructivism as a way of thinking about education, and in particular, about science education. The chapters in this book address the need to document the theoretical roots of constructivism and to describe how practitioners have applied constructivist oriented beliefs in the practice of K-12 teaching of science and mathematics, as well as teacher education. Not only does this book contain different theoretical perspectives on constructivism, but it also features a chapter that critiques constructivism as an epistemology. Specific topics covered include: * cooperative learning, * the negotiation of meaning, * problem centered learning, * social construction of knowledge, * science in culturally diverse settings, * curriculum planning and implementation, and * instructional technology. Issues associated with the preparation and enhancement of science teachers and the reform of science education are also explored.
The Practice of Consumer Exposure Assessment
by Gerhard Heinemeyer Matti Jantunen Pertti HakkinenThis book closes a current gap by providing the scientific basis for consumer exposure assessment in the context of regulatory risk assessment. Risk is defined as the likelihood of an event occurring and the severity of its effects. The margin between the dose that leads to toxic effects and the actual dose of a chemical is identified by estimating population exposure. The objective of this book is to provide an introduction into the scientific principles of consumer exposure assessment, and to describe the methods used to estimate doses of chemicals, the statistics applied and computer tools needed. This is presented through the backgrounds of the special fields in exposure analysis, such as exposure via food and by the use of consumer products, toys, clothing and other items. As a general concept, human exposure is also understood to include exposure via the environment and from the work setting. In this context, the specific features of consumer exposure are pointed out and put into the context of regulation, in particular food safety, chemicals safety (REACh) and consumer product safety. The book is structured into three parts: The first part deals with the general concepts of consumer exposure as part of the overall risk analysis framework of risk characterization, risk assessment and risk communication. It describes the three basic features of exposure assessment (i) the exposure scenario (ii) the exposure model and (iii) the exposure parameters, addressing external and internal exposure. Also, the statistical presentation of data to characterize populations, in connection with variability, uncertainty and quality of information and the presentation of exposure evaluation results is described. The second part deals with the specific issues of exposure assessment, exposure via food consumption, exposure from use of consumer products, household products, toys, cosmetic products, textiles, pesticides and others. This part also covers methods for acquisition of data for exposure estimations, including the relevant information from regulations needed to perform an accurate exposure assessment. The third part portrays a prospect for further needs in the development and improvement of consumer exposure assessment, as well as international activities and descriptions of the work of institutions that are involved in exposure assessment on the regulatory and scientific level. And conversely, it creates the rationale for the exposure assessment details necessary to satisfy regulatory needs such as derivation of upper limits and risk management issues.
The Practice of Econometric Theory
by Charles G. RenfroEconometric theory, as presented in textbooks and the econometric literature generally, is a somewhat disparate collection of findings. Its essential nature is to be a set of demonstrated results that increase over time, each logically based on a specific set of axioms or assumptions, yet at every moment, rather than a finished work, these inevitably form an incomplete body of knowledge. The practice of econometric theory consists of selecting from, applying, and evaluating this literature, so as to test its applicability and range. The creation, development, and use of computer software has led applied economic research into a new age. This book describes the history of econometric computation from 1950 to the present day, based upon an interactive survey involving the collaboration of the many econometricians who have designed and developed this software. It identifies each of the econometric software packages that are made available to and used by economists and econometricians worldwide.
The Practice of Internal Dosimetry in Nuclear Medicine (Series in Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering)
by Michael G. StabinWritten by one of the world's leading experts in the field of nuclear medicine dosimetry, this text describes in detail the use of internal dose calculations in the practice of nuclear medicine. While radiation therapy with external sources of radiation always employs calculations of dose to optimize therapy for each patient, this is not routinely conducted in nuclear medicine therapy. As the trend towards an increasing role of dosimetry in therapy planning increases, this book reviews the available methods and technologies available to make this a more common practice. The book begins by covering the mathematical fundamentals of internal dose calculations, and uses sample calculations to demonstrate key principles. The book then moves forward to describe anthropomorphic models, dosimetric models, and types and uses of diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. The depth of coverage makes it useful reference and guide for researchers performing dose calculations and for physicians considering incorporating dose calculations into the treatment of their cancer patients.
The Practice of Radiology Education
by Kathryn M. Hibbert Teresa Van Deven Rethy K. ChhemThe role of medical imaging is increasingly integral to health care, drug discovery, biology, and other life sciences. The changes that are occurring call for innovation in the training of the medical imaging experts of tomorrow. In their previous book, Radiology Education: The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (2008), the editors addressed the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of scholarship in radiology education. Now, in The Practice of Radiology Education: Challenges and Trends, they focus on the application of these concepts within educational programs for radiology residents and fellows. The contributors are educators in radiology from around the world, providing a global perspective on the main challenges facing medical imaging education and the potential strategies required to meet these challenges. It is hoped that the book will assist in attaining the ultimate goal of radiology education: to help patients.
The Practice of Silviculture: Applied Forest Ecology
by Mark S. Ashton Matthew J. KeltyThe most up-to-date, comprehensive resource on silviculture that covers the range of topics and issues facing today’s foresters and resource professionals The tenth edition of the classic work, The Practice of Silviculture: Applied Forest Ecology, includes the most current information and the results of research on the many issues that are relevant to forests and forestry. The text covers such timely topics as biofuels and intensive timber production, ecosystem and landscape scale management of public lands, ecosystem services, surface drinking water supplies, urban and community greenspace, forest carbon, fire and climate, and much more. In recent years, silvicultural systems have become more sophisticated and complex in application, particularly with a focus on multi-aged silviculture. There have been paradigm shifts toward managing for more complex structures and age-classes for integrated and complementary values including wildlife, water and open space recreation. Extensively revised and updated, this new edition covers a wide range of topics and challenges relevant to the forester or resource professional today. This full-color text offers the most expansive book on silviculture and: Includes a revised and expanded text with clear language and explanations Covers the many cutting-edge resource issues that are relevant to forests and forestry Contains boxes within each chapter to provide greater detail on particular silvicultural treatments and examples of their use Features a completely updated bibliography plus new photographs, tables and figures The Practice of Silviculture: Applied Forest Ecology, Tenth Edition is an invaluable resource for students and professionals in forestry and natural resource management.
The Practice of Silviculture: Applied Forest Ecology (Ninth Edition)
by Mark S. Ashton Matthew J. Kelty Bruce C. Larson David M. SmithChapters in this hefty textbook will be of interest to those who live near forests especially when those forests become threatened by big industry and politicians. Why do Californians argue about controlled burns? Why are folks in heavily forested Western states protesting some methods of logging? Why do Alaskans fight to keep wildlife preserves from shrinking? Anyone fighting to save a forst, a waterway, or an animal and its habitat will find helpful information and clear explanations of procedures and their consequences.
The Practice of Social Research (Thirteenth Edition)
by Earl R. BabbieA straightforward, comprehensive, and approachable guide to research as practiced by social scientists, the Thirteenth Edition of Babbie's 'gold-standard' text gives you the tools you need to apply research concepts practically, as both a researcher and a consumer. Babbie emphasizes the process by showing you how to design and construct projects, introducing the various observation modes in use today, and answering critical questions about research methods--such as how to conduct online surveys and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data.
The Practice of Spatial Analysis: Essays in memory of Professor Pavlos Kanaroglou
by Helen Briassoulis Dimitris Kavroudakis Nikolaos SoulakellisThis edited volume compiles a set of papers that present various applications of spatial analysis, both traditional and contemporary, on diverse subjects in a wide range of contexts. The volume is dedicated to the memory of the late Professor Pavlos Kanaroglou, McMaster University, Canada, who greatly contributed to scientific and applied research on spatial analysis. In his honor, the book offers a selection of various spatial analysis approaches to the study of contemporary urban transportation, land use, and air pollution issues. The first part of the book discusses selected general issues in spatial analysis; ontologies, agent-based modelling and accessibility analysis. The second part deals with urban transportation analysis and modelling issues; agent-based activity/travel microsimulation, bottleneck models, public transit use, freight transport and connected automated vehicles impact assessment. Part three focuses on integrated land use and transport analysis, discussing the land value impacts of public transport infrastructure, the role of transport provision on business evolution and commute distance considerations in urban relocation. The fourth part, on travel-related air pollution analysis, presents the development of a geo-information software for mapping Aerosol Optical Thickness in urban environments and the development of a neighborhood level, real time, internet-enabled, air pollution map in the Canadian urban context. This book will appeal to academics, researchers, graduate students, consultants, and practitioners working on topics related to spatial analysis, land use and transport analysis, planning and decision making, and air pollution studies.
The Practice of Theoretical Curiosity
by Mark ZussThe desire for knowledge is an abiding facet of human experience and cultural development. This work documents curiosity as a sociohistorical force initiating research across the disciplines. Projects generated by theoretical curiosity are presented as historical and material practices emerging as expressions of embodied knowledge and experience. The shifting cultural, philosophical and practical relations between theory and curiosity are situated within classical, medieval, early modern and contemporary communities of practice. The Practice of Theoretical Curiosity advocates for a critical, aesthetic engagement in everyday life. Its purpose is to examine the pedagogical grounds and questions that motivate research programs in the sciences, education, technoculture and post-war social movements. Theoretical curiosity continually resists disciplinary limits. It is a core, embodied process uniting human pursuits of knowledge and power. This inquiry into inquiry itself offers an appreciation of the vital continuity between the senses, perception, and affect and concept development. It is informed by a critical reading of phenomenology as the embodied practice of researchers. This study sponsors a deepening of theory in practice and the practice of theoretical exploration. As a contribution to pedagogical practice, it offers a historical critique of the usually unquestioned philosophical, political and ethical grounds for educational, scientific and social research. The Practice of Theoretical Curiosity profiles significant alliances and persona as agents for the pursuit of novel and often controversial research, adventures and discovery. It claims that the place of technology and the technical is the primary channel for contemporary inquiry. The technosciences of genomics, artificial life and astrobiology are considered as contemporary extensions of a perennial desire to pursue and resist the limits of existing knowledge and representation.
The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity
by Toby OrdThis urgent and eye-opening book makes the case that protecting humanity's future is the central challenge of our time. If all goes well, human history is just beginning. Our species could survive for billions of years - enough time to end disease, poverty, and injustice, and to flourish in ways unimaginable today. But this vast future is at risk. With the advent of nuclear weapons, humanity entered a new age, where we face existential catastrophes - those from which we could never come back. Since then, these dangers have only multiplied, from climate change to engineered pathogens and artificial intelligence. If we do not act fast to reach a place of safety, it will soon be too late. Drawing on over a decade of research, The Precipice explores the cutting-edge science behind the risks we face. It puts them in the context of the greater story of humanity: showing how ending these risks is among the most pressing moral issues of our time. And it points the way forward, to the actions and strategies that can safeguard humanity. An Oxford philosopher committed to putting ideas into action, Toby Ord has advised the US National Intelligence Council, the UK Prime Minister's Office, and the World Bank on the biggest questions facing humanity. In The Precipice, he offers a startling reassessment of human history, the future we are failing to protect, and the steps we must take to ensure that our generation is not the last.
The Prehistory of Rapa Nui: Towards an Integrative Interdisciplinary Framework (Developments in Paleoenvironmental Research #22)
by Christopher M. Stevenson Valentí RullThis book addresses the main enigmas of Easter Island’s (Rapa Nui, in the Polynesian language) prehistory from the time of initial settlement to European contact with a multidisciplinary perspective. The main topics include: (i) the time of first settlement and the origin of the first settlers; (ii) the main features of prehistoric Rapanui culture and their changes; (iii) the deforestation of the island and its timing and causes; (iv) the extinction of the indigenous biota, (v) the occurrence of climatic shifts and their potential effects on socioecological trends; (vi) the evidence for a cultural and demographic collapse before European contact; and (vii) the influence of Europeans on prehistoric Rapanui society. The book is subdivided into thematic sections and each chapter is written by renowned specialists in disciplines such as archaeology, anthropology, paleoecology, ethnography, linguistics, ethnobotany, phylogenetics/phylogeography and history. Contributors have been invited to provide an open and objective vision that includes as many views as possible on the topics considered. In this way, the readers may be able to compare different of points of view and make their own interpretations on each of the subjects considered. The book is intended for a wide audience including graduate students, advanced undergraduate students, university teachers and researchers interested in the subject. Given its multidisciplinary character and the topics included, the book is suitable for students and researchers from a wide range of disciplines and interests.
The Premise of Fidelity: Science, Visuality, and Representing the Real in Nineteenth-century Japan
by Maki FukuokaThe Premise of Fidelityputs forward a new history of Japanese visuality through an examination of the discourses and practices surrounding the nineteenth century transposition of "the real" in the decades before photography was introduced. This intellectual history is informed by a careful examination of a network of local scholars-from physicians to farmers to bureaucrats-known as Shohyaku-sha. In their archival materials, these scholars used the termshashin(which would, years later, come to signify "photography" in Japanese) in a wide variety of medical, botanical, and pictorial practices. These scholars pursued questions of the relationship between what they observed and what they believed they knew, in the process investigating scientific ideas and practices by obsessively naming and classifying, and then rendering through highly accurate illustration, the objects of their study. This book is an exploration of the process by which the Shohyaku-sha shaped the concept of shashin. As such, it disrupts the dominant narratives of photography, art, and science in Japan, providing a prehistory of Japanese photography that requires the accepted history of the discipline to be rewritten.
The Prenatal Prescription
by Christopher Vaughan Peter NathanielszDid you know that your actions during pregnancy impact your child's health after birth and into adulthood? That what you eat, how much you exercise, your stress level, and your immediate environment are all key factors in determining your baby's predisposition to such conditions as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, stroke, cancer, even depression? Based on more than thirty years of rigorous scientific research, Dr. Nathanielsz's The Prenatal Prescription explains why this is so and what you can do about it.Focusing on the main factors that directly affect the unborn child -- nutrition, stress, toxins, and exercise -- Dr. Nathanielsz lays out a clear and easy-to-follow program for "prenatal programming." He explains the science behind the fetal origins of adult disease, and offers tools that you can use to make your prenatal interaction with your baby memorable and beneficial.Starting before conception, this simple prescription will change forever the way you think about preparing yourself for pregnancy. All parents want a long and healthy life for their child. The Prenatal Prescription explains how to make this a reality.
The Preparation of Dispersions in Liquids (Surfactant Science Ser. #58)
by H.N. SteinThis work details the preparation of dispersions in liquids. It sets out to bridge the gap in information for the chemist who is not applications oriented and the chemical engineer who needs to solve problems in the field based on theoretical methods of dispersions of solids, liquids and gases. Insights are provided into many topics, including the transportation and handling of finely divided soils or highly viscous liquids; the reactions between reactants dissolved in immiscible phases; the formation of porous materials; and filtration.
The Preschool Scientist: Using Learning Centers to Discover and Explore Science
by Robert A. Williams David A. Winnett Robert E. Rockwell Elizabeth A. SherwoodChildren learn best through hands-on exploration, observation, and discovery. With more than 100 activities, The Preschool Scientist gives children the opportunity to actively engage, experiment, create, and discover the exciting world of science. Using a unique inquiry-based approach, these activities explore science through learning centers, integrating this important subject into the entire classroom. Each of the activities has "Keep it Simple" and "Add a Challenge" sections so teachers can adjust the difficulty to their unique classrooms. Organized by theme, chapters include: &8226; Alike and Different &8226; Exploring Motion &8226; Exploring Change&8226; Exploring Tools &8226; Working with Water&8226; Light and Shadows &8226; Getting to Know Our World With this hands-on approach, children will have fun developing problem-solving skills while becoming comfortable with exploring their world.
The Pretenders (The Similars #2)
by Rebecca HanoverIn this sequel and thrilling conclusion to The Similars duology, Emma must figure out who she really is, decide between two boys with the same face, and stop a dangerous plan based on revenge. Emma is still reeling from the events of her junior year at Darkwood. Not only is her best friend, Oliver, shockingly alive, but the boy she loves, his genetic copy, Levi, is still on the island where he grew up, stranded with his deranged guardian.More importantly, she is grappling with who she really is. Emma can't accept the hard truths she learned last year and refuses to share her secrets with anyone, isolating herself from the Similars and Ollie. But when more of the Similars' creator's plot is revealed, Emma and her friends will have to try to stop him from putting a plan into motion that could destroy everyone she loves.