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The Red Limit: The Search for the Edge of the Universe
by Timothy FerrisThe acclaimed science writer presents “an exceedingly vivid history of modern astronomy and cosmology, told in entertainingly biographical terms” (The New York Times).Hailed as “the best science writer of his generation,” Timothy Ferriss is renowned for his ability to discuss the complexities of outer space in ways that are lively, illuminating, and accessible. In The Red Limit, he takes readers on a journey of discovery as a variety of scientific breakthroughs lead us to glimpsing the edge of the universe (Washington Post).For centuries, it was assumed that our universe was static. In the late 1920s, astronomers defeated this assumption with a startling new discovery. From Earth, the light of distant galaxies appeared to be red, meaning that those galaxies were receding from us. This led to the revolutionary realization that the universe is expanding. Ferriss delves into this revolutionary discovery, its historic ramifications, and the passionately competitive astronomers who charted the past, present, and future of the cosmos.
The Red Planet: A Natural History of Mars
by Ph.D. Simon MordenUncover the mysteries, wonders, and history of Mars—as close to an eye-witness perspective of the incredible Red Planet as any reader can get.The history of Mars is drawn not just on its surface, but also down into its broken bedrock and up into its frigid air. Most of all, it stretches back into deep time, where the trackways of the past have been obliterated and there is no discernible trace of where they started from or how they travelled, only where they ended up. From the planet&’s formation 4.5 billion years ago, through eras that featured cataclysmic meteor strikes, explosive volcanoes and a vast ocean that spanned the entire upper hemisphere, to the long, frozen ages that saw its atmosphere steadily thinning and leaking away into space, planetary geologist Dr. Simon Morden presents a tantalizing vision of our nearest neighbour, its dramatic history, and astonishing present.
The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature (Penguin Press Science Ser.)
by Matt RidleyReferring to Lewis Carroll's Red Queen from Through the Looking-Glass, a character who has to keep running to stay in the same place, Matt Ridley demonstrates why sex is humanity's best strategy for outwitting its constantly mutating internal predators. The Red Queen answers dozens of other riddles of human nature and culture -- including why men propose marriage, the method behind our maddening notions of beauty, and the disquieting fact that a woman is more likely to conceive a child by an adulterous lover than by her husband. Brilliantly written, The Red Queen offers an extraordinary new way of interpreting the human condition and how it has evolved.
The Red System of the CN Molecule (Berkeley Analyses of Molecular Spectra #1)
by Sumner P. Davis John G. PhillipsThis title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1963.
The Redesigned Earth: A Brief Review of Ecology for Engineers, As If the Earth Really Mattered
by John T. TanacrediThis book provides insight into the basic aspects of ecology that impact or are affected by engineering practices. Ecological principals are described and discussed through the lens of the influences that built structures have on the Earth’s biological, geological, and chemical systems. The text goes on to elucidate the engineering influences that have or will influence the face of the Earth. These influences redesign the Earth, either by destroying natural systems and replacing them with highly subsidized systems or by attempting to restore highly disturbed or contaminated systems with the basic natural systems that were originally present.
The Rediscovery of the Wild
by Jr. Peter H. Kahn Patricia H. HasbachA compelling case for connecting with the wild, for our psychological and physical well-being and to flourish as a species. We often enjoy the benefits of connecting with nearby, domesticated nature—a city park, a backyard garden. But this book makes the provocative case for the necessity of connecting with wild nature—untamed, unmanaged, not encompassed, self-organizing, and unencumbered and unmediated by technological artifice. We can love the wild. We can fear it. We are strengthened and nurtured by it. As a species, we came of age in a natural world far wilder than today's, and much of the need for wildness still exists within us, body and mind. The Rediscovery of the Wild considers ways to engage with the wild, protect it, and recover it—for our psychological and physical well-being and to flourish as a species.The contributors offer a range of perspectives on the wild, discussing such topics as the evolutionary underpinnings of our need for the wild; the wild within, including the primal passions of sexuality and aggression; birding as a portal to wildness; children's fascination with wild animals; wildness and psychological healing; the shifting baseline of what we consider wild; and the true work of conservation.
The Reduction of Physical Theories: A Contribution to the Unity of Physics Part 1: Foundations and Elementary Theory (Fundamental Theories of Physics #207)
by Erhard ScheibeUsing simple physical examples, this work by Erhard Scheibe presents an important and powerful approach to the reduction of physical theories. Novel to the approach is that it is not based, as usual, on a single reduction concept that is fixed once and for all, but on a series of recursively constructed reductions, with which all reductions appear as combinations of very specific elementary reductions. This leaves the general notion of theory reduction initially open and is beneficial for the treatment of the difficult cases of reduction from the fields of special and general relativity, thermodynamics, statistical mechanics,and quantum mechanics, which are treated in the second volume. The book is systematically organized and intended for readers interested in philosophy of science as well as physicists without deep philosophical knowledge.
The Reef: A Passionate History
by Iain McCalmanStretching 1,400 miles along the Australian coast and visible from space, the Great Barrier Reef is home to three thousand individual reefs, more than nine hundred islands, and thousands of marine species, and has alternately been viewed as a deadly maze, an economic bounty, a scientific frontier, and a precarious World Heritage site. Now the historian and explorer Iain McCalman takes us on a new adventure into the reef to reveal how our shifting perceptions of the natural world have shaped this extraordinary seascape. Showcasing the lives of twenty individuals spanning more than two centuries, The Reef highlights our profound desire to conquer, understand, embrace, and ultimately save the world's most complex ocean ecosystem.Opening with the story of Captain James Cook, who sailed unknowingly into the southwest entrance of this vast network of coral outcroppings, McCalman shows how Cook spent months navigating this treacherous underwater labyrinth, struggling to keep his crew alive and his ship afloat, sparring with deceptive shoals and wary native islanders. Through a series of dramatic tales from intrepid explorers, unwitting castaways, inquisitive naturalists, enchanted artists, and impassioned environmentalists who have collectively shaped our ideas about the Great Barrier Reef, McCalman demonstrates how this grand natural wonder of the world was built as much by human imagination as by the industrious, beautiful creatures of the sea. A romantic, historically significant book and a deeply personal journey into the heart of a marine environment in peril, The Reef powerfully captures the delicate relationship between humanity and the natural world.
The Reel Classroom: An Introduction to Film Studies and Filmmaking (Grades 6-9)
by Jeff DanielianThe Reel Classroom: An Introduction to Film Studies and Filmmaking presents an educator-facilitated curriculum that focuses on a variety of aspects concerning the appreciation of film and the filmmaking process. With a goal to turn "movie day" into a teaching and learning opportunity—rather than a virtual day off for students—this book will help invigorate classrooms of all disciplines by incorporating documentaries, feature films, short films, and animated films into the regular curriculum. Chapters begin with short and effective introductions to the specified concept with accompanying class discussion ideas and background information for the teacher. Each chapter will conclude with reproducible handouts and assignment sheets along with two to three sample activities/opportunities for assessment. Suggestions for films to be used for each discipline will also be given.Grades 6-9
The Reenchantment of Nature: The Denial of Religion and the Ecological Crisis
by Alister McgrathIn this provocative assessment of the world's current ecological crisis, the author of the critically acclaimed In the Beginning exposes the false assumptions underlying the conflicts between science and religion, and proposes an innovative approach to saving the planet. Traditionally, science and religion have been thought of as two distinct and irreconcilable ways of looking at the world, and scientists have often chastised the world's religions for keeping their eyes on the heavens and paying scant attention to the destruction of Earth's precious resources and its natural wonders. In The Reenchantment of Nature, Alister McGrath, who holds doctorates in both molecular biology and divinity, challenges this long-held and dangerously misguided dichotomy. Arguing that Christianity and other great religions have always respected and revered the bounty and beauty of the earth, McGrath calls for a radical shift in perspective. He shows that by defining the world in the narrowest of scientific terms and viewing it as a collection of atoms and molecules governed by unchanging laws and forces, we have lost our ability to appreciate nature's enchantments. In order to address the threats to our environment, he maintains, it is essential to reawaken our sense of awe and look at the world as a glorious creation, an irreplaceable gift of God. In setting forth a new framework for the debate between science and religion on ecological theory, The Reenchantment of Nature points the way to integrating two different traditions in a sane and productive effort to rescue the natural world from its present environmental decline.
The Reflection of Life
by A. H. LouieA. H. Louie's The Reflection of Life: Functional Entailment and Imminence in Relational Biology is a continuation of the exploratory journey in relational biology which began with his 2009 monograph More Than Life Itself: A Synthetic Continuation in Relational Biology. The theme of his first book was 'What is life?'; the theme of this sequel is "How do two life forms interact?" Biology is a subject concerned with organization of relations. Relational biology is the approach that advocates 'function dictates structure", rather than 'structure implies function'. It is mathematics decoded into biological realizations. The book demonstrates some of the powers of the approach of relational biology, and illustrates how pertinent problems in biology can be better addressed this way. In the first volume the theory was developed by using partially ordered sets, lattices, simulations, models, Aristotle's four causes, graphs, categories, simple and complex systems, anticipatory systems, and metabolism-repair [(M,R)-] systems. Here in the second volume, these tools are expanded to employ set-valued mappings, adjacency matrices, random graphs, and interacting entailment networks. The theory of set-valued mappings culminates in the imminence mapping, which equips the further investigation of functional entailment in complex relational networks. Imminence in (M,R)-networks that model living systems addresses the topics of biogenesis and natural selection. Interacting (M,R)-networks with mutually entailing processes serve as models in the study of symbiosis and pathophysiology. The formalism also provides a natural framework for a relational theory of virology and oncology. This book will serve researchers and graduate students in mathematics and biology.
The Reform of the International System of Units: Philosophical, Historical and Sociological Issues (History and Philosophy of Technoscience)
by Olivier Darrigol Oliver Schlaudt Nadine CourtenaySystems of units still fail to attract the philosophical attention they deserve, but this could change with the current reform of the International System of Units (SI). Most of the SI base units will henceforth be based on certain laws of nature and a choice of fundamental constants whose values will be frozen. The theoretical, experimental and institutional work required to implement the reform highlights the entanglement of scientific, technological and social features in scientific enterprise, while it also invites a philosophical inquiry that promises to overcome the tensions that have long obstructed science studies.
The Regeneration of Nerves and Spinal Cord: About Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches
by Lars P. KlimaschewskiThis non-fiction book provides information about the latest findings on research and therapy of nerve regeneration with catchy drawings and in understandable words. Why do nerves in the extremities regenerate, but the axons in the spinal cord do not? Can transplanted stem cells or biopolymers restore regeneration? Are bioprostheses able to functionally replace amputated arms or legs? Neuroscientist Lars Klimaschewski answers these questions and reports on exciting findings from anatomy, cell and molecular biology and neurotechnology. Find out, among other things, how a brain-computer interface processes signals from the brain in order to control the arm or leg muscles again via electrodes after a paraplegia.The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence. A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content.
The Regenerative Grower's Guide to Garden Amendments: Using Locally Sourced Materials to Make Mineral and Biological Extracts and Ferments
by Nigel PalmerRevitalize your garden—and go beyond compost—by making your own biologically diverse inoculants and mineral-rich amendments using leaf mold, weeds, eggshells, bones, and other materials available for little or no cost!In The Regenerative Grower&’s Guide to Garden Amendments, experimental gardener and author Nigel Palmer provides practical, detailed instructions that are accessible to every grower who wants to achieve a truly sustainable garden ecosystem—all while enjoying better results at a fraction of the cost of commercial fertilizer products. These recipes go beyond fertilizer replacement, resulting in greater soil biological activity and mineral availability. They also increase pest and disease resistance, yields, and nutrient density.Recipes include:Extracting nutrients from plant residues using simple rainwater techniquesExtracting minerals from bones and shells using vinegarFermenting plant juices and fishCulturing indigenous microorganisms (IMO)Inspired by the work of many innovative traditional agricultural pioneers, especially Cho Ju-Young (founder of the Korean Natural Farming method), The Regenerative Grower&’s Guide to Garden Amendments also includes a primer on plant-soil interaction, instructions for conducting a soil test, and guidance on compost, cover cropping, mulching, measuring the quality of fruits and vegetables using a refractometer, and other aspects of sustainable gardening—making it a must-have resource for any serious grower.
The Regionalization of Warfare: The Falkland/Malvinas Islands, Lebanon, and the Iran-Iraq Conflict
by James Brown William P. SnyderThree wars have dominated world events in recent years: The conflict which erupted between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the Falkland/Malvinas Islands; the multinational conflict in Lebanon involving Irsaeli, Syrian, and FLO forces in Lebanon; and the savage struggles between ground and air units of the Iranian and Iraqi forces. The scale and intensity of these wars, their potential for global conflict, make them crucial for an understanding among citizens in general, and defense and political analysts in particular.The authors and contributors to this most unusual volume come to several common conclusions: professionalism is a crucial factor in military effectiveness, but not necessarily dependent on modes of recruitment; high technology is crucial, but only in relation to the quality and training of the personnel; public support is necessary to sustain military morale in democratic and authoritarian regimes alike. These are only some of the incisive findings registered and explored in The Regionalization of Warfare.The volume a'ssembles experts not only on these three major regional and interregional conflicts, but on current U.S. defense policies; Soviet strategic interests in Middle East and Persian Gulf conflicts; and a series of papers on lessons learned and unlearned as a result of these "small wars" of the early 1980s. For those interested in military history, global strategy, and regional rivalries, this -collection of finely written, sophisticated papers will prove to be of intense concern.
The Regulation of Animal Health and Welfare: Science, Law and Policy (Law, Science and Society)
by Wyn Grant John McEldowney Graham MedleyThe Regulation of Animal Health and Welfare draws on the research of scientists, lawyers, economists and political scientists to address the current and future regulatory problems posed by the issues of animal health and disease. Recent events such as the outbreak of mad cow disease, epidemics of foot and mouth disease, concerns about bluetongue in sheep, and the entry into the food chain of the offspring of cloned cattle, have heightened awareness of the issues of regulation in animal disease and welfare. This book critically appraises the existing regulatory institutions and guiding principles of how best to maintain animal health in the context of social change and a developing global economy. Addressing considerations of sound science, the role of risk management, and the allocation of responsibilities, it also takes up the theoretical and practical challenges which here – and elsewhere – attend the co-operation of scientists, social scientists, lawyers and policy makers. Indeed, the collaboration of scientists and social scientists in determined and regulatory contexts such as that of animal disease is an issue of ever-increasing importance. This book will be of considerable value to those with interests in this issue, as well as those concerned with the law and policy relating to animal health and welfare.
The Regulation of Medical Products: Dope, Drugs and Devices (Law, Science and Society)
by Penny GleesonThis book develops a theoretical framework for examining and assessing the regulatory arrangements for medical products.Since the first half of the 20th century, the regulation of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and, more recently, biologicals have been controlled in many jurisdictions by specific regulatory regimes and agencies. Their regulatory mandates are similar – to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of medical products. This book provides a timely and relevant assessment of the complexities of medical regulatory regimes, by drawing on a particular theory of political legitimacy. In this respect, the book adopts a ‘dialogic’ approach – according to which a shared set of normative beliefs and values are formulated – as a theoretical ‘tool’ to identify deficiencies in the regulatory arrangements for medical products. Drawing on several Australian cases studies, characterised by divergent normative perspectives, the book develops its dialogic approach in order to challenge the usual legitimation of regulatory regimes from the perspective of science alone. Specifically, it maintains that such regimes need to embrace a normative pluralism that admits a diversity of types and sources of knowledge.This evaluation of the increasingly influential domain of medical regulation will appeal to a range of scholars and practitioners working in law, public health, politics and science and technology studies.
The Regulation of Sex Robots: Gender and Sexuality in the Era of Artificial Intelligence
by Carlotta RigottiThis book proposes a framework for regulating sex robots – human-like machines designed to engage emotionally and sexually with users through customisable, often AI-powered features.Although they occupy a niche in the adult entertainment and technology industries, sex robots raise complex issues that extend beyond current debates. To date, sex robots are frequently portrayed either as tools for societal liberalisation and remedies for sexual inequalities or as mediums for sexual commodification and personal degradation. These conflicting perspectives echo longstanding feminist debates, which often lead to polarisation and normative deadlock, overlooking the lived experiences of individuals beyond binary and heteronormative frameworks. The evolving legal landscape further complicates these issues. Regulatory bodies, such as the European Union, struggle to keep pace with emerging technologies and human-machine interactions. Their tendency to evaluate innovations as products with hypothetical risks – through a detached, top-down approach – fails to address the intersectional dynamics of privilege and oppression. This book enriches the conversation by moving beyond binary narratives of emancipation and oppression. It challenges the socio-legal construction of gender and sexuality, critiques regulatory inertia and morality policing, and advocates for nuanced, context-aware regulation of sex robots.It will appeal to researchers in socio-legal studies, law and technology, gender and law, as well as those in sociology and gender studies, offering critical insights into the regulation of gendered and sexualised technologies and their broader societal implications.
The Regulatory Approach to Air Quality Management: A Case Study of New Mexico (Routledge Revivals)
by Winston HarringtonIn the wake of the Clean Air Amendments of 1970 in the United States, sources of emissions could be held accountable for the degradation of air quality in the local environment. This case study of air quality management in New Mexico was produced to shed some light on the procedures and activities used by agencies in order to control air quality. Originally published in 1981, Winston Harrington uses New Mexico as a case study for its largely centralised control system in Santa Fe to explore the behaviour of air quality agencies and pollution sources and comments on policy implications from this study’s conclusions. This title will be of interest to students of environmental studies and policy makers.
The Reindeer Chronicles: And Other Inspiring Stories of Working with Nature to Heal the Earth
by Judith D. Schwartz&“Compelling, Fascinating, sometimes unexpectedly moving, this vitally important book is, above all, a springboard for hope and transformation.&”—Isabella Tree&“A lucid and compelling look at the global movement of ecological rehabilitation.&”— The Boston GlobeIn a time of uncertainty about our environmental future—an eye-opening global tour of some of the most wounded places on earth, and stories of how a passionate group of eco-restorers is leading the way to their revitalization.Award-winning science journalist Judith D. Schwartz takes us first to China&’s Loess Plateau, where a landmark project has successfully restored a blighted region the size of Belgium, lifting millions of people out of poverty. She journeys on to Norway, where a young indigenous reindeer herder challenges the most powerful orthodoxies of conservation—and his own government. And in the Middle East, she follows the visionary work of an ambitious young American as he attempts to re-engineer the desert ecosystem, using plants as his most sophisticated technology.Schwartz explores regenerative solutions across a range of landscapes: deserts, grasslands, tropics, tundra, Mediterranean. She also highlights various human landscapes, the legacy of colonialism and industrial agriculture, and the endurance of indigenous knowledge.The Reindeer Chronicles demonstrates how solutions to seemingly intractable problems can come from the unlikeliest of places, and how the restoration of local water, carbon, nutrient, and energy cycles can play a dramatic role in stabilizing the global climate. Ultimately, it reveals how much is in our hands if we can find a way to work together and follow nature&’s lead.&“Judith Schwartz proves, once again, that she is one of ecology&’s most indispensable writers. . . The Reindeer Chronicles is at once visionary and pragmatic—clear-eyed about the immense planetary challenges we face, yet unfailingly hopeful about our ability to forge a new relationship with nature. This book shows us what Aldo Leopold&’s land ethic looks like in the twenty-first century.&”—Ben Goldfarb, PEN America Literary Award-winning author of Eager
The Relativity of Theory: Key Positions and Arguments in the Contemporary Scientific Realism/Antirealism Debate (Synthese Library #431)
by Moti MizrahiThis book offers a close and rigorous examination of the arguments for and against scientific realism and introduces key positions in the scientific realism/antirealism debate, which is one of the central debates in contemporary philosophy of science. On the one hand, scientific realists argue that we have good reasons to believe that our best scientific theories are approximately true because, if they were not even approximately true, they would not be able to explain and predict natural phenomena with such impressive accuracy. On the other hand, antirealists argue that the success of science does not warrant belief in the approximate truth of our best scientific theories. This is because the history of science is a graveyard of theories that were once successful but were later discarded. The author eventually settles on a middle-ground position between scientific realism and antirealism called “relative realism”.
The Relevance of René Thom: The Morphological Dimension in Today’s Sciences (Lecture Notes in Morphogenesis)
by Isabel Marcos Clément MorierThe body of work presented in this book comes from research carried out since 2017 as part of the international "Actualité de René Thom" project. This project was initially entitled "Morphology and qualitative dynamics: Knowledge of forms / Forms of knowledge". Subsequently, the name "Relevance of René Thom" was chosen for its clarity and evocative power.The aim of this research project is to promote the scientific relevance of René Thom's thinking on forms, and to demonstrate the importance of his method and discoveries. It is based on discussions of Thom's thinking and the method he proposes - i.e., to seek out dynamic structures in order to understand changes of form in nature and at the human-social level, to explain the transformation of these dynamic forms, to study the morphologies of process in various fields in order to advance scientific knowledge...The relevance of this thinker has manifested itself in the form of monthly sessions of a research seminar, held from 2017 to 2022, as well as in the form of international congresses (2018, 2019), bringing together the greatest friends and continuators, both of the work of René Thom himself, and of reflection on morphogenetic dynamics in the most diverse disciplines. This created a space for dialogue and listening between the exact sciences and the social and human sciences. Indeed, the fields of study are necessarily interdisciplinary, since, as René Thom teaches us, morphological organization, or form, in its exchanges with matter, must be considered as "independent" of its substrate, i.e. the environment in which this morphogenesis unfolds. Finally, this book marks a symbolic moment: it takes shape in the year that marks the centenary of the birth of René Thom, who was born in the French town of Montbéliard in 1923. To mark this centenary (1923-2023), a number of initiatives have been launched to celebrate the discoveries and advances of this mathematician-philosopher, ashe liked to call himself… The publication of the present book is one more, which we hope will shed light that will stimulate the morphological gaze Thom so urged us to adopt.
The Relic War (Daniel Coldstar #1)
by Stel PavlouAn epic and funny outer space adventure from acclaimed science fiction author and screenwriter Stel Pavlou! <P><P>Below the surface on a forgotten planet, Daniel Coldstar searches for relics from a lost civilization. Daniel has no memory of his past. All he knows is to do his job and fear the masters of the mines.Until he unearths a relic more powerful than anything he has ever seen. A relic that might help him escape…What follows is an epic outer space adventure filled with Truth Seekers, anatoms, Leechers, and the evil Sinja who seek to control the universe. <P><P>All that stands in their way is a boy named Daniel Coldstar, whose journey will change the galaxy forever.
The Religion and Science Debate
by Lawrence M. Krauss Ronald L. Numbers Kenneth R. Miller Robert Wuthnow Harold W. Attridge Keith Stewart Thomson Alvin PlantingaEighty-one years after America witnessed the Scopes trial over the teaching of evolution in public schools, the debate between science and religion continues. In this book scholars from a variety of disciplines--sociology, history, science, and theology--provide new insights into the contemporary dialogue as well as some perspective suggestions for delineating the responsibilities of both the scientific and religious spheres. Why does the tension between science and religion continue? How have those tensions changed during the past one hundred years? How have those tensions impacted the public debate about so-called "intelligent design" as a scientific alternative to evolution? With wit and wisdom the authors address the conflict from its philosophical roots to its manifestations within American culture. In doing so, they take an important step toward creating a society that reconciles scientific inquiry with the human spirit. This book, which marks the one hundredth anniversary of The Terry Lecture Series, offers a unique perspective for anyone interested in the debate between science and religion in America.
The Religious Metaphysics of Vladimir Solovyov
by Alexandre KojèveThe original text of this work was published in the French journal Revue d’Histoire et de Philosophie Religieuses. This English translation presents Kojève’s attempt to unify the religious philosophy of Vladimir Solovyov into a metaphysical system that Solovyov strived for but was never able to fully articulate in his lifetime.