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The Revolutionary Genius of Plants: A New Understanding of Plant Intelligence and Behavior
by Stefano Mancuso"In this thought-provoking, handsomely illustrated book, Italian neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso considers the fundamental differences between plants and animals and challenges our assumptions about which is the &‘higher&’ form of life.&” —The Wall Street Journal &“Fascinating…full of optimism…this quick, accessible read will appeal to anyone with interest in how plants continue to surprise us.&” —Library Journal Do plants have intelligence? Do they have memory? Are they better problem solvers than people? The Revolutionary Genius of Plants—a fascinating, paradigm-shifting work that upends everything you thought you knew about plants—makes a compelling scientific case that these and other astonishing ideas are all true.Plants make up eighty percent of the weight of all living things on earth, and yet it is easy to forget that these innocuous, beautiful organisms are responsible for not only the air that lets us survive, but for many of our modern comforts: our medicine, food supply, even our fossil fuels. On the forefront of uncovering the essential truths about plants, world-renowned scientist Stefano Mancuso reveals the surprisingly sophisticated ability of plants to innovate, to remember, and to learn, offering us creative solutions to the most vexing technological and ecological problems that face us today. Despite not having brains or central nervous systems, plants perceive their surroundings with an even greater sensitivity than animals. They efficiently explore and react promptly to potentially damaging external events thanks to their cooperative, shared systems; without any central command centers, they are able to remember prior catastrophic events and to actively adapt to new ones. Every page of The Revolutionary Genius of Plants bubbles over with Stefano Mancuso&’s infectious love for plants and for the eye-opening research that makes it more and more clear how remarkable our fellow inhabitants on this planet really are. In his hands, complicated science is wonderfully accessible, and he has loaded the book with gorgeous photographs that make for an unforgettable reading experience. The Revolutionary Genius of Plants opens the doors to a new understanding of life on earth.
The Revolutionary Origins of Life and Death
by Pierre M. DurandThe question of why an individual would actively kill itself has long been an evolutionary mystery. Pierre M. Durand’s ambitious book answers this question through close inspection of life and death in the earliest cellular life. As Durand shows us, cell death is a fascinating lens through which to examine the interconnectedness, in evolutionary terms, of life and death. It is a truism to note that one does not exist without the other, but just how does this play out in evolutionary history? These two processes have been studied from philosophical, theoretical, experimental, and genomic angles, but no one has yet integrated the information from these various disciplines. In this work, Durand synthesizes cellular studies of life and death looking at the origin of life and the evolutionary significance of programmed cellular death. The exciting and unexpected outcome of Durand’s analysis is the realization that life and death exhibit features of coevolution. The evolution of more complex cellular life depended on the coadaptation between traits that promote life and those that promote death. In an ironic twist, it becomes clear that, in many circumstances, programmed cell death is essential for sustaining life.
The Rhino with Glue-On Shoes
by Ted Y. Mashima Lucy H. SpelmanA moray eel diagnosed with anorexia... A herd of bison whose only hope is a crusading female doctor from Paris... A vet desperately trying to save an orphaned whale by unraveling the mystery of her mother's death... This fascinating book offers a rare glimpse into the world of wild animals and the doctors who care for them. Here pioneering zoological veterinarians--men and women on the cutting edge of a new medical frontier--tell real-life tales of daring procedures for patients weighing tons or ounces, treating symptoms ranging from broken bones to a broken heart, and life-and-death dramas that will forever change the way you think about wild animals and the bonds we share with them. At once heart-quickening and clinically fascinating, the stories in this remarkable collection represent some of the most moving and unusual cases ever taken on by zoological vets. A chronicle of discovery, compassion, and cutting-edge medicine, The Rhino with Glue-on Shoes is must reading for animal lovers, science buffs, and anyone who loves a well-told tale.
The Rhinoceros and the Megatherium
by Juan PimentelHow did Europeans three centuries apart respond to two mysterious beasts—a living rhinoceros previously known only from ancient texts and a nameless monster’s massive bones? Juan Pimentel shows that their reactions reflect deep cultural changes but also the enduring power of image and imagination to shape our understanding of the natural world.
The Rhizosphere: Biochemistry and Organic Substances at the Soil-Plant Interface, Second Edition
by Paolo Nannipieri Roberto Pinton Zeno VaraniniIn the rhizosphere, exudates from plants and microorganisms as well as stable soil organic matter influence processes that can control plant growth, microbial infections, and nutrient uptake. As the chemistry and biochemistry of these substances becomes more and more clear, their study promises to shed light on the complex interactions between plan
The Rho GTPases in Cancer
by Kenneth Van GolenThe Rho GTPases were first discovered due to their homology to Ras GTPase. Approximately 30% of human cancers harbor an activating mutation to Ras, and Ras mutations promote cell growth and survival. Due to their homology to Ras, great enthusiasm has ensued over the discovery of the Rho GTPases. It was thought that activating mutations, similar to what is seen in Ras, would be found in the Rho proteins and would account for a proportion of human cancers that did not harbor Ras mutations. After an intense survey of multiple human cancer specimens, no evidence of activating mutations were found. Instead, overexpression of Rho proteins and aberrant activation were found to be common. Aberrant activation of Rho GTPase is found to be caused by alterations in the activity of upstream Rho-regulatory proteins. Since their discovery, 22 human Rho proteins have been identified and several have been shown to be involved in cancer progression. In contrast to Ras and its closely related members, Rho proteins act as dynamic switches to alter the actin cytoskeleton. Because of this, these proteins regulate nearly all aspects of cell physiology including growth, polarity and migration. Thus, they are very important molecules in cancer biology and constitute potential and desirable therapeutic targets. The roles and importance of the Rho GTPases in cancer is just really becoming to be appreciated and the amount of new information gathered over the past 5 years has been staggering. However, there currently is no comprehensive source of information for Rho biology. Therefore, this volume could be very timely and of great interest.
The Rhythm of Time
by Questlove S. A. CosbyAn Instant New York Times BestsellerFrom the Academy Award–winning, Grammy-winning, and New York Times bestselling author Ahmir &“Questlove&” Thompson and the New York Times bestselling author S. A. Cosby comes this thrill-a-minute novel—the first in a rollicking time-travel adventure series that&’s perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky.Seventh grader Rahim Reynolds loves testing out the gadgets invented by his brilliant friend Kasia Collins. First there were the X-ray glasses and all the trouble they caused. Now there&’s the new cell phone she built for his birthday, even though his parents won&’t let him have one. But Rahim is excited to use the phone to search for videos of his favorite old-school rap group. What he doesn&’t know is the phone has a special battery that interfaces with a secret government satellite, which spells trouble when the phone transports him back to 1997. Almost immediately, he learns what every time traveler before him has: Actions in the past jeopardize the future. With Kasia as his only lifeline to the present, Rahim works with her to get home unscathed, all the while dodging bullies (on his end) and suspicious government agents (on hers).Philadelphia in the late nineties is a new world for Rahim and Kasia, but it is a familiar place for Questlove, who, alongside S. A. Cosby, delivers a high-velocity tale where two best friends discover that sometimes the best beat is the one that brings you back home.
The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia: Efficient Production Management
by Suresh Chandra Babu Palit KatakiThe lives of more than a billion people depend on the answer!This valuable book surveys the problems of the rice-wheat cropping system practiced on the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). Introduced at the time of the Green Revolution, it transformed agriculture and produced thirty years of bumper crops. The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia: Efficient Production Management offers scientific analysis of the aftereffects of this intense cropping. The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia: Efficient Production Management focuses on the questions of soil depletion, pest infestation, and soil alkalinity as elements of declining productivity. Along with clear charts, maps, and graphs, it provides practical suggestions for improving and maintaining the productivity of this irreplaceable farmland. The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia looks at the problems that have arisen for both the rice and wheat phases, including: depletion of micronutrients degradation of major nutrients from unbalanced fertilization practices infestations of nematodes increasing soil alkalinity as a result of irrigationIt also suggests solutions for maintaining productivity, including: integrated pest management sustainable agriculture micronutrient fertilizersThis informative book and its companion volume, The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia: Trends, Constraints, Productivity and Policy, are essential planning tools for agronomists, policymakers, and agroeconomists. It is also a useful reference for anyone interested in the problems of famine and intensive cropping not only in South Asia but in the world.
The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia: Trends, Constraints, Productivity and Policy
by Palit KatakiThe lives of more than a billion people depend on the answer!Thirty years ago, the Green Revolution changed the way agriculture was practiced on the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). This valuable book critically analyzes and discusses the rice-wheat cropping system introduced at that time. The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia: Trends, Constraints, Productivity and Policy addresses the crucial question, ”Are the sustainability and productivity of this system in a state of decline?” The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia brings together information gathered from research institutions, government organizations, and farmer surveys. The analysis concentrates on the trends of rice-wheat cropping over time, paying special attention to the evidence of-and reasons for-changes in productivity. It also analyzes the impact of this regional system on soil fertility and water supplies, as well as the increasing demands for new and better fertilizers and pesticides. The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia looks at the problems that have arisen for both the rice and wheat phases, including: the need for changes in crop establishment techniques for crop diversification declining soil fertility changes in pest populations a host of water-management issues the need for policy redirection to sustain productivity growth the impact of global climate change sustainable improvements in productivityThis informative book is an essential planning tool for agronomists, policymakers, and agroeconomists. It is also a useful reference for anyone interested in the problems of famine and intensive cropping not only in South Asia but in the world.
The Richness of the History of Mathematics: A Tribute to Jeremy Gray (Archimedes #66)
by Karine Chemla José Ferreirós Erhard Scholz Lizhen Ji Chang WangThis book, a tribute to historian of mathematics Jeremy Gray, offers an overview of the history of mathematics and its inseparable connection to philosophy and other disciplines. Many different approaches to the study of the history of mathematics have been developed. Understanding this diversity is central to learning about these fields, but very few books deal with their richness and concrete suggestions for the “what, why and how” of these domains of inquiry. The editors and authors approach the basic question of what the history of mathematics is by means of concrete examples. For the “how” question, basic methodological issues are addressed, from the different perspectives of mathematicians and historians. Containing essays by leading scholars, this book provides a multitude of perspectives on mathematics, its role in culture and development, and connections with other sciences, making it an important resource for students and academics in the history and philosophy of mathematics.
The Riddle of Gender Science, Activism, and Transgender Rights
by Deborah RudacilleWhen Deborah Rudacille learned that a close friend had decided to transition from female to male, she felt compelled to understand why. Coming at the controversial subject of transsexualism from several angles-historical, sociological, psychological, medical-Rudacille discovered that gender variance is anything but new, that changing one's gender has been met with both acceptance and hostility through the years, and that gender identity, like sexual orientation, appears to be inborn, not learned, though in some people the sex of the body does not match the sex of the brain. Informed not only by meticulous research, but also by the author's interviews with prominent members of the transgender community,The Riddle of Genderis a sympathetic and wise look at a sexual revolution that calls into question many of our most deeply held assumptions about what it means to be a man, a woman, and a human being. From the Trade Paperback edition.
The Riddle of the Rainbow: From Early Legends and Symbolism to the Secrets of Light and Colour (Copernicus Books)
by John NaylorRainbows have been a source of fascination since time immemorial. They have been the subject of myth and superstition, an inspiration to poets, a challenge to painters, the object of intense scientific interest and a touchstone for ideas about the nature of light and colour. Above all, the rainbow has been the embodiment of wonder from the earliest times to the present day.Beginning with the circumstances in which you are likely to see a rainbow and descriptions of its salient features, this book recounts and explains the myths and superstitions about rainbows, and describes how poets, painters and, above all, leading scientists in every age have sought to discover and understand the rainbow’s secrets.Readers with a love of nature and art and an interest in the history of science will enjoy this attractive and informative book.
The Riddle of the Rosetta: How an English Polymath and a French Polyglot Discovered the Meaning of Egyptian Hieroglyphs
by Jed Z. Buchwald Diane Greco JosefowiczA major new history of the race between two geniuses to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century EuropeIn 1799, a French Army officer was rebuilding the defenses of a fort on the banks of the Nile when he discovered an ancient stele fragment bearing a decree inscribed in three different scripts. So begins one of the most familiar tales in Egyptology—that of the Rosetta Stone and the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs. This book draws on fresh archival evidence to provide a major new account of how the English polymath Thomas Young and the French philologist Jean-François Champollion vied to be the first to solve the riddle of the Rosetta.Jed Buchwald and Diane Greco Josefowicz bring to life a bygone age of intellectual adventure. Much more than a decoding exercise centered on a single artifact, the race to decipher the Rosetta Stone reflected broader disputes about language, historical evidence, biblical truth, and the value of classical learning. Buchwald and Josefowicz paint compelling portraits of Young and Champollion, two gifted intellects with altogether different motivations. Young disdained Egyptian culture and saw Egyptian writing as a means to greater knowledge about Greco-Roman antiquity. Champollion, swept up in the political chaos of Restoration France and fiercely opposed to the scholars aligned with throne and altar, admired ancient Egypt and was prepared to upend conventional wisdom to solve the mystery of the hieroglyphs.Taking readers from the hushed lecture rooms of the Institut de France to the windswept monuments of the Valley of the Kings, The Riddle of the Rosetta reveals the untold story behind one of the nineteenth century's most thrilling discoveries.
The Riddle of the Universe at the Close of the Nineteenth Century [Second Edition]
by Ernst HaeckelGreatly influenced by Charles Darwin, the famed German zoologist and philosopher Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919) boldly defended the fact of organic evolution and seriously considered its far-reaching ramifications for science, philosophy, and theology. Advocating the interplay of empirical evidence and rational speculation, The Riddle of the Universe is his most daring, comprehensive, and successful work. Its monistic and naturalistic worldview offers a cosmic perspective and evolutionary framework that supplants traditional theistic beliefs in God, free will, and the personal immortality of the human soul. This classic volume remains a tour de force of critical thought, free inquiry, and intellectual value.This is the Second Edition, first published in 1901, and includes a Translator’s Preface by Joseph McCabe.
The Riemann Hypothesis: The Greatest Unsolved Problem in Mathematics
by Karl SabbaghHistorical discussion of the still unsolved problem of the Riemann Hypothesis.
The Right Chemistry: 108 Enlightening, Nutritious, Health-Conscious and Occasionally Bizarre Inquiries into the Science of Daily Life
by Joe SchwarczA big part of Dr. Joe's job as director of McGill University's Office of Science and Society is persuading people that the pursuit of science knowledge is a potential source of wonder, enlightenment and well-being for everyone. And as a chemist, he's particularly keen to rescue chemistry from the bad rep it's developed over recent decades. There is more to chemistry than toxins, pollution, and "Don't drink that soda--it's full of chemicals." The evangelic zeal Dr. Joe brings to his day job is of course also the driving force behind his work as an author. Once again, here he is to tell that everything is full of chemicals, and that chemistry means health, nutrition, beauty products, cleaning products, DNA, and the means by which Lady Gaga's meat dress was held together. In the style established with the bestselling Brain Fuel, each section here is themed and contains a mixture of short, pithy items and slightly longer mini-essays. And as before--but never with such energy and relish--Dr. Joe goes on the attack against charlatans in the alternative health trade, naming and shaming them in a particularly entertaining and edifying section of the book called "Claptrap."You will learn whether to put broccoli on a pizza before or after baking, whether beauty pills are worth taking, and whether the baby shampoo you're using is poisonous. You will discover but not use, please, the recipe for a Molotov cocktail. You will be enabled to enthrall fellow dinner guests with the derivation of the name Persil, and the definition of a kangarian (it's someone who only eats kangaroo meat).As ever, this torrent of entertainment is delivered in Dr. Joe's unmistakably warm, lively and authorative voice.
The Right Stuff
by Tom WolfeThe Right Stuff is Tom Wolfe's deft account of a cast of heroes, introduced to America with the explosion of space exploration in the romantic heyday of the 20th century and encapsulated in Neal Armstrong's "one giant step for mankind." <p><p>Beginning with the first experiments with manned space flight in the 1940s, remembering the feats of Chuck Yeager and the breaking of the sound barrier, and focusing in on the brave pilots of the Mercury Project, Wolfe's ability to marry historical fact with dramatic intensity is nowhere more evident than in The Right Stuff. <P><P> <B>Winner of the National Book Award</B>
The Right To Be Forgotten: A Comparative Study of the Emergent Right's Evolution and Application in Europe, the Americas, and Asia (Ius Comparatum - Global Studies in Comparative Law #40)
by Franz WerroThis book examines the right to be forgotten and finds that this right enjoys recognition mostly in jurisdictions where privacy interests impose limits on freedom of expression. According to its traditional understanding, this right gives individuals the possibility to preclude the media from revealing personal facts that are no longer newsworthy, at least where no other interest prevails. Cases sanctioning this understanding still abound in a number of countries. In today’s world, however, the right to be forgotten has evolved, and it appears in a more multi-faceted way. It can involve for instance also the right to access, control and even erase personal data. Of course, these prerogatives depend on various factors and competing interests, of both private and public nature, which again require careful balancing. Due to ongoing technological evolution, it is likely that the right to be forgotten in some of its new manifestations will become increasingly relevant in our societies.
The Right of Access to Public Information: An International Comparative Legal Survey
by Hermann-Josef Blanke Ricardo PerlingeiroThis book presents a comparative study on access to public information in the context of the main legal orders worldwide(inter alia China,France,Germany,Japan,Russia,Sweden,United States).The international team of authors analyzes the Transparency- and Freedom-to-Information legislation with regard to the scope of the right to access, limitations of this right inherent in the respective national laws, the procedure, the relationship with domestic legislation on administrative procedure, as well as judicial protection. It particularly focuses on the Brazilian law establishing the right of access to information, which is interpreted as a benchmark for regulations in other Latin-American states.
The Right to Oblivion: Privacy and the Good Life
by Lowry PresslyA visionary reexamination of the value of privacy in today’s hypermediated world—not just as a political right but as the key to a life worth living.The parts of our lives that are not being surveilled and turned into data diminish each day. We are able to configure privacy settings on our devices and social media platforms, but we know our efforts pale in comparison to the scale of surveillance capitalism and algorithmic manipulation. In our hyperconnected era, many have begun to wonder whether it is still possible to live a private life, or whether it is no longer worth fighting for.The Right to Oblivion argues incisively and persuasively that we still can and should strive for privacy, though for different reasons than we might think. Recent years have seen heated debate in the realm of law and technology about why privacy matters, often focusing on how personal data breaches amount to violations of individual freedom. Yet as Lowry Pressly shows, the very terms of this debate have undermined our understanding of privacy’s real value. In a novel philosophical account, Pressly insists that privacy isn’t simply a right to be protected but a tool for making life meaningful.Privacy deepens our relationships with others as well as ourselves, reinforcing our capacities for agency, trust, play, self-discovery, and growth. Without privacy, the world would grow shallow, lonely, and inhospitable. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Hannah Arendt, Jorge Luis Borges, and a range of contemporary artists, Pressly shows why we all need a refuge from the world: not a place to hide, but a psychic space beyond the confines of a digital world in which the individual is treated as mere data.
The Ringing Cedars of Russia (The Ringing Cedars Series #2)
by Vladimir Megré John Woodsworth Leonid SharashkinAfter rising rapidly to the top of national best-seller lists, first-time author Vladimir Megre has some explaining to do.
The Riot And The Dance: A Natural History Of Life To The Praise Of Our Creator
by Gordon WilsonIf you thought biology was the province of secular scientists, think again: The Riot and the Dance is biology like you've never seen it before. With over 130 original illustrations and several hundred figures total, this book is first and foremost an approachable and readable explanation of the basics of biology. But Dr. Wilson doesn't dumb down the concepts, either. Using analogies, anecdotes, and simple, personable language, Dr. Wilson teaches students the bottom-line themes and key details of biology. The Riot and the Dance is not a pile of disconnected facts: it is an integrated foundation for understanding biological life, and it will stir up curiosity about all life from fungus firearms to familiar vertebrates -- that, along with a greater desire to praise the Creator of it all. In "Part 1: The Living Cell," non-major college biology students or high school students will be introduced to: - the basics of cellular and molecular biology, including the "motors" of flagella and other awe-inspiring nano-machines - the "how and why" of photosynthesis, cellular respiration, the central dogma, mitosis, meiosis, recombinant DNA technology, Mendelian genetics, and more... "Part 2: The Diversity of Life," gives a fascinating tour of: - the major phyla of all six taxonomic kingdoms - important concepts in the creation/evolution debate - an exciting survey of God's living handiwork, including the tiny, deadly Trypanosoma, fungus firearms, sedentary sponges, and bizarre echinoderms; along with unfamiliar facts about the life-cycles and habits of vertebrates and plants - the basics of ecology, such as symbiotic relationships, food webs, and the interdependency of life - a biblical approach to conservation, and much more...
The Rise and Fall of COMSAT: Technology, Business, and Government in Satellite Communications
by David J. WhalenAfter pioneering this technology and growing the market, COMSAT fell prey to changes in government policy and to its own lack of entrepreneurial talent. The author explores the factors which contributed to this rise and fall of COMSAT.
The Rise and Fall of Carbon Emissions Trading (Energy, Climate and the Environment)
by Declan KuchThis book presents the results of the first full-scale emissions trading schemes in Australia and internationally, arguing these schemes will not be sufficient to 'civilize markets' and prevent dangerous climate change. Instead, it articulates the ways climate policy needs to confront the collective nature of our predicament.