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Unlocking The Sky: Glenn Hammond Curtiss and the Race to Invent the Airplane
by Seth ShulmanUnlocking the Sky tells the extraordinary tale of the race to design, refine, and manufacture a manned flying machine, a race that took place in the air, on the ground, and in the courtrooms of America. While the Wright brothers threw a veil of secrecy over their flying machine, Glenn Hammond Curtiss -- perhaps the greatest aviator and aeronautical inventor of all time -- freely exchanged information with engineers in America and abroad, resulting in his famous airplane, the June Bug, which made the first ever public flight in America. Fiercely jealous, the Wright brothers took to the courts to keep Curtiss and his airplane out of the sky and off the market. Ultimately, however, it was Curtiss's innovations and designs, not the Wright brothers', that served as the model for the modern airplane.
Unlocking the Keto Code: The Revolutionary New Science of Keto That Offers More Benefits Without Deprivation (The Plant Paradox #7)
by Dr. Steven R Gundry, MDFrom the author of the New York Times bestselling Plant Paradox series comes this revolutionary take on the keto diet that debunks common myths and shows readers how to reap the rewards of keto with less restrictionLike many doctors and nutrition experts, bestselling author Dr. Steven Gundry has long endorsed the ketogenic diet—a style of eating that heavily restricts carbohydrate intake to make the body burn fat for fuel. Because ketosis offers a variety of health benefits, including weight loss, reduced risk of illness, and enhanced energy, Dr. Gundry believed his patients’ efforts to adhere to the challenging regimen was worthwhile. That is, until his research uncovered a shocking truth: We’ve gotten keto all wrong.In Unlocking the Keto Code, Dr. Gundry reveals the biological mechanism that makes keto diets so successful: a cellular process known as “mitochondrial uncoupling.” As it turns out, ketones are not the magical fuel source they’ve been made out to be; in fact, the body cannot run on ketones and fats alone. Over the long term, a very low carb-diet can lead to muscle wasting and poor cognitive health. Luckily, you don’t have to restrict all carbs to reap the benefits of ketosis; you simply have to have enough ketones and other plant compounds called polyphenols present in your body to “unlock” the process of mitochondrial uncoupling. In this insightful, empowering, eminently practical book. Dr. Gundry explains the many ways readers can ignite this process, from feasting on plant-based foods (carbs that are typically off-limits on a keto diet!) to enjoying ketone generating foods such as goat and sheep milk products, to implementing a timed eating schedule. You will even discover the real reason how superfoods, even apple cider vinegar, work their magic; and its not what they you think!Grounded in cutting-edge science, this is the book for all the people who have tried and failed on a keto diet; for vegetarians and vegans who want to go keto; and for anyone who wants to lose weight and enjoy better health while eating a wide variety of foods. With food lists, hacks, and all-new recipes, Unlocking the Keto Code makes going keto easy and enjoyable for the first time.
Unlocking the Potential of Building Envelopes: Sustainable and People-Centered Approach to Reduce the Environmental Footprint of the Built Environment (SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology)
by Andrea Giovanni Mainini Tiziana Poli Alberto Speroni Matteo Cavaglià Juan Diego Blanco CadenaThis book delves into the performance-based design approach, highlighting the necessity for bespoke, adaptive, and cognitive building envelopes that promote sustainable and positive behaviours throughout their lifecycle. A key to unlock the building envelope's potential is the integration of advanced digital tools such as building information modelling (BIM) and digital twin technology, which enable accurate simulation and optimization of energy efficiency, decarbonization, and human-centric design aspects. Moreover, the work emphasizes the importance of a user-centred approach in designing interactive and connected building envelopes, thereby fostering sustainable behaviours among occupants. This focus on user engagement and education in optimizing building envelope utilization not only contributes to reducing the environmental impact but also enhances the quality of life, well-being, and health of occupants. In the era of digital and ecological transition, the book serves as an essential guide to design and operate energy-efficient, responsive, and user-friendly building envelopes, paving the way for a future where the built environment is a significant contributor to sustainability and human health.
Unlocking the Secrets of White Dwarf Stars
by Hugh M. Van HornWhite dwarfs, each containing about as much mass as our Sun but packed into a volume about the size of Earth, are the endpoints of evolution for most stars. Thousands of these faint objects have now been discovered, though only a century ago only three were known. They are among the most common stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, and they have become important tools in understanding the universe. Yet a century ago only three white dwarfs were known. The existence of these stars completely baffled the scientists of the day, and solving the mysteries of these strange objects required revolutionary advances in science and technology, including the development of quantum physics, the construction and utilization of large telescopes, the invention of the digital computer, and the ability to make astronomical observations from space. This book tells the story of the growth in our understanding of white dwarf stars, set within the context of the relevant scientific and technological advances. Part popular science, part historical narrative, this book is authored by one of the astrophysicists who participated directly in uncovering some of the secrets of white dwarf stars.
Unlocking the Universe: The Cosmic Discoveries of the Webb Space Telescope
by Suzanne SladeA stunning STEM feast on NASA's Webb Telescope--the world's most powerful telescope--will marvel future scientists and engineers about space and the universe beyond.Building the James Webb Space Telescope was no easy feat. It started with a big dream and an even bigger team: thousands of engineers and scientists across the country and world. The team solved design challenges, built prototypes, and ran test after test. They experienced frustration, page-turning suspense, and, ultimately, triumph. After decades of work, a rocket catapulted the Webb Telescope into space. With Webb, we can now see farther than we've ever seen before.The first Webb images, released on July 11, 2022, captivated the world. Today the Webb team continues releasing new images and making astonishing discoveries. This is their story, as told by a mechanical engineer and reviewed for accuracy by key members of the Webb team.
The Unlucky Launch (Astrid the Astronaut #2)
by Rie NealIn this second book of a brand new-chapter book series, aspiring astronaut Astrid designs a rocket!After seeing the big Space-E rocket launch, Astrid just knows she&’s going to be exploring space in a rocket of her own someday! And in honor of the big launch, Astrid and her fellow Shooting Stars will be building rockets of their very own. What&’s more exciting is the guest helper, Luke, who actually worked on the Space-E team! The Shooting Stars are working towards more points on the Astro Board and Astrid is hoping she can impress Luke enough to score a tour of Space-E headquarters. But it turns out that Luke&’s design might not be the best—and Astrid isn&’t sure if she should speak up. Can Astrid use her voice to show there is more than one solution for a perfect take-off?
Unmaking the Bomb: Environmental Cleanup and the Politics of Impossibility (Critical Environments: Nature, Science, and Politics #14)
by Shannon CramWhat does it mean to reckon with a contaminated world? In Unmaking the Bomb, Shannon Cram considers the complex social politics of this question and the regulatory infrastructures designed to answer it. Blending history, ethnography, and memoir, she investigates remediation efforts at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, a former weapons complex in Washington State. Home to the majority of the nation's high-level nuclear waste and its largest environmental cleanup, Hanford is tasked with managing toxic materials that will long outlast the United States and its institutional capacities. Cram examines the embodied uncertainties and structural impossibilities integral to that endeavor. In particular, this lyrical book engages in a kind of narrative contamination, toggling back and forth between cleanup's administrative frames and the stories that overspill them. It spends time with the statistical people that inhabit cleanup's metrics and models and the nonstatistical people that live with their effects. And, in the process, it explores the uneven social relations that make toxicity a normative condition.
Unmanned Aerial Systems in Precision Agriculture: Technological Progresses and Applications (Smart Agriculture #2)
by Zhao Zhang Hu Liu Ce Yang Yiannis Ampatzidis Jianfeng Zhou Yu JiangThis book, consisting of 8 chapters, describes the state-of-the-art technological progress and applications of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in precision agriculture. It focuses on the UAV application in agriculture, such as crop disease detection, mid-season yield estimation, crop nutrient status, and high-throughput phenotyping. Different from individual papers focusing on a specific application, this book provides a holistic view for readers with a wide range of subjects. In addition to researchers in the areas of plant science, plant pathology, breeding, engineering, it is also intended for undergraduates and graduates who are interested in imaging processing, artificial intelligence in agriculture, precision agriculture, agricultural automation, and robotics.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Embedded Control (Wiley-iste Ser.)
by Rogelio LozanoThis book presents the basic tools required to obtain the dynamical models for aerial vehicles (in the Newtonian or Lagrangian approach). Several control laws are presented for mini-helicopters, quadrotors, mini-blimps, flapping-wing aerial vehicles, planes, etc. Finally, this book has two chapters devoted to embedded control systems and Kalman filters applied for aerial vehicles control and navigation. This book presents the state of the art in the area of UAVs. The aerodynamical models of different configurations are presented in detail as well as the control strategies which are validated in experimental platforms.
Unmanning: How Humans, Machines and Media Perform Drone Warfare (War Culture)
by Katherine ChandlerUnmanning studies the conditions that create unmanned platforms in the United States through a genealogy of experimental, pilotless planes flown between 1936 and 1992. Characteristics often attributed to the drone—including machine-like control, enmity and remoteness—are achieved by displacements between humans and machines that shape a mediated theater of war. Rather than primarily treating the drone as a result of the war on terror, this book examines contemporary targeted killing through a series of failed experiments to develop unmanned flight in the twentieth century. The human, machine and media parts of drone aircraft are organized to make an ostensibly not human framework for war that disavows its political underpinnings as technological advance. These experiments are tied to histories of global control, cybernetics, racism and colonialism. Drone crashes and failures call attention to the significance of human action in making technopolitics that comes to be opposed to “man” and the paradoxes at their basis.
Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines
by Joy BuolamwiniNATIONAL BESTSELLER • &“The conscience of the AI revolution&” (Fortune) explains how we&’ve arrived at an era of AI harms and oppression, and what we can do to avoid its pitfalls.&“AI is not coming, it&’s here. If we answer the beautiful call inside these pages, we can decide who we are going to be and how we&’re going to use technology in service of what it means to be fully human.&”—Brené Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dare to Lead A LOS ANGELES TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • Shortlisted for the Inc. Non-Obvious Book AwardTo most of us, it seems like recent developments in artificial intelligence emerged out of nowhere to pose unprecedented threats to humankind. But to Dr. Joy Buolamwini, who has been at the forefront of AI research, this moment has been a long time in the making.After tinkering with robotics as a high school student in Memphis and then developing mobile apps in Zambia as a Fulbright fellow, Buolamwini followed her lifelong passion for computer science, engineering, and art to MIT in 2015. As a graduate student at the &“Future Factory,&” she did groundbreaking research that exposed widespread racial and gender bias in AI services from tech giants across the world.Unmasking AI goes beyond the headlines about existential risks produced by Big Tech. It is the remarkable story of how Buolamwini uncovered what she calls &“the coded gaze&”—the evidence of encoded discrimination and exclusion in tech products—and how she galvanized the movement to prevent AI harms by founding the Algorithmic Justice League. Applying an intersectional lens to both the tech industry and the research sector, she shows how racism, sexism, colorism, and ableism can overlap and render broad swaths of humanity &“excoded&” and therefore vulnerable in a world rapidly adopting AI tools. Computers, she reminds us, are reflections of both the aspirations and the limitations of the people who create them.Encouraging experts and non-experts alike to join this fight, Buolamwini writes, &“The rising frontier for civil rights will require algorithmic justice. AI should be for the people and by the people, not just the privileged few.&”
Unmatched: 50 Years of Supercomputing (Chapman & Hall/CRC Computational Science)
by David BarkaiUnmatched: 50 Years of Supercomputing: A Personal Journey Accompanying the Evolution of a Powerful ToolThe rapid and extraordinary progress of supercomputing over the past half-century is a powerful demonstration of our relentless drive to understand and shape the world around us. In this book, David Barkai offers a unique and compelling account of this remarkable technological journey, drawing from his own rich experiences working at the forefront of high-performance computing (HPC).This book is a journey delineated as five decade-long ‘epochs’ defined by the systems’ architectural themes: vector processors, multi-processors, microprocessors, clusters, and accelerators and cloud computing. The final part examines key issues of HPC and discusses where it might be headed.A central goal of this book is to show how computing power has been applied, and, more importantly, how it has impacted and benefitted society. To this end, the use of HPC is illustrated in a range of industries and applications, from weather and climate modeling to engineering and life sciences. As such, this book appeals to both students and general readers with an interest in HPC, as well as industry professionals looking to revolutionize their practice.From the Foreword:“David Barkai's career has spanned five decades, during which he has had the rare opportunity to be part of some of the most significant developments in the field of supercomputing. His personal and professional insights, combined with his deep knowledge and passion for the subject matter, make this book an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the evolution of HPC and its impact on our lives.”-Horst Simon, Director, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) Lab
Unnatural Amino Acids
by Stefano Servi Loredano PollegioniEven though they are present in nature, non-proteinogenic amino acids are usually defined as unnatural or non-natural. Beside their structural diversity, interest in these compounds is due to their occurrence in nature, their biological properties, the analytical aspects, their use as probes, and their incorporation into peptides and proteins, among other reasons. Divided into five convenient sections, Unnatural Amino Acids: Methods and Protocols deals with enzymatic methods used to produce non-natural amino acids, aspects concerning the presence of unnatural amino acids in peptides with antimicrobial properties, genetic incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins (yeast and mammalian cells), and detection and quantification of D-amino acids and related enzymes. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, chapters contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and accessible, Unnatural Amino Acids: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide for scientists and contributes to directing the attention of researchers to the many fields of growing scientific interest in non-natural amino acids.
Unnatural Causes: 'An absolutely brilliant book. I really recommend it, I don't often say that' Jeremy Vine, BBC Radio 2
by Dr Richard ShepherdTHE TRUE CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR AND 18-WEEK SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER'One of the most fascinating books I have read in a long time. Engrossing, a haunting page-turner. A book I could not put down' The Times, BOOKS OF THE YEAR__________Meet the forensic pathologist, Dr Richard Shepherd.He solves the mysteries of unexplained or sudden death.He has performed over 23,000 autopsies, including some of the most high-profile cases of recent times; the Hungerford Massacre, the Princess Diana inquiry, and 9/11. He has faced serial killers, natural disaster, 'perfect murders' and freak accidents.His evidence has put killers behind bars, freed the innocent, and turned open-and-shut cases on their heads. Yet all this has come at a huge personal cost. Unnatural Causes tells the story of not only the cases and bodies that have haunted him the most, but also how to live a life steeped in death. Thoughtful, revealing, chilling and always unputdownable, if you liked All That Remains, War Doctor and This is Going to Hurt you'll love this. **Pre-order Dr Richard Shepherd's new book THE SEVEN AGES OF DEATH now**__________'Gripping, grimly fascinating, and I suspect I'll read it at least twice' Evening Standard'A deeply mesmerising memoir of forensic pathology. Human and fascinating' Nigella Lawson 'An absolutely brilliant book. I really recommend it, I don't often say that but it's fascinating' Jeremy Vine, BBC Radio 2'Puts the reader at his elbow as he wields the scalpel' Guardian 'Fascinating, gruesome yet engrossing' Richard and Judy, Daily Express'Fascinating, insightful, candid, compassionate' Observer
Unnatural Death: Confessions Of A Medical Examiner
by Michael Baden Judith A. Hennesee* JFK's autopsy failed to disclose crucial evidence. * The deaths of John Belushi and Elvis Presley were far more complex than anyone has let on. * Decisive medical findings in the von Bulow affair were consistently overlooked. These are but three of the shocking revelations in Dr. Michael Baden's first-person, no-holds-barred account of his distinguished career in forensic pathology. In determining the causes of tens of thousands of deaths, from those of presidents and rock stars to victims of serial killings, exotic sex rituals, mass disasters, child abuse and drug abuse, Baden has come to the unavoidable conclusion that the search for scientific truth is often sullied by the pressures of expediency. He produces dramatic evidence to demonstrate that political intrigue, influence peddling, and professional incompetence have created a national crisis in forensic medicine. "A fascinating look into the mechanics of forensics and a disconcerting lesson in the politics of death.
Unnatural Habitat: The Native and Exotic Wildlife of Los Angeles
by Craig StanfordA guide to the ecosystem famously known as Los Angeles, from a field biologist and longtime San Gabriel Valley resident."A worthy and illuminating entry in the tradition of works exploring urbanization's effect on the environment." —Los Angeles TimesWithin the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles and its suburbs, residents coexist—often unknowingly—with a bustling mosaic of native and introduced wildlife. Conservationist Craig Stanford, whose research has taken him around the world, now takes a deep dive into the natural history of his Southern California home. Stanford's informed and vivid accounts of more than 150 species entreat us to appreciate the ecological marvels of sagebrush and skunks and skippers, the iconic palms of LA lore, and the mountain lions still roaming the hills.These portraits of the glamorous, humble, irritating, and altogether fascinating species that live alongside Angelenos urge us to recognize that even in a jungle of concrete, we live within nature. Witty and captivating, and combining cutting-edge research with his own critter encounters, Stanford demonstrates the beauty of shaping our cities to support biodiversity, and he warns against the threats that can tip urban ecosystems out of balance, leaving us in a much lonelier world.
An Unnatural Metropolis: Wresting New Orleans from Nature
by Craig E. ColtenStrategically situated at the gateway to the Mississippi River yet standing atop a former swamp, New Orleans was from the first what geographer Peirce Lewis called an "impossible but inevitable city." How New Orleans came to be, taking shape between the mutual and often contradictory forces of nature and urban development, is the subject of An Unnatural Metropolis. Craig E. Colten traces engineered modifications to New Orleans's natural environment from 1800 to 2000 and demonstrates that, though all cities must contend with their physical settings, New Orleans may be the city most dependent on human-induced transformations of its precarious site. In a new preface, Colten shows how Hurricane Katrina exemplifies the inability of human artifice to exclude nature from cities and he urges city planners to keep the environment in mind as they contemplate New Orleans's future. Urban geographers frequently have portrayed cities as the antithesis of nature, but in An Unnatural Metropolis, Colten introduces a critical environmental perspective to the history of urban areas. His amply illustrated work offers an in-depth look at a city and society uniquely shaped by the natural forces it has sought to harness.
Unnatural Selection: The Challenges of Engineering Tomorrow's People (The Earthscan Science in Society Series)
by Peter Healey Steve RaynerWith ever-advancing scientific understanding and technological capabilities, humanity stands on the brink of the potential next stage of evolution: evolution engineered by us. Nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive science offer the possibility to enhance human performance, lengthen life-span and reshape our inherited physical, cognitive and emotional identities. But with this promise come huge risks, complex choices and fundamental ethical questions: about evolution; about what it is to be human; and about control over, and the distribution of benefits from, new technology. Written by a range of experts in science, technology, bioethics and social science, Unnatural Selection examines the range of technological innovations offering lives that purport to be longer, stronger, smarter and happier, and asks whether their introduction is likely to lead to more fulfilled individuals and a fairer world. The breadth of approaches and perspectives make important reading for anyone who cares about the implications of humanity engineering its own evolution.
Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men
by Mara HvistendahlA shocking expos(r) of the causes of Asia's massive gender imbalance and its consequences across the globe
Unnatural Selection: How We Are Changing Life, Gene by Gene
by Emily MonossonGonorrhea. Bed bugs. Weeds. Salamanders. People. All are evolving, some surprisingly rapidly, in response to our chemical age. In Unnatural Selection, Emily Monosson shows how our drugs, pesticides, and pollution are exerting intense selection pressure on all manner of species. And we humans might not like the result. Monosson reveals that the very code of life is more fluid than once imagined. When our powerful chemicals put the pressure on to evolve or die, beneficial traits can sweep rapidly through a population. Species with explosive population growth--the bugs, bacteria, and weeds--tend to thrive, while bigger, slower-to-reproduce creatures, like ourselves, are more likely to succumb. Monosson explores contemporary evolution in all its guises. She examines the species that we are actively trying to beat back, from agricultural pests to life-threatening bacteria, and those that are collateral damage--creatures struggling to adapt to a polluted world. Monosson also presents cutting-edge science on gene expression, showing how environmental stressors are leaving their mark on plants, animals, and possibly humans for generations to come. Unnatural Selection is eye-opening and more than a little disquieting. But it also suggests how we might lessen our impact: manage pests without creating super bugs; protect individuals from disease without inviting epidemics; and benefit from technology without threatening the health of our children.
Unnatural Selection: Why the Geeks Will Inherit the Earth
by Mark RoederUnnatural Selection is the first book to examine the rise of the "technocentric being"-or geek-who personifies a distinct new phase in human evolution. People considered geeks often have behavioral or genetic traits that were previously considered detrimental. But the new environment of the Anthropocene period-the Age of Man-has created a kind of digital greenhouse that actually favors their traits, enabling many non-neurotypical people to bloom. They resonate with the technological Zeitgeist in a way that turns their weaknesses into strengths. Think of Mark Zuckerberg versus the towering, Olympics-bound Winklevoss twins in the movie Social Network.Roeder suggests that the rise of the geek is not so much the product of Darwinian "natural selection" as of man-made-or unnatural-selection. He explains why geeks have become so phenomenally successful in such a short time and why the process will further accelerate, driven by breakthroughs in genetic engineering, neuropharmacology, and artificial intelligence. His book offers a fascinating synthesis of the latest trends in these fields and predicts a twenty-first century "cognitive arms race" in which new technology will enable everyone to become more intelligent and "geek-like."
The Unpersuadables: Adventures with the Enemies of Science
by Will Storr“A tour de force . . . [Storr’s] dogged approach to nailing many of the most celebrated skeptics in lies and misrepresentations is welcome.” —SalonWhy, that is, did the obviously intelligent man beside him sincerely believe in Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden and a six-thousand-year-old Earth, in spite of the evidence against them? It was the start of a journey that would lead Storr all over the world—from Texas to Warsaw to the Outer Hebrides—meeting an extraordinary cast of modern heretics whom he tries his best to understand. Storr tours Holocaust sites with famed denier David Irving and a band of neo-Nazis, experiences his own murder during “past life regression” hypnosis, discusses the looming One World Government with an iconic climate skeptic, and investigates the tragic life and death of a woman who believed her parents were high priests in a baby-eating cult. Using a unique mix of highly personal memoir, investigative journalism, and the latest research from neuroscience and experimental psychology, Storr reveals how the stories we tell ourselves about the world invisibly shape our beliefs, and how the neurological “hero maker” inside us all can so easily lead to self-deception, toxic partisanship and science denial.“The subtle brilliance of The Unpersuadables is Mr. Storr’s style of letting his subjects hang themselves with their own words.” —The Wall Street Journal“Throws new and salutary light on all our conceits and beliefs. Very valuable, and a great read to boot, this is investigative journalism of the highest order.” —The Independent, Book of the Week
The Unpredictable Certainty: Information Infrastructure Through 2000
by NII 2000 Steering CommitteeWe have available an impressive array of information technology. We can transmit literature, movies, music, and talk. Government, businesses, and individuals are eager to go on-line to buy, sell, teach, learn, and more. How, then, should we go about developing an infrastructure for on- line communication among everyone everywhere? The Unpredictable Certainty explores the national information infrastructure (NII) as the collection of all public and private information services. But how and when will the NII become a reality? How will more and better services reach the home, small businesses, and remote locations? The Unpredictable Certainty examines who will finance the NII, exploring how technology companies decide to invest in deployment and the the vain search for "killer apps" (applications that drive markets). It discusses who will pay for ongoing services and how they will pay, looking at past cost/price models relevant to the future. The Unpredictable Certainty discusses the underlying technologies, appliances, and services needed before the NII becomes a reality; reviews key features of important technologies; and analyzes current levels of deployment in telephone, cable and broadcast television, and wireless systems, and the difficulties in interconnection. The volume explores the challenge of open interfaces that stimulate new applications but also facilitate competition, the trend toward the separation of infrastructure from specific services, the tension between mature services and new contenders, the growth of the Internet, and more. The roles governments at different levels might play in fostering NII deployment are outlined, including R&D and the use of information infrastructure for better delivery of government services and information.
The Unpredictable Species: What Makes Humans Unique
by Philip LiebermanHow our brains have evolved so that we control how we think and behaveThe Unpredictable Species argues that the human brain evolved in a way that enhances our cognitive flexibility and capacity for innovation and imitation. In doing so, the book challenges the central claim of evolutionary psychology that we are locked into predictable patterns of behavior that were fixed by genes, and refutes the claim that language is innate. Philip Lieberman builds his case with evidence from neuroscience, genetics, and physical anthropology, showing how our basal ganglia—structures deep within the brain whose origins predate the dinosaurs—came to play a key role in human creativity. He demonstrates how the transfer of information in these structures was enhanced by genetic mutation and evolution, giving rise to supercharged neural circuits linking activity in different parts of the brain. Human invention, expressed in different epochs and locales in the form of stone tools, digital computers, new art forms, complex civilizations—even the latest fashions—stems from these supercharged circuits.The Unpredictable Species boldly upends scientifically controversial yet popular beliefs about how our brains actually work. Along the way, this compelling book provides insights into a host of topics related to human cognition, including associative learning, epigenetics, the skills required to be a samurai, and the causes of cognitive confusion on Mount Everest and of Parkinson's disease.
Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and What To Do About It
by Robert Jerome GlennonIn the middle of the Mojave Desert, Las Vegas casinos use billions of gallons of water for fountains, pirate lagoons, wave machines, and indoor canals. Meanwhile, the town of Orme, Tennessee, must truck in water from Alabama because it has literally run out. Robert Glennon captures the irony--and tragedy--of America's water crisis in a book that is both frightening and wickedly comical. From manufactured snow for tourists in Atlanta to trillions of gallons of water flushed down the toilet each year, Unquenchable reveals the heady extravagances and everyday inefficiencies that are sucking the nation dry. The looming catastrophe remains hidden as government diverts supplies from one area to another to keep water flowing from the tap. But sooner rather than later, the shell game has to end. And when it does, shortages will threaten not only the environment, but every aspect of American life: we face shuttered power plants and jobless workers, decimated fi sheries and contaminated drinking water. We can't engineer our way out of the problem, either with traditional fixes or zany schemes to tow icebergs from Alaska. In fact, new demands for water, particularly the enormous supply needed for ethanol and energy production, will only worsen the crisis. America must make hard choices--and Glennon's answers are fittingly provocative. He proposes market-based solutions that value water as both a commodity and a fundamental human right. One truth runs throughout Unquenchable: only when we recognize water's worth will we begin to conserve it.