- Table View
- List View
Thought Experiments
by Nenad MiscevicThis book offers a readable introduction to the main aspects of thought experimenting in philosophy and science (together with related imaginative activities in mathematics and linguistics). It presents the main options in understanding thought experiments, from empiricism to Platonism, and discusses their strengths and weaknesses. However, it also provides some original perspectives on the topic. Firstly, it provides a new definition and analysis of thought experimenting that brings it closer to laboratory experimenting. Secondly, it develops the author’s earlier theory of “mental modelling”, proposed some decades ago by him, and some other researchers in the field as the crucial procedure in thought experimenting. The mental modelling approach links work with thought experimenting to cognitive science and to research on mental simulation which is a hot topic in present-day research. Thirdly, it proposes a principled way to respond to criticism of thought experimenting by “experimental philosophers” as they have been dominating the present-day debates. The response suggests a possible ameliorative, self-help project for thought experimenting. Finally, the book provides a way to systematize the history of important thought experiments in science and philosophy and thus connects, in an original way, the systematic investigation of experimenting to the historical work of famous thought experiments. It is of interest to scholars interested in history of ideas and philosophy of science.
Thought and Language, revised and expanded edition
by Lev S. VygotskyA new edition of a foundational work of cognitive science that outlines a theory of the development of specifically human higher mental functions.Since it was introduced to the English-speaking world in 1962, Lev Vygotsky's Thought and Language has become recognized as a classic foundational work of cognitive science. Its 1962 English translation must certainly be considered one of the most important and influential books ever published by the MIT Press. In this highly original exploration of human mental development, Vygotsky analyzes the relationship between words and consciousness, arguing that speech is social in its origins and that only as children develop does it become internalized verbal thought.In 1986, the MIT Press published a new edition of the original translation by Eugenia Hanfmann and Gertrude Vakar, edited by Vygotsky scholar Alex Kozulin, that restored the work's complete text and added materials to help readers better understand Vygotsky's thought. Kozulin also contributed an introductory essay that offered new insight into Vygotsky's life, intellectual milieu, and research methods. This expanded edition offers Vygotsky's text, Kozulin's essay, a subject index, and a new foreword by Kozulin that maps the ever-growing influence of Vygotsky's ideas.
Thoughts on Hospital Design and Construction in China
by Zhe Wang Lun GeThis book gathers the thoughts of 8 hospital presidents, 9 vice presidents focusing on construction management in hospitals, and 6 hospital architects regarding the hospital design and construction in China. These experts are from top hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, Zhenjiang, Gansu, Shangdong, Sichuang, and Neimenggu Province and have an average of 21 years of experience managing and developing hospitals in China. The book shares their thoughts on the soul of a hospital, the history and standards of Chinese healthcare systems, and the development of environments for healthcare in China.
Thoughts on War
by Phillip S. Meilinger“A remarkable work that challenges the received wisdom of Clausewitz’s On War . . . [a] paradigm as to how to wage combat in our modern global environment.” —John A. English, author of Monty and the Canadian ArmyWar is changing. Unlike when modern military doctrine was forged, the United States no longer mobilizes massive land forces for direct political gain. Instead, the US fights small, overseas wars by global mandate to overthrow dictators, destroy terrorist groups, and broker regional peace. These conflicts hardly resemble the total wars fought and expected by foundational military theorists such as Carl von Clausewitz, yet their paradigms are ingrained in modern thinking. The twenty-first-century’s new geopolitical situation demands new principles for warfare—deemphasizing decisive land victory in favor of airpower, intelligence systems, and indigenous ground forces.In Thoughts on War, Phillip S.Meilinger confronts the shortcomings of US military dogma in search of a new strategic doctrine. Inter-service rivalries and conventional theories failed the US in lengthy Korea, Vietnam, and Middle East conflicts. Jettisoning traditional perspectives and their focus on decisive battles, Meilinger revisits historical campaigns looking for answers to more persistent challenges—how to coordinate forces, manipulate time, and fight on two fronts. This provocative collection of new and expanded essays offers a fresh, if controversial, perspective on time-honored military values, one which encourages a critical revision of US military strategy.“Meilinger presents a new strategic and operational paradigm for how to fight and win tomorrow’s wars with reduced risk and cost. This book will appeal not only to military professionals, but to scholars and civilian policymakers as well.” —Colonel John Andreas Olsen, Royal Norwegian Air Force, author of Airpower Pioneers
Thousands... Not Billions: Challenging an Icon of Evolution - Questioning the Age of the Earth
by Dr. Donald DeYoung"Evolutionary models for life, earth, and space are questioned today by a significant group of scientists worldwide. They are convinced that the earth and the entire universe are the result of a supernatural creation event which occurred just thousands of years ago, not billions of years." Why do conventional methods for dating rocks differ so radically? What does carbon-14 found in diamonds tell us? Was there accelerated nuclear decay in earth's history? Are the creation and Flood accounts genuine historic events? These and many other questions are addressed in Thousands...Not Billions. This book summarizes eight years of research by the Institute for Creation Research (ICR) and a team of scientists, whose goal was to explore the age of the earth from a biblical perspective. The project title was Radioisotopes and the Age of The Earth, or RATE. The age of the earth is one of the most divisive topics today, much debated by scholars and laypersons alike. What one believes about the age of the earth goes a long way in determining world views. The Bible is explicit that the earth is young, but many people feel that science has proved our planet is more than four billion year old. Thousands...Not Billions provides a compelling challenge to Darwinian evolution.
Thread Of The Silkworm
by Iris ChangThe definitive biography of Tsien Hsue-Shen, the pioneer of the American space age who was mysteriously accused of being a communist, deported, and became -- to America's continuing chagrin -- the father of the Chinese missile program.
Thread War (The Skidsphere Series #2)
by Ian Donald KeelingThe Skidsphere has been saved, but the war is just beginning in the thrilling sequel to the young adult sci-fi novel The Skids. With three eyes, tank treads, and a need for speed, the Skids live to play games inside the Skidsphere. But when their virtual universe came under attack, Johnny Drop caught a glimpse of what’s beyond. Now he’s back from the Thread, but his life will never be the same. Together with Shabaz, the only other skid to return to the sphere, Johnny tries to bring change to the sphere. But there’s rebellion in the air, and to make matters worse, cracks are appearing once more in the system. Before they know it, Johnny and Shabaz are thrown back into a Thread that seems more vulnerable than ever before. In the very core of the system, an ancient battle has taken a turn for the worse. And it’s up to the skids to stop a war that threatens to tear the Thread apart.
Threads from the Web of Life & The Shark and the Jellyfish: Stories in Natural History
by Stephen DaubertEcology, like all literary narrative, has the potential for turnabout, surprise, lessons learned, and tragedy. The stories in Threads from the Web of Life and The Shark and the Jellyfish describe protagonists, their competitors, and the habitats that provide the setting for their interaction—habitats that have become surprisingly complex with the passage of evolutionary time.One niche moves across a world of flowers that reaches its earliest peak bloom in the low valleys and then peaks later among the slopes of the foothills—a rolling habitat. Another hop-scotches across the ocean floor, compelling its occupants to migrate from the fallen body of one dead whale to the next. Yet another appears in the aftermath of typhoons, requiring its inhabitants to search the tropical coastline for the latest storm landfall.These tales are filled with no less intrigue than other literary works, but they transpire out of the sight of most readers. Once known only to ecologists, in Threads from the Web of Life and The Shark and the Jellyfish, available for the first time in a single deluxe paperback, these stories become accessible to everyone with an interest in natural history.
Threads of Blue
by Suzanne LafleurThe thrilling sequel to the acclaimed Beautiful Blue World follows a brave girl who must flee her country during wartime and work undercover to defeat the enemy. For fans of The War That Saved My Life and Wolf Hollow. “A thoughtful, pellucid story . . . [that] gently probes questions of loyalty, patriotism and sacrifice.” —The Wall Street Journal on Beautiful Blue World A war took Mathilde away from her family when she was chosen to serve her country, Sofarende, with other children working on a secret military project. But now the other children—including her best friend, Megs—have fled to safety, and Mathilde is all alone, determined to complete her mission. In this powerful and deeply moving sequel to the acclaimed Beautiful Blue World, Mathilde must make her way through a new stage of the war. Haunted by the bold choice she made on the night she chose her country’s future over her own well-being, she clings to the promise Megs made long ago: “Whatever happens, I’ll be with you.” Praise for Beautiful Blue World: “Readers will be drawn in by the underlying belief that kids’ work is important and powerful, and eager for the promised sequel.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred “Deeply emotional, compelling, and brilliant.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred “LaFleur crafts a protagonist who is compassionate and resourceful, in a war-ravaged world in which children are, by turns, exploited and empowered. The tension is high and danger ever present.” —School Library Journal, Starred
Threatened Medicinal Plants in the Indian Himalayan Region: Sustainability Challenges and Conservation Strategies (World Sustainability Series)
by Amit Kumar Gajendra Singh Naveen Chandra Chaitanya Baliram Pande Arun Pratap MishraThe book provides an in-depth analysis of the major issues related to the conservation of threatened medicinal plants in the Indian Himalayan region. The book is a comprehensive resource and sustainability of challenges and conservation strategies that highlights the critical role of medicinal plants in traditional healthcare systems and identifies the significant threats that these plants face due to various anthropogenic and natural factors. The book covers ten major themes that are critical to understanding the sustainability conservation of threatened medicinal plants in the Indian Himalayan region. It provides an essential resource for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners interested in the sustainability conservation of threatened medicinal plants in the Himalayan area. The book provides an overview of the major issues related to medicinal plant sustainability conservation and suggests strategies for the sustainable management of these plants. The authors have provideda comprehensive and insightful analysis of the sustainability conservation status of medicinal plants in the region, highlighting the urgent need for concerted efforts to conserve these valuable resources.
Threats to Food and Water Chain Infrastructure
by Magdalena Ujevic Otto Premstaller Virginia KoukouliouThe malicious contamination of food and water supplies for terrorist purposes is a real and current threat: deliberate contamination at one location could have severe global public health, trade and consumer confidence implications. The NATO Advanced Research Workshop responded to increasing concern in many countries that chemical, biological or radionuclear agents might be used intentionally to harm civilian populations and that food and water might be used a vehicle for disseminating such agents. Throughout human history drinking water and food supplies of civilians have been the target of attacks and sabotage. Initially these targets were attacked as a part of military campaign but more recently, drinking water and food have been attacked by terrorists in order to generate fear and panic in the civilian population, to create economic disruption or to undermine the people's confidence in their government and political systems. The key to minimizing the effect of food and water terrorism is the establishment and enhancement of existing food and water safety management programs and the implementation of reasonable security measures. Prevention is best achieved through a cooperative effort such Workshops, that give the opportunity to exchange knowledge, ignite fruitful discussions, create networking contacts and finally together make the next step forwards peace and security. A detailed review of the characteristics of biological, chemical and radioactive agents that would make them attractive for use as possible weapons against a given population, as well as the potential consequence bio- or agro-terrorism attack were presented by the speakers, often using actual examples.
Threats to Mangrove Forests: Hazards, Vulnerability, And Management (Coastal Research Library #25)
by Charles W. Finkl Christopher MakowskiThis book focuses on the worldwide threats to mangrove forests and the management solutions currently being used to counteract those hazards. Designed for the professional or specialist in marine science, coastal zone management, biology, and related disciplines, this work will appeal to those not only working to protect mangrove forests, but also the surrounding coastal areas of all types. Examples are drawn from many different geographic areas, including North and South America, India, and Southeast Asia. Subject areas covered include both human-induced and natural impacts to mangroves, intended or otherwise, as well as the efforts being made by coastal researchers to promote restoration of these coastal fringing forests.
Three Big Bangs: Matter-Energy, Life, Mind
by Holmes Rolston IIIBy dividing the creation of matter, energy, life, and mind into three big bangs, Holmes Rolston III brings into focus a history of the universe that respects both scientific discovery and the potential presence of an underlying intelligence. Matter-energy appears, initially in simpler forms but with a remarkable capacity for generating heavier elements. The size and expansion rate of the universe, the nature of electromagnetism, gravity, and nuclear forces enable the the explosion of life on Earth. DNA discovers, stores, and transfers information generating billions of species. Cognitive capacities escalate, and with neural sentience this results in human genius. A massive singularity, the human mind gives birth to language and culture, increasing the brain's complexity and promoting the spread of ideas. Ideas generate ideals, which lead life to take on spirit. The nature of matter-energy, genes, and their genesis therefore encourages humans to wonder where they are, who they are, and what they should do.
Three Body Dynamics and Its Applications to Exoplanets
by Zdzislaw Musielak Billy QuarlesThis brief book provides an overview of the gravitational orbital evolution of few-body systems, in particular those consisting of three bodies. The authors present the historical context that begins with the origin of the problem as defined by Newton, which was followed up by Euler, Lagrange, Laplace, and many others. Additionally, they consider the modern works from the 20th and 21st centuries that describe the development of powerful analytical methods by Poincare and others. The development of numerical tools, including modern symplectic methods, are presented as they pertain to the identification of short-term chaos and long term integrations of the orbits of many astronomical architectures such as stellar triples, planets in binaries, and single stars that host multiple exoplanets. The book includes some of the latest discoveries from the Kepler and now K2 missions, as well as applications to exoplanets discovered via the radial velocity method. Specifically, the authors give a unique perspective in relation to the discovery of planets in binary star systems and the current search for extrasolar moons.
Three Centuries and the Island
by Andrew Hill ClarkThis study is one of the first in the field of historical geography to be published in Canada. Written after exhaustive research, it uses a particular approach to the study of historical agricultural geography which concentrates on the use of basic distributional evidence for the description and interpretation of the changing character of any region through any period of time. By the analysis of over 1200 maps, some of which form part of the text of the book, Professor Clark studies agriculture as the dominant economic activity of Prince Edward Island and traces with remarkable clarity through the changing patterns of land culture throughout the province.The book begins with a description of the natural geography of the Island which, despite its small size, shows surprising variety. It goes on to prove the necessity for careful consideration of the background of habit and prejudice of groups of different origin when studying the changing geographies of land use.The settlement of the Island is traced from the time it was used as a summer campground by the Micmac Indians. Details of the arrival of the first Acadians, the transfer to British rule, and the subsequent influx of Scottish, Irish, Loyalist, and English stock are given together with evidence of the effect their coming had on the agriculture of the region. One hundred and fifty-five maps and sixteen tables to illustrate the distribution of population by area and origin, changes in kind and distribution of crops, census of livestock, etc., from the early eighteenth century to the present day, and from the days when the potato was unknown as a crop through the fur-farming era.The author presents this study as part of his life-work, a programme of research on the settlement overseas in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries of the people from the British Isles. He is descended from Prince Edward Island settlers and writes of the province from a background of personal knowledge of, and affection for, the land of his forbears.
Three Decades of Progress in Control Sciences
by Ulf Jonsson Xiaoming Hu Bijoy Ghosh Bo WahlbergIn this edited collection we commemorate the 60th birthday of Prof. Christopher Byrnes and the retirement of Prof. Anders Lindquist from the Chair of Optimization and Systems Theory at KTH. These papers were presented in part at a 2009 workshop in KTH, Stockholm, honoring the lifetime contributions of Professors Byrnes and Lindquist in various fields of applied mathematics.
Three Dimensional Human Organotypic Models for Biomedical Research (Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology #430)
by Rino Rappuoli Fabio BagnoliThis edited volume discusses the application of very diverse human organotypic models in major areas of biomedical research. The authors lay a main focus on infectious diseases, cancer, allergies, as well as drug/vaccine discovery and toxicology studies. Representing a valid alternative to laboratory animals, these models are relevant for most areas of translational research. As the contemporary research shows, many human tissues can today be cultivated in vitro and used for several research objectives. This book provides an unprecedented overview of recent developments in an exciting field of research methodology. It is a reference guide for scientists in both academia and industry. Readers can update their knowledge and get hands-on recommendations on how to set up an organotypic model in their lab. Chapters 'Progress on Reconstructed Human Skin Models for Allergy Research and Identifying Contact Sensitizers' and 'Human Organotypic Models for Anti-infective Research' of this book are available open access under a CC BY 4.0 license at link.springer.com.
Three Dimensional QSAR: Applications in Pharmacology and Toxicology (QSAR in Environmental and Health Sciences)
by Jean Pierre Doucet Annick PanayeAs a result of new statistical and mathematical approaches, improved visualization tools, and recognition by international regulatory groups, quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) now play important roles in pharmacology for the design of new drugs as well as in toxicology and ecotoxicology for hazard identification and risk assessm
Three Dimensional Solar Cells Based on Optical Confinement Geometries
by Yuan LiThree dimensional (3D) optical geometries are becoming more common in the literature and lexicon of solar cells. Three Dimensional Solar Cells Based on Optical Confinement Geometries describes and reveals the basic operational nuances of 3D photovoltaics using three standard tools: Equivalent Circuit Models, Ray Tracing Optics in the Cavity, and Absorber Spectral Response. These tools aide in understanding experimental absorption profile and device parameters including Jsc, Voc, Fill Factor, and EQE. These methods also apply to individual optical confinement geometry device, integrated optical confinement geometry device, and hybrid optical confinement geometry device. Additionally, this book discusses the importance of these methods in achieving the goal of high efficiency solar cells and suggests a possible application in large-scale photovoltaics business, like solar farms.
Three Dimensional Space-Time Analysis Theory of Geotechnical Seismic Engineering
by Changwei Yang Guotao Yang Jianjing Zhang Hongsheng MaWritten by respected experts, this book presents essential findings on the Wenchuan earthquake. It establishes a series of time–frequency analysis methods, and subsequently applies them to the layered site, slope, and earth-retaining wall. Further, it examines various cases and their solutions, and shares the results of numerous shaking-table tests and numerical simulations. As such, it is a valuable resource for researchers and engineers in the fields of geotechnical engineering and anti-seismic engineering.
Three Generations, No Imbeciles: Eugenics, the Supreme Court, and Buck v. Bell
by Paul A. Lombardo"Three generations of imbeciles are enough." Few lines from Supreme Court opinions are as memorable as this declaration by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. in the landmark 1927 case Buck v. Bell. The ruling allowed states to forcibly sterilize residents in order to prevent "feebleminded and socially inadequate" people from having children. It is the only time the Supreme Court endorsed surgery as a tool of government policy. Paul Lombardo's startling narrative exposes the Buck case's fraudulent roots. In 1924 Carrie Buck -- involuntarily institutionalized by the State of Virginia after she was raped and impregnated -- challenged the state's plan to sterilize her. Having already judged her mother and daughter mentally deficient, Virginia wanted to make Buck the first person sterilized under a new law designed to prevent hereditarily "defective" people from reproducing. Lombardo's more than twenty-five years of research and his own interview with Buck before she died demonstrate conclusively that she was destined to lose the case before it had even begun. Neither Carrie Buck nor her mother and daughter were the "imbeciles" condemned in the Holmes opinion. Her lawyer -- a founder of the institution where she was held -- never challenged Virginia's arguments and called no witnesses on Buck's behalf. And judges who heard her case, from state courts up to the U.S. Supreme Court, sympathized with the eugenics movement. Virginia had Carrie Buck sterilized shortly after the 1927 decision. Though Buck set the stage for more than sixty thousand involuntary sterilizations in the United States and was cited at the Nuremberg trials in defense of Nazi sterilization experiments, it has never been overturned. Three Generations, No Imbeciles tracks the notorious case through its history, revealing that it remains a potent symbol of government control of reproduction and a troubling precedent for the human genome era.
Three Generations, No Imbeciles: Eugenics, the Supreme Court, and Buck v. Bell
by Paul A. LombardoWinner, 2009 Georgia Author of the Year Award for Creative Nonfiction HistoryHonorable Mention, Nonfiction. Library of Virginia Literary Awards"Three generations of imbeciles are enough." Few lines from Supreme Court opinions are as memorable as this declaration by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. in the landmark 1927 case Buck v. Bell. The ruling allowed states to forcibly sterilize residents in order to prevent "feebleminded and socially inadequate" people from having children. It is the only time the Supreme Court endorsed surgery as a tool of government policy. Paul Lombardo’s startling narrative exposes the Buck case’s fraudulent roots.In 1924 Carrie Buck—involuntarily institutionalized by the State of Virginia after she was raped and impregnated—challenged the state’s plan to sterilize her. Having already judged her mother and daughter mentally deficient, Virginia wanted to make Buck the first person sterilized under a new law designed to prevent hereditarily "defective" people from reproducing. Lombardo’s more than twenty-five years of research and his own interview with Buck before she died demonstrate conclusively that she was destined to lose the case before it had even begun. Neither Carrie Buck nor her mother and daughter were the "imbeciles" condemned in the Holmes opinion. Her lawyer—a founder of the institution where she was held—never challenged Virginia’s arguments and called no witnesses on Buck’s behalf. And judges who heard her case, from state courts up to the U.S. Supreme Court, sympathized with the eugenics movement. Virginia had Carrie Buck sterilized shortly after the 1927 decision.Though Buck set the stage for more than sixty thousand involuntary sterilizations in the United States and was cited at the Nuremberg trials in defense of Nazi sterilization experiments, it has never been overturned. Three Generations, No Imbeciles tracks the notorious case through its history, revealing that it remains a potent symbol of government control of reproduction and a troubling precedent for the human genome era.
Three Generations, No Imbeciles: Eugenics, the Supreme Court, and Buck v. Bell
by Paul A. LombardoThis updated edition includes a new afterword that identifies the role the Buck story plays in the Supreme Court's review of emerging state laws that seek to limit access to abortion."Three generations of imbeciles are enough." Few lines from U.S. Supreme Court opinions are as memorable as this declaration by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. in the landmark 1927 case Buck v. Bell. The ruling allowed states to forcibly sterilize residents in order to prevent "feebleminded and socially inadequate" people from having children. It is the only time the Supreme Court endorsed surgery as a tool of government policy. Though Buck set the stage for more than sixty thousand involuntary sterilizations in the United States and was cited at the Nuremberg trials in defense of Nazi sterilization experiments, it has never been overturned. It has been more than a decade since Paul A. Lombardo's classic Three Generations, No Imbeciles first exposed the Buck case's fraudulent roots. During that time, several of the remaining twentieth-century eugenic sterilization statutes have finally been repealed, and reparations to sterilization survivors have been paid in two states. Discussion of the Buck case has once again engendered controversy in the courts. The Wisconsin Supreme Court invoked Buck most recently in a debate over the power of the state to enact restrictions on citizens and businesses during the COVID-19 crisis, and the US Supreme Court cited Three Generations, No Imbeciles in arguments over the newest state laws seeking to limit access to abortion. This updated edition collects and analyzes information related to events and trends discussed in the earlier volume and includes a completely new afterword, "Looking Back at Buck," that explains how the case remains a key feature of public discourse about disability, government power, and reproductive rights. It also presents restored copies of the letters of Carrie Buck and points readers to an online archive of legal documents, images, and other material relevant to the case. The book remains a key resource for law school faculties, legal and medical historians, and anyone with an interest in the history of reproduction in the United States."Startling."—Reason"Compelling and well-researched... Three Generations, No Imbeciles gives Carrie Buck's long-untold story the attention it deserves."—Harvard Law Review"Three Generations provides valuable, new, and timely revelations for students and professional scholars across many disciplines."—Disability Studies Quarterly"Meticulously detailed and researched history... this book is enjoyable, thought provoking, and troubling in equal measure. I highly recommend it."—Psychiatric Services
Three Great Tsunamis: Lisbon (1755), Sumatra-Andaman (2004) and Japan (2011)
by Harsh K. Gupta Vineet K. GahalautTsunamis are primarily caused by earthquakes. Under favourable geological conditions, when a large earthquake occurs below the sea bed and the resultant rupture causes a vertical displacement of the ocean bed, the entire column of water above it is displaced, causing a tsunami. In the ocean, tsunamis do not reach great heights but can travel at velocities of up to 1000 km/hour. As a tsunami reaches shallow sea depths, there is a decrease in its velocity and an increase in its height. Tsunamis are known to have reached heights of several tens of meters and inundate several kilometres inland from the shore. Tsunamis can also be caused by displacement of substantial amounts of water by landslides, volcanic eruptions, glacier calving and rarely by meteorite impacts and nuclear tests in the ocean. In this SpringerBrief, the causes of tsunamis, their intensity and magnitude scales, global distribution and a list of major tsunamis are provided. The three great tsunamis of 1755, 2004 and 2011are presented in detail. The 1755 tsunami caused by the Lisbon earthquake, now estimated to range from Mw 8.5 to 9.0, was the most damaging tsunami ever in the Atlantic ocean. It claimed an estimated 100,000 human lives and caused wide-spread damage. The 2004 Sumatra Andaman Mw 9.1 earthquake and the resultant tsunami were the deadliest ever to hit the globe, claiming over 230,000 human lives and causing wide-spread financial losses in several south and south-east Asian countries. The 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake and the resultant tsunami were a surprise to the seismologists in Japan and around the globe. The height of the tsunami far exceeded the estimated heights. It claimed about 20,000 human lives. The tsunami also caused nuclear accidents. This earthquake has given rise to a global debate on how to estimate the maximum size of an earthquake in a given region and the safety of nuclear power plants in coastal regions. This Brief also includes a description of key components of tsunami warning centres, progress in deploying tsunami watch and warning facilities globally, tsunami advisories and their communication, and the way forward.
Three Laws of Nature: A Little Book on Thermodynamics
by R. Stephen BerryA short and entertaining introduction to thermodynamics that uses real-world examples to explain accessibly an important but subtle scientific theory A romantic description of the second law of thermodynamics is that the universe becomes increasingly disordered. But what does that actually mean? Starting with an overview of the three laws of thermodynamics, MacArthur “genius grant" winner R. Stephen Berry explains in this short book the fundamentals of a fundamental science. Readers learn both the history of thermodynamics, which began with attempts to solve everyday engineering problems, and ongoing controversy and unsolved puzzles. The exposition, suitable for both students and armchair physicists, requires no previous knowledge of the subject and only the simplest mathematics, taught as needed. With this better understanding of one science, readers also gain an appreciation of the role of research in science, the provisional nature of scientific theory, and the ways scientific exploration can uncover fundamental truths. Thus, from a science of everyday experience, we learn about the nature of the universe.