During the past decade, ethicists as well as policy-makers, political and social scientists, and experts in military studies have been concerned with the topic of cyber-conflicts and in particular the
A heavily illustrated history of herbaria from one of the world's foremost experts.For nearly six centuries, scientists have been documenting the plants and fungi of the world through herbaria. The w
An unsettling journey into the disaster-bound American food system, and an exploration of possible solutions, from leading food politics commentator and former farmer Tom Philpott.More than a decade after Michael Pollan’s game-changing The Omnivore’s Dilemma transformed the conversation about what we eat, a combination of global diet trends and corporate interests have put American agriculture into a state of “quiet emergency,” from dangerous drought in California―which grows more than 50 percent of the fruits and vegetables we eat―to catastrophic topsoil loss in the “breadbasket” heartland of the United States. Whether or not we take heed, these urgent crises of industrial agriculture will define our future.In Perilous Bounty, veteran journalist and former farmer Tom Philpott explores and exposes the small handful of seed and pesticide corporations, investment funds, and magnates who benefit from the trends that imperil us, with on-the-ground dispatches featuring the scientists docume
There is no pill. There is no diet. Could it be that our underlying assumption-that what we're eating is making us fat and sick-is just plain wrong?To address rapid rise of "lifestyle diseases" like diabetes and heart disease in America, scientists have conducted a whopping 500,000 studies of diet and 300,000 of obesity. Journalists have written 223,000,000 and 15,600,000 news articles respectively about the topics. Yet nothing seems to halt the epidemic. It's clear a new approach is needed. Anastacia Marx de Salcedo's Eat Like a Pig, Run Like a Horse, looks not just to data-driven science, but to animals and the natural world around us. What she finds will transform the national debate about the root causes of our most pervasive diseases and offer hope of dramatically reducing the number who suffer from these-no matter what we eat. She starts by chronicling her own medical miracle-she has multiple sclerosis, but discovered that daily exercise keeps it from progressing. And n
A teenager desperate to pass his Biology final is visited in the night, Christmas Carol-style, by the spirits of some of the greatest scientists in history. Trevor suffers from an ailment common among high schoolers: apathy. He snoozes through science class, distrusts his teachers, and would rather stay up all night playing video games than studying for his upcoming science quiz. With an "F" in Biology looming ominously in Trevor's near future unless he finds motivation, Trevor's parents take away his video games for a week in an effort to make him buckle down and study. When he opens up his book, however, an epic adventure begins, and the greatest scientists in history become his guides-literally!
Earth--it's a disaster zone! For thousands of years, Earth has been awash with mega tsunamis that surge across its surface, destroying everything in their paths. But what causes these awesome forces of nature and where in the world are they most likely to occur? Discover the science behind mega tsunamis, the world's worst-ever tsunami disasters, and the technology that scientists are using to help prevent devastating tsunamis of the future.
Earth--it's a disaster zone! For thousands of years, Earth has been set alight by raging wildfires that rip across its surface, torching everything in their paths. But what causes these awesome forces of nature and where in the world are they most likely to occur? Discover the science behind raging wildfires, the world's worst-ever wildfire disasters, and the technology that scientists are using to help prevent devastating wildfires of the future.
The life and work of Freeman Dyson―renowned scientist, visionary, and iconoclast―and his particular way of thinking about deep questions.Freeman Dyson (1923–2020)―renowned scientist, visionary, and iconoclast―helped invent modern physics. Not bound by disciplinary divisions, he went on to explore foundational topics in mathematics, astrophysics, and the origin of life. General readers were introduced to Dyson’s roving mind and heterodox approach in his 1979 book Disturbing the Universe, a poignant autobiographical reflection on life and science. “Well, Doc, You’re In” (the title quotes Richard Feynman’s remark to Dyson at a physics conference) offers a fresh examination of Dyson’s life and work, exploring his particular way of thinking about deep questions that range from the nature of matter to the ultimate fate of the universe. The chapters―written by leading scientists, historians, and science journalists, including some of Dyson’s colleagues―trace Dyson’s formative years, his buddi
How the discovery of a harmless leak of radiation sparked a media firestorm, political grandstanding, and fearmongering that closed a vital scientific facility.In 1997, scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory found a small leak of radioactive water near their research reactor. Brookhaven was―and is―a world-class, Nobel Prize–winning lab, and its reactor was the cornerstone of US materials science and one of the world’s finest research facilities. The leak, harmless to health, came from a storage pool rather than the reactor. But its discovery triggered a media and political firestorm that resulted in the reactor’s shutdown, and even attempts to close the entire laboratory. A quarter century later, the episode reveals the dynamics of today’s controversies in which fears and the dismissal of science disrupt serious discussion and research of vital issues such as vaccines, climate change, and toxic chemicals. This story has all the elements of a thriller, with vivid characters and dr
A spellbinding exploration of the human capacity to imagine the future Our ability to think about the future is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal. In The Invention of Tomorrow, cognitive scientists Thomas Suddendorf, Jonathan Redshaw, and Adam Bulley argue that its emergence transformed humans from unremarkable primates to creatures that hold the destiny of the planet in their hands. Drawing on their own cutting-edge research, the authors break down the science of foresight, showing us where it comes from, how it works, and how it made our world. Journeying through biology, psychology, history, and culture, they show that thinking ahead is at the heart of human nature―even if we often get it terribly wrong. Incisive and expansive, The Invention of Tomorrow offers a fresh perspective on the human tale that shows how our species clawed its way to control the future.
Become an expert on all types of weather and how and why they happen.Why does it rain? How hot is a bolt of lightning? What makes hurricanes form, and how does climate change affect the weather? What happens when a cold front rolls in? Become a meteorology expert and set up your own home weather station, and learn to read nature’s own signs of changing weather. Eyewitness Weather shows you what weather looks like, from a tropical storm cloud seen from above to close-ups of snowflake crystals. Learn about what weather scientists do, why weather works differently on the coast and inland, and much more along with amazing facts, infographics, statistics, and timelines to reveal this civilization’s secrets as never before.Part of DK’s best-selling Eyewitness series, which is now getting an exciting makeover, this popular title has been reinvigorated for the next generation of information-seekers and stay-at-home explorers, with a fresh new look, new photographs, updated information, and a n
Become an expert on all types of weather and how and why they happen. Why does it rain? How hot is a bolt of lightning? What makes hurricanes form, and how does climate change affect the weather? What happens when a cold front rolls in? Become a meteorology expert and set up your own home weather station, and learn to read nature’s own signs of changing weather. Eyewitness Weather shows you what weather looks like, from a tropical storm cloud seen from above to close-ups of snowflake crystals. Learn about what weather scientists do, why weather works differently on the coast and inland, and much more along with amazing facts, infographics, statistics, and timelines to reveal this civilization’s secrets as never before. Part of DK’s best-selling Eyewitness series, which is now getting an exciting makeover, this popular title has been reinvigorated for the next generation of information-seekers and stay-at-home explorers, with a fresh new look, new photographs, updated information, and
Discover the Earth’s most explosive volcanoes and what an earthquake feels like with this picture-led guide exploring the hot spots of the world. This book tells you everything you need to know about the Earth’s most extraordinary natural forces – from active volcanoes, including Kilauea in Hawaii and Etna in Italy, to devastating earthquakes that have hit San Francisco and Japan. Discover how the eruption of Mount Vesuvius devastated the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, but left in its wake remarkably preserved treasures. Find out, too, how dogs can search for survivors in the aftermath of a huge quake. Eyewitness Volcano & Earthquake explores how tectonic plates collide, what causes magma to escape from deep inside Earth, and why eruptions affect our weather. Learn how scientists predict and measure the magnitude of earthquakes, and find out what a volcanologist does. Packed with striking full-color photographs and illustrations of lava flows, pyroclastic clouds, rocks and precious
