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Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > General
In "Skeptical," author Bob Moores describes his
atheistic/humanistic philosophy and traces its roots back to early
childhood epiphanies where he first began to question certain
axiological teachings. He argues against creationism and religious
fundamentalism and defends scientific naturalism, critical
thinking, and a rational approach to understanding the world.
Moores attempts to show readers how recent scientific
discoveries, especially in biology, are more exciting and uplifting
than any form of biblical mythology. Using lay terms, he explains
the significance of DNA and why a scientific theory is more than
just a guess. He argues that modern humanistic values are superior
in many ways to those venerated in ancient texts, and he shares his
belief that humans are both the greatest threat and greatest hope
for the preservation of life on Earth.
Moores hopes that "Skeptical" will challenge readers to consider
views and information that may conflict with their comfort zones,
allowing them to broaden their perspectives. He argues that if we
are too protective of our own paradigms, if we stubbornly believe
that our way is the only way, then the tribes of earth will never
come together to solve the most urgent need of all our continued
existence.
The Keller-Segel model for chemotaxis is a prototype of nonlocal
systems describing concentration phenomena in physics and biology.
While the two-dimensional theory is by now quite complete, the
questions of global-in-time solvability and blowup characterization
are largely open in higher dimensions. In this book, global-in-time
solutions are constructed under (nearly) optimal assumptions on
initial data and rigorous blowup criteria are derived.
The discovery and development of new computational methods have
expanded the capabilities and uses of simulations. With agent-based
models, the applications of computer simulations are significantly
enhanced. Multi-Agent-Based Simulations Applied to Biological and
Environmental Systems is a pivotal reference source for the latest
research on the implementation of autonomous agents in computer
simulation paradigms. Featuring extensive coverage on relevant
applications, such as biodiversity conservation, pollution
reduction, and environmental risk assessment, this publication is
an ideal source for researchers, academics, engineers,
practitioners, and professionals seeking material on various issues
surrounding the use of agent-based simulations.
The book requires only rudimentary physics knowledge but ability to
program computers creatively and to keep the mind open to simple
and not so simple models, based in individuals, for the living
world around us.
* Interdisciplinary coverage
* Research oriented
* Contains and explains programs
* Based on recent discoveries
* Little special knowledge required besides programming
* Suitable for undergraduate and graduate research projects
Wildlife Demography compiles the multitude of available estimation
techniques based on sex and age data, and presents these varying
techniques in one organized, unified volume. Designed to guide
researchers to the most appropriate estimator based upon their
particular data set and the desired level of study precision, this
book provides quantitative consideration, statistical models,
estimator variance, assumptions and examples of use.
The authors focus on estimation techniques using sex and age ratios
because this data is relatively easy to collect and commonly used
by wildlife management
* Applicable to a wide array of wildlife species, including game
and non-game birds and mammals
* Features more than 100 annotated examples illustrating
application of statistical methods
* Includes more than 640 references of the analysis of nontagging
data and the factors that may influence interpretation
* Derives historical and "ad hoc" demographic methods in a modern
statistical framework
Discusses the clinical application of functional foods for the
management of a wide range of chronic diseases Covers chronic
diseases including Obesity, Arthritis, Cardiovascular Diseases, and
Endocrinal and Hormonal Diseases, among others. Explores beneficial
effects of nutraceuticals in chronic diseases *pending Vol 2
features
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Brains
(Paperback)
Leif Østergaard
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R267
R239
Discovery Miles 2 390
Save R28 (10%)
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Ships in 12 - 19 working days
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A short but engaging exploration of the brain. In Brains, scientist
Leif Østergaard explores our most complicated and mysterious
organ. From the dissection of Einstein's brain to research on how
to map networks of neurons, Østergaard deconstructs the different
parts of the brain and provides an engaging overview of its
essential functions. He explains how we store information in the
synapses of neural networks and how these networks carry commands
to our muscles and internal organs and receive sensory input from
our skin, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Delving into the
subconscious, we learn what our brains are doing while we daydream
and how neurotransmitters play a role in addiction. In this
fascinating book, Østergaard reveals how this enigmatic organ is
even more complex than we thought it was. In Reflections, a series
copublished with Denmark's Aarhus University Press, scholars
deliver 60-page reflections on key concepts. These books present
unique insights on a wide range of topics that entertain and
enlighten readers with exciting discoveries and new perspectives.
Explorer-naturalists Robert Brown and Mungo Park played a pivotal
role in the development of natural history and exploration in the
late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. This work is a
fresh examination of the lives and careers of Brown and Park and
their impact on natural history and exploration. Brown and Park
were part of a group of intrepid naturalists who brought back some
of the flora and fauna they encountered, drawings of what they
observed, and most importantly, their ideas. The educated public
back home was able to gain an understanding of the diversity in
nature. This eventually led to the development of new ways of
regarding the natural world and the eventual development of a
coherent theory of organic evolution. This book considers these
naturalists, Brown, Park, and their contemporaries, from the
perspective of the Scottish Enlightenment. Brown's investigations
in natural history created a fertile environment for breakthroughs
in taxonomy, cytology, and eventually evolution. Brown's pioneering
work in plant taxonomy allowed biologists to look at the animal and
plant kingdoms differently. Park's adventures stimulated
significant discoveries in exploration. Brown and Park's adventures
formed a bridge to such journeys as Charles Darwin's voyage on
H.M.S. Beagle, which led to a revolution in biology and full
explication of the theory of evolution.
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