Aristotle's voluminous writings on animals have often been marginalised in the history of philosophy. Providing the first full-length comprehensive account of Aristotle's biology, its background, content and influence, this Companion situates his study of living nature within his broader philosophy and theology and differentiates it from other medical and philosophical theories. An overview of empiricism in Aristotle's Historia Animalium is followed by an account of the general methodology recommended in the Parts of Animals. An account of the importance of Aristotle's teleological perspective and the fundamental metaphysics of biological entities provides a basis for understanding living capacities, such as nutrition, reproduction, perception and self-motion, in his philosophy. The importance of Aristotle's zoology to both his ethics and political philosophy is highlighted. The volume explores in detail the changing interpretations and influences of Aristotle's biological works from antiquity to modern philosophy of science. It is essential for both students and scholars.

'It's rare for a book to make you see the world differently, but this ... does exactly that on almost every page' Guardian

Standard histories of technology give tired accounts of the usual inventions, inventors, and dates, framing technology as the inevitable march of progress. They split history into ages - electrification, motorisation, and computerisation - and rarely ask whether anyone bothered to use these inventions at the time. Shock of the Old is not one of those histories.

I Letters exist alongside emails and outlasted telegrams; we still make physical books and magazines despite the rise of the Internet - a belated rise considering that the technologies that made it possible was invented in 1965, and bookshops thrive despite Amazon. More horses were used in the Second World War than any other war in history and propeller planes continue to take off from the same runways as jets.

Shock of the Old forces us to reassess the significance of old inventions such as corrugated iron and sewing machines and rethink the relative importance we place on the invention of something new, its application, and its widespread adoption. It challenges the idea that we live in an era of ever increasing change and, interweaving political, economic and cultural history, teaches us to think critically about technology.

A fascinating account of how the United States established the first global satellite communications system to project geopolitical leadership during the Cold War. On July 20, 1969, the world watched, spellbound, as NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped off the Apollo 11 lunar module to walk on the moon. NASA estimated that 20 percent of the planet's population-nearly 650 million people-watched the moon landing footage, which was made possible by the first global satellite communications system, the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization, or Intelsat. In Beyond Sputnik and the Space Race, Hugh R. Slotten analyzes the efforts of US officials, especially during the Kennedy administration, to establish this satellite communication system and open it to all countries of the world. Locked in competition with the Soviet Union for both military superiority and international prestige, President John F. Kennedy overturned the Eisenhower administration's policy of treating satellite communications as simply an extension of traditionally regulated telecommunications. Instead of allowing private communications companies to set up separate systems that would likely primarily serve major "developed" regions, the new administration decided to take the lead in establishing a single world system. Explaining how the East-West Cold War conflict became increasingly influenced by North-South tensions during this period, Slotten highlights the growing importance of non-aligned countries in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. He also underscores the importance of a political economy of "total Cold War" in which many crucial aspects of US society became tied to imperatives of national security and geopolitical prestige. Drawing on detailed archival records to examine the full range of decisionmakers involved in the Intelsat system, Beyond Sputnik and the Space Race spotlights mid- and lower-level agency staff usually ignored by historians. One of the few works to analyze the establishment of a major global infrastructure project, this book provides an outstanding analytical overview of the history of global electronic communications from the mid-nineteenth century to the present.

The importance of design has often been neglected in studies considering the history of structural and civil engineering. Yet design is a key aspect of all building and engineering work. This volume brings together a range of articles which focus on the role of design in engineering. It opens by considering the principles of design, then deals with the application of these to particular subjects including bridges, canals, dams and buildings (from Gothic cathedrals to Victorian mills) constructed using masonry, timber, cast and wrought iron.

#1 Amazon New Release ─ Surprising history of ordinary things

Learn the fascinating history and trivia you never knew about things we use daily from the host of The Story Behind podcast.

Everyday objects and major events in history: Every single thing that surrounds us has a story behind it. Many of us learn the history of humans and the major inventions that shaped our world. But what you may not have learned is the history of objects we surround ourselves with every day. You might not even know how the major events in history (World Wars, ancient civilizations, revolutions, etc.) influenced the inventions of things we use today.

The history and science behind the ordinary: From the creator of The Story Behind podcast comes this revelatory new book. The Story Behind will give insight into everyday objects we don’t think much about when we use them. Topics covered in the podcast will be examined in more detail along with many new fascinating topics. Learn how lollipops got started in Ancient Egypt, how podcasts were invented, and why Comic Sans was created. Learn the torture device origins of certain exercise equipment and the espionage beginnings of certain musical instruments. Ordinary things from science to art, food to sports, customs to fashion, and more are explored.

Readers will:

- Understand the wonders behind everyday objects

- Learn truly obscure history and fun facts that will change the way they see the world

- Learn how major historic events still affect us today through seemingly mundane things

- Become formidable trivia masters

Discover the fascinating story behind everything!

This book documents the process of transformation from natural philosophy, which was considered the most important of the sciences until the early modern era, into modern disciplines such as mathematics, physics, natural history, chemistry, medicine and engineering. It focuses on the 18th century, which has often been considered uninteresting for the history of science, representing the transition from the age of genius and the birth of modern science (the 17th century) to the age of prodigious development in the 19th century. Yet the 18th century, the century of Enlightenment, as will be demonstrated here, was in fact characterized by substantial ferment and novelty. To make the text more accessible, little emphasis has been placed on the precise genesis of the various concepts and methods developed in scientific enterprises, except when doing so was necessary to make them clear. For the sake of simplicity, in several situations reference is made to the authors who are famous today, such as Newton, the Bernoullis, Euler, d'Alembert, Lagrange, Lambert, Volta et al. - not necessarily because they were the most creative and original minds, but mainly because their writings represent a synthesis of contemporary and past studies. The above names should, therefore, be considered more labels of a period than references to real historical characters.

Contents:
Introduction
Part One: Ancient Cities 1. Urban origins: a review of theories Harold Carter 2. Bricks and Brickmaking in Mud and Clay P.R.S.Moorey 3. History Herodotus 4. Deir el-Medina A.R. David 5. Heavy Transport in Classical Antiquity A. Bruford 6. Ancient Greek Water Supply Alfred Burns 7. Lifting in Early Greek Architecture J.J. Coulton 8. The Construction of Fortified Towns Vitruvius 9.The Organization and Supply of Roman Building James c. Anderson jr. 10. On the Water Supply of the City of Rome Frontinus 11. A Model of Agricultural Change Neville Morley 12. The Transformation of the Roman Suburbium Neville Morley
Part Two: Medieval and Early Modern Cities 13. Water Supply in Early Medieval Italy Bryan Ward-Perkins 14. From Polis to Madina: Urban Change in Late Antique and Early Islamic Syria Hugh Kennedy 15. Medieval Technology and Social Change Lynn White 16. Fuelling the city: production and distribution of firewood and fuel in London's region, 1290-1400 James A. Galloway 17. Road Improvement in Thirteenth-century Pisa David HerlihyL 18. Town and Hinterland in Medieval Scotland Elizabeth Ewan 19. Building Renaissance Florence: materials, techniques, organization Richard A Goldthwaite 20. Repositioning the Vatican Obelisk Domenico Fontana 21. Urbanization in Early Modern Europe: Change or Continuity? Christopher R. Friedrichs 22. Technology and the Built Environment of the Early Modern City Christopher R. Friedrichs 23. A Golden Age: Innovations in Dutch Cities, 1648-1720 Jonathan Israel 24. Fire-fighting Technology in Early Modern England Stephen Porter 25. Technological Innvation in Seventeenth-century Paris Leon Bernard 26. Rebuilding London after the Great Fire of 1666 John Evelyn 27. Technological Change in a Traditional Society: The Case of the Desagiie in Colonial Mexico Louisa Schell Hoberman
Part Three: Pre-Industrial Cities of China and Africa 28. Building in 'The Book of Odes' 29. Meanings of Walls and Gates Nelson I. Wu 30. Water-pipes, Fountains and Clocks Joseph Needham and Wang Ling 31. Tiles, Bricks and Coal Sung Ying-Hsing 32. Guilds and Property Development in Hankou William T. Rowe 33. Fire Brigades and Ferries in Hankou William T. Rowe 34. A Description of Hankou in 1850 Evariste Regis Huc 35. Hausa Building Techniques J.C. Moughtin 36. Building-types of the Hausa People: characteristics and formative influences J.C. Moughtin
Part Four: The Sjoberg Model 37. The Pre-Industrial City Gideon Sjoberg 38. Some Reflections on the Pre-Industrial City Peter Burke

The diverse forms of regional connectivity in the ancient world have recently become an important focus for those interested in the deep history of globalisation. This volume represents a significant contribution to this new trend as it engages thematically with a wide range of connectivities in the later prehistory of the Mediterranean, from the later Neolithic of northern Greece to the Levantine Iron Age, and with diverse forms of materiality, from pottery and metal to stone and glass. With theoretical overviews from leading thinkers in prehistoric mobilities, and commentaries from top specialists in neighbouring domains, the volume integrates detailed case studies within a comparative framework. The result is a thorough treatment of many of the key issues of regional interaction and technological diversity facing archaeologists working across diverse places and periods. As this book presents key case studies for human and technological mobility across the eastern Mediterranean in later prehistory, it will be of interest primarily to Mediterranean archaeologists, though also to historians and anthropologists.

This book is an important outcome of the Fifth World Internet Conference. It provides a comprehensive review of China's Internet development, especially the new practice and achievement in 2018. And it offers a systematic account of China's experience in Internet development and governance. This year, the book improves China's Internet Development Index System, optimizes the algorithm model, and enhances data collection, to assess and reflect Internet development more comprehensively, objectively and scientifically.

Covers the variety of German aircraft used in assault, bombing and anti-tank roles - Bf 110, Ju 87, Fw 190 et al.

Dams have been used to control water for thousands of years, with the oldest known dam being a small earthen structure in present-day Jordan dating to c.4000 BCE. Since then, cultures throughout the world have practised the art of dam-building and the technology has evolved in myriad ways. The papers selected here examine the key technical issues influencing dam construction from ancient times to the early 20th century. In addition they illustrate why various human societies have built dams and how 'social' (or seemingly 'non-technical') factors have influenced the process of dam design. Though hydraulic engineering is the primary focus of the book, it also reveals a keen interest in questions of water resources and environmental history.

This book deals with the period when iron became the dominant 'high-technology' material, increasingly taking over from timber and masonry. It was necessary for the engines and machines of the new industries, but equally vital for the vast civil engineering works which supported this industrialisation. It was these works - mills, warehouses, dockyards, and above all bridges - which so impressed the public in the early 19th century. The papers selected here trace the evolving structural uses of cast and wrought iron in frames and roofs for buildings, and look in particular at the development of bridge design and construction, in America, France, and Russia, as well as in Britain. They cover the processes of design and testing, and at the same time throw much light on the attitudes and careers of the engineers themselves.

This edited volume charts the history of celestial navigation over the course of five centuries. Written by a group of historians and scientists, it analyzes how competing navigation systems, technologies, and institutions emerged and developed, with a focus on the major players in the US and the UK. The history covers the founding of the Royal Observatory; the first printing of a Nautical Almanac; the founding of the US and UK Nautical Almanac Offices; the creation of international standards for reference systems and astronomical constants; and the impact of 20th century technology on the field, among other topics. Additionally, the volume analyzes the present role and status of celestial navigation, particularly with respect to modern radio and satellite navigation systems. With its diverse authorship and nontechnical language, this book will appeal to any reader interested in the history of science, technology, astronomy, and navigation over the ages.

Each volume in this new series is a collection of seminal articles on a theme of central importance in the study of transport history, selected from the leading journal in the field. Each contains between ten and a dozen articles selected by a distinguished scholar, as well as an authoritative new introduction by the volume editor. Individually they will form an essential foundation to the study of the history of a mode of transport; together they will make an incomparable library of the best modern research in the field.

This book is an important outcome of the Fifth World Internet Conference. It provides a comprehensive account of the new trends and highlights of global Internet development over the past year, covering network infrastructure, information technology, digital economy, world internet media, cyber security, and international cyberspace governance. This year, the book improves the Global Internet Development Index System and adds more countries into the assessed list, in order to reflect more comprehensively, objectively and accurately the general situation of the world Internet development and thus to provide reference for all countries in promoting Internet development and governance.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, British firms and engineers built, laid, and ran a vast global network of submarine telegraph cables. For the first time, cities around the world were put into almost instantaneous contact, with profound effects on commerce, international affairs, and the dissemination of news. Science, too, was strongly affected, as cable telegraphy exposed electrical researchers to important new phenomena while also providing a new and vastly larger market for their expertise. By examining the deep ties that linked the cable industry to work in electrical physics in the nineteenth century - culminating in James Clerk Maxwell's formulation of his theory of the electromagnetic field - Bruce J. Hunt sheds new light both on the history of the Victorian British Empire and on the relationship between science and technology.

This is true story of the second raid on Schweinfurt, Germany by the Eighth Air Force 1st and 3rd Bombardment Divisions on 14 October 1943. On this day, the Eighth Air Force lost air superiority to the German Luftwaffe in a continuous air battle that lasted over three hours. Many refer to it as the greatest one-day air battle of World War II. Wrong Place, Wrong Time is a study of the 1st Bombardment Division and specifically the 305th Bomb Group on that fateful day. Record numbers of German fighters swarmed over the unescorted B-17s and their crews. Compelling new evidence never before published indicates that mistakes and poor leadership by several air commanders within the 1st Division caused unnecessary losses for a number of bombers and their crews. This, together with major new revelations by crew members of the 305th who flew the mission, shed light on why the 1st Division lost 45 out of 60 B-17s that day. Information for this book comes from the National Archives, the US Air Force Historical Research Center, overseas sources, and 53 surviving 305th crew members who flew this mission.\nGeorge C. Kuhl was a pilot in the 305th Bomb Group during World War II. He lives in Augusta, Georgia.

This book provides a compact history of gears, by summarizing the main stages of their development and the corresponding gradual acquisition of engineering expertise, from the antiquity to the Renaissance and the twentieth century. This brief history makes no claim to be exhaustive, since the topic is so extensive, complex and fascinating that it deserves an entire encyclopedia. Despite its brevity, the book debunks a number of popular misconceptions, such as the belief that the first literary description of a gear was supplied by Aristotle. It disproves not only this myth, but also other peremptory statements and/or axiomatic assumptions that have no basis in written documents, archaeological findings or other factual evidence. The book is chiefly intended for students and lecturers, historians of science and scientists, and all those who want to learn about the genesis and evolution of this topic.

This volume approaches the history of water in the Iberian Peninsula in a novel way, by linking it to the ongoing international debate on water crisis and solutions to overcome the lack of water in the Mediterranean. What water devices were found? What were the models for these devices? How were they distributed in the villas and monastic enclosures? What impact did hydraulic theoretical knowledge have on these water systems, and how could these systems impact on hydraulic technology? Guided by these questions, this book covers the history of water in the most significant cities, the role of water in landscape transformation, the irrigation systems and water devices in gardens and villas, and, lastly, the theoretical and educational background on water management and hydraulics in the Iberian Peninsula between the sixteenth and the nineteenth centuries. Historiography on water management in the territory that is today Spain has highlighted the region's role as a mediator between the Islamic masters of water and the Christian world. The history of water in Portugal is less known, and it has been taken for granted that is similar to its neighbour. This book compares two countries that have the same historical roots and, therefore, many similar stories, but at the same time, offers insights into particular aspects of each country. It is recommended for scholars and researchers interested in any field of history of the early modern period and of the nineteenth century, as well as general readers interested in studies on the Iberian Peninsula, since it was the role model for many settlements in South America, Asia and Africa.

BY THE WINNER OF THE 2020 NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize "A powerful mix of science and ethics . . . This book is required reading for every concerned citizen--the material it covers should be discussed in schools, colleges, and universities throughout the country."-- New York Review of Books Not since the atomic bomb has a technology so alarmed its inventors that they warned the world about its use. That is, until 2015, when biologist Jennifer Doudna called for a worldwide moratorium on the use of the gene-editing tool CRISPR--a revolutionary new technology that she helped create--to make heritable changes in human embryos. The cheapest, simplest, most effective way of manipulating DNA ever known, CRISPR may well give us the cure to HIV, genetic diseases, and some cancers. Yet even the tiniest changes to DNA could have myriad, unforeseeable consequences, to say nothing of the ethical and societal repercussions of intentionally mutating embryos to create "better" humans. Writing with fellow researcher Sam Sternberg, Doudna--who has since won the Nobel Prize for her CRISPR research--shares the thrilling story of her discovery and describes the enormous responsibility that comes with the power to rewrite the code of life. "The future is in our hands as never before, and this book explains the stakes like no other." -- George Lucas "An invaluable account . . . We owe Doudna several times over." -- Guardian