The brain is an absolute marvel-the seat of our consciousness, the pinnacle (so far) of evolutionary progress, and the engine of human experience. But it's also messy, fallible, and about 50,000 years out of date. We cling to superstitions, remember faces but not names, miss things sitting right in front of us, and lie awake at night while our brains endlessly replay our greatest fears. Idiot Brain is for anyone who has ever wondered why their brain appears to be sabotaging their life-and what on earth it is really up to. A Library Journal Science Bestseller and a Finalist for the Goodreads Choice Award in Science & Technology.

Introduction to Basic Aspects of the Autonomic Nervous System, Sixth Edition, Volume One is an all-encompassing reference on the autonomic nervous system's basic function, dysfunction and pathology. This volume describes the anatomy of the autonomic nervous system and its role in the regulation of blood pressure, body temperature, respiration, micturition, digestion and renal function. Additional chapters focus on the autonomic modulation of the neuroendocrine system, sexual function, and immunity. There is also a chapter on mummies and the autonomic nervous system. With these chapters, readers will gain extensive knowledge on the autonomic nervous system's anatomy, functional organization and neurochemistry, which is critical to care for patients with autonomic disorders and guide patient-oriented research.

2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winner - Science Category 2018 Forward Indies Finalist - Psychology Category Why are we obsessed with the things we want only to be bored when we get them? Why is addiction perfectly logical to an addict? Why does love change so quickly from passion to indifference? Why are some people die-hard liberals and others hardcore conservatives? Why are we always hopeful for solutions even in the darkest times-and so good at figuring them out? The answer is found in a single chemical in your brain: dopamine. Dopamine ensured the survival of early man. Thousands of years later, it is the source of our most basic behaviors and cultural ideas-and progress itself. Dopamine is the chemical of desire that always asks for more-more stuff, more stimulation, and more surprises. In pursuit of these things, it is undeterred by emotion, fear, or morality. Dopamine is the source of our every urge, that little bit of biology that makes an ambitious business professional sacrifice everything in pursuit of success, or that drives a satisfied spouse to risk it all for the thrill of someone new. Simply put, it is why we seek and succeed; it is why we discover and prosper. Yet, at the same time, it's why we gamble and squander. From dopamine's point of view, it's not the having that matters. It's getting something-anything-that's new. From this understanding-the difference between possessing something versus anticipating it-we can understand in a revolutionary new way why we behave as we do in love, business, addiction, politics, religion-and we can even predict those behaviors in ourselves and others. In The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity-and will Determine the Fate of the Human Race, George Washington University professor and psychiatrist Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD, and Georgetown University lecturer Michael E. Long present a potentially life-changing proposal: Much of human life has an unconsidered component that explains an array of behaviors previously thought to be unrelated, including why winners cheat, why geniuses often suffer with mental illness, why nearly all diets fail, and why the brains of liberals and conservatives really are different.

Documents the confused early history of DNA, RNA and proteins - a transformative history of molecular biology like no other. Integrates the influences of biochemistry and genetics on the landscape of molecular biology. Chronicles the important discoveries, preconceptions and misconceptions that retarded or misdirected progress. Highlights major pioneers and contributors to molecular biology, with a focus on RNA and noncoding DNA. Summarizes the mounting evidence for the central roles of non-protein-coding RNA in cell and developmental biology. Provides a thought-provoking retrospective and forward-looking perspective for advanced students and professional researchers.

Since its appearance in 1859, Darwin's long awaited treatise in genetic biology had received reviews both favorable and damning. Thomas Huxley and Samuel Wilberforce presented arguments for and against the theory in a dramatic and widely publicized face-off at the 1860 meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in Oxford. Their encounter sparked a vigorous, complex debate that touched on a host of issues and set the stage for the Royal Society s consideration of whether or not they ought to award Darwin the Copley Medal, the society s most prestigious prize. While the action takes place in meetings of the Royal Society, Great Britain s most important scientific body, a parallel and influential public argument smoldered over the nature of science and its relationship to modern life in an industrial society. A significant component of the Darwin game is the tension between natural and teleological views of the world, manifested especially in reconsideration of the design argument, commonly known through William Paley s Natural Theology; or, Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity (1802) and updated by Wilberforce. But the scientific debate also percolated through a host of related issues: the meaning and purposes of inductive and hypothetical speculation in science; the professionalization of science; the implications of Darwinism for social reform, racial theories, and women s rights; and the evolving concept of causation in sciences and its implications for public policy. Because of the revolutionary potential of Darwin s ideas, the connections between science and nearly every other aspect of culture became increasingly evident. Scientific papers and laboratory demonstrations presented in Royal Society meetings during the game provide the backdrop for momentous conflict, conflict that continues to shape our perceptions of modern science.

Reacting to the Past is a series of historical role-playing games that explore important ideas by re-creating the contexts that shaped them. Students are assigned roles, informed by classic texts, set in particular moments of intellectual and social ferment.

An award-winning active-learning pedagogy, Reacting to the Past improves speaking, writing, and leadership skills, promotes engagement with classic texts and history, and builds learning communities. Reacting can be used across the curriculum, from the first-year general education class to capstone experiences. A Reacting game can also function as the discussion component of lecture classes, or it can be enlisted for intersession courses, honors programs, and other specialized curricular purposes."

This book provides an introduction to the significant role of physics in evolution, based on the ideas of matter and energy resource flow, organism self-copying, and ecological change. The text employs these ideas to create quantitative models for important evolutionary processes. Many fields of science and engineering have come up against the problem of complex design-when details become so numerous that computer power alone cannot make progress. Nature solved the complex-design problem using evolution, yet how it did so has been a mystery. Both laboratory experiments and computer-simulation attempts eventually stopped evolving. Something more than Darwin's ideas of heredity, variation, and selection was needed. The solution is that there is a fourth element to evolution: ecological change. When a new variation is selected, this can change the ecology, and the new ecology can create new opportunities for even more new variations to be selected. Through this endless cycle, complexity can grow automatically. This book uses the physics of resource flow to describe this process in detail, developing quantitative models for many evolutionary processes, including selection, multicellularity, coevolution, sexual reproduction, and the Serengeti Rules. The text demonstrates that these models are in conceptual agreement with numerous examples of biological phenomena, and reveals, through physics, how complex design can arise naturally. This will serve as a key text on the part physics plays in evolution, and will be of great interest to students at the university level and above studying biophysics, physics, systems biology, and related fields.

Key features: Organised and centred around analysis techniques, not traditional Mechanics and E&M. Presents a unified approach, in a different order, meaning that the same laboratories, equipment, and demonstrations can be used when teaching the course. Demonstrates to students that the analysis and concepts they are learning are critical to the understanding of biological systems.

Our understanding of bacterial genetics has progressed as the genomics field has advanced. Genetics and genomics complement and influence each other; they are inseparable. Under the novel insights from genetics and genomics, once-believed borders in biology start to fade: biological knowledge of the bacterial world is being viewed under a new light and concepts are being redefined. Species are difficult to delimit and relationships within and between groups of bacteria - the whole concept of a tree of life - is hotly debated when dealing with bacteria. The DNA within bacterial cells contains a variety of features and signals that influence the diversity of the microbial world. This text assumes readers have some knowledge of genetics and microbiology but acknowledges that it can be varied. Therefore, the book includes all of the information that readers need to know in order to understand the more advanced material in the book.

A paradigm-shifting book from an acclaimed Harvard Medical School scientist and one of Time’s most influential people.

It’s a seemingly undeniable truth that aging is inevitable. But what if everything we’ve been taught to believe about aging is wrong? What if we could choose our lifespan?

In this groundbreaking book, Dr. David Sinclair, leading world authority on genetics and longevity, reveals a bold new theory for why we age. As he writes: “Aging is a disease, and that disease is treatable.”

This eye-opening and provocative work takes us to the frontlines of research that is pushing the boundaries on our perceived scientific limitations, revealing incredible breakthroughs—many from Dr. David Sinclair’s own lab at Harvard—that demonstrate how we can slow down, or even reverse, aging. The key is activating newly discovered vitality genes, the descendants of an ancient genetic survival circuit that is both the cause of aging and the key to reversing it. Recent experiments in genetic reprogramming suggest that in the near future we may not just be able to feel younger, but actually become younger.

Through a page-turning narrative, Dr. Sinclair invites you into the process of scientific discovery and reveals the emerging technologies and simple lifestyle changes—such as intermittent fasting, cold exposure, exercising with the right intensity, and eating less meat—that have been shown to help us live younger and healthier for longer. At once a roadmap for taking charge of our own health destiny and a bold new vision for the future of humankind, Lifespan will forever change the way we think about why we age and what we can do about it.

Developed from the author's course on advanced mechanics of composite materials, Finite Element Analysis of Composite Materials with Abaqus (R) shows how powerful finite element tools tackle practical problems in the structural analysis of composites. This Second Edition includes two new chapters on "Fatigue" and "Abaqus Programmable Features" as well as a major update of chapter 10 "Delaminations" and significant updates throughout the remaining chapters. Furthermore, it updates all examples, sample code, and problems to Abaqus 2020. Unlike other texts, this one takes theory to a hands-on level by actually solving problems. It explains the concepts involved in the detailed analysis of composites, the mechanics needed to translate those concepts into a mathematical representation of the physical reality, and the solution of the resulting boundary value problems using Abaqus. The reader can follow a process to recreate every example using Abaqus graphical user interface (CAE) by following step-by-step directions in the form of pseudo-code or watching the solutions on YouTube. The first seven chapters provide material ideal for a one-semester course. Along with offering an introduction to finite element analysis for readers without prior knowledge of the finite element method (FEM), these chapters cover the elasticity and strength of laminates, buckling analysis, free edge stresses, computational micromechanics, and viscoelastic models for composites. Emphasizing hereditary phenomena, the book goes on to discuss continuum and discrete damage mechanics as well as delaminations and fatigue. The text also shows readers how to extend the capabilities of Abaqus via "user subroutines" and Python scripting. Aimed at advanced students and professional engineers, this textbook features 62 fully developed examples interspersed with the theory, 82 end-of-chapter exercises, and 50+ separate pieces of Abaqus pseudo-code that illustrate the solution of example problems. The author's website offers the relevant Abaqus and MATLAB model files available for download, enabling readers to easily reproduce the examples and complete the exercises. Video recording of solutions to examples are available on YouTube with multilingual captions.

Features Surveys of the systems approach to analysing and understanding multifaceted, complex problems in astrobiology, written by two scientists who also have engineering backgrounds. Systems applications to areas important to astrobiology, such as chemical evolution, prebiotic chemistry, geochemical/geophysical settings conducive to emergence of life, robotic space exploration, and much more. Wide appeal for all readers interested in the origin and occurrence of life in our Solar System and beyond.

Features Introduces the physics of accelerators, lasers, and plasma in tandem with the industrial methodology of inventiveness. Outlines a path from idea to practical implementation of scientific and technological innovation. Contains more than 380 illustrations and numerous end-of-chapter exercises.

In a brilliant follow-up to his blockbuster "The God Delusion," Dawkins lays out the evidence for evolution.

Originally published in 1995, The Early Writings of Harold W. Clark and Frank Lewis Marsh is the eighth volume in the Creationism in Twentieth Century America series, reissued in 2019. The book is a collection of original writings by the prominent creationist Harold W. Clark, and the biologist, educator and young Earth creationist Frank Lewis Marsh. Although both were significant figures in the anti-evolutionist movement of the early 20th century, unlike other members of the movement, both Marsh and Clarke were trained scientists studying under eminent evolutionists of the time. Both writers struggled to reconcile new scientific understandings of geology, botany and palaeontology, supported by Darwin’s theory of evolution, with their own creationist beliefs in genesis and flood theory. Both scientists as such began to develop their own theories of evolution that remained in line with creationist beliefs. This compact and unique collection includes the writings of Marsh and Clark from this period, featuring some of their well-known works on the subject including ‘Back to Creation’ and ‘Fundamental Biology’. This volume of original sources will be of interest to academics of religion, natural history and historians of the 19th century.

The volumes in this set, originally published between 1913 and 1997, draw together research by leading academics in the area of evolution and provide a rigorous examination of related key issues. The collection examines evolution from a broad range of disciplines, from the anthropological development of modern society, to the scientific examinations of cellular and genetic evolution. The collection includes volumes across the disciplines of biology, natural history, anthropology, sociology and religion. The 15 books that comprise this collection include rigorous examinations into the psychological evolution of the brain, philosophical and theological examinations of evolution, analysis of genetic and cellular evolution, discussions of Darwinian theory, the affect of survival of the fittest from both genetic and political standpoints and examinations into the affinity between man and ape. This collection brings back into print a collection of insightful and detailed books on the diverse subject of evolution and will be a must have resource for academics and students, not only of biology and anthropology, but of history, psychology and religion.

DUST is unmistakably a major book in the making. This is a book with an extraordinary global story to tell, but - and - also with an ethical argument to advance. - Robert Macfarlane __________ Four-and-a-half billion years ago, Planet Earth was formed from a vast spinning nebula of cosmic dust, the detritus left over from the birth of the sun. Within the next hundred years, human life on swathes of the earth's surface will also end, in a haze of heat, drought and, again, dust. Dust is the legacy of twentieth-century progress and a profound threat to life in the twenty-first. And yet it's something we hardly ever consider - so small and so mundane as to be beyond the threshold of thought. All of history is recorded in the dust we create: the pollution we make, the fires we start, the chemicals we use, the volcanos that erupt. Now, for the first time DUST will examine this substance and reveal it's importance and the fascinating stories it has.

This book bridges the gap between theoretical concepts and their implementations, especially for the high-performance structures/components related to advanced composite materials. This work focuses on the prediction of various structural responses such as deformations, natural frequencies etc. of advanced composites under complex environments and/or loading conditions. In addition, it discusses micro-mechanical material modeling of various advanced composite materials that involve different structures ranging from basic to advanced, such as beams, flat and curved panels, shells, skewed, corrugated, and other materials, as well as various solution techniques via analytical, semi-analytical, and numerical approaches. This book: Covers micro-mechanical material modeling of advanced composite materials Describes constitutive models of different composite materials and kinematic models of different structural configuration Discusses pertinent analytical, semi-analytical, and numerical techniques Focusses on structural responses relating to deformations, natural frequencies, and critical loads under complex environments Presents actual demonstrations of theoretical concepts as applied to real examples using Ansys APDL scripts This book is aimed at researchers, professionals, and graduate students in mechanical engineering, material science, material engineering, structural engineering, aerospace engineering, and composite materials.

Neurological Complications of Systematic Cancer and Antineoplastic Therapy, Second Edition provides an expanded, updated and in-depth review of common manifestations related to neurology that occur in patients with systemic cancer. These include brain metastases, spinal cord compression, cerebrovascular events, and leptomeningeal disease. The book also discusses neurological complications related to treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy and is an essential reference for the practicing neurologist and oncologist. Sections in this new release cover the pathophysiology and molecular biology of cancer and the metastatic phenotype, Metastatic spread to cranial and peripheral nerves and brachial and lumbosacral plexuses, Metabolic and nutritional disorders, CNS infections, Neurological complications of immunotherapy and bone marrow transplants, Neurological complications of new molecular agents and immuno-modulatory drugs, and more.

Our Human Planet summarizes the findings of the four working groups and serves as a reference guide to the four main volumes in the MA series. It presents the key findings of each of the working groups, and meets the needs of policy makers and other professionals.
The summary also provides an overview of the framework used by the assessment, and will serve as a guide for assessment, planning, and management for the future.

Understanding the human mind and how it relates to the world of experience has challenged scientists and philosophers for centuries. How do we even begin to think about 'minds' that are not human? That is the question explored in this ground-breaking book. Award-winning science writer Philip Ball argues that in order to understand our own minds and imagine those of others, we need to move on from considering the human mind as a standard against which all others should be measured. Science has begun to have something to say about the properties of mind; the more we learn about the minds of other creatures, from octopuses to chimpanzees, to imagine the potential minds of computers and alien intelligences, the more we can begin to see our own, and the more we can understand the diversity of the human mind, in the widest of contexts. By understanding how minds differ, we can also best understand our own.

Few, if any, genes have had the same level of impact on the field of evolutionary-developmental biology (evo-devo) as the Hox genes. These genes are renowned for their roles in patterning the body plans and development of the animal kingdom. This is complemented by the distinctive organisation of these genes in the genome, with them frequently being found as clusters in which gene position is linked to when and where the individual genes are expressed, particularly during embryogenesis. This book provides the latest overviews of Hox gene organisation and function for major clades of animals from across the animal kingdom. With the rapidly increasing availability of high-quality whole genome sequences from an ever-expanding range of species, it is becoming increasingly evident that there is great diversity in the organisation of Hox genes. These great strides in genome sequencing are wedded to important developments in our ability to detect expression and disrupt gene function in species that are not traditionally genetically-amenable animals. These technical developments are integrated with wide taxon-sampling in this volume to provide new perspectives on the roles of Hox genes in understanding fundamental issues such as embryo patterning, mechanisms of gene regulation, homology, evolvability, evolutionary novelties, phylogeny, the role of gene and genome duplications in evolution, and ancestral states for major clades of animals. Key features Integrative overviews from major animal groups including, arthropods, vertebrates, echinoderms, mollusks and other spiralians. Perspectives gleaned from the latest genome sequence and gene expression data. Individual chapters written by world-leading experts in Hox genes and evo-devo in each animal group. Related Titles Scholtz, G., ed. Evolutionary Developmental Biology of Crustacea (ISBN 978-9-0580-9637-1) Mattick, J. & P. Amaral. RNA, The Epicenter of Genetic Information (ISBN 978-0-3675-6778-1) Bard, J. Evolution: The Origins and Mechanisms of Diversity (ISBN 978-0-3673-5701-6)

An accessible and thought-provoking introduction to timespans in the natural world, featuring more than 80 beautifully designed diagrams. Which organisms live the longest? How does the natural world recover from fire? How long do eggs take to hatch? What are the world's fastest and slowest growing plants? Which species invest the most in parental care? How Nature Keeps Time discovers the natural world's most important and intriguing patterns of time. Beautifully designed with stunning colour photography and more than 80 reader-friendly charts and diagrams, this witty book examines a broad range of species from across the world and throughout time. From the lifecycle of immortal jellyfish and identifying the perfect amount of time for a 'good sleep' to mass extinction and the destruction of the coral reef, Helen Pilcher tackles highly relevant and fascinating topics in this deeply entertaining read.

'Wendy Wood is the world's foremost expert in the field, and this book is essential' - Angela Duckworth, bestselling author of Grit. What if you could harness the extraordinary power of your unconscious mind, which already determines so much of what you do, to achieve your goals? Shockingly, we spend nearly half our day repeating things we've done in the past without thinking about them. How we respond to the people around us; the way we conduct ourselves in meetings; what we buy; when and how we exercise, eat and drink - a truly remarkable number of things we do every day, we do by habit. And yet, whenever we want to change something about ourselves, we rely on willpower alone. We hope that our determination and intention will be enough to effect positive change. And that is why almost all of us fail. Professor Wendy Wood is the world's foremost expert on habits. By drawing on three decades of original research, she explains the fascinating science of how we form habits and provides the key to unlocking our habitual mind in order to make the changes we seek. Combining a potent mix of neuroscience, case studies and experiments conducted in her lab, Good Habits, Bad Habits is a comprehensive, accessible and highly practical book that will change the way you think about almost every aspect of your life.

This book provides extensive and critical engagement with some of the most recent and compelling arguments favoring abortion choice. It features original essays from leading and emerging philosophers, bioethicists and medical professionals that present philosophically sophisticated and novel arguments against abortion choice.

How have our emotions shaped the course of human history? And how have our experience and understanding of emotions evolved with us? We humans like to think of ourselves as rational creatures, who, as a species, have relied on calculation and intellect to survive. But many of the most important moments in our history had little to do with cold, hard facts and a lot to do with feelings. Events ranging from the origins of philosophy to the birth of the world's major religions, the fall of Rome, the Scientific Revolution, and some of the bloodiest wars that humanity has ever experienced can't be properly understood without understanding emotions. In A Human History of Emotion, Richard Firth-Godbehere takes readers on a fascinating and wide-ranging tour of the central and often under-appreciated role emotions have played in human societies around the world and throughout history - from Ancient Greece to Gambia, Japan, the Ottoman Empire, Britain, and beyond. Drawing on psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, art and religious history, A Human History of Emotion vividly illustrates how our understanding and experience of emotions has changed over time, and how our beliefs about feelings - and our feelings themselves - profoundly shaped us and the world we inhabit.