Fifty thousand years ago--merely a blip in evolutionary time--our "Homo sapiens" ancestors were competing for existence with several other human species, just as their precursors had done for millions of years. Yet something about our species distinguished it from the pack, and ultimately led to its survival while the rest became extinct. Just what was it that allowed "Homo sapiens" to become masters of the planet? Ian Tattersall, curator emeritus at the American Museum of Natural History, takes us deep into the fossil record to uncover what made humans so special. Surveying a vast field from initial bipedality to language and intelligence, Tattersall argues that "Homo sapiens" acquired a winning combination of traits that was not the result of long-term evolutionary refinement. Instead, the final result emerged quickly, shocking our world and changing it forever.

This influential festschrift honours the legacy of Annette Karmiloff-Smith, a seminal thinker in the field of child development and a pioneer in developmental cognitive neuroscience. The current volume brings together many of the researchers, collaborators and students who worked with Professor Karmiloff-Smith to show how her ideas have influenced and continue to influence their own research. Over four parts, each covering a different phase or domain of Karmiloff-Smith's research career, leading developmental psychologists in cognition, neuroscience and computer science reflect on her extensive contribution, from her early work with Piaget in Geneva to her innovative research project investigating children with Down syndrome to understand the mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease. The chapters provide a mix of cutting-edge science and reminiscence, providing a fascinating insight into the historical contexts in which many of Annette's theoretical insights arose, including such ideas as the microgenetic approach, representational redescription and neuroconstructivism. The chapters also provide updates about how earlier theoretical ideas have stood the test of time, and present unpublished data from the early years of Annette's career. Taking Development Seriously is essential reading for students and scholars in child development and developmental neuroscience.

This handbook presents the key properties of silicon carbide (SiC), the power semiconductor for the 21st century. It describes related technologies, reports the rapid developments and achievements in recent years, and discusses the remaining challenging issues in the field. The book consists of 15 chapters, beginning with a chapter by Professor W. J. Choyke, the leading authority in the field, and is divided into four sections. The topics include presolar SiC history, vapor-liquid-solid growth, spectroscopic investigations of 3C-SiC/Si, developments and challenges in the 21st century; CVD principles and techniques, homoepitaxy of 4H-SiC, cubic SiC grown on 4H-SiC, SiC thermal oxidation processes and MOS interface, raman scattering, NIR luminescent studies, Mueller matrix ellipsometry, raman microscopy and imaging, 4H-SiC UV photodiodes, radiation detectors, and short wavelength and synchrotron X-ray diffraction. This comprehensive work provides a strong contribution to the engineering, materials, and basic science knowledge of the 21st century, and will be of interest to material growers, designers, engineers, scientists, postgraduate students, and entrepreneurs.

* A new approach that breaks new ground using psychophysics and mathematics in order to investigate human interaction * Identifies the critical direction of change, and the means to achieve it, in order to maintain a stable social environment that is going to require testable and provable theories that apply to our social space and the various cultures and groups that exist within it * An important text for graduate and advanced undergraduate students or classes, along with private and government analysts all operating within the areas of political theory, detection theory, social psychology, organizational behavior, psychophysics, and applied mathematics in the social and information sciences

Situated at the intersection of natural science and philosophy, Our Genes explores historical practices, investigates current trends, and imagines future work in genetic research to answer persistent, political questions about human diversity. Readers are guided through fascinating thought experiments, complex measures and metrics, fundamental evolutionary patterns, and in-depth treatment of exciting case studies. The work culminates in a philosophical rationale, based on scientific evidence, for a moderate position about the explanatory power of genes that is often left unarticulated. Simply put, human evolutionary genomics - our genes - can tell us much about who we are as individuals and as collectives. However, while they convey scientific certainty in the popular imagination, genes cannot answer some of our most important questions. Alternating between an up-close and a zoomed-out focus on genes and genomes, individuals and collectives, species and populations, Our Genes argues that the answers we seek point to rich, necessary work ahead.

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.

Covers the State of the Art in Superfluidity and Superconductivity Superfluid States of Matter addresses the phenomenon of superfluidity/superconductivity through an emergent, topologically protected constant of motion and covers topics developed over the past 20 years. The approach is based on the idea of separating universal classical-field superfluid properties of matter from the underlying system's "quanta." The text begins by deriving the general physical principles behind superfluidity/superconductivity within the classical-field framework and provides a deep understanding of all key aspects in terms of the dynamics and statistics of a classical-field system. It proceeds by explaining how this framework emerges in realistic quantum systems, with examples that include liquid helium, high-temperature superconductors, ultra-cold atomic bosons and fermions, and nuclear matter. The book also offers several powerful modern approaches to the subject, such as functional and path integrals. Comprised of 15 chapters, this text: Establishes the fundamental macroscopic properties of superfluids and superconductors within the paradigm of the classical matter field Deals with a single-component neutral matter field Considers fundamentals and properties of superconductors Describes new physics of superfluidity and superconductivity that arises in multicomponent systems Presents the quantum-field perspective on the conditions under which classical-field description is relevant in bosonic and fermionic systems Introduces the path integral formalism Shows how Feynman path integrals can be efficiently simulated with the worm algorithm Explains why nonsuperfluid (insulating) ground states of regular and disordered bosons occur under appropriate conditions Explores superfluid solids (supersolids) Discusses the rich dynamics of vortices and various aspects of superfluid turbulence at T 0 Provides account of BCS theory for the weakly interacting Fermi gas Highlights and analyzes the most crucial developments that has led to the current understanding of superfluidity and superconductivity Reviews the variety of superfluid and superconducting systems available today in nature and the laboratory, as well as the states that experimental realization is currently actively pursuing

Is designed to serve as a comprehensive and up-to-date manual for process, device, layout, and design engineers Covers topics that designers as well as layout and process engineers deal with every day, such as front-end-of-line (FEOL) and back-end-of-line BEOL DRs, coverage DRs, stressors DRs, and modeling, foundry reliability, and advance (20 nm) step-by-step process flow Can be used by those studying semiconductors and microelectronics as well as students and researchers in the fields of electrical engineering, physics, materials engineering, and chemical engineering

Polyoxometalates are anionic metal-oxo nanoclusters, which constitute a unique class of compounds owing to their rich solution equilibria and their unique compositional, electronic, reactive, and structural diversity. This book reviews metal-oxide cluster chemistry by covering topics ranging from fundamental aspects (i.e., structure, properties, self-assembly processes, derivatization) to functional materials that incorporate these molecular units, as well as their applications in the fields of current socioeconomic interest, such as energy storage systems, catalysis, molecular electronics, and biomedicine. Edited by prominent researchers in the field of polymer and polyoxometalate chemistries, the book compiles contributions from some of the most distinguished and promising scientists worldwide in such a way that it will appeal to a general readership involved in research areas related to chemistry and materials science.

Presents an overview of current and developing treatment technologies for water polluted with emerging pollutants Gives in-depth account and analysis of advanced materials and methods for separation and treatment Reviews analytical techniques applied to detect emerging pollutants Discusses overall effect of policies on current chemicals/plastics/APIs in the market Includes pertinent case studies and regulations

The second edition offers an update on the single most comprehensive survey of the two intertwined fields of spintronics and magnetism, covering the diverse array of materials and structures, including silicon, organic semiconductors, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and engineered nanostructures. It focuses on seminal pioneering work, together with the latest in cutting-edge advances, notably extended discussion of two-dimensional materials beyond graphene, topological insulators, skyrmions, and molecular spintronics. The main sections cover physical phenomena, spin-dependent tunneling, control of spin and magnetism in semiconductors, and spin-based applications.

Principles of Adaptive Optics describes the foundations, principles, and applications of adaptive optics (AO) and its enabling technologies. This leading textbook addresses the fundamentals of AO at the core of astronomy, high-energy lasers, biomedical imaging, and optical communications. Key Features: Numerous examples to explain and support the underlying principles Hundreds of new references to support the topics that are addressed End-of-chapter questions and exercises A complete system design example threaded through each chapter as new material is introduced

This volume offers environmentally friendly technical solutions that can be implemented to solve problems throughout the value chain of the fossil fuel industry. This new book presents an up-to date view of hydrocarbon microbiology and biotechnology, presented by experts around the world with interest in how our expanding understanding of hydrocarbonoclast ecology and physiology can translate to better tools for bioremediation, oil recovery, bio-upgrading of unconventional crudes, the development of biorefining technologies, and the production of hydrogen and electricity from hydrocarbon wastes. The common theme across the chapters in this book is an interest in how developing hydrocarbon biotechnologies may reduce our impact on the global environment. Written by eminent scientists from both academia and industry, the book starts with a historical perspective on hydrocarbon chemistry and formation, petroleum microbiology, and biotechnology. This is followed by a review of recent research developments in bioremediation and other biotechnologies for hydrocarbons, the principal constituents of petroleum and natural gas.

Positive psychologists focus on ways that we can advance the lives of individuals and communities by studying the factors that increase positive outcomes such as life satisfaction and happiness. Evolutionary psychologists use the principles of evolution, based on Darwin's understanding of life, to help shed light on any and all kinds of psychological phenomena. This book brings together both fields to explore positive evolutionary psychology: the use of evolutionary psychology principles to help people and communities experience more positive and fulfilling lives. Across eleven chapters, this book describes the basic ideas of both evolutionary and positive psychology, elaborates on the integration of these two fields as a way to help advance the human condition, discusses several domains of human functioning from the perspective of positive evolutionary psychology, and finally, looks with an eye toward the future of work in this emerging and dynamic field. Over the past few decades, evolutionary psychologists have begun to crack the code on such phenomena as happiness, gratitude, resilience, community, and love. This book describes these facets of the human experience in terms of their evolutionary origins and proposes how we might guide people to optimally experience such positive phenomena in their everyday lives.

Everybody Out of the Pond

At the Water's Edge will change the way you think about your place in the world. The awesome journey of life's transformation from the first microbes 4 billion years ago to Homo sapiens today is an epic that we are only now beginning to grasp. Magnificent and bizarre, it is the story of how we got here, what we left behind, and what we brought with us.

We all know about evolution, but it still seems absurd that our ancestors were fish. Darwin's idea of natural selection was the key to solving generation-to-generation evolution -- microevolution -- but it could only point us toward a complete explanation, still to come, of the engines of macroevolution, the transformation of body shapes across millions of years. Now, drawing on the latest fossil discoveries and breakthrough scientific analysis, Carl Zimmer reveals how macroevolution works. Escorting us along the trail of discovery up to the current dramatic research in paleontology, ecology, genetics, and embryology, Zimmer shows how scientists today are unveiling the secrets of life that biologists struggled with two centuries ago.

In this book, you will find a dazzling, brash literary talent and a rigorous scientific sensibility gracefully brought together. Carl Zimmer provides a comprehensive, lucid, and authoritative answer to the mystery of how nature actually made itself.

By identifying the structure of DNA, the molecule of life, Francis Crick and James Watson revolutionized biochemistry and won themselves a Nobel Prize. At the time, Watson was only twenty-four, a young scientist hungry to make his mark. His uncompromisingly honest account of the heady days of their thrilling sprint against other world-class researchers to solve one of science's greatest mysteries gives a dazzlingly clear picture of a world of brilliant scientists with great gifts, very human ambitions, and bitter rivalries. With humility unspoiled by false modesty, Watson relates his and Crick's desperate efforts to beat Linus Pauling to the Holy Grail of life sciences, the identification of the basic building block of life. Never has a scientist been so truthful in capturing in words the flavor of his work.

This textbook provides a comprehensive, yet accessible, introduction to statistical mechanics. Crafted and class-tested over many years of teaching, it carefully guides advanced undergraduate and graduate students who are encountering statistical mechanics for the first time through this – sometimes – intimidating subject. The book provides a strong foundation in thermodynamics and the ensemble formalism of statistical mechanics. An introductory chapter on probability theory is included. Applications include degenerate Fermi systems, Bose-Einstein condensation, cavity radiation, phase transitions, and critical phenomena. The book concludes with a treatment of scaling theories and the renormalization group. In addition, it provides clear descriptions of how to understand the foundational mathematics and physics involved and includes exciting case studies of modern applications of the subject in physics and wider interdisciplinary areas. Key Features: Presents the subject in a clear and entertaining style which enables the author to take a sophisticated approach whilst remaining accessible Contains contents that have been carefully reviewed with a substantial panel to ensure that coverage is appropriate for a wide range of courses, worldwide Accompanied by volumes on thermodynamics and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, which can be used in conjunction with this book, on courses which cover both thermodynamics and statistical mechanics

The Wonder of Flight. The Science of Evolution. From both, Richard Dawkins weaves a fascinating and beautifully illustrated account of how nature and humans have learned to overcome the pull of gravity and take to the skies.

Do you sometimes dream you can fly like a bird? Gliding effortlessly above the treetops, soaring and swooping, playing and dodging through the third dimension. Computer games, virtual reality headsets, and some drugs can lift our imagination and fly us through fabled, magical spaces. But it's not the real thing. No wonder some of the past's greatest minds, including Leonardo da Vinci's, have yearned for flying machines and struggled to design them.

Flights of Fancy is a book about flying – all the different ways of defying gravity that have been discovered by humans over the centuries and by other animals over the millions of years, from the mythical Icarus, to the sadly extinct but magnificent bird Argentavis magnificens, to the Wright Flyer and the 747. But it also means flights of digression into more general ideas and principles that take off from a discussion about actual flight.

Fascinating and elegantly written, this is a unique collaboration between one of the world's leading zoologists and a talented artist, and perfect for enquiring teenage minds.

'Beautiful to read and packed with cutting-edge science' Observer 'Poetic, mind-stretching and, through it all, deeply human' Daniel Levitin Mental illness is one of the greatest causes of human suffering, its nature and origin a long-held mystery. But thanks to new science and technology, our understanding has reached a tipping point. In Connections, Professor Karl Deisseroth intertwines his own breakthrough discoveries with moving case studies from his experience as an emergency psychiatry physician, in order to tell a wider story about the origins of human emotion. Addressing some of the most timeless questions about the human condition while illuminating the roots of misunderstood disorders such as depression, psychosis, schizophrenia and sociopathy, Connections transforms the way we understand the brain, and forges a bold new path forward in our understanding of mental health. 'Revelatory . . . it recalls the case histories of Oliver Sacks, at times the sweep of Yuval Harari's Sapiens. He writes with an evident love of words - but also, with a lucid line of scientific enquiry' Guardian 'A master storyteller. His graceful prose weaves a tapestry of complex ideas into memorable stories, each illuminated by cutting-edge science. A delight' Kathryn Mannix, author of With the End in Mind

This collection reviews developments in DNA profiling across jurisdictions with a focus on scientific and technological developments as well as their political, ethical, and socio-legal aspects. Written by leading scholars in the fields of social studies of forensic science, science and technology studies and socio-legal studies, the book provides state-of-the-art analyses of forensic DNA practices in a diverse range of jurisdictions, new and emerging forensic genetics technologies and issues of legitimacy. The work articulates the various forms of technolegal politics involved in the everyday, standardised and emerging practices of forensic genetics and engages with the most recent scholarly and policy literature. In analyses of empirical cases, and by taking into account the most recent technolegal developments, the book explores what it means to live in a world that is increasingly governed through anticipatory crime control and its related risk management and bio-surveillance mechanisms, which intervene with and produce political and legal subjectivities through human bodies in their DNA. This volume is an invaluable resource for those working in the areas of social studies of forensic science, science and technology studies, socio-legal studies, sociology, anthropology, ethics, law, politics and international relations.

Key features: Presents a theoretical outline for each chapter. Motivates the students with standard mechanics problems with step-by-step explanations. Challenges the students with more complex problems with detailed solutions.

Features Covers both basic introductory topics, in addition to more advanced content Accompanied by over 200 problems starting from group algebra to the derivation of Migdal-Makeenko equations, Kim - Shifman - Vainshtein - Zakharov axion, and gluon + gluon to Higgs cross section, etc. Solutions are incorporated into the chapters to test understanding

presents a history of radioecology, from World War II through to the critical years of the Cold War reviews, synthesizes and discusses the implications of the ecological research supported by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) of the United States government, from World War II to the early 1970s. will be of great interest to students and scholars of radioecology, environmental pollution, environmental technology, bioscience and environmental history.

This new volume offers a valuable introduction to plant ecology from a genomics point of view, presenting a thorough foundation and summary of modern approaches, methodologies, research goals, and evidence of plant ecology in the modern genomic era. The book also presents important updated information on the most recent knowledge of the different aspects of plant populations. The volume gives an overview of the approaches to unravelling the genetic basis underlying fundamental responses of plants to their natural environments, describing in detail the concepts, aims, and approaches of plant ecological genomics along with the genomic tools embraced by ecologists for mining various ecological problems. Recent advances and breakthroughs made in molecular markers along with their applications in plant ecogenomic studies are shared, and specific applications, techniques, and tools are described as well, such advanced molecular techniques, next-generation sequencing, eDNA metabarcoding, among others.