An accessible graphic introduction to evolution for the most science-phobic reader
Illustrated by the brilliant duo Kevin Cannon and Zander Cannon, this volume is written by the noted comic author and professor of biology Jay Hosler. "Evolution "features the same characters introduced in the highly regarded "The Stuff of Life: A Graphic Guide to Genetics and DNA," now here to explain the fundamentals of the evolution of life on earth. On the heels of explaining to his planetary leader the intricacies of human genetics in "The Stuff of Life," the intrepid alien scientist Bloort-183 is charged in this sequel with covering the wider story of evolution. Using the same storytelling conceit that "Plenty "magazine declared "so charming that you won't even notice you've absorbed an entire scientific field" and that caused "Seed "to pick "The Stuff of Life "as a best book of 2008, "Evolution "brilliantly answers "Wired"'s demand, "What's the solution to America's crisis in science education? More comic books "
"Evolution," the most accessible graphic work on this universally studied subject, takes the reader from earth's primordial soup to the vestigial structures, like the coccyx and the male nipple, of modern humans. Once again, the award-winning illustrations of the Cannons render the complex clear and everything cleverly comedic. And in Hosler, "Evolution "has an award-winning biology teacher whose science comics have earned him a National Science Foundation grant and an interview on NPR's "Morning Edition."

The Human Age is an intrepid exploration of the new geological epoch in which we now find ourselves: the Anthropocene. Defined as the Age of Man, this is the epoch in which human beings have become the driving forces that mould, transform and destroy Earth. Where natural occurrences once controlled climate, geology and the genesis and demise of species, humankind now holds the reins. Bringing together scientific theory, political argument, philosophical questioning and our deepest fears and hopes for the future, The Human Age explores this new age through informative and compelling text, and astounding photographs of the impact of human life on Earth. Powerful graphics depict the changing nature of the landscape and the very bedrock of our planet, and the destruction of ancient systems and environments that is resulting in global upheaval and climate breakdown. Creating a visual and written timeline of the age of human domination, The Human Age reveals how this era was born, the ways in which it is impacting us and our planet now, and the outlook for the future.

What makes mathematics so special? Whether you have anxious memories of the subject from school, or solve quadratic equations for fun, David Acheson's book will make you look at mathematics afresh. Following on from his previous bestsellers, The Calculus Story and The Wonder Book of Geometry, here Acheson highlights the power of algebra, combining it with arithmetic and geometry to capture the spirit of mathematics. This short book encompasses an astonishing array of ideas and concepts, from number tricks and magic squares to infinite series and imaginary numbers. Acheson's enthusiasm is infectious, and, as ever, a sense of quirkiness and fun pervades the book. But it also seeks to crystallize what is special about mathematics: the delight of discovery; the importance of proof; and the joy of contemplating an elegant solution. Using only the simplest of materials, it conjures up the depth and the magic of the subject.

This book introduces the reader to the fascinating world of parasites that cause human disease. It is written in a first-person style relating anecdotes and personal encounters of parasites by the author. It tells stories about exotic parasites diseases, interesting factoids about the life history of unusual parasites species, and strange ways in which humans can become infected. However this is also a serious topic, as there is increasing movement of populations and goods occurring in a globalized world, resulting in previously exotic parasites being brought into new regions of the world. This book about parasite infections will be of interest to business travelers and tourists alike, and the book discusses simple common sense ways to avoid them.

A unique collaboration between leading poets and scientists, Contemporary Poetry and Contemporary Science demonstrates through its form, and through practice as well as reflection, that poetry and science can meet with productive results. Crossing between disciplines, and between prose and verse, the book shows how modes of scientific knowledge and of poetic making continue to be intertwined. Often drawing on Scottish intellectual traditions, rather than on the notorious "two cultures" argument, Contemporary Poetry and Contemporary Science argues through examples for a more open and mutually sympathetic engagement of poetry and science in contemporary culture.
Provocative, nimble, and surprising, this book is in several senses a crossover volume. In its gathering of essays as well as poems, it is the first book of its kind. Readers can see how a poet and a solar physicist may share working assumptions; how poetic insight may inform psychiatric practice; how a poet's encounter with an MRI scanner leads to a fresh neurological experiment. As well as new essays by internationally distinguished poets, scientists, and literary critics--including Simon Armitage, Gillian Beer, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Miroslav Holub, Kay Redfield Jamison, and Edwin Morgan--the book includes a series of specially commissioned poems by John Burnside, Michael Donaghy, Sarah Maguire, Paul Muldoon, Don Paterson, and others. Each poem is introduced by the scientist whose work prompted the poem.
Though Contemporary Poetry and Contemporary Science exposes and investigates strains between the way poets and scientists see and reinvent the world, the book is most arresting and enjoyable when it shows just how oftenpoets and scientists agree.

Game data science, defined as the practice of deriving insights from game data, has created a revolution in the multibillion-dollar games industry - informing and enhancing production, design, and development processes. Almost all game companies and academics have now adopted some type of game data science, every tool utilized by game developers allows collecting data from games, yet there has been no definitive resource for academics and professionals in this rapidly developing sector until now. Games Data Science delivers an excellent introduction to this new domain and provides the definitive guide to methods and practices of computer science, analytics, and data science as applied to video games. It is the ideal resource for academic students and professional learners seeking to understand how data science is used within the game development and production cycle, as well as within the interdisciplinary field of games research. Organized into chapters that integrate laboratory and game data examples, this book provides a unique resource to train and educate both industry professionals and academics about the use of game data science, with practical exercises and examples on how such processes are implemented and used in academia and industry, interweaving theoretical learning with practical application throughout.

As featured on BBC Radio 4's Start the Week 'A rich, timely study for the era of "global ageing"' Nature The ageing of the world population is one of the most important issues facing humanity in the 21st century - up there with climate change in its potential global impact. Sometime before 2020, the number of people over 65 worldwide will, for the first time, be greater than the number of 0-4 year olds, and it will keep on rising. The strains this is causing on society are already evident as health and social services everywhere struggle to cope with the care needs of the elderly. But why and how do we age? Scientists have been asking this question for centuries, yet there is still no agreement. There are a myriad competing theories, from the idea that our bodies simply wear out with the rough and tumble of living, like well-worn shoes or a rusting car, to the belief that ageing and death are genetically programmed and controlled. In Borrowed Time, Sue Armstrong tells the story of science's quest to understand ageing and to prevent or delay the crippling conditions so often associated with old age. She focusses inward - on what is going on in our bodies at the most basic level of the cells and genes as the years pass - to look for answers to why and how our skin wrinkles with age, our wounds take much longer to heal than they did when we were kids, and why words escape us at crucial moments in conversation.This book explores these questions and many others through interviews with key scientists in the field of gerontology and with people who have interesting and important stories to tell about their personal experiences of ageing.

The Story of Science guides us to the original texts that have changed the way we think about our world, our cosmos and ourselves. Whether referenced individually or read together as the narrative of Western scientific development, the book's twenty-eight succinct chapters lead readers from the first science texts by Hippocrates, Plato and Aristotle through twentieth-century classics in biology, physics and cosmology, including works by Einstein, Schroedinger and Dawkins. Each chapter recommends one or more classic books and provides an entertaining account of the discovery, a vivid sketch of the scientist-writer and a clear explanation of any technical issues. The Story of Science reveals science to be a human pursuit-an essential, often deeply personal, sometimes flawed, frequently brilliant way of understanding the world.

There are many books about philosophy, but Who Am I? And If So How Many? is different from the rest. Never before has anyone introduced readers so expertly and, at the same time, so light-heartedly and elegantly to the big philosophical questions. Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, history, and even pop culture, Richard David Precht deftly elucidates the questions at the heart of human existence: What is truth? Does life have meaning? Why should I be good? and presents them in concise, witty, and engaging prose. The result is an exhilarating journey through the history of philosophy and a lucid introduction to current research on the brain. Who Am I? And If So, How Many? is a wonderfully accessible introduction to philosophy. The book is a kaleidoscope of philosophical problems, anecdotal information, neurological and biological science, and psychological research. The books is divided into three parts: 1) What Can I Know? focuses on the brain and the nature and scope of human knowledge, starting with questions posed by Kant, Descartes, Nietzsche, Freud, and others. 2) What Should I Do? deals with human morals and ethics, using neurological and sociological research to explain why we empathize with others and are compelled to act morally. Discusses the morality of euthanasia, abortion, cloning, and other controversial topics. 3) What Can I Hope For? centers around the most important questions in life: What is happiness and why do we fall in love? Is there a God and how can we prove God's existence? What is freedom? What is the purpose of life?

Is it possible to build a star on earth? When asked what problem he hoped scientists will have solved by the end of the century, Professor Stephen Hawking replied 'I would like nuclear fusion to become a practical power source. It would provide an inexhaustible supply of energy, without pollution or global warming.' But what is nuclear fusion, and could it really be the answer to the climate emergency? Fusion exists already in the stars that fill our universe with light, but can we harness that power here on earth? This is the question The Star Builders seeks to answer. In his compelling new book, Dr Arthur Turrell makes the case for cutting-edge new techniques in nuclear energy - innovations that would allow us to recreate the power of the stars on our own planet. Filled with the remarkable stories of the scientists and entrepreneurs who have dedicated their lives to a seemingly impossible dream, The Star Builders is an unmissable insight into the future of life - and space - on our planet.

Truly thought-provoking. Paley puts forth an astonishingly original hypothesis and defends it eloquently, marshalling cutting-edge science to argue against the very idea of morality. - Kurt Gray, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Morals have held empires together, kept soldiers marching under fire, fed the hungry, passed laws, built walls, welcomed immigrants, destroyed careers and governed our sex lives. But what if morality's all meaningless rubbish, a malfunctioning relic of our evolutionary past?

This is the provocative argument that Chris makes. This isn't an attack on one set of moral codes or one way of thinking about ethics: it's a call for abolishing the whole caboodle.

He uses evolutionary psychology to show how and why morality emerged: they enabled our forebears to survive and prosper in tribal groups. Today, our morals constrain us, bias us, and push us in the wrong direction.

The biggest challenges our species faces, whether global warming, nuclear proliferation or the rise of the robots, are pan-human. These challenges are beyond what our moral minds were designed to cope with. You can't build smartphones with stone-age axes, and you can't solve modern humanity's problems with tools that are designed to create primitive, competitive groups.

From Chris Paley, author of the 'extraordinary', 'startling' and 'thought-provoking' Unthink, comes Beyond Bad, which shows morals hinder us from achieving what we want to achieve. Beyond Bad is the book that 'does for morals what Dawkins did for God'.

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Elephant's on Acid comes a collection of the wackiest theories from science and history.

What if we’re living inside a black hole? What if we’ve already found extraterrestrial life? What if the dinosaurs died in a nuclear war? What if Jesus Christ was actually a mushroom?

In Psychedelic Apes, bestselling author Alex Boese will delve into the curious scientific subculture of weird theories. Thoroughly bizarre and contrary to the established norm, these ideas are often vehemently rejected by the intellectual community.

From the creation of the universe to the evolution of humans, the birth of civilization right through to our more recent past, Psychedelic Apes explores some of the craziest ideas from science and history and shows that, sometimes, even the weirdest theories may be proved true . . .

Maybe you know someone who swears by the reliability of psychics or who is in regular contact with angels. Or perhaps you're trying to find a nice way of dissuading someone from wasting money on a homeopathy cure. Or you met someone at a party who insisted the Holocaust never happened or that no one ever walked on the moon. How do you find a gently persuasive way of steering people away from unfounded beliefs, bogus cures, conspiracy theories, and the like?
This down-to-earth, entertaining exploration of commonly held extraordinary claims will help you set the record straight. The author, a veteran journalist, has not only surveyed a vast body of literature, but has also interviewed leading scientists, explored "the most haunted house in America," frolicked in the inviting waters of the Bermuda Triangle, and even talked to a "contrite Roswell alien." He is not out simply to debunk unfounded beliefs. Wherever possible, he presents alternative scientific explanations, which in most cases are even more fascinating than the wildest speculation.
For example, stories about UFOs and alien abductions lack good evidence, but science gives us plenty of reasons to keep exploring outer space for evidence that life exists elsewhere in the vast universe. The proof for Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster may be nonexistent, but scientists are regularly discovering new species, some of which are truly stranger than fiction.
Stressing the excitement of scientific discovery and the legitimate mysteries and wonder inherent in reality, this book invites readers to share the joys of rational thinking and the skeptical approach to evaluating our extraordinary world.

'Spellbinding . . . More than any other book, [Sentient] has made me think differently about the world this year.' - Financial Times Best Books of the Year The peacock mantis shrimp can throw a punch that can fracture aquarium walls. The great grey owl can hear many decibels lower than the human ear. The star-nosed mole's miraculous nose allows it to catch worms in as little as 120 milliseconds. In Sentient, Jackie Higgins assembles a menagerie of zoological creatures - from land, air, sea and all four corners of the globe - to understand what it means to be human. In it, we also meet the four-eyed spookfish and its dark vision, the vampire bat and its remarkable powers of touch, as well as the common octopus, the Goliath catfish and the duck-billed platypus. Each zoological marvel illustrates the surprising sensory powers that lie within us and enables us to engage with the world in ways we never knew possible. 'Lyrical and lucid . . . Higgins makes popular science accessible.' - Observer

Thousands of years ago the inhabitants of Mesopotamia became the first to use numbers. Since then, mathematics has been unstoppable. It's behind almost everything, from search-engines to cruise-control, from coffee-makers to timetables. But now that we hardly ever need to do arithmetic, how relevant is mathematics to everyday life? Pluses and Minuses demonstrates the role mathematics plays in human endeavour. It answers questions such as: What is life without numbers? Is the usefulness of mathematics mere chance? How can we get a grip on uncertainty? Stefan Buijsman's richly entertaining guide makes connections between philosophy, psychology and history, while explaining the wonderful world of mathematics for absolutely everyone.

'A meticulous guide not only to the vagina but to changing perceptions of womanhood' OBSERVER 'An empowering and enlightening book' IRISH TIMES The vagina is the ultimate symbol of female power. Sexual power, creative power and the power to prevent harm. For too long, though, the true extent of vaginal power has been ignored, hidden and misrepresented. Raising the skirt: the unsung power of the vagina reveals this revolutionary view of female genitalia and points the way to a new understanding of what it means to be female. An inspiration for millennia, the vagina is actually a muscular marvel of engineering - sensitive and strong, fluid and flexible. Far from being a passive vessel, female genitalia control the most important role of all: the survival of the species. Originally published as THE STORY OF V: OPENING PANDORA'S BOX

From the bestselling author of Gratitude and On the Move, a final volume of essays that showcase Oliver Sacks's broad range of interests - from his passion for ferns, swimming, and horsetails, to his final case histories exploring schizophrenia, dementia, and Alzheimer's. Oliver Sacks, scientist and storyteller, is beloved by readers for his neurological case histories and his fascination and familiarity with human behavior at its most unexpected and unfamiliar. Everything in Its Place is a celebration of Sacks's myriad interests.

__________ If you live on planet Earth, you're probably scared about the future. Terrorism, complicated international relations, global warming, killer viruses and a raft of other issues make it hard not to be. Watching the news you have to wonder: is it safe to go out there or not? In The Day It Finally Happens, Mike Pearl games out many of the 'could it really happen?' scenarios we've all speculated about, assigning a probability rating, and taking us through how it would unfold. He explores what would likely occur in dozens of possible scenarios - the final failure of antibiotics, the loss of the world's marine life, the abolition of the British monarchy, and even the arrival of aliens - and reports back from the future, providing a clear picture on how the world would look, feel, and even smell in each of these instances. Hilarious, enlightening, and terrifying, this book makes science accessible and is a unique form of existential therapy, offering practical answers to some of our most worrisome questions. Thankfully, the odds of humanity pulling through look pretty good. __________ For fans of such bestsellers as What If?,The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook and The Uninhabitable Earth, as well as Steven Pinker and Malcolm Gladwell, this is a book about future events that we don't really understand and getting to know them in close detail. Entertaining speculation featuring both authoritative research and a bit of mischief: a look at how humanity is likely to weather such happenings as the day nuclear war occurs, the day the global internet goes down, the day we run out of effective antibiotics, and the day immortality is achieved.

This title provides an utterly fascinating exploration of the Golden Ration, maths most intriguing and elegant phenomena. For centuries, mathematicians, scientists, artists and architects have been fascinated by a ratio that is ubiquitous in nature and commonly found across many cultures. From the ratio of certain proportions of the human body and the helical structure of DNA, to the design of Greek temples and modern masterpieces, the Golden Ratio is a key pattern that has wide-ranging and perhaps endless applications. What exactly is the Golden Ratio? How was it discovered? Where is it found? These questions and more are thoroughly explained in this fascinating and engaging tour of one of mathematics most interesting phenomena. Requiring no more than an elementary understanding of maths, this volume will give readers a new appreciation of the indispensible qualities and inherent beauty of mathematics.

Are you wishing you knew all you need to know about how to better communicate science, without having to read several hundred academic papers and blogs and books? Luckily Dr Craig Cormick has done this for you! This highly readable and entertaining book captures the breadth of research into best practice science communications and has distilled it into accessible chapters that take you through both the how and the why of science communication, supported with case studies and examples. Dr Craig Cormick has been a science communicator for over 25 years, working with organisations such as CSIRO, Questacon and the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. He has been widely published on science communication issues in key journals and the popular media, including ABC Radio National's The Science Show, the Conversation, and has twice appeared in Best Australian Science Writing. He is a popular speaker on science communication issues at conferences in Australia and overseas. In 2013 he was awarded the Unsung Hero of Science Communication by the Australian Science Communicators (ASC) and is currently the President of the ASC. He has published over 25 books, including having edited the award-winning book published with CSIRO Publications, Ned Kelly Under the Microscope (2014), and his writing awards include a Queensland Premier's Literary Award (2006), The ACT Book of the Year Award (1999), the Tasmanian Writers Prize (2016) and an ACT Writing and Publishing Award (2015).

The COVID-19 and the onslaught of Climate Change have exposed the fragility of our lives and ecosystem. Natural disasters like asteroid impact, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, floods, cyclones, etc., and pandemics like plagues, smallpox, cholera, tuberculosis, malaria, etc., have been man's nemesis from the beginning of time. This list of public risks has now expanded to include pollutions, industrial disasters, and very many new, confusing and emerging technologies.How have governments handled these public risks? How have they convinced people to take precautions under such emergencies? What measures does one take for managing them, and for the rescue, relief, and rehabilitation of the masses? And most importantly, how does one prepare the masses to face the risks without panicking? It is argued that sermons, dictates, and discourses may not work in democratic societies. Rather, one needs a new breed of risk communicators who can enter into a dialogue with the people to prepare them for these challenges and to welcome truly beneficial new technologies.The book takes a panoramic view of the issue of risks and illustrates the challenges and opportunities of the Art and Science of Managing Public Risks. It celebrates the indomitable spirit of man, who has leveraged science to predict - where possible, and provide solutions for managing these risks.

Neuroscience studies the brain. A full examination of what we mean by the term “mind” has traditionally been the province of philosophers but here Daniel Siegel explores what neuroscience can teach us about it—how the mind differs from consciousness and how we know who we really are. In Mind, Siegel, The New York Times best-selling author, brings his characteristic sensitivity and interdisciplinary background to this most perplexing of topics. He explores the nature of the who, how, what, why and when of your mind—of your self—from the perspective of neuroscience. Mind captures the essence of our true nature, our deepest sense of being alive, here, right now, in this moment. How science explains it is one of the most exciting journeys into knowledge we can take.

Flight is the story of humankind's most ambitious undertaking. From thousand-year-old flying machines and the trailblazing 'birdmen' who risked their lives to test them, to the Wright brothers' legendary first flight and the iconic spacecraft of the modern era, Flight weaves together the extraordinary history of aviation with an in-depth look at the mechanics of how planes work. Sumptuously illustrated and written by a former RAF technician, this is the definitive guide to how we conquered the skies.

'Absorbing, mind-enlarging, studded with insights ... This could have significant real-world results' Sunday Times Humanity's greatest feat is our incredible ability to learn. Even in their first year, infants acquire language, visual and social knowledge at a rate that surpasses the best supercomputers. But how, exactly, do our brains learn? In How We Learn, leading neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene delves into the psychological, neuronal, synaptic and molecular mechanisms of learning. Drawing on case studies of children who learned despite huge difficulty and trauma, he explains why youth is such a sensitive period, during which brain plasticity is maximal, but also assures us that our abilities continue into adulthood. We can all enhance our learning and memory at any age and 'learn to learn' by taking maximal advantage of the four pillars of the brain's learning algorithm: attention, active engagement, error feedback and consolidation. The human brain is an extraordinary machine. Its ability to process information and adapt to circumstances by reprogramming itself is unparalleled, and it remains the best source of inspiration for recent developments in artificial intelligence. How We Learn finds the boundary of computer science, neurobiology, cognitive psychology and education to explain how learning really works and how to make the best use of the brain's learning algorithms - and even improve them - in our schools and universities as well as in everyday life.