Shrouded in poetry, the earliest accounts of Hindu astronomy can strike modern readers as obscure. They involve the marriage of the moon to twenty-seven princesses, a war between gods and giants, and shadows that give birth to planets. In this fascinating study, first published in Calcutta in 1823 and reissued here in the 1825 edition, John Bentley (c.1750 1824) strives to strip back the mythical aspects of the stories to reveal their foundations. He points out that early Hindu astronomers divided the night sky into twenty-seven sections; that a solar eclipse could have been described as an epic war between light and dark; and that Saturn is often observed in the Earth's shadow. Using data from modern astronomical tables, he dates events, texts and people, whether mythical or factual, as well as charting the history of Indian astronomy from its earliest records to its modern developments.

Arti?cial Immune Systems have come of age. They are no longer an obscure computersciencetechnique, workedonbyacoupleoffarsightedresearchgroups. Today, researchers across the globe are working on new computer algorithms inspired by the workings of the immune system. This vigorous ?eld of research investigates how immunobiology can assist our technology, and along the way is beginning to help biologists understand their unique problems. AIS is now old enough to understand its roots, its context in the research community, and its exciting future. It has grown too big to be con?ned to s- cial sessions in evolutionary computation conferences. AIS researchers are now forming their own community and identity. The International Conference on Arti?cial Immune Systems is proud to be the premiere conference in the area. As its organizers, we were honored to have such a variety of innovative and original scienti?c papers presented this year. ICARIS 2004 was the third international conference dedicated entirely to the ?eld of Arti?cial Immune Systems (AIS). It was held in Catania, on the beautiful island of Sicily, Italy, during September 13-16, 2004. While hosting the conference, the city of Catania gave the participants the opportunity to enjoy the richness of its historical and cultural atmosphere and the beauty of its natural resources, the sea, and the Etna volcano

Hill farming is a way of life, and although the hill farmer in the North of England in the 21st century has changed with the times, the traditions remain strong and the dramatic upland landscape is eternal. In Hill Farming in the North of England, photographer John Bentley has had access to the world of the hill farmer in the North of England. Hill farming is round-the-clock work, season to season, still predominantly done on family farm. In this book he shows farmers at work through the seasons of the year, which dictate the hill farming calendar. From providing feed for the livestock – mostly sheep but also cattle - and shearing to haymaking, from lambing in the spring to ‘tupping’ time in the autumn, going to sales, shows and sheepdog trials, with the backdrop of the dramatic landscape in the changing seasons. It is a visual portrait of a remarkable way of life and a part of our farming heritage. Look through these photographs and you will quickly see the unique challenges of hill farming in the stunning but often harsh landscape of the North of England.