What we now call a deep venous thrombosisa (TM) (DVT) has been elucidated by a diversity of investigative approaches during the past four centuries. The authors of this book survey the history of the field and ask: why has one of these perspectives a the haematological/biochemical a come to dominate research into the causation of DVT during the past 50 years and to exclude alternatives? In answering this question, they show that the current consensus model is conceptually flawed. Building on the work of William Harvey, John Hunter, Rudolf Virchow, Ludwig Aschoff and a number of pathologists in the mid-20th century, they offer a revised account of the aetiology of this condition. In the process they retrace and review the 160-year-old philosophical and methodological schism in biomedical research and, using DVT as an example, propose how this schism might be bridged to the benefit of both research and clinical practice.

This book uses modern biological knowledge to tackle the question of what distinguishes living organisms from the non-living world. The authors first draw on recent advances in cell and molecular biology to develop an account of the living state that applies to all organisms (and only to organisms). This account is then used to explore questions about evolution, the origin of life, and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. The novel approach taken by this book to issues in biology will interest and be accessible to both the general reader as well as students and specialists in the field.

Our previous book, About Life, concerned modern biology. We used our present-day understanding of cells to 'define' the living state, providing a basis for exploring several general-interest topics: the origin of life, extraterrestrial life, intelligence, and the possibility that humans are unique. The ideas we proposed in About Life were intended as starting-points for debate - we did not claim them as 'truth' - but the information on which they were based is currently accepted as 'scientific fact'. What does that mean? What is 'scientific fact' and why is it accepted? What is science - and is biology like other sciences such as physics (except in subject m- ter)? The book you are now reading investigates these questions - and some related ones. Like About Life, it may particularly interest a reader who wishes to change career to biology and its related subdisciplines. In line with a recommendation by the British Association for the Advancement of Science - that the public should be given fuller information about the nature of science - we present the concepts underpinning biology and a survey of its historical and philosophical basis.

The means by which proteins and RNAs are exchanged between cytoplasm and nucleus have interested cell biologists for many years, and the field has seen a number of exciting recent advances. Much has been learned about the intricate architecture of the nuclear pore-complex, the mechanisms by which transport substrates are sorted, and the supply of energy for exchange processes. This book attempts a general review of the growing body of knowledge. However, the authors challenge the presumptions implicit in some interpretations of the evidence, re-examining the concept of "transport" within cells, and suggesting that lessons learned from nucleocytoplasmic transport studies can elucidate wider aspects of cell biology.

Our previous book, About Life, concerned modern biology. We used our present-day understanding of cells to 'define' the living state, providing a basis for exploring several general-interest topics: the origin of life, extraterrestrial life, intelligence, and the possibility that humans are unique. The ideas we proposed in About Life were intended as starting-points for debate - we did not claim them as 'truth' - but the information on which they were based is currently accepted as 'scientific fact'. What does that mean? What is 'scientific fact' and why is it accepted? What is science - and is biology like other sciences such as physics (except in subject m- ter)? The book you are now reading investigates these questions - and some related ones. Like About Life, it may particularly interest a reader who wishes to change career to biology and its related subdisciplines. In line with a recommendation by the British Association for the Advancement of Science - that the public should be given fuller information about the nature of science - we present the concepts underpinning biology and a survey of its historical and philosophical basis.

This book uses modern biological knowledge to tackle the question of what distinguishes living organisms from the non-living world. The authors first draw on recent advances in cell and molecular biology to develop an account of the living state that applies to all organisms (and only to organisms). This account is then used to explore questions about evolution, the origin of life, and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. The novel approach taken by this book to issues in biology will interest and be accessible to both the general reader as well as students and specialists in the field.

What we now call 'deep venous thrombosis' (DVT) has been elucidated by a diversity of investigative approaches during the past four centuries. The authors of this book survey the history of the field and ask: why has one of these perspectives - the haematological/biochemical - come to dominate research into the causation of DVT during the past 50 years and to exclude alternatives? In answering this question, the authors show that the current consensus model is conceptually flawed.

Hypotheses are fundamental to all sciences, including medicine. They play a critical role in motivating the development of science, since interesting and important hypotheses foster the diversity and debate upon which the scientific process depends. It is necessary to learn and understand how to assess a process, realise and discuss details and consequently launch a hypothesis. This book offers a number of novel, non-mainstream hypotheses in various states of development from authors with relevant expertise and experience.