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A Tear at the Edge of Creation: A Radical New Vision for Life in an Imperfect Universe
by Marcelo GleiserFor millennia, shamans and philosophers, believers and nonbelievers, artists and scientists have tried to make sense of our existence by suggesting that everything is connected, that a mysterious Oneness binds us to everything else. People go to temples, churches, mosques, and synagogues to pray to their divine incarnation of Oneness. Following a surprisingly similar notion, scientists have long asserted that under Nature's apparent complexity there is a simpler underlying reality. In its modern incarnation, this Theory of Everything would unite the physical laws governing very large bodies (Einstein's theory of relativity) and those governing tiny ones (quantum mechanics) into a single framework. But despite the brave efforts of many powerful minds, the Theory of Everything remains elusive. It turns out that the universe is not elegant. It is gloriously messy. Overturning more than twenty-five centuries of scientific thought, award-winning physicist Marcelo Gleiser argues that this quest for a Theory of Everything is fundamentally misguided, and he explains the volcanic implications this ideological shift has for humankind. All the evidence points to a scenario in which everything emerges from fundamental imperfections, primordial asymmetries in matter and time, cataclysmic accidents in Earth's early life, and duplication errors in the genetic code. Imbalance spurs creation. Without asymmetries and imperfections, the universe would be filled with nothing but smooth radiation. A Tear at the Edge of Creation calls for nothing less than a new "humancentrism" to reflect our position in the universal order. All life, but intelligent life in particular, is a rare and precious accident. Our presence here has no meaning outside of itself, but it does have meaning. The unplanned complexity of humankind is all the more beautiful for its improbability. It's time for science to let go of the old aesthetic that labels perfection beautiful and holds that "beauty is truth. " It's time to look at the evidence without centuries of monotheistic baggage. In this lucid, down-to-earth narrative, Gleiser walks us through the basic and cutting-edge science that fueled his own transformation from unifier to doubter--a fascinating scientific quest that led him to a new understanding of what it is to be human.
Tech For Good: Imagine Solving the World’s Greatest Challenges
by Marga HoekTech For Good reveals how Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies will help solve the world’s greatest challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, inequality, and poverty. Tech For Good presents a unique perspective on how business can successfully apply advanced technologies in a purpose-driven manner while unlocking new markets and seizing business opportunities. Packed with 75 real-life business cases of companies from all over the world, this inspiring book unfolds a compelling narrative about how businesses commercially synergize technology and sustainability. The purpose of this book is to imagine the unprecedented possibilities advanced technologies offer business to drive sustainable growth. Tech for Good will be vital for realizing our Global Goals.
Tech Horizons: Unveiling Future Technologies (SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology)
by Andreas Öchsner Azman Ismail Fatin Nur Zulkipli Husna Sarirah HusinThis book assembles a varied array of chapters, each delving into a distinct aspect of innovation and its practical applications. Readers will explore cutting-edge technologies and applicable techniques that aimed at enhancing academic performance. "Tech Horizon" provides an enthralling exploration of the diverse and transformative vistas within the domain of modern technology.
Teche: A History of Louisiana's Most Famous Bayou (America's Third Coast Series)
by Shane K. BernardRecipient of a 2017 Book of the Year Award presented by the Louisiana Endowment for the HumanitiesShane K. Bernard's Teche examines this legendary waterway of the American Deep South. Bernard delves into the bayou's geologic formation as a vestige of the Mississippi and Red Rivers, its prehistoric Native American occupation, and its colonial settlement by French, Spanish, and, eventually, Anglo-American pioneers. He surveys the coming of indigo, cotton, and sugar; steam-powered sugar mills and riverboats; and the brutal institution of slavery. He also examines the impact of the Civil War on the Teche, depicting the running battles up and down the bayou and the sporadic gunboat duels, when ironclads clashed in the narrow confines of the dark, sluggish river.Describing the misery of the postbellum era, Bernard reveals how epic floods, yellow fever, racial violence, and widespread poverty disrupted the lives of those who resided under the sprawling, moss-draped live oaks lining the Teche's banks. Further, he chronicles the slow decline of the bayou, as the coming of the railroad, automobiles, and highways reduced its value as a means of travel. Finally, he considers modern efforts to redesign the Teche using dams, locks, levees, and other water-control measures. He examines the recent push to clean and revitalize the bayou after years of desecration by litter, pollutants, and invasive species. Illustrated with historic images and numerous maps, this book will be required reading for anyone seeking the colorful history of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.As a bonus, the second part of the book describes Bernard's own canoe journey down the Teche's 125-mile course. This modern personal account from the field reveals the current state of the bayou and the remarkable people who still live along its banks.
Technical and Geoinformational Systems in Mining: School of Underground Mining 2011
by Genadiy Pivnyak Volodymyr Bondarenko Iryna Kovalevs’kaNew trends of mineral deposits mining in the world consist of intensifying and concentration of mining operations. This is achieved with the help of new technical equipment that is more reliable, having greater service life and more available power. Consideration is given to quantity reduction of stopes and development workings together with t
Technical and Technological Solutions Towards a Sustainable Society and Circular Economy (World Sustainability Series)
by Jamal Mabrouki Azrour MouradeResource depletion and ecological risks are more than ever at the heart of societal and economic debates. In the 1970s, the developed countries saw the Fordist growth regime crumble in parallel with the growing awareness of the ecological issue. Since the first industrial revolutions, technological dynamics have been the cause of many environmental problems, and there is a consensus on the diagnosis. Integrated technologies reduce resource use and/or pollution at source by using cleaner production methods. This generally leads to a reduction in the by-products, energy inputs and resources used by companies to produce goods.Integrated production technologies reduce negative environmental impacts at source by substituting or modifying cleaner technologies. Examples of integrated, or cleaner, production technologies are the recirculation of materials, the use of environmentally friendly materials (such as the substitution of water for organic solvents), etc. However, the implementation of integrated production technologies is often hampered by obstacles related to cost, coordination and skill inertia problems and to the productive organisation of companies. In addition to the high investment costs of new integrated technologies, additional barriers may emerge depending on the nature of the environmental problem and the type of environmental regulation in question.
Technical Bases for Yucca Mountain Standards
by Committee on Technical Bases for Yucca Mountain StandardsThe United States currently has no place to dispose of the high-level radioactive waste resulting from the production of the nuclear weapons and the operation of nuclear electronic power plants. The only option under formal consideration at this time is to place the waste in an underground geologic repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. However, there is strong public debate about whether such a repository could protect humans from the radioactive waste that will be dangerous for many thousands of years. This book shows the extent to which our scientific knowledge can guide the federal government in developing a standard to protect the health of the public from wastes in such a repository at Yucca Mountain. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is required to use the recommendations presented in this book as it develops its standard.
Technical Change, Human Capital, and Spillovers in United States Agriculture, 1949-1985 (Routledge Library Editions: Agriculture #17)
by Klaus W. DeiningerFirst published in 1995. Based on a detailed adjustment for the quality of inputs and outputs, this study develops state-level measures for total factor productivity growth in US agriculture which are used to determine (i) the presence and determinants of convergence across states; (ii) the contribution of individual factors of production to productivity growth; (iii) the importance of spillovers across states; (iv) the economic effects of, returns to, and factor biases of research and extension. This title will be of great interest to students of economics and agriculture.
Technical Change, Relative Prices, and Environmental Resource Evaluation (Routledge Revivals)
by V. Kerry SmithOriginally published in 1974, Technical Change, Relative Prices, and Environmental Resource Evaluation explores the relationship between natural environmental resources and the differential implications of technological change and relative price appreciation. Smith claims that price is linked to technological progress and comments on the economic issues surrounding this. This title will be of interest to students of Environmental Studies and Economics.
Technical Communication for Environmental Action (SUNY series, Studies in Technical Communication)
by Sean D. WilliamsClimate change is one of the most significant challenges facing the global community in the twenty-first century. With its position at the border of people, technology, science, and communication, technical communication has a significant role to play in helping to solve these complex environmental problems. This collection of essays engages scholars and practitioners in a conversation about how the field has contributed to pragmatic and democratic action to address climate change. Compared to most prior work—which offers theoretical perspectives of environmental communication—this collection explores the actual practice of international technical communicators who participate in government projects, corporate processes, nonprofit programs, and international agency work, demonstrating how technical communication theories such as participatory design, social justice, and ethics can help shape pragmatic environmental action.br>SUNY Press has collaborated with Knowledge Unlatched to unlock KU Focus Collection titles. The Knowledge Unlatched titles have been made open access through libraries coming together to crowd fund the publication cost. Each monograph has been released as open access making the eBook freely available to readers worldwide. Discover more about the Knowledge Unlatched program here: https://www.knowledgeunlatched.org/. It can also be found in the SUNY Open Access Repository at <a href="https://soar.suny.edu/handle/20.500.12648/8482 ">https://soar.suny.edu/handle/20.500.12648/8482 .
Technical Guidance for Petroleum Exploration and Production Plans (SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology)
by Tarek Al-Arbi GanatThis book presents detailed explanations of how to formulate field development plans for oil and gas discovery. The data and case studies provided here, obtained from the authors’ field experience in the oil and gas industry around the globe, offer a real-world context for the theories and procedures discussed. The book covers all aspects of field development plan processes, from reserve estimations to economic analyses. It shows readers in both the oil and gas industry and in academia how to prepare field development plans in a straightforward way, and with substantially less uncertainty.
Technical Knowledge and Development: Observing Aid Projects and Processes (Routledge Studies in Development and Society #Vol. 11)
by Thomas GrammigDevelopment and aid projects often fail to improve technological capacity. Their reform has been a widely acknowledged challenge for three decades. This book demonstrates theoretically and empirically how aid practitioners shape the organizational, social and inter-cultural dynamics of development projects in industry.
Technical Means for Underwater Archaeology (Earth and Environmental Sciences Library)
by Mikhail Klyuev Anatoly Schreider Igor RakitinThe book discusses various aspects of the technical support of underwater archaeological research in marine and freshwater areas. This book considers the relevance, specificity, and artifacts of underwater archaeological research, stating the factors of flooding of archaeological artifacts. The authors describe the basic equipment for underwater work, as well as the equipment for remote study of the bottom and underwater archaeological research. This book presents the usage of instrumentation in underwater archaeology. Case studies included in this book correspond to the flooded ancient Greek cities of Fanagoria and Patraeus in the Taman Bay of the Black Sea, flooded Neolithic settlements on Lake Sennitsa in the Pskov region of Russia, sunken ships in the north of the Black Sea and sunken liner “Titanic” in the Atlantic Ocean. The book is intended for students, graduate students and archaeologists who are interested in the specifics of underwater archaeological research and are planning to conduct it.
Technicity vs Scientificity: Complementarities and Rivalries
by Flavia Carraro Georges Guille-Escuret Giulia Anichini Philippe GeslinThe relationship between technicity and scientificity is often overlooked or avoided despite being a determining factor for establishing interdisciplinarity. By focusing on this relationship and highlighting a number of its ramifications, this book sheds light on the hidden or skewed stakes that condition a wide array of scientific projects. The authors present different approaches based on their own professional experience, focusing on the technique–science relationship in domains as diverse as brain mapping, the decipherment of Mycenaean writing and the design process. Each chapter presents varying and often opposing epistemological conclusions to provide the reader with a wide breadth of examples in different fields. Although the scope of this book is far from exhaustive, it serves as a starting point for the necessary and long-overdue clarification of the relationship between these neighboring, yet disjointed, sectors.
Techniques for Disaster Risk Management and Mitigation
by Prashant K. Srivastava Sudhir Kumar Singh U. C. Mohanty Tad MurtyA comprehensive guide to managing and mitigating natural disasters Recent years have seen a surge in the number, frequency, and severity of natural disasters, with further increases expected as the climate continues to change. However, advanced computational and geospatial technologies have enabled the development of sophisticated early warning systems and techniques to predict, manage, and mitigate disasters.Techniques for Disaster Risk Management and Mitigation explores different approaches to forecasting disasters and provides guidance on mitigation and adaptation strategies. Volume highlights include: Review of current and emerging technologies for disaster prediction Different approaches to risk management and mitigation Strategies for implementing disaster plans and infrastructure improvements Guidance on integrating artificial intelligence with GIS and earth observation data Examination of the regional and global impacts of disasters under climate variability
Techniques for Protecting Overhead Lines in Winter Conditions: Dimensioning, Icephobic Surfaces, De-Icing Strategies (CIGRE Green Books)
by Masoud Farzaneh William A. ChisholmThis book offers a comprehensive review of the various options for improving the performance of overhead power lines in winter conditions, taking into account both mechanical and electrical aspects. Experience within the CIGRE community reveals many strategies to protect overhead power lines from damage caused by heavy build-up of ice and snow or electrical issues such as insulator icing flashovers. The initial approach is to consider the predicted ice loads from the available databases. This is supplemented with some fundamental aspects of icing physics that affect accretion rate as well as factors in ice shedding on traditional (metal, ceramic) and novel treated surfaces. These ice physics concepts structure the ways to categorize and evaluate methods to reduce or prevent icing on conductors and ground wires or to prevent flashover of insulators. Many utilities in cold climate regions have developed and used methods and strategies to reduce ice loads using anti-icing (AI) and / or de-icing (DI) methods. In general, AI methods are used before or early during ice build-up, while DI methods are activated during and sometimes after ice build-up. The book describes and discusses some historical, operational, or potential AI / DI systems in the ice physics context. This supports a comprehensive review of AI coatings including concepts, relevant material properties, application methods, and finally test methods for characterizing the long-term performance.
Techniques for Work with Plant and Soil Nematodes
by Roland N. Perry David J. Hunt Sergei A. SubbotinPlant-parasitic and free-living nematodes are increasingly important in relation to food security, quarantine measures, ecology (including pollution studies), and research on host-parasite interactions. Being mostly microscopic, nematodes are challenging organisms for research. Techniques for Work with Plant and Soil Nematodes introduces the basic techniques for laboratory and field work with plant-parasitic and free-living soil-dwelling nematodes. Written by an international team of experts, this book is extensively illustrated, and addresses both fundamental traditional techniques and new methodologies. The book covers areas that have become more widespread over recent years, such as techniques used in diagnostic laboratories, including computerized methods to count and identify nematodes. Information on physiological assays, electron microscopy techniques and basic information on current molecular methodologies and their various applications is also included. This book is an essential resource for students of nematology and parasitology, academic researchers, diagnostic laboratories, and quarantine and advisory service personnel. It provides a much-needed methodology standard for anyone involved in work on plant and soil nematodes.
Techniques in Archaeological Geology
by Ervan GarrisonThis 2nd edition is a survey level review of key areas of archaeological geology/geoarchaeology. Principal subject areas include: historical principles; archaeologic and geomorphic surfaces and landforms types; sediments and sediment analytic methods; archaeological stoney materials - petrographic and mineralogic attributes; ceramic materials - mineralogic composition and analytic methods; geochemical methods useful in archaeological geology - studies of materials; commonly used geochronological methods for archaeological geology. Contributions to paleoecology, paleoclimate and ancient cultures as well as multivariate ICP and EDX data are now included.
Techniques in Human Geography
by Jim LindsayThe first concise guide to the purposeful use of techniques in human geography. Examining key techniques in detail - survey and qualitative, numerical, spatial and computer-based - the book draws on important case studies, such as the decennial census, to illustrate applications. The importance of up-to-date IT based techniques is particularly stressed, introducing widely recognised applications. A final section explores the Internet, which offers exciting new resources but also creates problems for researchers used to traditional academic fields.
The Technocratic Antarctic: An Ethnography of Scientific Expertise and Environmental Governance
by Jessica O'ReillyThe Technocratic Antarctic is an ethnographic account of the scientists and policymakers who work on Antarctica. In a place with no indigenous people, Antarctic scientists and policymakers use expertise as their primary model of governance. Scientific research and policymaking are practices that inform each other, and the Antarctic environment—with its striking beauty, dramatic human and animal lives, and specter of global climate change—not only informs science and policy but also lends Antarctic environmentalism a particularly technocratic patina.Jessica O'Reilly conducted most of her research for this book in New Zealand, home of the "Antarctic Gateway" city of Christchurch, and on an expedition to Windless Bight, Antarctica, with the New Zealand Antarctic Program. O’Reilly also follows the journeys Antarctic scientists and policymakers take to temporarily “Antarctic” places such as science conferences, policy workshops, and the international Antarctic Treaty meetings in Scotland, Australia, and India. Competing claims of nationalism, scientific disciplines, field experiences, and personal relationships among Antarctic environmental managers disrupt the idea of a utopian epistemic community. O’Reilly focuses on what emerges in Antarctica among the complicated and hybrid forms of science, sociality, politics, and national membership found there. The Technocratic Antarctic unfolds the historical, political, and moral contexts that shape experiences of and decisions about the Antarctic environment.
Technological Challenges: The Human Side of the Digital Age (Management and Industrial Engineering)
by Carolina MachadoThis book discusses and exchanges information on principles, strategies, models, techniques, methodologies and applications of technological challenges in a digital era. It helps the reader to develop the skills required in the digital age and to acquire the knowledge and know-how necessary to drive their organizations to success. This book presents contributions that are exceptional in terms of theory and/or practice in the area of human resources management, technological management, digital age, creativity, technological innovation, organizational innovation, business analytics and flexibility.
Technological Change and the Environment
by Arnulf Grübler Nebojsa Nakicenovic William D. NordhausMuch is written in the popular literature about the current pace of technological change. But do we have enough scientific knowledge about the sources and management of innovation to properly inform policymaking in technology dependent domains such as energy and the environment? While it is agreed that technological change does not 'fall from heaven like autumn leaves,' the theory, data, and models are deficient. The specific mechanisms that govern the rate and direction of inventive activity, the drivers and scope for incremental improvements that occur during technology diffusion, and the spillover effects that cross-fertilize technological innovations remain poorly understood. In a work that will interest serious readers of history, policy, and economics, the editors and their distinguished contributors offer a unique, single volume overview of the theoretical and empirical work on technological change. Beginning with a survey of existing research, they provide analysis and case studies in contexts such as medicine, agriculture, and power generation, paying particular attention to what technological change means for efficiency, productivity, and reduced environmental impacts. The book includes a historical analysis of technological change, an examination of the overall direction of technological change, and general theories about the sources of change. The contributors empirically test hypotheses of induced innovation and theories of institutional innovation. They propose ways to model induced technological change and evaluate its impact, and they consider issues such as uncertainty in technology returns, technology crossover effects, and clustering. A copublication o Resources for the Future (RFF) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA).
Technological Frontiers and Sustainable Innovations (SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology)
by Azman Ismail Fatin Nur Zulkipli Bakhtiar Ariff Baharudin Andreas ÖchsnerThis book takes a deep dive into the industrial sphere, exploring subjects such as aerospace development, knowledge management in higher education, and the emergence of a nation as a player in the global space race. This insightful compilation of chapters offers an essential guide to navigating the complexities of modern industry, offering valuable insights and solutions to propel businesses and society toward a sustainable future.
Technological Imagination in the Green and Digital Transition (The Urban Book Series)
by Eugenio Arbizzani Eliana Cangelli Carola Clemente Fabrizio Cumo Francesca Giofrè Anna Maria Giovenale Massimo Palme Spartaco ParisThis open access book addresses the pressing need for sustainability in urban development and the use of technology, with cities to serve as the main stage for strategies that seek to meet the targets and the cross-sector priorities indicated in the EU’s Next Generation program, all in pursuit of a solid recovery on the part of the European economy, along lines of ecological transition, digitalization, competitiveness, training, and inclusion to overcome social, territorial, and gender differences.The international study encounter is meant to promote visions shared by architectural technology and other disciplines, which, though they may appear to differ, are closely interconnected, with the aim of achieving an open, interdisciplinary integration capable of proposing concrete projects regarding topics held to be of strategic importance to the future of the built environment. These are identified to draw up evolving scenarios of architecture and cities suited to reflection, at various levels, on innovative models of process and product.
Technological Innovation and Third World Multinationals
by Paz Estrella TolentinoThis examines the relationship between technological growth and outward direct investment from firms in Asia and Latin America which has become increasingly siginificant as these countries develop.