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A Search for Muon Neutrino to Electron Neutrino Oscillations in the MINOS Experiment (Springer Theses)
by Juan Pedro Ochoa-RicouxThe centerpiece of the thesis is the search for muon neutrino to electron neutrino oscillations which would indicate a non-zero mixing angle between the first and third neutrino generations (θ13), currently the "holy grail" of neutrino physics. The optimal extraction of the electron neutrino oscillation signal is based on the novel "library event matching" (LEM) method which Ochoa developed and implemented together with colleagues at Caltech and at Cambridge, which improves MINOS' (Main Injector Neutrino Oscillator Search) reach for establishing an oscillation signal over any other method. LEM will now be the basis for MINOS' final results, and will likely keep MINOS at the forefront of this field until it completes its data taking in 2011. Ochoa and his colleagues also developed the successful plan to run MINOS with a beam tuned for antineutrinos, to make a sensitive test of CPT symmetry by comparing the inter-generational mass splitting for neutrinos and antineutrinos. Ochoa's in-depth, creative approach to the solution of a variety of complex experimental problems is an outstanding example for graduate students and longtime practitioners of experimental physics alike. Some of the most exciting results in this field to emerge in the near future may find their foundations in this thesis.
A Search for Ultra-High Energy Neutrinos and Cosmic-Rays with ANITA-2 (Springer Theses)
by Matthew Joseph MottramThe winner of UCL's annual HEP thesis prize, this work describes an analysis of the data from the second flight of the Antarctica Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA). ANITA is a balloon-borne experiment that searches for radio signals originating from ultra-high energy neutrinos and cosmic rays interacting with the Antarctic ice or air. The search for ultrahigh energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin is one of the outstanding experimental challenges of the 21st century. The ANITA experiment was designed to be the most sensitive instrument to ultra-high energy neutrinos that originate from the interactions of cosmic rays with the cosmic microwave background. The methodology and results of the neutrino and cosmic ray searches are presented in the thesis.
A Second Course in Topos Quantum Theory
by Cecilia FloriThis advanced course, a sequel to the first volume of this lecture series on topos quantum theory, delves deeper into the theory, addressing further technical aspects and recent advances. These include, but are not limited to, the development of physical quantities and self-adjoint operators; insights into the quantization process; the description of an alternative, covariant version of topos quantum theory; and last but not least, the development of a new concept of spacetime. The book builds on the concepts introduced in the first volume (published as Lect. Notes Phys. 868), which presents the main building blocks of the theory and how it could provide solutions to interpretational problems in quantum theory, such as: What are the main conceptual issues in quantum theory? And how can these issues be solved within a new theoretical framework of quantum theory? These two volumes together provide a complete, basic course on topos quantum theory, offering a set of mathematical tools to readers interested in tackling fundamental issues in quantum theory in general, and in quantum gravity in particular. From the reviews of the first volume: The book is self-contained and can be used as a textbook or self-study manual teaching the usage of category theory and topos theory, in particular in theoretical physics or in investigating the foundations of quantum theory in mathematically rigorous terms. [The] book is a very welcome contribution. Frank Antonsen, Mathematical Reviews, December, 2013
A Secular Absolute: How Modern Philosophy Discovered Authenticity
by Ulrich SteinvorthPremodern societies believed in something sacred that obliged unconditionally. Modern societies rely on fallible science. Do they also need something absolute, a secular sacred? Steinvorth analyzes the writings of modern philosophers who claim that there is an absolute norm: the norm to be rational and authentic. In his view, their claim is true if it is reinterpreted. The norm is not moral, as it was thought to be, but metaphysical, and authenticity is not self-realization, but doing things for their own sake. In discussing the pros and cons of philosophical claims on absolutes, this book spreads out the rich pool of philosophical ideas and clarifies urgent contemporary questions about what can be demanded with universal validity. It argues this is not only the principle of justice, not to harm, but also a metaphysical principle by which to find meaning in life. Moreover, it points to some consequences this principle has in politics.
A Seed Grows
by Antoinette Portis“An educational picture book about the life cycle of o sunflower.”
A Seed Needs Help
by Katherine Scraper David HaggertyIn this book, explore the things a seed needs to grow.
A Semiotic Methodology for Animal Studies (Biosemiotics #19)
by Pauline DelahayeThis monograph is about new perspective in animal studies methodology, by using concepts and tools from the field of semiotics. It proposes a reflexion on current challenges and issues in the ethology field, and introduces different semiotics – biosemiotics, zoosemiotics – as potential methodological solutions. The chapters cover many aspects of ethology where semiotics can be a helpful hand: studies of language, culture, cognition or emotions, issues about complex, endangered or variable species. It explains why these points are difficult to study for actual ethology, why they still matter for researchers, biodiversity actors or wildlife programs, and how an interdisciplinary study with a semiotic point of view can help understand them. This book will appeal to a wide readership, from researchers and academics in living sciences as well as in linguistics fields, to other professionals – veterinarian, wildlife managers, zookeepers, and many others – who feel the need to better understand some aspects of animals they are working with. Students with animal focus should read this book as an introduction to interdisciplinary methodology, and a proposition to work differently with animals.
A Sense of Self: Memory, The Brain, And Who We Are
by Veronica O'KeaneHow do our brains store—and then conjure up—past experiences to make us who we are? A twinge of sadness, a rush of love, a knot of loss, a whiff of regret. Memories have the power to move us, often when we least expect it, a sign of the complex neural process that continues in the background of our everyday lives. This process shapes us: filtering the world around us, informing our behavior and feeding our imagination. Psychiatrist Veronica O’Keane has spent many years observing how memory and experience are interwoven. In this rich, fascinating exploration, she asks, among other things: Why can memories feel so real? How are our sensations and perceptions connected with them? Why is place so important in memory? Are there such things as “true” and “false” memories? And, above all, what happens when the process of memory is disrupted by mental illness? O’Keane uses the broken memories of psychosis to illuminate the integrated human brain, offering a new way of thinking about our own personal experiences. Drawing on poignant accounts that include her own experiences, as well as what we can learn from insights in literature and fairytales and the latest neuroscientific research, O’Keane reframes our understanding of the extraordinary puzzle that is the human brain and how it changes during its growth from birth to adolescence and old age. By elucidating this process, she exposes the way that the formation of memory in the brain is vital to the creation of our sense of self.
A Sense of Urgency: How the Climate Crisis Is Changing Rhetoric
by Debra HawheeA study of how the climate crisis is changing human communication from a celebrated rhetorician. Why is it difficult to talk about climate change? Debra Hawhee argues that contemporary rhetoric relies on classical assumptions about humanity and history that cannot conceive of the present crisis. How do we talk about an unprecedented future or represent planetary interests without privileging our own species? A Sense of Urgency explores four emerging answers, their sheer novelty a record of both the devastation and possible futures of climate change. In developing the arts of magnitude, presence, witness, and feeling, A Sense of Urgency invites us to imagine new ways of thinking with our imperiled planet.
A Sense of the Future: Essays in Natural Philosophy
by Jacob BronowskiScientist, humanist, optimist, the late Jacob Bronowski in these essays explores the singularity of humankind, the essence of science, and the idea of a life force antecedent to nature.
A Sense of the Mysterious
by Alan LightmanFrom the bestselling author of Einstein's Dreams comes this lyrical and insightful collection of science writing that delves into the mysteries of the scientific process and exposes its beauty and intrigue.In these brilliant essays, Lightman explores the emotional life of science, the power of imagination, the creative moment, and the alternate ways in which scientists and humanists think about the world. Along the way, he provides in-depth portraits of some of the great geniuses of our time, including Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, Edward Teller, and astronomer Vera Rubin. Thoughtful, beautifully written, and wonderfully original, A Sense of the Mysterious confirms Alan Lightman's unique position at the crossroads of science and art.From the Trade Paperback edition.ly written, A Sense of the Mysterious confirms Alan Lightman's unique position at the crossroads of science and art.From the Hardcover edition.
A Sensory Approach to STEAM Teaching and Learning: Materials-Based Units for Students K-6
by Kerry P. Holmes Jerilou J. Moore Stacy V. HolmesDid you know you have the power and the materials at your fingertips to facilitate the actual brain growth of students? This book is a practical resource to engage K-6 students with STEAM content through their five senses: seeing, listening, touch/movement, smell and taste. It combines historical research, practical suggestions, and current practices on the stages of cognitive development and the brain’s physical response to emotion and novelty; to help you learn ways to transform ordinary lesson plans into novel and exciting opportunities for students to learn through instruction, exploration, inquiry, and discovery. In addition to providing examples of sensory-rich unit plans, the authors take you through the step-by-step process on how to plan a thematic unit and break it down into daily seamless lesson plans that integrate science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. With 25 themed STEAM unit plans and activities based on national standards, up-to-date research on brain science, and real classroom experience, this book shows multiple ways to develop and deliver active multisensory activities and wow your students with sights and sounds as soon as they come through the door of your classroom.
A Sensory Approach to STEAM Teaching and Learning: Materials-Based Units for Students K-6
by Kerry P. Holmes Jerilou J. Moore Stacy V. HolmesDid you know you have the power and the materials at your fingertips to facilitate the actual brain growth of students?This book is a practical resource to engage K-6 students with STEAM content through their five senses: seeing, listening, touch/movement, smell and taste. It combines historical research, practical suggestions, and current practices on the stages of cognitive development and the brain’s physical response to emotion and novelty; to help you learn ways to transform ordinary lesson plans into novel and exciting opportunities for students to learn through instruction, exploration, inquiry, and discovery.In addition to providing examples of sensory-rich unit plans, the authors take you through the step-by-step process on how to plan a thematic unit and break it down into daily seamless lesson plans that integrate science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.With 25 themed STEAM unit plans and activities based on national standards, up-to-date research on brain science, and real classroom experience, this book shows multiple ways to develop and deliver active multisensory activities and wow your students with sights and sounds as soon as they come through the door of your classroom.
A Separate Space: Creating a Military Service for Space
by Michael Spirtas Forrest E. Morgan Frank Camm Debra Knopman John S. Crown Yool Kim Shirley M. Ross Sebastian Joon Bae M. Scott Bond Elaine SimmonsAs the United States creates the Space Force as a service within the Department of the Air Force, RAND assessed which units to bring into the Space Force, analyzed career field sustainability, and drew lessons from other defense organizations. The report focuses on implications for effectiveness, efficiency, independence, and sense of identity for the new service.
A Series of Fortunate Events: Chance and the Making of the Planet, Life, and You
by Sean B. Carroll"Fascinating and exhilarating—Sean B. Carroll at his very best."—Bill Bryson, author of The Body: A Guide for OccupantsFrom acclaimed writer and biologist Sean B. Carroll, a rollicking, awe-inspiring story of the surprising power of chance in our lives and the worldWhy is the world the way it is? How did we get here? Does everything happen for a reason or are some things left to chance? Philosophers and theologians have pondered these questions for millennia, but startling scientific discoveries over the past half century are revealing that we live in a world driven by chance. A Series of Fortunate Events tells the story of the awesome power of chance and how it is the surprising source of all the beauty and diversity in the living world.Like every other species, we humans are here by accident. But it is shocking just how many things—any of which might never have occurred—had to happen in certain ways for any of us to exist. From an extremely improbable asteroid impact, to the wild gyrations of the Ice Age, to invisible accidents in our parents' gonads, we are all here through an astonishing series of fortunate events. And chance continues to reign every day over the razor-thin line between our life and death.This is a relatively small book about a really big idea. It is also a spirited tale. Drawing inspiration from Monty Python, Kurt Vonnegut, and other great thinkers, and crafted by one of today's most accomplished science storytellers, A Series of Fortunate Events is an irresistibly entertaining and thought-provoking account of one of the most important but least appreciated facts of life.
A Sexta Extinção
by Elizabeth KolbertLeitura recomendada por Yuval Noah Harari, Al Gore, Bill Gates e Barack Obama, A Sexta Extinção é considerado um dos livros de divulgação científica mais importantes dos últimos anos, tendo sido finalista do National Book Critics Award e vencedor do Prémio Pulitzer para obras de não-ficção. Nos últimos 500 milhões de anos, a Terra passou por cinco extinções em massa, nas quais a diversidade da vida no planeta se reduziu drástica e subitamente. Atualmente, e pela primeira vez na História, decorre um processo de extinção em massa provocado por uma única espécie: o Homem. Nos últimos dois séculos, provocámos danos irreparáveis no clima e ecossistema global; como consequência direta, mais de um quarto de todos os mamíferos da Terra está hoje em vias de extinção, tal como acontece com 40% dos anfíbios, um terço dos corais e dos tubarões, um quinto dos répteis e um sexto das aves. Considerado um dos livros de divulgação científica mais relevantes dos últimos anos, A Sexta Extinção é leitura recomendada por personalidades como YuvalNoah Harari, Al Gore, Bill Gates ou Barack Obama. Neste seu valioso trabalho, Elizabeth Kolbert combina os resultados de uma extensa investigação no terreno com a história das ideias e o trabalho de geólogos, botânicos e biólogos marinhos, produzindo um documento inédito e, mais do que isso, um apelo urgente para que, repensando o nosso papel no planeta, não deixemos como derradeiro legado uma sexta extinção. «Um livro maravilhoso e um aviso muito claro de que mudanças repentinas são possíveis de ocorrer. Já aconteceram no passado e podem vir a repetir-se.» Barack Obama «Um livro que altera de forma radical o nosso modo de ver o mundo.» The Seattle Times «As longas viagens que Elizabeth Kolbert realizou durante a pesquisa para este livro e o tratamento detalhado tanto dos factos históricos como dos científicos, fazem de A Sexta Extinção um contributo muito valioso para a compreensão das nossas circunstâncias atuais.» Al Gore, The New York Times Book Review «Kolbert mostra nestas páginas que é capaz de escrever poeticamente sobre os animais em vias de extinção, mas o verdadeiro poder deste livro reside nos factos científicos e no contexto histórico apresentados pela autora, ao documentar as perdas crescentes que o Homem está a provocar.» The New York Times
A Shadow on the Lens: The most Gothic, claustrophobic, wonderfully dark thriller to grip you this year
by Sam Hurcom'Gothic, claustrophobic and wonderfully dark' GUARDIAN1904. Thomas Bexley, one of the first forensic photographers, is called to the sleepy Welsh village of Dinas Powys. A yound girl by the name of Betsan Tilny has been found murdered in the woodland. But the crime scene appears staged and worse still: the locals are reluctant to help.One night, he develops the crime scene photographs in the cellar of his lodgings. There, he finds a face dimly visible in the photographs - the shadowed spectre of Betsan Tilny.In the days that follow, Thomas senses a growing presence watching him as he tries to uncover what the villagers of Dinas Powys are so intent on keeping secret...The stifling, atmospheric, gothic crime novel following one of the world's first forensic photographers and featuring a killer twist - perfect for fans of The Woman in Black, The Silent Companions, and Little Strangers.****************Praise for A Shadow on the Lens:'An intriguing debut' THE TIMES'A promising debut - gothic, claustrophobic and wonderfully dark' GUARDIAN'A sparkling debut from a name to watch...You might as well be in another world. This is top notch historical crime fiction, with a dash of the supernatural. A gorgeous book and a riveting tale' David Young
A Shadow on the Lens: The most Gothic, claustrophobic, wonderfully dark thriller to grip you this year
by Sam Hurcom'Gothic, claustrophobic and wonderfully dark' GUARDIAN1904. Thomas Bexley, one of the first forensic photographers, is called to the sleepy Welsh village of Dinas Powys. A yound girl by the name of Betsan Tilny has been found murdered in the woodland. But the crime scene appears staged and worse still: the locals are reluctant to help.One night, he develops the crime scene photographs in the cellar of his lodgings. There, he finds a face dimly visible in the photographs - the shadowed spectre of Betsan Tilny.In the days that follow, Thomas senses a growing presence watching him as he tries to uncover what the villagers of Dinas Powys are so intent on keeping secret...The stifling, atmospheric, gothic crime novel following one of the world's first forensic photographers and featuring a killer twist - perfect for fans of The Woman in Black, The Silent Companions, and Little Strangers.****************Praise for A Shadow on the Lens:'An intriguing debut' THE TIMES'A promising debut - gothic, claustrophobic and wonderfully dark' GUARDIAN'A sparkling debut from a name to watch...You might as well be in another world. This is top notch historical crime fiction, with a dash of the supernatural. A gorgeous book and a riveting tale' David Young
A Shock-Fitting Primer (Chapman & Hall/CRC Applied Mathematics & Nonlinear Science)
by Manuel D. SalasA defining feature of nonlinear hyperbolic equations is the occurrence of shock waves. While the popular shock-capturing methods are easy to implement, shock-fitting techniques provide the most accurate results. A Shock-Fitting Primer presents the proper numerical treatment of shock waves and other discontinuities. The book begins by recounting the events that lead to our understanding of the theory of shock waves and the early developments related to their computation. After presenting the main shock-fitting ideas in the context of a simple scalar equation, the author applies Colombeau’s theory of generalized functions to the Euler equations to demonstrate how the theory recovers well-known results and to provide an in-depth understanding of the nature of jump conditions. He then extends the shock-fitting concepts previously discussed to the one-dimensional and quasi-one-dimensional Euler equations as well as two-dimensional flows. The final chapter explores existing and future developments in shock-fitting methods within the framework of unstructured grid methods.Throughout the text, the techniques developed are illustrated with numerous examples of varying complexity. On the accompanying downloadable resources, MATLAB® codes serve as concrete examples of how to implement the ideas discussed in the book.
A Short Bright Flash: Augustin Fresnel and the Birth of the Modern Lighthouse
by Theresa Levitt"Combin[es] matters of biography, science, engineering, technology, art, history, economics and politics seemingly effortlessly and definitely seamlessly. An excellent book and a joy to read."--Henry Petroski, Wall Street Journal Augustin Fresnel (1788-1827) shocked the scientific elite with his unique understanding of the physics of light. The lens he invented was a brilliant feat of engineering that made lighthouses blaze many times brighter, farther, and more efficiently. Battling the establishment, his own poor health, and the limited technology of the time, Fresnel was able to achieve his goal of illuminating the entire French coast. At first, the British sought to outdo the new Fresnel-equipped lighthouses as a matter of national pride. Americans, too, resisted abandoning their primitive lamps, but the superiority of the Fresnel lens could not be denied for long. Soon, from Dunkirk to Saigon, shores were brightened with it. The Fresnel legacy played an important role in geopolitical events, including the American Civil War. No sooner were Fresnel lenses finally installed along U.S. shores than they were drafted: the Union blockaded the Confederate coast; the Confederacy set about thwarting it by dismantling and hiding or destroying the powerful new lights. Levitt's scientific and historical account, rich in anecdote and personality, brings to life the fascinating untold story of Augustin Fresnel and his powerful invention.
A Short Course in General Relativity and Cosmology (Undergraduate Lecture Notes in Physics)
by Reinhard Hentschke Christian HölblingUnlike most traditional introductory textbooks on relativity and cosmology that answer questions like “Does accelerated expansion pull our bodies apart?”, “Does the presence of dark matter affect the classical tests of general relativity?” in a qualitative manner, the present text is intended as a foundation, enabling students to read and understand the textbooks and many of the scientific papers on the subject. And, above all, the readers are taught and encouraged to do their own calculations, check the numbers and answer the above and other questions regarding the most exciting discoveries and theoretical developments in general relativistic cosmology, which have occurred since the early 1980s. In comparison to these intellectual benefits the text is short. In fact, its brevity without neglect of scope or mathematical accessibility of key points is rather unique. The authors connect the necessary mathematical concepts and their reward, i.e. the understanding of an important piece of modern physics, along the shortest path.The unavoidable mathematical concepts and tools are presented in as straightforward manner as possible. Even though the mathematics is not very difficult, it certainly is beneficial to know some statistical thermodynamics as well as some quantum mechanics. Thus the text is suitable for the upper undergraduate curriculum.
A Short Course in Quantum Information Theory: An Approach From Theoretical Physics (Lecture Notes in Physics #827)
by Lajos DiosiThis short and concise primer takes the vantage point of theoretical physics and the unity of physics. It sets out to strip the burgeoning field of quantum information science to its basics by linking it to universal concepts in physics. An extensive lecture rather than a comprehensive textbook, this volume is based on courses delivered over several years to advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students, but essentially it addresses anyone with a working knowledge of basic quantum physics. Readers will find these lectures a most adequate entry point for theoretical studies in this field. For the second edition, the authors has succeeded in adding many new topics while sticking to the conciseness of the overall approach. A new chapter on qubit thermodynamics has been added, while new sections and subsections have been incorporated in various chapter to deal with weak and time-continuous measurements, period-finding quantum algorithms and quantum error corrections. From the reviews of the first edition: "The best things about this book are its brevity and clarity. In around 100 pages it provides a tutorial introduction to quantum information theory, including problems and solutions. ... it's worth a look if you want to quickly get up to speed with the language and central concepts of quantum information theory, including the background classical information theory." (Craig Savage, Australian Physics, Vol. 44 (2), 2007)
A Short Guide to Clinical Pharmacokinetics
by Krishnaveni Manubolu Raveesha Peeriga K. B. ChandrasekharThis book is a complete resource on pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacogenomics in clinical practice. It consists of seven chapters that cover various aspects of pharmacokinetics and its clinical applications. The chapters are structured to provide clear objectives and keywords are bolded throughout the text to facilitate understanding. The topics covered include the significance of pharmacokinetics in clinical practice, factors affecting pharmacokinetic parameters, pharmacokinetic drug interactions, therapeutic drug monitoring, dosage adjustment in different population groups, the influence of hepatic diseases on pharmacokinetics and the impact of pharmacogenomics on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The book is written in simple language to make the concepts accessible to all readers. This book is a comprehensive resource for students pursuing a doctoral degree in pharmacy, as well as academicians and researchers in clinical pharmacokinetics.
A Short Guide to Writing About Biology
by Jan PechenikThis best-selling writing guide teaches students to think as biologists and to express ideas clearly and concisely through their writing.