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Nature Underfoot: Living with Beetles, Crabgrass, Fruit Flies, and Other Tiny Life Around Us
by John HainzeAn informed and heartfelt tribute to commonly unappreciated plants, insects, and other tiny creatures that reconsiders humanity&’s relationship to nature Fruit flies, silverfish, dandelions, and crabgrass are the bane of many people and the target of numerous chemical and physical eradication efforts. In this compelling reassessment of the relationship between humans and the natural world, John Hainze—an entomologist and former pesticide developer—considers the fascinating and bizarre history of how these so-called invasive or unwanted pests and weeds have coevolved with humanity and highlights the benefits of a greater respect and moral consideration toward these organisms. With deep insight into the lives of the underappreciated and often reviled creatures that surround us, Hainze&’s accessible and engaging natural history draws on ethics, religion, and philosophy as he passionately argues that creepy crawlies and unwanted plants deserve both empathy and accommodation as partners dwelling with us on earth.
Nature and Culture: Rebuilding Lost Connections
by Jules Pretty Sarah PilgrimThere is a growing recognition that the diversity of life comprises both biological and cultural diversity. But this division is not universal and, in many cases, has been deepened by the common disciplinary divide between the natural and social sciences and our apparent need to manage and control nature. This book goes beyond divisive definitions and investigates the bridges linking biological and cultural diversity. The international team of authors explore the common drivers of loss, and argue that policy responses should target both forms of diversity in a novel integrative approach to conservation, thus reducing the gap between science, policy and practice. While conserving nature alongside human cultures presents unique challenges, this book forcefully shows that any hope for saving biological diversity is predicated on a concomitant effort to appreciate and protect cultural diversity.
Nature and Experience in the Culture of Delusion: How Industrial Society Lost Touch with Reality
by David W. KidnerIndustrialism has alienated us from nature, disconnected us from our own embodiment, and blinded us to the character of the technological society we have ourselves have produced. This book brings together ideas and research from both social and natural sciences to throw light on the hidden dimensions of industrial life, showing how the emerging global economic system has dissolved our embodied subjectivity into industrial processes. The symbolic abilities that have allowed us to dominate all other creatures have now entrapped us within systems that we do not understand and have little control over, making us as vulnerable to the extension of economic and technological ideologies as our ancestors were to the natural threats that surrounded them. If we are to regain our humanity and integrity, the essential first step, outlined in this book, is to recognise and challenge the sources of our own powerlessness.
Nature and History: The Evolutionary Approach for Social Scientists (Routledge Library Editions: Evolution #6)
by Ignazio MasulliOriginally published in 1990, Nature and History examines how Darwin’s theory of evolution has been expanded by scholars and researchers to include virtually every scientific discipline. The book presents a morphological analysis of historical and social sciences – sciences which have traditionally have been viewed as too random in their progressions to conform to a model. Through the evaluation of empirical and factual evidence, the book builds a case for an evolutionary paradigm which encompasses both natural and social sciences, and presents the form’s adaptiveness in working historical models.
Nature and Nationalism: Right-wing Ecology and the Politics of Identity in Germany
by Jonathan OlsenIn this new edition of his now classic 1999 book, Jonathan Olsen explores the relationship between the far right and the environment, or what he terms “right-wing ecology.” Arguing that radical environmentalism is not exclusively a domain of the left, Olsen shows how many of Germany's far right parties and groups ground their ecological ideology in an anti-universalist anthropology which sees human beings as naturally 'rooted' in specific nations and cultural traditions. Pollution in this discourse signifies not only the disruption of the natural world, but the social world as well, thus providing an environmental justification for an anti-immigrant politics which finds resonance outside the specific milieu of the far right. A rigorously theoretical book, Nature and Nationalism challenges our understanding of the deeply ambiguous ways in which 'nature' functions to legitimate a wide variety of political ideas.
Nature and Significance of the Recent Carbonate Mound Record
by Jean-Pierre Henriet Anneleen FoubertNo books are available on the market describing recent carbonate mounds along the European continental margins and deciphering step by step their internal structure. The first results of IODP Expedition 307 "Modern Carbonate Mounds: Porcupine Drilling" are published in Ferdelman, T.G., Kano, A., Williams, T., Henriet, J.-P., and the Expedition 307 Scientists, 2006. Proc. IODP, 307: Washington, DC (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Management International, Inc.). doi:10.2204/iodp.proc.307.2006. However, these proceedings do not give an overview of the existing knowledge on carbonate mounds and do not include detailed post-cruise analysis and advanced interpretations.
Nature and Supernature (St. Michael's Lectures #Vol. 1973)
by E. L. MascallIn the fall of 1972, St. Michael’s Jesuit School of Philosophy and Letters at Gonzaga University inaugurated the St. Michael’s Lectures as a forum for outstanding international scholars to examine the question of God in modern thought. The theme for the lecture series is much the same as that of the famous Gifford Lectures, but the approach is not only philosophical but also theological. <p><p>The uniqueness lies primarily in the dynamic inherent in the structure of the series. A lecture in a tripartite form (over a three-day period) is given each fall. As the series unfolds, each lecturer is to enter into dialogue with the immediately preceding lecturer and, to the extent that he wishes, he may respond to other former lecturers in the series. At the same time, each expands the discussion by his or her own creative contribution. As a result there will develop an ongoing exchange among thinkers of international reputation.
Nature and The Greeks and Science and Humanism
by Erwin SchrödingerNobel laureate Erwin Schrödinger was one of the most distinguished scientists and philosophers of the twentieth century, and his lectures are legendary. Here the texts of two of Schrödinger's most famous lecture series are made available again. In the first, entitled "Nature and the Greeks," Schrödinger offers a historical account of the scientific world picture. In the second, called "Science and Humanism," he addresses fundamental questions about the link between scientific and spiritual matters. As Roger Penrose confirms, these are the profound thoughts of a great mind, and as relevant today as when they were first published in the 1950s.
Nature and Treatment of Stuttering
by Richard F. Curlee William H. PerkinsDoctors Richard E. Curlee and William H Perkins delve into the causes of stuttering and suggest tips to deal with stuttering.
Nature and Value
by Jonathan Schell Jedediah Purdy Nikolas Kompridis David Bromwich Carol Rovane Joanna Picciotto Robert Pollin Sanjay Reddy Jan Zalasiewicz Bina Gogineni Anthony Laden Kyle Nichols James Hamilton TullyToday, as we confront an unprecedented environmental crisis of our own making, it is more urgent than ever to consider the notion of nature and our place within it. This book brings together essays that individually and as a whole present a detailed and rigorous multidisciplinary exploration of the concept of nature and its wider ethical and political implications.A distinguished list of scholars take up a broad range of questions regarding the relations between the human subject and its natural environment: when and how the concept of nature gave way to the concept of natural resources; the genealogy of the concept of nature through political economy, theology, and modern science; the idea of the Anthropocene; the prospects for green growth; and the deep alienation of human beings in the modern period from both nature and each other. By engaging with a wide range of scholarship, they ultimately converge on a common outlook that is both capacious and original. The essays together present a revaluation of the natural world that seeks to reshape political and ethical ideals and practice with a view to addressing some of the fundamental concerns of our time.Nature and Value features widely known scholars in a broad swath of disciplines, ranging from philosophy, politics, and political economy to geology, law, literature, and psychology. They include Jonathan Schell, David Bromwich, James Tully, Jedediah Purdy, Robert Pollin, Jan Zalasiewicz, Carol Rovane, Sanjay Reddy, Joanna Picciotto, Anthony Laden, Nikolas Kompridis, Bina Gogineni, Kyle Nichols, and the editor, Akeel Bilgrami.
Nature and the Environment in Amish Life (Young Center Books in Anabaptist and Pietist Studies)
by David L. McConnell Marilyn D. LovelessThe Amish relationship to the environment is much more complicated than you might think.The pastoral image of Amish communities living simply and in touch with the land strikes a deep chord with many Americans. Environmentalists have lauded the Amish as iconic models for a way of life that is local, self-sufficient, and in harmony with nature. But the Amish themselves do not always embrace their ecological reputation, and critics have long questioned the portrayal of the Amish as models of environmental stewardship.In Nature and the Environment in Amish Life, David L. McConnell and Marilyn D. Loveless examine how this prevailing notion of the environmentally conscious Amish fits with the changing realities of their lives. Drawing on 150 interviews conducted over the course of 7 years, as well as a survey of household resource use among Amish and non-Amish people, they explore how the Amish understand nature in their daily lives and how their actions impact the natural world. Arguing that there is considerable diversity in Amish engagements with nature at home, at school, at work, and outdoors, McConnell and Loveless show how the Amish response to regional and global environmental issues, such as watershed pollution and climate change, reveals their deep skepticism of environmentalists. They also demonstrate that Amish households are not uniformly lower in resource use compared to their rural, non-Amish neighbors, though aspects of their home economy are relatively self-sufficient.The first comprehensive study of Amish understandings of the natural world, this compelling book complicates the image of the Amish and provides a more realistic understanding of the Amish relationship with the environment.
Nature and the Mind: The Science of How Nature Improves Cognitive, Physical, and Social Well-Being
by Marc BermanFrom the acclaimed founder of environmental neuroscience, Dr. Marc Berman, comes a groundbreaking guide that reveals how interacting with nature can be the secret to improved mental and physical health.Dr. Marc Berman, the pioneering creator of the field of environmental neuroscience, has discovered the surprising connection between mind, body, and environment, with a special emphasis on the natural environment. He has devoted his life to studying it. If you sometimes feel drained, distracted, or depressed, Dr. Berman has identified the elements of a &“nature prescription&” that can boost your energy, sharpen your focus, change your mood, and improve your mental and physical health. He also reveals how central attention is to all of these functions, and how interactions with nature can restore it. Nature and the Mind is both an introduction to a revolutionary new scientific field and a helpful guide to better living. In these pages, he draws on his original research and research from others and shares life-altering findings such as: -Just eleven more trees on your street can decrease cardio-metabolic disorders like stroke, diabetes, and heart disease. -A short walk in nature can improve attention by almost twenty percent, decrease depression symptoms, and make people feel more spiritual and self-reflective. -More greenspace around schools and homes is related to better school performance, reduced crime, and improved working memory. -Many of these effects can be achieved even if you don&’t like nature. With an engaging and approachable style, Dr. Berman offers the nature prescription for physical health, mental health, and social health. Importantly, you don&’t have to pack up your house and move to the country to participate. The nature prescription includes practical ways to bring the outside indoors and to &“naturize&” our spaces, no matter where you live. The positive effects of nature don&’t just end at the individual; contact with nature can make people more caring towards one another, promote economic and racial justice, encourage people to care more for the environment, and more. This groundbreaking guide explains why and how nature is good for our brains and bodies and gives us a window into fundamental aspects of our psychology and physiology that can be improved through interactions with nature.
Nature at Night: Discover the Hidden World That Comes Alive after Dark
by Charles HoodA new world awakens in the dark, filled with spectacular bioluminescence, moon-kissed flora, and diverse wildlife—all captured in this spectacular photography book. While old tales warn us that danger lies waiting in the dark, there is actually an abundance of thriving, colorful life. Solar winds brighten the sky with Northern and Southern Lights. In the desert, elegant datura blooms at night, enticing moths to help with pollination, while in the Rockies grizzly bears make a meal of the insects to sustain them during hibernation. In the ocean, night-feeding dolphins chase nocturnal squid which have made a vertical migration to the surface. In the jungles, jaguars hunt by moonlight while night monkeys swing safely through the trees. Experienced naturalist and photographer Charles Hood captures it all, sharing his nocturnal adventures all over the world, with insight, wit, and over 240 stunning photographs. Open your senses to this darkened world, which is strange yet familiar—and more beautiful than you ever imagined.
Nature by Design: People, Natural Process, and Ecological Restoration
by Eric S. HiggsEcological restoration is the process of repairing human damage to ecosystems. It involves reintroducing missing plants and animals, eliminating hazardous substances, and returning natural processes to places that thrive on their regular occurrence.
Nature in Silico: Population Genetic Simulation and its Evolutionary Interpretation Using C++ and R
by Ryan J. HaaslDramatic advances in computing power enable simulation of DNA sequences generated by complex microevolutionary scenarios that include mutation, population structure, natural selection, meiotic recombination, demographic change, and explicit spatial geographies. Although retrospective, coalescent simulation is computationally efficient—and covered here—the primary focus of this book is forward-in-time simulation, which frees us to simulate a wider variety of realistic microevolutionary models. The book walks the reader through the development of a forward-in-time evolutionary simulator dubbed FORward Time simUlatioN Application (FORTUNA). The capacity of FORTUNA grows with each chapter through the addition of a new evolutionary factor to its code. Each chapter also reviews the relevant theory and links simulation results to key evolutionary insights. The book addresses visualization of results through development of R code and reference to more than 100 figures. All code discussed in the book is freely available, which the reader may use directly or modify to better suit his or her own research needs. Advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and professional researchers will all benefit from this introduction to the increasingly important skill of population genetic simulation.
Nature of Science for Social Justice (Science: Philosophy, History and Education)
by Hagop A. Yacoubian Lena HanssonThis edited volume brings closer two contemporary science education research areas: Nature of Science (NOS) and Social Justice (SJ). It starts a dialogue on the characteristics of NOS for SJ with the purpose of advancing the existing discussion and creating new avenues for research. Using a variety of approaches and perspectives, the authors of the different chapters engage in a dialogue on the construct of NOS for SJ, its characteristics, as well as ways of addressing it in science classrooms. Issues addressed are related to why a school science aiming at SJ should address NOS; what NOS-related content, skills and attitudes form the basis when aiming at SJ; and how school science can address NOS for SJ. Through a set of theoretical and empirical chapters, the authors suggest answers, but they also pose new questions on what NOS for SJ can mean, and what issues need to be taken into consideration in future research and practice.
Nature of Science in General Chemistry Textbooks
by Arelys Maza Mansoor NiazResearch in science education has recognized the importance of history and philosophy of science (HPS). Nature of science (NOS) is considered to be an essential part of HPS with important implications for teaching science. The role played by textbooks in developing students' informed conceptions of NOS has been a source of considerable interest for science educators. In some parts of the world, textbooks become the curriculum and determine to a great extent what is taught and learned in the classroom. Given this background and interest, this monograph has evaluated NOS in university level general chemistry textbooks published in U.S.A. Most textbooks in this study provided little insight with respect to the nine criteria used for evaluating NOS. Some of the textbooks, however, inevitably refer to HPS and thus provide guidelines for future textbooks. A few of the textbooks go into considerable detail to present the atomic models of Dalton, Thomson, Rutherford, Bohr and wave mechanical to illustrate the tentative nature of scientific theories --- an important NOS aspect. These results lead to the question: Are we teaching science as practiced by scientists? An answer to this question can help us to understand the importance of NOS, by providing students an HPS-based environment, so that they too (just like the scientists) feel the thrill and excitement of discovering new things. This monograph provides students and teachers guidelines for introducing various aspects of NOS, based on historical episodes.
Nature of Science in Science Instruction: Rationales and Strategies (Science: Philosophy, History and Education)
by William F. McComasThis book offers a comprehensive introduction to Nature of Science (NOS), one of the most important aspects of science teaching and learning, and includes tested strategies for teaching aspects of the NOS in a variety of instructional settings. In line with the recommendations in the field to include NOS in all plans for science instruction, the book provides an accessible resource of background information on NOS, rationales for teaching these targeted NOS aspects, and – most importantly – how to teach about the nature of science in specific instructional contexts. The first section examines the why and what of NOS, its nature, and what research says about how to teach NOS in science settings. The second section focuses on extending knowledge about NOS to question of scientific method, theory-laden observation, the role of experiments and observations and distinctions between science, engineering and technology. The dominant theme of the remainder of the book is a focus on teaching aspects of NOS applicable to a wide variety of instructional environments.
Nature of Science: Lernen über das Wesen der Naturwissenschaften (essentials)
by Tim Billion-KramerIn naturwissenschaftlich und technisch geprägten Gesellschaften gilt ein angemessenes Wissenschaftsverständnis als wichtiger Teil von Allgemeinbildung und Scientific Literacy. Es wird in der Naturwissenschaftsdidaktik als Nature of Science (NOS) diskutiert und gelehrt. Dieses essential skizziert Nature of Science-Konzeptualisierungen mit ihren Stärken und Schwächen. Im Focus steht sowohl ein klassischer Minimalkonsens als auch alternative Ansätze. Außerdem werden zentrale Befunde empirischer Forschung und Bedingungen gelingenden Lernens zu Nature of Science dargestellt. Praxisideen sowie Hinweise zur vertiefenden Literatur runden dieses essential ab.
Nature through Time: Virtual field trips through the Nature of the past (Springer Textbooks in Earth Sciences, Geography and Environment)
by Edoardo Martinetto Emanuel Tschopp Robert A. GastaldoThis book simulates a historical walk through nature, teaching readers about the biodiversity on Earth in various eras with a focus on past terrestrial environments. Geared towards a student audience, using simple terms and avoiding long complex explanations, the book discusses the plants and animals that lived on land, the evolution of natural systems, and how these biological systems changed over time in geological and paleontological contexts. With easy-to-understand and scientifically accurate and up-to-date information, readers will be guided through major biological events from the Earth's past. The topics in the book represent a broad paleoenvironmental spectrum of interests and educational modules, allowing for virtual visits to rich geological times. Eras and events that are discussed include, but are not limited to, the much varied Quaternary environments, the evolution of plants and animals during the Cenozoic, the rise of angiosperms, vertebrate evolution and ecosystems in the Mesozoic, the Permian mass extinction, the late Paleozoic glaciation, and the origin of the first trees and land plants in the Devonian-Ordovician. With state-of-the art expert scientific instruction on these topics and up-to-date and scientifically accurate illustrations, this book can serve as an international course for students, teachers, and other interested individuals.
Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard
by Douglas W. Tallamy&“Tallamy lays out all you need to know to participate in one of the great conservation projects of our time. Read it and get started!&” —Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction Douglas W. Tallamy&’s first book, Bringing Nature Home, awakened thousands of readers to an urgent situation: wildlife populations are in decline because the native plants they depend on are fast disappearing. His solution? Plant more natives. In this new book, Tallamy takes the next step and outlines his vision for a grassroots approach to conservation. Nature&’s Best Hope shows how homeowners everywhere can turn their yards into conservation corridors that provide wildlife habitats. Because this approach relies on the initiatives of private individuals, it is immune from the whims of government policy. Even more important, it&’s practical, effective, and easy—you will walk away with specific suggestions you can incorporate into your own yard. If you&’re concerned about doing something good for the environment, Nature&’s Best Hope is the blueprint you need. By acting now, you can help preserve our precious wildlife—and the planet—for future generations.
Nature's Blueprint: Supersymmetry and the Search for a Unified Theory of Matter and Force
by Dan HooperThe first accessible book on a theory of physics that explains the relationship between the particles and forces that make up our universe. For decades, physicists have been fascinated with the possibility that two seemingly independent aspects of our world—matter and force—may in fact be intimately connected and inseparable facets of nature. This idea, known as supersymmetry, is considered by many physicists to be one of the most beautiful and elegant theories ever conceived. According to this theory, however, there is much more to our universe than we have witnessed thus far. In particular, supersymmetry predicts that for each type of particle there must also exist others, called superpartners. To the frustration of many particle physicists, no such superpartner particles have ever been observed. As the world&’s most powerful particle accelerator—the Large Hadron Collider—begins operating in 2008, this may be about to change. By discovering the forms of matter predicted by supersymmetry, this incredible machine is set to transform our current understanding of the universe&’s laws and structure, and overturn the way that we think about matter, force, space, and time. Nature&’s Blueprint explores the reasons why supersymmetry is so integral to how we understand our world and describes the incredible machines used in the search for it. In an engaging and accessible style, it gives readers a glimpse into the symmetries, patterns, and very structure behind the universe and its laws. &“As the world&’s most powerful particle accelerator revs up, Dan Hooper&’s book is essential reading.&” —New Scientist &“[An] energetic exploration of modern physics.&” —Kirkus Reviews
Nature's Calendar: A Year in the Life of a Wildlife Sanctuary
by Colin ReesTake an enchanting journey through the shifting seasons in a wildlife sanctuary home to wetland, forest, and grassland and supporting an incredible diversity of plants and animals.Flocks of waterfowl exploding into steely skies above frozen marshland, salamanders creeping across the forest floor to vernal pools, chorusing frogs peeping their ecstasy while warblers crowd budding trees, turtles sunning on floating logs, the ecological engineering of beavers—these are but a few of the sights and sounds marking a year at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary and its neighboring landscapes in Southern Maryland. In an absorbing account of a year in the life of this sanctuary, naturalist Colin Rees invites us to join him as he explores the secrets and wonders of the changing natural world. Alongside the author, we witness spring's avian migrations, quickening of aquatic vegetation, burgeoning of myriad invertebrates, and the assaults of extreme weather conditions. We revel in summertime's proliferation of fish, fowl, and mammals. We become attuned to the shifting climate's impacts on autumnal transitions, and we marvel at amazing feats of biological inventiveness in preparation for winter conditions. Through these visions of the fleeting—and yet enduring—cycles of nature, Rees shares deep insights into the ecological and behavioral dynamics of the natural environment. Enhanced by more than two dozen color plates, the book touches on a wide range of issues, from microbial diversity, bird banding, and butterfly phenology to genetic diversity and habitat fragmentation. It also examines the challenges of conserving these and other natural features in the face of climate change and development pressures. Thoughtful and lyrical, Nature's Calendar speaks to all readers, scientific and lay alike. Fascinating profiles of flora and fauna celebrate the richness and complexity of a unique ecosystem, exploring the entire ecology of this dynamic and delicate area.
Nature's Champion
by James R. TroyerThrough the pioneering efforts of ecologist B. W. Wells (1884-1978), thousands of North Carolinians learned to appreciate and protect the state's diverse plant life long before ecology and conservation became popular causes. A keen observer of the natural landscape, Wells provided the first scientific descriptions in modern terms of the forces that shaped coastal communities, bogs and savannahs, the Carolina bays, pine forests, old fields, and mountain grassy balds. But the broader impact of his life lay in his championship and popularization of nature. Outside academic circles, he shared his knowledge through public lectures, articles, and lobbying efforts, and by teaching anyone who would listen. In 1932 he produced for his Tar Heel audience a revolutionary work on the plant ecology of the state, The Natural Gardens of North Carolina. Organized by habitat, this volume is still entertaining and instructive. Wells received his Ph.D. in botany from the University of Chicago in 1917 and served as chair of the North Carolina State College botany department for thirty years. He was a memorable teacher and a significant force in the development of his academic institution.
Nature's Champions: The Biggest, the Fastest, the Best (Dover Children's Science Books)
by Alvin Silverstein Virginia SilversteinFascinating profiles of 29 of the world's most remarkable species of animal and plant life. Simple enough for young readers, this book abounds with intriguing information that will also captivate adults. Included are astonishing facts and illustrations of the world's fastest runner, the best jumper, and other natural wonders. 50 illustrations.