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What Did the Romans Know?: An Inquiry into Science and Worldmaking
by Daryn LehouxWhat did the Romans know about their world? Quite a lot, as Daryn Lehoux makes clear in this fascinating and much-needed contribution to the history and philosophy of ancient science. Lehoux contends that even though many of the Romans’ views about the natural world have no place in modern science—the umbrella-footed monsters and dog-headed people that roamed the earth and the stars that foretold human destinies—their claims turn out not to be so radically different from our own. Lehoux draws upon a wide range of sources from what is unquestionably the most prolific period of ancient science, from the first century BC to the second century AD. He begins with Cicero’s theologico-philosophical trilogy On the Nature of the Gods, On Divination, and On Fate, illustrating how Cicero’s engagement with nature is closely related to his concerns in politics, religion, and law. Lehoux then guides readers through highly technical works by Galen and Ptolemy, as well as the more philosophically oriented physics and cosmologies of Lucretius, Plutarch, and Seneca, all the while exploring the complex interrelationships between the objects of scientific inquiry and the norms, processes, and structures of that inquiry. This includes not only the tools and methods the Romans used to investigate nature, but also the Romans’ cultural, intellectual, political, and religious perspectives. Lehoux concludes by sketching a methodology that uses the historical material he has carefully explained to directly engage the philosophical questions of incommensurability, realism, and relativism. By situating Roman arguments about the natural world in their larger philosophical, political, and rhetorical contexts, What Did the Romans Know? demonstrates that the Romans had sophisticated and novel approaches to nature, approaches that were empirically rigorous, philosophically rich, and epistemologically complex.
What Did the Romans Know? An Inquiry into Science and Worldmaking
by Daryn LehouxWhat did the Romans know about their world? Quite a lot, as Daryn Lehoux makes clear in this fascinating and much-needed contribution to the history and philosophy of ancient science. Lehoux contends that even though many of the Romans' views about the natural world have no place in modern science--the umbrella-footed monsters and dog-headed people that roamed the earth and the stars that foretold human destinies--their claims turn out not to be so radically different from our own. Lehoux draws upon a wide range of sources from what is unquestionably the most prolific period of ancient science, from the first century BC to the second century AD. He begins with Cicero's theologico-philosophical trilogy On the Nature of the Gods, On Divination, and On Fate, illustrating how Cicero's engagement with nature is closely related to his concerns in politics, religion, and law. Lehoux then guides readers through highly technical works by Galen and Ptolemy, as well as the more philosophically oriented physics and cosmologies of Lucretius, Plutarch, and Seneca, all the while exploring the complex interrelationships between the objects of scientific inquiry and the norms, processes, and structures of that inquiry. This includes not only the tools and methods the Romans used to investigate nature, but also the Romans' cultural, intellectual, political, and religious perspectives. Lehoux concludes by sketching a methodology that uses the historical material he has carefully explained to directly engage the philosophical questions of incommensurability, realism, and relativism. By situating Roman arguments about the natural world in their larger philosophical, political, and rhetorical contexts, What Did the Romans Know? demonstrates that the Romans had sophisticated and novel approaches to nature, approaches that were empirically rigorous, philosophically rich, and epistemologically complex.
What Do Living Things Need? (Science Readers #Guided Reading Level B)
by Elizabeth AustenWhat do living things need to survive? Find out in this colorful science reader! Discover that living things need light, food, water, air, space, homes, protection, and more! The easy-to-read text and vibrant images will keep young readers engaged from start to finish. This reader also includes a fun science activity and practice problems to give students additional practice in sorting living and not living things. A helpful glossary and index are also included for support.
What Do Science, Technology, and Innovation Mean from Africa? (The\mit Press Ser.)
by Clapperton MavhungaExplorations of science, technology, and innovation in Africa not as the product of “technology transfer” from elsewhere but as the working of African knowledge.In the STI literature, Africa has often been regarded as a recipient of science, technology, and innovation rather than a maker of them. In this book, scholars from a range of disciplines show that STI in Africa is not merely the product of “technology transfer” from elsewhere but the working of African knowledge. Their contributions focus on African ways of looking, meaning-making, and creating. The chapter authors see Africans as intellectual agents whose perspectives constitute authoritative knowledge and whose strategic deployment of both endogenous and inbound things represents an African-centered notion of STI. “Things do not (always) mean the same from everywhere,” observes Clapperton Chakanetsa Mavhunga, the volume's editor. Western, colonialist definitions of STI are not universalizable.The contributors discuss topics that include the trivialization of indigenous knowledge under colonialism; the creative labor of chimurenga, the transformation of everyday surroundings into military infrastructure; the role of enslaved Africans in America as innovators and synthesizers; the African ethos of “fixing”; the constitutive appropriation that makes mobile technologies African; and an African innovation strategy that builds on domestic capacities. The contributions describe an Africa that is creative, technological, and scientific, showing that African STI is the latest iteration of a long process of accumulative, multicultural knowledge production.ContributorsGeri Augusto, Shadreck Chirikure, Chux Daniels, Ron Eglash, Ellen Foster, Garrick E. Louis, D. A. Masolo, Clapperton Chakanetsa Mavhunga, Neda Nazemi, Toluwalogo Odumosu, Katrien Pype, Scott Remer
What Do We Know About Alien Abduction? (What Do We Know About?)
by Kirsten Mayer Who HQThe What Do We Know About? series explores the mysterious, the unknown, and the unexplained. Are there really aliens visiting Earth to observe and interact with humans?In 1961, Betty and Barney Hill claimed to have experienced a bizarre night that included extraterrestrials, flying saucers, and a few lost hours during which they could recall very little until they underwent hypnosis. Their mysterious story was just the first of many that have been told by people who have since come forward with their own similar experiences. Although there are thousands of people who claim to have experienced alien abduction, much of the world remains skeptical. Is alien abduction a real phenomenon that has affected people worldwide or just an imagined shared experience? Could the US government be working to cover up these stories? Here are the the facts about what we really know about Alien Abduction.
What Do We Know About the Roswell Incident? (What Do We Know About?)
by Ben Hubbard Who HQThe What Do We Know About? series explores the mysterious, the unknown, and the unexplained. Will we ever learn the truth about what actually landed at Roswell? From the #1 New York Times Best-Selling Who Was? series comes Where Is?, a series that tells the stories of world-famous landmarks and natural wonders and features a fold-out map!In 1947, an unusual object crashed in the New Mexico desert and was recovered by the Roswell Army Airfield officers. People everywhere began to speculate what the object could be. Could it possibly be a flying saucer? Would that be proof of aliens and life beyond Earth? Even decades later, some people still believe that the Roswell Incident is the most famous UFO sighting ever. Still, those who worked at the airfield insist it was just a weather balloon that had fallen from the sky. Was the Roswell Incident evidence of alien life, a government cover-up, or just a myth? Here are the facts about what we do know about Roswell.
"What Do You Care What Other People Think?": Further Adventures of a Curious Character
by Ralph Leighton Richard P. FeynmanThe New York Times best-selling sequel to "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" One of the greatest physicists of the twentieth century, Richard Feynman possessed an unquenchable thirst for adventure and an unparalleled ability to tell the stories of his life. "What Do You Care What Other People Think?" is Feynman's last literary legacy, prepared with his friend and fellow drummer, Ralph Leighton. Among its many tales--some funny, others intensely moving--we meet Feynman's first wife, Arlene, who taught him of love's irreducible mystery as she lay dying in a hospital bed while he worked nearby on the atomic bomb at Los Alamos. We are also given a fascinating narrative of the investigation of the space shuttle Challenger's explosion in 1986, and we relive the moment when Feynman revealed the disaster's cause by an elegant experiment: dropping a ring of rubber into a glass of cold water and pulling it out, misshapen.
What Do You Do If You Work at the Zoo?
by Steve Jenkins Robin PageFrom Caldecott Honor–winning team Steve Jenkins and Robin Page comes an early introduction to one of young readers&’ favorite places: the zoo! Going to the zoo is so exciting! You might see penguins swimming underwater, snakes sunning in the reptile house, or giraffes eating leaves out of high trees. You might even see people at the zoo, ones just like you! But what do those people do? Caldecott Honor–winning team Steve Jenkins and Robin Page introduce young readers to the people who keep zoo animals safe, healthy, and happy, even though they aren&’t in the wild habitats they&’ve evolved for. From cuddling a baby kangaroo to trimming elephant toenails to playing soccer with a rhino, zookeepers work hard and do some pretty wacky things to take care of the incredible animals we see. So, what would you do if you were in the zookeeper&’s shoes? Turn the page and find out!
What Do You Know?
by Amy TaoDo you know how to ride a bike? How to write your name? How to zip up your jacket?
What Does a Black Hole Look Like? (Princeton Frontiers in Physics #4)
by Charles D. BailynA sophisticated introduction to how astronomers identify, observe, and understand black holesEmitting no radiation or any other kind of information, black holes mark the edge of the universe—both physically and in our scientific understanding. Yet astronomers have found clear evidence for the existence of black holes, employing the same tools and techniques used to explore other celestial objects. In this sophisticated introduction, leading astronomer Charles Bailyn goes behind the theory and physics of black holes to describe how astronomers are observing these enigmatic objects and developing a remarkably detailed picture of what they look like and how they interact with their surroundings.Accessible to undergraduates and others with some knowledge of introductory college-level physics, this book presents the techniques used to identify and measure the mass and spin of celestial black holes. These key measurements demonstrate the existence of two kinds of black holes, those with masses a few times that of a typical star, and those with masses comparable to whole galaxies—supermassive black holes. The book provides a detailed account of the nature, formation, and growth of both kinds of black holes. The book also describes the possibility of observing theoretically predicted phenomena such as gravitational waves, wormholes, and Hawking radiation.A cutting-edge introduction to a subject that was once on the border between physics and science fiction, this book shows how black holes are becoming routine objects of empirical scientific study.
What Does the Earth Sound Like?: 159 Astounding Science Quizzes
by Eva EverythingAn all-ages quiz book that makes learning science fun, from the Discovery Channel science quizmaster and author of What Does the Moon Smell Like? From the surprising science behind everyday life to the mysteries on the frontiers of scientific discovery, this quiz book explores anything and everything in a fun, user-friendly format. Topics include the Earth, the moon, and the stars; satellites and space travel; pets and other animals; nature and the environment; the brain and the body; and the psychology of food, behavior, success, and attraction. The introductions to each question are peppered with interesting tidbits of information, and the fascinating answers to these quiz questions are explained in detail and given full context. Whether used as an individual brain workout or as a fun game at social gatherings, What Does the Earth Sound Like? is smile-inducing and thought-provoking. &“Playful questions like those in What Does the Earth Sound Like? can provide important insights and understanding . . . Delightful.&” —Marty Hoffert, professor emeritus of physics, New York University Praise for What Does the Moon Smell Like? &“This is a great book. It became a popular table game in the summer holidays with two teams competing with all the questions. It makes an excellent change from celebrity trivia.&” —Peter Gabriel, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer &“Proving that science can be wildly fun with each new page, this book reads like a mad scientist&’s Trivial Pursuit . . . A book that will surely provide hours of thought-provoking and amusing entertainment.&” —Scene Magazine
What Dogs Know
by Juliane Bräuer Juliane KaminskiMy dog understands me! At least, many dog owners think so. New scientific studies actually show that dogs understand a lot about us humans. For example, they can figure out what humans can and cannot see. Some dogs can even distinguish large numbers of toys by name, like Rico, the internationally famous Border collie.But do dogs also understand our emotions? Can they grasp cause and effect relationships? What fascinates us humans about dogs? Is it only the proverbial ‘puppy dog eyes’ that make dogs look sympathetic? Or is it the fact that these animals have grown very well-attuned to humans and are willing to cooperate with them?In a total of ten chapters, Juliane Bräuer and Juliane Kaminski present the results of the most important scientific studies of the last twenty years on dog cognition.
What Einstein Didn't Know: Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions
by Robert L. WolkeDiscover how cricket chirps can tell us the temperature, why you can't unburn a match, why ice floats, and a host of mysteries of modern living -- including some riddles that maybe even Einstein couldn't solve. From the simple (How does soap know what's dirt? How do magnets work? Why do batteries die?) to the more complex (Why does evaporation have a cooling effect? Where does uranium get its energy?), this book makes science more understandable and fun. Author Robert Wolke provides definitive and easy-to-comprehend explanations for things that we take for granted, like the illumination behind neon signs and the mysteries of beverage carbonation. Wolke also dares readers to explore and conduct their own experiments with food, kitchen utensils, and common household products. This fifteenth anniversary edition of his bestselling popular science classic has been completely revised and expanded.
What Einstein Didn't Know
by Robert L. WolkeFROM THE BACK COVER "FORGET THE WORD 'SCIENCE.' THIS BOOK TELLS YOU WHAT'S GOING ON BENEATH THE SURFACE OF EVERYDAY THINGS. IT IS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE CURIOUS ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND THEM, BUT WHO DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO SEEK OUT THE EXPLANATIONS OR MAY BE INTIMIDATED BY 'SCIENCE.' "OF COURSE, THE ANSWERS TO WHY EVERYDAY THINGS HAPPEN MUST BE SCIENTIFIC THAT IS, LOGICAL AND ACCURATE. BUT YOU WON'T FIND THE USUAL POP-SCIENCE NONANSWERS HERE THAT LEAVE YOU JUST AS MYSTIFIED AS BEFORE. INSTEAD OF MERE 'ANSWERS,' YOU WILL BE GIVEN 'EXPLANATIONS': PLAIN TALK THAT I HOPE WILL LEAD YOU ALL THE WAY TO GENUINE, WELL I'LL BE DARNED 'UNDERSTANDING.'" Other books by Robert Wolke are available from Bookshare.
What Einstein Told His Barber: More Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions
by Robert L. WolkeWritten in a humorous style, this book addresses such questions as "what really keeps and airplane up?" and "why do wet things look darker?" Wolke (chemistry, U. of Pittsburgh) provides simple explanations to complex phenomena like gravity and acoustics, as well as simple experiments to do at home that prove his points. Annotation c. Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)
What Every Science Student Should Know (Chicago Guides to Academic Life)
by Justin L. Bauer Andrew H. Zureick Yoo Jung Kim Daniel K. Lee"I am often amazed at how much more capability and enthusiasm for science there is among elementary school youngsters than among college students. . . . We must understand and circumvent this dangerous discouragement. No one can predict where the future leaders of science will come from."--Carl Sagan In 2012, the White House put out a call to increase the number of STEM graduates by one million. Since then, hundreds of thousands of science students have started down the path toward a STEM career. Yet, of these budding scientists, more than half of all college students planning to study science or medicine leave the field during their academic careers. What Every Science Student Should Know is the perfect personal mentor for any aspiring scientist. Like an experienced lab partner or frank advisor, the book points out the pitfalls while providing encouragement. Chapters cover the entire college experience, including choosing a major, mastering study skills, doing scientific research, finding a job, and, most important, how to foster and keep a love of science. This guide is a distillation of the authors' own experiences as recent science graduates, bolstered by years of research and interviews with successful scientists and other science students. The authorial team includes former editors-in-chief of the prestigious Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science. All have weathered the ups and downs of undergrad life--and all are still pursuing STEM careers. Forthright and empowering, What Every Science Student Should Know is brimming with insider advice on how to excel as both a student and a scientist.
What Evolution Is
by Ernst MayrMayr provides as convincing a testament to Darwin's genius as you are likely to find. --New York Times Book Review
What Evolution Is: From Theory to Fact
by Ernst MayrWhat we do and do not know about evolution, by one of the field's pioneering thinkers.Evolution is the most important idea in biology, with implications that go far beyond science. But despite more than a century's progress in understanding, there is still widespread confusion about what evolution is, how it works and why it is the only plausible mechanism that can account for the remarkable diversity of life on Earth.Now, for the first time in a book aimed at a general audience, one of the founding fathers of modern biology tells us what we know - and what we do not know - about evolution. In showing how evolution has gone from theory to fact, he explores various controversial fads and fallacies such as punctuated equilibrium, the selfish-gene theory and evolutionary psychology. He ends by looking at what we know about human evolution and how, in turn, this knowledge has affected the way in which we view ourselves and the world.
What Explains Similarities And Differences Between Organisms?: Student Activity Guide
by The Smithsonian InstitutionNIMAC-sourced textbook
What Fossils Tell Us: The History of Life (Come Learn With Me Series)
by Bridget AndersonThis book examines the ever-unfolding stories these fossils reveal about life on Earth. Dig in and learn how fossils were formed, and find out about some of the important people and places in the field of paleontology (the study of fossils and ancient life).
What Future: The Years Best Ideas To Reclaim, Reanimate & Rreinvent Our Future
by Torie Bosch Roy ScrantonAn anthology of writing that looks at the interplay between technology and our environment to imagine the future and feature the innovators creating the future.
What Galileo Saw: Imagining the Scientific Revolution
by Lawrence LipkingThe Scientific Revolution of the seventeenth century has often been called a decisive turning point in human history. It represents, for good or ill, the birth of modern science and modern ways of viewing the world. In What Galileo Saw, Lawrence Lipking offers a new perspective on how to understand what happened then, arguing that artistic imagination and creativity as much as rational thought played a critical role in creating new visions of science and in shaping stories about eye-opening discoveries in cosmology, natural history, engineering, and the life sciences. When Galileo saw the face of the Moon and the moons of Jupiter, Lipking writes, he had to picture a cosmos that could account for them. Kepler thought his geometry could open a window into the mind of God. Francis Bacon's natural history envisioned an order of things that would replace the illusions of language with solid evidence and transform notions of life and death. Descartes designed a hypothetical "Book of Nature" to explain how everything in the universe was constructed. Thomas Browne reconceived the boundaries of truth and error. Robert Hooke, like Leonardo, was both researcher and artist; his schemes illuminate the microscopic and the macrocosmic. And when Isaac Newton imagined nature as a coherent and comprehensive mathematical system, he redefined the goals of science and the meaning of genius. What Galileo Saw bridges the divide between science and art; it brings together Galileo and Milton, Bacon and Shakespeare. Lipking enters the minds and the workshops where the Scientific Revolution was fashioned, drawing on art, literature, and the history of science to reimagine how perceptions about the world and human life could change so drastically, and change forever.
What Happens at a Vet's Office (Where People Work Series)
by Amy HutchingsThis book describes in detail a visit to the vet’s clinic.
What Happens to a Hamburger? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)
by Paul ShowersRead and find out about your digestive system in this colorfully illustrated nonfiction picture book.What happens to food when you eat it? Read and find out about your digestive system and how it turns food into energy your body can use.This is a clear and appealing science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. It's a Level 2 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades. The 100+ titles in this leading nonfiction series are:hands-on and visualacclaimed and trustedgreat for classroomsTop 10 reasons to love LRFOs:Entertain and educate at the same timeHave appealing, child-centered topicsDevelopmentally appropriate for emerging readersFocused; answering questions instead of using survey approachEmploy engaging picture book quality illustrationsUse simple charts and graphics to improve visual literacy skillsFeature hands-on activities to engage young scientistsMeet national science education standardsWritten/illustrated by award-winning authors/illustrators & vetted by an expert in the fieldOver 130 titles in print, meeting a wide range of kids' scientific interestsBooks in this series support the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let's-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.