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Nature and Science June 2017
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In this Issue |
The cell : discovering the microscopic world that determines our health, our consciousness, and our future | Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst | The secret life of fat : the science behind the body's least understood organ and what it means for you | Astrophysics for People in a Hurry | Darwin's First Theory: Exploring Darwin's Quest to Find a Theory of the Earth | Anatomies: A Cultural History of the Human Body | 10% human : how your body's microbes hold the key to health and happiness | The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease | We Have the Technology: How Biohackers, Foodies, Physicians, and Scientists Are... | Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccupping, and Beyond |
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The cell : discovering the microscopic world that determines our health, our consciousness, and our future by Joshua Z. RappoportThe Cell: Inside the Microscopic World that Determines Our Health, Our Consciousness, and Our Future is a fascinating story of the incredible complexity and dynamism inside the cell and of the fantastic advancements in our understanding of this microscopic world. Dr. Joshua Z. Rappoport is at the forefront of this field, and he will take you on a journey to discover: A deeper understanding of how cells work and the basic nature of life on earth. Fascinating histories of some of the key discoveries from the seventeenth century to the last decade and provocative thoughts on the current state of academic research.
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| Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert M. SapolskyAs both a neurobiologist and a primatologist, author Robert Sapolsky can confidently state that human behavior is...complicated. To understand why we do what we do, he asserts, one must take an interdisciplinary approach. In Behave, Sapolsky explores the best and worst of human behavior by taking a single (re)action and examining what's going on in the brain and body in the seconds, minutes, hours, days, and even years before it occurs. It's an unusual but fascinating approach that will make you reconsider your own behavior. |
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| Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson"America's most approachable astrophysicist" (Kirkus Reviews) offers readers a concise and conversational introduction to cosmology. In 12 engaging chapters, Neil deGrasse Tyson explains, in straightforward and mostly jargon-free prose, the composition of the universe and the laws that govern it. Covering topics ranging from the Big Bang to general relativity to dark matter, he also describes what we don't yet know about the universe. While some science background is always useful when confronting astrophysics, it's not essential to enjoy this book. |
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| Darwin's First Theory: Exploring Darwin's Quest to Find a Theory of the Earth by Rob WessonAlthough today Charles Darwin's name is synonymous with evolution, his first love -- and career -- was geology. In fact, his official role aboard the HMS Beagle was as a geologist. In this richly detailed blend of biography, science writing, and travelogue, geologist Rob Wesson traces Darwin’s footsteps through South America and the British isles, revealing how his fieldwork led to his theory of "uplift," which laid the groundwork for plate tectonics. |
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| Anatomies: A Cultural History of the Human Body by Hugh Aldersey-WilliamsIs the human body a territory to be mapped? A machine to be maintained? A canvas to be decorated? No matter what metaphor one prefers, it's clear that the body is more than the sum of its parts and that anatomy is just one lens through which we view ourselves. As he did in Periodic Tales, science writer Hugh Aldersey-Williams draws as much from art and history as he does from science and medicine in this engaging head-to-toe examination of the human body. |
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| The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease by Daniel E. LiebermanYou'd think that after six million years of evolution, humans would be less vulnerable to disease. However, as biologist Daniel Lieberman explains, we didn't evolve for optimal health, but rather to produce viable offspring in challenging environments. What's more, cultural evolution creates mismatches between the bodies we inherited from our ancestors and the environments we create and transform for ourselves and our descendants. This thought-provoking book uses our evolutionary history to examine the challenges we currently face in staying alive. |
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| We Have the Technology: How Biohackers, Foodies, Physicians, and Scientists Are... by Kara PlatoniAnnoyed by the limitations of the human body? You're not alone. As science writer Kara Platoni demonstrates, there's a growing community of "citizen scientists" whose members are pushing the boundaries of human perception -- often by experimenting on themselves. Understanding what these "biohackers" are doing requires knowledge of both sensory science and metasensory perception (how we experience time, pain, or memories) and Platoni provides readers with an overview of the science while introducing them to the eccentric individuals bent on upgrading our basic hardware. |
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| Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccupping, and Beyond by Robert R. ProvineIn this follow-up to Laughter: A Scientific Investigation, neuroscientist Robert Provine explains the evolutionary reasons behind the everyday behaviors we take for granted -- such as yawning, sneezing, crying, hiccups, and more. Accessible and full of intriguing examples, this engaging book is perfect for readers who have always wondered why we can't tickle ourselves or why yawning is often contagious. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Lambton County Library 787 Broadway St. Wyoming, Ontario N0N1T0 519-845-3324www.lclibrary.ca |
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