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Nature and Science February 2017
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| Are Numbers Real? The Uncanny Relationship of Mathematics and the Physical World by Brian CleggTo what extent do numbers accurately reflect reality? Pretty well, if you're counting livestock. Less so if you're talking about black holes, which are "more the product of mathematics than of science" (that is, there is only indirect evidence for their existence.) In this thought-provoking book, science writer Brian Clegg, author of Ten Billion Tomorrows, examines the relationship between numbers and science, explaining why mathematical models, while increasingly powerful, can never fully account for the complexity of the physical universe. |
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The Science of Why : Answers to Questions About the World Around Us by Jay IngramEver wonder why onions make you cry? Or why lizards do push-ups? Or why leaves change color in the fall? Don't worry, you're not alone. Acclaimed science writer and broadcaster Jay Ingram wonders the same things. After a long career of asking important questions (Does time speed up as we age? How much Neanderthal is in me?), he's here to put our scientific quandaries to rest. In this insightful, witty book for curious readers of all ages, Jay shares his favorite head-scratchers and mind-benders, settling pressing questions, such as... Why were Tyrannosaurus Rex's arms so short? -Does your cat actually like you? ... along with everything you ever wondered about human echolocation. Whimsically illustrated and chock-full of fun science facts (and fictions), this book will delight and surprise your inner science geek. *SPOILER: She actually thinks you're a larger, dumber version of her mother.
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| The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars by Dava SobelBeginning in the 1880s, the Harvard College Observatory hired women as "computers," paying them a fraction of what their male counterparts earned to analyze astronomical data and perform complex calculations. The result of their efforts? The Henry Draper Star Catalog, a compendium of spectroscopic classifications for some 225,300 stars. With its focus on the unsung heroines of science, this engaging collective biography by the author of Longitude may appeal to fans of Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures and Nathalia Holt's Rise of the Rocket Girls. |
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Back to the Well : Rethinking the Future of Water by Marq De VilliersDroughts, floods, and contamination of fresh water in the American Southwest, in the Great Lakes region, in Australia, in northern China, in the Middle East, and in India have brought the critical issue of water supply to the forefront of public consciousness. In dozens of countries, ordinary citizens have cause to worry about what (or how much) will come out of their taps - if they even have taps - and who will make sure it is available, affordable, and safe. In this refreshing examination of the fate and future of water, Marq de Villiers takes on some of the biggest questions and shibboleths of the century. Who owns water? Is access to water a human right? Who is responsible for keeping water clean and ensuring it gets to the people who need it most? Is privatization of ownership and supply networks evil or an extension of the public trust?
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| Atmosphere of Hope: Searching for Solutions to the Climate Crisis by Tim FlanneryCan human ingenuity reverse the effects of climate change? In other words, can we fix the problem we created before it destroys all life on Earth? Scientist and activist Tim Flannery believes we can, despite a mounting pile of alarming data and a pronounced lack of political will. In this book, Flannery surveys different approaches to the problem, including adapting to a new reality, geoengineering carbon out of the atmosphere, and (Flannery's preferred) "third-way" strategies that utilize the planet's natural processes to achieve balance. |
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Homo Deus : A Brief History of Tomorrow
by Yuval Noah Harari
The New York Times best-selling author of Sapiens examines the civilized world's phenomenal achievements in the areas of famine, disease and war while making provocative predictions about the evolutionary goals of the 21st century.
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| The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth KolbertIn its 4.54-billion-year history, Earth has experienced five mass extinctions -- and humans are on course to cause a sixth, according to New Yorker staff writer Elizabeth Kolbert, author of Field Notes from a Catastrophe. Traveling the world to talk to scientists, Kolbert describes the extinction events that ended previous geological epochs, all caused by natural phenomena ranging from impact events to glaciation. Her conclusion? Our species will destroy itself and everything else, thanks to a convergence of anthropogenic causes: global climate change (resulting from high concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere), ocean acidification, and a loss of biodiversity in direct proportion to an exponential increase in the human population. For other books that tackle humanity's impending destruction, try Fred Guterl's The Fate of the Species or Annalee Newitz's Scatter, Adapt, and Remember. |
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| Half-Earth: Our Planet's Fight for Life by Edward O. WilsonA mass extinction is under way, according to biologist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward O. Wilson. Only one-quarter to one-half of all species on Earth are likely to survive the 21st century and it is not guaranteed that Homo sapiens will be among them. Wilson's solution? Set aside 50 percent of the planet as wildlife preserves to counter rapidly decreasing biodiversity. Impossible? Perhaps, but Wilson's impassioned plea on behalf of the biosphere is essential reading for anyone who cares about environmental issues. |
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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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