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Science and Nature 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 Princeton Field Guide to Prehistoric Mammals
by Donald R Prothero
An ultimate illustrated field guide to the lost world of weird and wonderful prehistoric creatures covers all the main groups of fossil mammals, discussing taxonomy and evolutionary history, and providing concise accounts of the better-known genera and species.
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| Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-SmithAustralian philosopher of science and avid scuba diver Peter Godfrey-Smith explores the origins of consciousness by observing cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish, and octopuses), which he calls nature's "only experiment in big brains outside of the vertebrates." Looking to evolutionary biology to explain how these creatures first developed their complex nervous systems, Godfrey-Smith also reflects on the nature of intelligence itself. Fans of Sy Montogomery's The Soul of an Octopus should enjoy this book, which artfully blends firsthand observation and philosophical musings on animal cognition. |
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Ice Bear: The Cultural History of an Arctic Icon
by Michael Engelhard
Prime Arctic predator and nomad of the sea ice and tundra, the polar bear endures as a source of wonder, terror, and fascination. Humans have seen it as spirit guide and fanged enemy, as trade good and moral metaphor, as food source and symbol of ecological crisis. Eight thousand years of artifacts attest to its charisma, and to the fraught relationships between our two species. Ice Bear traces and illuminates this intertwined history. From Inuit shamans to Jean Harlow lounging on a bearskin rug, from the cubs trained to pull sleds toward the North Pole to cuddly superstar Knut, it all comes to life in these pages. With meticulous research and more than 160 illustrations, the author brings into focus this powerful and elusive animal. Doing so, he delves into the stories we tell about Nature—and about ourselves—hoping for a future in which such tales still matter.
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Citizen Science: How Ordinary People are Changing the Face of Discovery
by Caren B. Cooper
Cites the essential contributions of millions of people in the lay community who contribute to the scientific process by volunteering in cooperation with scientists to help collect and discover information, tracing the history of citizen scientists and how they are reshaping scientific awareness.
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Testosterone Rex: Myths of Sex, Science, and Society
by Cordelia Fine
The acclaimed author of Delusions of Gender challenges conventional beliefs about evolutionary factors that are used to justify gender politics, outlining lively arguments against cultural stereotypes in a call for a more equal society that recognizes the potential of both sexes.
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Reality is Not What it Seems: The Journey to Quantum Gravity
by Carlo Rovelli
The theoretical physicist author of the best-selling Seven Brief Lessons on Physics traces how the human image of the world has changed throughout history, demonstrating the evolution of the idea of reality while touching on subjects ranging from the Higgs boson to quantum gravity.
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Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life
by Helen Czerski
Explanations of scientific principles as they can be observed in everyday examples, from the billowing cloud appearance of milk in hot drinks to how ducks keep their feet warm while walking on ice, reveal how they are linked to major challenges, including climate change and the energy crisis.
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Why Time Flies: A Mostly Scientific Investigation
by Alan Burdick
The award-winning author of Out of Eden presents an intimate exploration of how life is organized around time and its conflicting perceptions, drawing on international travels and research lab visits where he witnessed fascinating time-altering phenomena.
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Monkeytalk: Inside the Worlds and Minds of Primates
by Julia Fischer
In a thought-provoking blend of storytelling, memoir and science, a famed primatologist takes readers into the field and the world's primate labs to investigate the intricacies of primate social mores through the lens of communication and what it can tell us about the evolution of the human language.
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Evolution: A Visual Record
by Robert Clark
Two hundred photographs explore the wonders of evolution, from the finches that spurred Darwin to devise his theory to the link between dinosaurs and modern birds.
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| Whiplash: How to Survive our Faster Future by Joi Ito"Our technologies have outpaced our ability, as a society, to understand them," claims Joi Ito, director of MIT's Media Lab. Citing a profound disconnect between humans and the technologies that shape their existence, Ito lays out nine principles designed to serve as "pro tips" for those seeking to make sense of a rapidly changing world and navigate our "new operating system." From emergent systems to walled gardens, this book presents an array of intriguing concepts that may appeal to readers who enjoy Steven Johnson's wide-ranging books, such as How We Got to Now: Six Innovations that Made the Modern World. |
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Rocks, Minerals and Gems
by John Farndon
The ultimate identification guide to hundreds of rocks, minerals and gems. It includes an introduction to rocks, minerals and gems and how they form, how and where to look for them, how to identify rocks and minerals, and everything there is to know about building a collection.
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Forces of Nature
by Brian Cox
A breathtaking and beautiful exploration of our planet. This groundbreaking book, which accompanies the new BBC1 TV series, provides the deepest answers to the simplest questions.
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The Drug Hunters: The Improbable Quest to Discover New Medicines
by Donald R. Kirsch
The surprising, behind-the-scenes story of how our medicines are discovered, told by a veteran drug hunter. Drug Hunters is a colorful, fact-filled narrative history of the search for new medicines from our Neolithic forebears to the professionals of today, and from quinine and aspirin to Viagra, Prozac, and Lipitor. The chapters offer a lively tour of how new drugs are actually found, the discovery strategies, the mistakes, and the rare successes. Dr. Donald R. Kirsch infuses the book with his own expertise and experiences from thirty-five years of drug hunting, whether searching for life-saving molecules in mudflats by Chesapeake Bay or as a chief science officer and research group leader at major pharmaceutical companies.
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Void: The Strange Physics of Nothing
by James Owen Weatherall
Discusses the physics of the nothingness of space, which is described by both quantum theory and relativity as something with a structure and properties every bit as complex and mysterious as matter.
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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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| 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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| 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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| Betting the Farm on a Drought: Stories from the Front Lines of Climate Change by Seamus McGrawAlthough it's frequently presented as a future concern, climate change is happening now and already affects people in measurable ways. Steering clear of partisan politics, journalist Seamus McGraw provides an accessible overview of climate science and then profiles a diverse group of individuals -- including farmers, fishermen, and outdoor enthusiasts -- as they deal with extreme weather, severe droughts, and other threats to their lives and livelihoods. |
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| Storm Surge: Hurricane Sandy, Our Changing Climate, and Extreme Weather of the... by Adam SobelIn 2012, Hurricane Sandy slammed into the New York metropolitan area, inundating the city and devastating the Jersey Shore. Author and atmospheric scientist Adam Sobel, a New Yorker, witnessed Sandy's devastation firsthand, giving him a unique perspective on events. As he tracks Sandy's progress from tropical cyclone to "superstorm," he delves into meteorology and climatology to explain how weather systems and forecasting work. Sobel also reflects on the ways in which climate change may affect the frequency and severity of extreme weather events and other natural disasters. Readers who enjoy Storm Surge may also be interested in Kathryn Miles' Super Storm: Nine Days Inside Hurricane Sandy. |
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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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Never be without a book you love! |
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Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (813) 273-3652 www.hcplc.org
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