By Barry Bolton

From subarctic tundra to equatorial rainforest, deep within the soil and on the tip of the top tree, ants are stumbled on internationally. This publication, by means of the world's prime ant taxonomist, deals a definitive consultant for picking those ubiquitous insects.

Barry Bolton presents identity keys to the entire dwelling ant subfamilies and genera, offered in alphabetical order and separated by way of zoogeographical zone. Designed for pro and novice myrmecologists alike, this advisor is as obtainable because it is entire, together with details at the functionality and use of id keys, directions for getting ready specimens for exam, and an illustrated word list of morphological phrases. Over 500 scanning electron microscope photos illustrate the taxonomic keys.

Bolton introduces every one subfamily with a analysis of the gang, via synoptic classifications of all genera inside of every one subfamily, notes on extensive distribution, and a listing of references to all species-rank courses invaluable to id. He additionally offers a quick precis of the extinct subfamilies and incorporates a record of each identify ever proposed within the type of ants, from the rank of kin all the way down to subgenus, displaying the present prestige and utilization of each.

An up-to-date and exhaustively improved revision of the taxonomic keys present in Hölldobler and Wilson's The Ants, Bolton's identity advisor takes its position along that landmark paintings because the starting place for the learn of ants for a few years to come.

By Richard B. Alley

The book―companion to a PBS series―that proves people are inflicting international warming and provides a route to the future.

because the discovery of fireplace, people were strength clients and continuously should be. And it is a reliable thing-our mastery of power is what separates us from the remainder of the animal nation and has allowed us to be the dominant species on this planet. notwithstanding, this mastery comes with a cost: we're altering our surroundings in a profoundly unfavorable approach by way of heating it up.

utilizing one attractive tale after one other, coupled with available medical proof, global authority Richard B. Alley explores the attention-grabbing background of power use via people over the centuries, offers a doubt-destroying evidence that already-high degrees of carbon dioxide are inflicting harmful worldwide warming, and surveys the choice strength concepts which are to be had to take advantage of at once. those new strength resources could good be the engines for financial progress within the twenty-first century. 50 black-and-white images

By Israel Rosenfield

With humor, intensity, and philosophical and old perception, DNA reaches out to a variety of readers with its image portrayal of a classy technological know-how. appropriate to be used out and in of the study room, this quantity covers DNA's many marvels, from its unique discovery in 1869 to early-twentieth-century debates at the mechanisms of inheritance and the deeper nature of life's evolution and diversity.

Even readers who lack a history in technology and philosophy will study a massive volume from this attractive narrative. The e-book elucidates DNA's dating to healthiness and the reason and healing of sickness. It additionally covers the production of recent lifestyles varieties, nanomachines, and views on crime detection, and considers the philosophical assets of classical Darwinian idea and up to date, radical adjustments within the knowing of evolution itself. Already those advancements have profoundly affected our notions approximately residing issues. Borin Van Loon's funny illustrations recount the contributions of Gregor Mendel, Frederick Griffith, James Watson, and Francis Crick, between different biologists, scientists, and researchers, and vividly depict the trendy controversies surrounding the Human Genome undertaking and cloning.

By Mario Livio

WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES. Nobody’s excellent. now not even the various maximum geniuses in heritage, as Mario Livio tells us during this excellent tale of clinical mistakes and breakthrough.

Charles Darwin, William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), Linus Pauling, Fred Hoyle, and Albert Einstein have been all outstanding scientists. every one made groundbreaking contributions to his field—but every one additionally stumbled badly. Darwin’s idea of usual choice shouldn’t have labored, in response to the present ideals of his time. no longer until eventually Gregor Mendel’s paintings was once identified might there be a mechanism to provide an explanation for average choice. How might Darwin be either incorrect and correct? Lord Kelvin, Britain’s top medical mind on the time, gravely miscalculated the age of the earth. Linus Pauling, the world’s prime chemist (who might win the Nobel Prize in chemistry) developed an faulty version for DNA in his haste to overcome the contest to e-book. Astrophysicist Fred Hoyle pushed aside the belief of a “Big Bang” starting place to the universe (ironically, the caustic identify he gave to this occasion continued lengthy after his inaccurate objections have been disproven). And Albert Einstein, whose identify is synonymous with genius, speculated incorrectly concerning the forces that carry the universe in equilibrium—and that hypothesis opened the door to terrific conceptual leaps. those 5 scientists increased our wisdom of lifestyles in the world, the evolution of the earth itself, and the evolution of the universe, regardless of and thanks to their mistakes. As Mario Livio luminously explains, the medical procedure advances via mistakes. errors are necessary to growth.

Brilliant Blunders is a unique journey throughout the international of technology and medical achievement—and a perfectly insightful exam of the psychology of 5 attention-grabbing scientists.

By Melvin Berger, Gilda Berger

Questions and solutions offer information regarding volcanoes and earthquakes, overlaying such elements as why, how, whilst, and the place those phenomena ensue.

By Kristina A. Schierenbeck

By Steve Fuller

This ground-breaking textual content bargains a clean point of view at the governance of technological know-how from the viewpoint of social and political concept. technology has usually been visible because the in simple terms establishment that embodies the elusive democratic perfect of the 'open society'. but, technology continues to be an elite job that instructions even more public belief than knowing, although technological know-how has develop into more and more entangled with higher political and monetary concerns.

Fuller proceeds by way of rejecting liberal and communitarian ideologies of technology, in favour of a 'republican' technique targeted on 'the correct to be wrong'. He exhibits how the hot scaling up of medical task has undermined the republican excellent.

The centre piece of the ebook, a social heritage of the fight to render the college a 'republic of science' makes a speciality of the capability demanding situations posed via multiculturalism and capitalism. ultimately, drawing at the technological know-how coverage of the united states New Deal, Fuller proposes not anything wanting a brand new social agreement for 'secularizing' technology.

This ebook bargains a wonderfully transparent research of the normal arguments for and opposed to clinical realism. In surveying claims on either side of the talk, Kukla organizes them in ways in which divulge disregarded connections. He identifies huge styles of errors, reconciles likely incompatible positions, and discovers unoccupied positions with the aptitude to persuade extra debate. Kukla's total overview is that neither the realists nor the antirealists may perhaps declare a decisive victory.

By Peter Damaske

When you hearken to track at domestic, you wish to have an acoustic influence as regards to being within the live performance corridor. this can be completed through a complicated two-loudspeaker process and digital dealing with of the signs. the best way to head-related sound copy and reception to get the unique influence is defined during this accomplished ebook at the outer impression of listening to and the way to accomplish ideal stereo results. The ebook additionally introduces a concept of float thresholds.