Download or read book 11 Explorations into Life on Earth written by Helen Scales and published by Michael O'Mara Books. This book was released on 2017-11-02 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second in a series of books in association with the Royal Institution on their world-renowned Christmas Lectures, this time exploring the secrets of the natural world - with a foreword by Sir David Attenborough.
Download or read book 10 Voyages Through the Human Mind written by Catherine de Lange and published by Michael O'Mara Books. This book was released on 2019-10-31 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The third in a series of books in association with the Royal Institution on their world-renowned Christmas Lectures, this time exploring the intriguing pathways of the human brain and the complexities of the mind - with a foreword by Robin Ince.
Download or read book Journeys to the Other Side of the World written by David Attenborough and published by Two Roads. This book was released on 2018-09-06 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'With charm, erudition, humour and passion, the world's favourite natural history broadcaster documents some of his expeditions from the late 1950s onwards' Sunday Express Following the success of the original Zoo Quest expeditions, the young David Attenborough embarked on further travels in a very different part of the world. From Madagascar and New Guinea to the Pacific Islands and the Northern Territory of Australia, he and his cameraman companion were aiming to record not just the wildlife, but the way of life of some of the indigenous people of these regions, whose traditions had never been encountered by most of the British public before. From the land divers of Pentecost Island and the sing-sings of New Guinea, to a Royal Kava ceremony on Tonga and the ancient art of the Northern Territory, it is a journey like no other. Alongside these remarkable cultures he encounters paradise birds, chameleons, sifakas and many more animals in some of the most unique environments on the planet. Written with David Attenborough's characteristic charm, humour and warmth, Journeys to the Other Side of the World is an inimitable adventure among people, places and the wildest of wildlife. 'Abundantly good' TLS 'A wondrous reminder of Attenborough's pioneering role . . . full of delightful tales' Daily Express 'An adventure that sparked a lifetime's commitment to the planet' The Lady 'Attenborough is a fine writer and storyteller' Irish Times
Download or read book Spirals in Time written by Helen Scales and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2015-05-07 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The beautifully written story of shells and their makers, and our relationships with them. Seashells are the sculpted homes of a remarkable group of animals: the molluscs. These are some of the most ancient and successful animals on the planet. But watch out. Some molluscs can kill you if you eat them. Some will kill you if you stand too close. That hasn't stopped people using shells in many ways over thousands of years. They became the first jewelry and oldest currencies; they've been used as potent symbols of sex and death, prestige and war, not to mention a nutritious (and tasty) source of food. Spirals in Time is an exuberant aquatic romp, revealing amazing tales of these undersea marvels. Helen Scales leads us on a journey into their realm, as she goes in search of everything from snails that 'fly' underwater on tiny wings to octopuses accused of stealing shells and giant mussels with golden beards that were supposedly the source of Jason's golden fleece, and learns how shells have been exchanged for human lives, tapped for mind-bending drugs and inspired advances in medical technology. Weaving through these stories are the remarkable animals that build them, creatures with fascinating tales to tell, a myriad of spiralling shells following just a few simple rules of mathematics and evolution. Shells are also bellwethers of our impact on the natural world. Some species have been overfished, others poisoned by polluted seas; perhaps most worryingly of all, molluscs are expected to fall victim to ocean acidification, a side-effect of climate change that may soon cause shells to simply melt away. But rather than dwelling on what we risk losing, Spirals in Time urges you to ponder how seashells can reconnect us with nature, and heal the rift between ourselves and the living world.
Download or read book Life on a Young Planet written by Andrew H. Knoll and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2015-03-22 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Knoll explores the deep history of life from its origins on a young planet to the incredible Cambrian explosion, with the very latest discoveries in paleontology integrated with emerging insights from molecular biology and earth system science. 100 illustrations.
Download or read book Life on Earth written by David Attenborough and published by . This book was released on 2018-09-24 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new, beautifully illustrated edition of David Attenborough's groundbreaking Life on Earth. David Attenborough's meeting with gorillas was one of the most unforgettable moments for millions of television viewers. With Life on Earth, Attenborough created a book and TV series that became a benchmark of quality, influencing a generation of nature lovers. David Attenborough's internationally acclaimed book of the series was a worldwide bestseller. Told through an examination of animal and plant life - with occasional juxtapositions of extinct fossil forms to reveal the origin of living creatures - Life on Earth is an astonishing celebration of the evolution of life on Earth, with a cast of characters drawn from the whole range of organisms that have ever lived on this planet. Attenborough's perceptive, dynamic approach to the evolution of millions of species of living organisms that populate the planet takes the reader on an unforgettable journey of discovery from the very first spark of life to the blue and green wonder we know today. Now, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the book's first publication, David Attenborough has revised Life on Earth, updating and adding to the original text and choosing beautiful, completely new photography. This special anniversary edition provides a fitting tribute to an enduring wildlife classic. It will enthral the generation who saw it when first published and will bring it alive for a whole new generation
Download or read book Poseidon s Steed written by Helen Scales Ph.D. and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2009-08-27 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating journey with the sea creature that has captured human imagination for thousands of years Poseidon's Steed trails the seahorse through secluded waters across the globe in a kaleidoscopic history that mirrors man's centuries-old fascination with the animal, sweeping from the reefs of Indonesia, through the back streets of Hong Kong, and back in time to ancient Greece and Rome. Over time, seahorses have surfaced in some unlikely places. We see them immortalized in the decorative arts; in tribal folklore, literature, and ancient myth; and even on the pages of the earliest medical texts, prescribed to treat everything from skin complaints to baldness to flagging libido. Marine biologist Helen Scales eloquently shows that seahorses are indeed fish, though scientists have long puzzled over their exotic anatomy, and their very strange sex lives — male seahorses are the only males in the animal world that experience childbirth! Our first seahorse imaginings appeared six thousand years ago on cave walls in Australia. The ancient Greeks called the seahorse hippocampus (half-horse, half-fish) and sent it galloping through the oceans of mythology, pulling the sea god Poseidon's golden chariot. The seahorse has even been the center of a modern-day international art scandal: A two-thousand-year-old winged seahorse brooch was plundered by Turkish tomb raiders and sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. A book that is as charming as the seahorse itself, Poseidon's Steed brings to life an aquatic treasure. Seahorses lead quiet lives, tucked away out of sight on the seafloor. It is rare to catch a glimpse of a seahorse in its natural habitat. But even if few have seen one live, these exotic, seemingly prehistoric creatures exist quite vividly in our imaginations and they have mesmerized scientists, artists, and storytellers throughout time with their otherworldly rarity. Poseidon's Steed is a sweeping journey that takes us from the coral reefs and seagrass meadows of Indonesia where many seahorses makes their natural habitat to the back streets of Hong Kong where a thriving black market seahorse trade is concealed. Throughout history, seahorses have surfaced in some unexpected places and Scales also follows the seahorse back in time, from our most rudimentary seahorse imaginings six thousand years ago on cave walls in Australia, to the myths of ancient Greece. Scientists have long puzzled over seahorses' unusual anatomy and their very strange sex lives. And male seahorses are the only males in the animal world that experience childbirth! Seahorses are not what scientists call a "keystone" species. They rely on a healthy ocean to survive, but the marine ecosystem does not rely on them. But their delicate beauty reminds us that we rely on the seas not only to fill our dinner plates, but also to feed our imaginations.
Download or read book 13 Journeys Through Space and Time written by Colin Stuart and published by Michael O'Mara Books. This book was released on 2016-11-03 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exploration of space and time and a journey of discovery, through thirteen of the most fascinating Christmas Lectures given at the Royal Institution of Great Britain over the last 200 years. With a foreword by ESA astronaut Tim Peake.
Download or read book Mankind Beyond Earth written by Claude A. Piantadosi and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2013-01-01 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seeking to reenergize Americans' passion for the space program, the value of further exploration of the Moon, and the importance of human beings on the final frontier, Claude A. Piantadosi presents a rich history of American space exploration and its major achievements. He emphasizes the importance of reclaiming national command of our manned program and continuing our unmanned space missions, and he stresses the many adventures that still await us in the unfolding universe. Acknowledging space exploration's practical and financial obstacles, Piantadosi challenges us to revitalize American leadership in space exploration in order to reap its scientific bounty. Piantadosi explains why space exploration, a captivating story of ambition, invention, and discovery, is also increasingly difficult and why space experts always seem to disagree. He argues that the future of the space program requires merging the practicalities of exploration with the constraints of human biology. Space science deals with the unknown, and the margin (and budget) for error is small. Lethal near-vacuum conditions, deadly cosmic radiation, microgravity, vast distances, and highly scattered resources remain immense physical problems. To forge ahead, America needs to develop affordable space transportation and flexible exploration strategies based in sound science. Piantadosi closes with suggestions for accomplishing these goals, combining his healthy skepticism as a scientist with an unshakable belief in space's untapped—and wholly worthwhile—potential.
Download or read book The Universal Story written by Dru Johnson and published by Lexham Press. This book was released on 2018-03-07 with total page 91 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The opening chapters of Genesis tell the story of how humans relate to the world— and to God. Genesis 1-11 is a parade of humanity's stories intertwined with the most intriguing subjects wrestled with today: the beginning of the cosmos, the nature of humanity, family, sex, deceit, death, murder, mass murder, ecology, agriculture, urbanization, and more. In The Universal Story, Dru Johnson shows how Genesis 1-11 is written in a way that informs the rest of biblical history—including the exodus, the kings of Israel, the exile, the Gospels, and early church. Genesis 1-11 presents a story of humanity that seeks to explain the background of every human endeavor. It is the universal story—the story of stories—because it is a story about how all of these things came to be the way the Hebrews understood them to be. These bizarre and ancient stories frame the story of God and His plan for earth and humanity.
Download or read book Explorations into a Dynamic Process Oriented Soil Science written by Douglas S Frink and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2011-07-01 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The paradigm and models of traditional soil science lack the ability to adequately address issues of soil dynamics, environmental integration, and change. Unexplainable research results obtained from traditional soil studies applied to non-traditional soil phenomena in physical geography, archaeology and ecology speak to the current need for soil science to move beyond description and classification and into a dynamic process-oriented soil science capable of providing explanations. Soils do not behave as static inert geologic detritus affected by climate, organisms, relief, and parent material through time, but instead soils behave as self-organizing systems dynamically interrelating with their environment. Recognition of this dynamic behaviour required a re-examination of how scientists in general think and in how modern soil science specifically evolved its basic paradigms and models. This book examines the dynamics of soil organic carbon and demonstrates the self-organizing nature of soil through time as soil responds to a wide range of environmental and human perturbations. Makes soil science accessible to a wider audience by integrating soil science with biology, geography and archaeology Demonstrates universal application by including case studies from around the world Avoids pitfalls of determinism and vitalism by being well founded in the philosophy of science
Download or read book Deep Life written by Tullis C. Onstott and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 506 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: APPENDIX A: Chronology of the Exploration of Subsurface Life -- APPENDIX B: Chronology of the Meeting of the U.S. DOE's SSP Meetings -- NOTES -- REFERENCES -- INDEX
Download or read book A New History of Life written by Peter Ward and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2015-04-07 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history of life on Earth is, in some form or another, known to us all--or so we think. A New History of Life offers a provocative new account, based on the latest scientific research, of how life on our planet evolved--the first major new synthesis for general readers in two decades. Charles Darwin's theories, first published more than 150 years ago, form the backbone of how we understand the history of the Earth. In reality, the currently accepted history of life on Earth is so flawed, so out of date, that it's past time we need a 'New History of Life.' In their latest book, Joe Kirschvink and Peter Ward will show that many of our most cherished beliefs about the evolution of life are wrong. Gathering and analyzing years of discoveries and research not yet widely known to the public, A New History of Life proposes a different origin of species than the one Darwin proposed, one which includes eight-foot-long centipedes, a frozen “snowball Earth”, and the seeds for life originating on Mars. Drawing on their years of experience in paleontology, biology, chemistry, and astrobiology, experts Ward and Kirschvink paint a picture of the origins life on Earth that are at once too fabulous to imagine and too familiar to dismiss--and looking forward, A New History of Life brilliantly assembles insights from some of the latest scientific research to understand how life on Earth can and might evolve far into the future.
Download or read book Octopuses A Ladybird Expert Book written by Dr Helen Scales and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2019-03-21 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Part of the ALL-NEW LADYBIRD EXPERT SERIES - Why is it octopuses, and not octopi or octopodes? - How did octopuses evolve to be so clever? - How can octopuses see and speak with their skin? EXAMINE these crafty hunters of the seabed - shape-shifting, skin-signalling and using complex tools - their remarkable abilities are still being uncovered. BENDY BODIES, BIG BRAINS Written by celebrated marine biologist and documentarian Helen Scales, Octopuses is an enthralling introduction to these utterly unique creatures, the myths and fiction they have inspired, and what they can tell us about the roots of intelligence.
Download or read book Explorations into Sustainable Development with Forest and Biodiversity Conservation written by Dr. Ritu Dhingra and published by Selfypage Developers Pvt Ltd.. This book was released on 2023-06-02 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forests being the lungs of planet Earth are the most important ecosystems. They act as carbon sinks and sustain a huge amount of carbon in them. They play an extremely important role for the survival of the living beings on this earth. From human beings to the flora and fauna of the earth’s ecosystem depend on the forests in some way or the other. Forests are the repositories of enormous biodiversity on this planet. They are an adobe to millions of species of animals including human beings, plants and microorganisms. They also give massive ecosystem services to mankind and to all the living beings thriving on this earth. They regulate climate, water cycles and carbon sequestering on this planet. They even provide a livelihood to human beings all over the world. They check global warming on this earth. The parameter of sustainable development is that forest and biodiversity is conserved for the coming generations also. Forests are the most important repositories of terrestrial biological diversity. The diversity of life amongst the living beings and their distinct habitats, the interactions between the various components of the biodiversity makes this planet a habitable place for various life forms. Forest conservation is extremely important for intergenerational equity and the principle of sustainable development paves the way. The forests especially in the domains of forestry and agriculture provide 40% of the world’s economy. This is due to the biological diversity in the forest ecosystems. 70% of the world’s poor populace who live in rural areas is directly dependent on biodiversity for their livelihood. A rough estimate of 60 million indigenous folks are somehow reliant on forests for their daily needs. The Supreme Court of India in Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra v. State of Uttar Pradesh elucidated the importance of ecosystem services as provided by the forests.
Download or read book The Emergence of Life on Earth written by Iris Fry and published by Rutgers University Press. This book was released on 2000 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How did life emerge on Earth? Is there life on other worlds? These questions, until recently confined to the pages of speculative essays and tabloid headlines, are now the subject of legitimate scientific research. This book presents a unique perspective--a combined historical, scientific, and philosophical analysis, which does justice to the complex nature of the subject. The book's first part offers an overview of the main ideas on the origin of life as they developed from antiquity until the twentieth century. The second, more detailed part of the book examines contemporary theories and major debates within the origin-of-life scientific community. Topics include: Aristotle and the Greek atomists' conceptions of the organism Alexander Oparin and J.B.S. Haldane's 1920s breakthrough papers Possible life on Mars?
Download or read book The Sun the Earth and Near earth Space written by John A. Eddy and published by Government Printing Office. This book was released on 2009 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: " ... Concise explanations and descriptions - easily read and readily understood - of what we know of the chain of events and processes that connect the Sun to the Earth, with special emphasis on space weather and Sun-Climate."--Dear Reader.
