Download or read book Science and Selection written by David L. Hull and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One way to understand science is as a selection process. David Hull, one of the dominant figures in contemporary philosophy of science, sets out in this 2001 volume a general analysis of this selection process that applies equally to biological evolution, the reaction of the immune system to antigens, operant learning, and social and conceptual change in science. Hull aims to distinguish between those characteristics that are contingent features of selection and those that are essential. Science and Selection brings together many of David Hull's most important essays on selection (some never before published) in one accessible volume.
Download or read book Beyond Natural Selection written by Robert G. Wesson and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 1993 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: proposes an approach to evolution that is more in harmony with modern science than Darwinism or neo-Darwinism
Download or read book Hypothesis Testing and Model Selection in the Social Sciences written by David L. Weakliem and published by Guilford Publications. This book was released on 2016-04-25 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examining the major approaches to hypothesis testing and model selection, this book blends statistical theory with recommendations for practice, illustrated with real-world social science examples. It systematically compares classical (frequentist) and Bayesian approaches, showing how they are applied, exploring ways to reconcile the differences between them, and evaluating key controversies and criticisms. The book also addresses the role of hypothesis testing in the evaluation of theories, the relationship between hypothesis tests and confidence intervals, and the role of prior knowledge in Bayesian estimation and Bayesian hypothesis testing. Two easily calculated alternatives to standard hypothesis tests are discussed in depth: the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and Bayesian information criterion (BIC). The companion website ([ital]www.guilford.com/weakliem-materials[/ital]) supplies data and syntax files for the book's examples.
Download or read book Anthropic Bias written by Nick Bostrom and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-10-11 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Anthropic Bias explores how to reason when you suspect that your evidence is biased by "observation selection effects"--that is, evidence that has been filtered by the precondition that there be some suitably positioned observer to "have" the evidence. This conundrum--sometimes alluded to as "the anthropic principle," "self-locating belief," or "indexical information"--turns out to be a surprisingly perplexing and intellectually stimulating challenge, one abounding with important implications for many areas in science and philosophy. There are the philosophical thought experiments and paradoxes: the Doomsday Argument; Sleeping Beauty; the Presumptuous Philosopher; Adam & Eve; the Absent-Minded Driver; the Shooting Room. And there are the applications in contemporary science: cosmology ("How many universes are there?", "Why does the universe appear fine-tuned for life?"); evolutionary theory ("How improbable was the evolution of intelligent life on our planet?"); the problem of time's arrow ("Can it be given a thermodynamic explanation?"); quantum physics ("How can the many-worlds theory be tested?"); game-theory problems with imperfect recall ("How to model them?"); even traffic analysis ("Why is the 'next lane' faster?"). Anthropic Bias argues that the same principles are at work across all these domains. And it offers a synthesis: a mathematically explicit theory of observation selection effects that attempts to meet scientific needs while steering clear of philosophical paradox.
Download or read book Adaptation and Natural Selection written by George Christopher Williams and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2018-10-30 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biological evolution is a fact—but the many conflicting theories of evolution remain controversial even today. When Adaptation and Natural Selection was first published in 1966, it struck a powerful blow against those who argued for the concept of group selection—the idea that evolution acts to select entire species rather than individuals. Williams’s famous work in favor of simple Darwinism over group selection has become a classic of science literature, valued for its thorough and convincing argument and its relevance to many fields outside of biology. Now with a new foreword by Richard Dawkins, Adaptation and Natural Selection is an essential text for understanding the nature of scientific debate.
Download or read book Darwin and the Making of Sexual Selection written by Evelleen Richards and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2017-04-27 with total page 704 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sexual selection, or the struggle for mates, was of considerable strategic importance to Darwin s theory of evolution as he first outlined it in the "Origin of Species," and later, in the "Descent of Man," it took on a much wider role. There, Darwin s exhaustive elaboration of sexual selection throughout the animal kingdom was directed to substantiating his view that human racial and sexual differences, not just physical differences but certain mental and moral differences, had evolved primarily through the action of sexual selection. It was the culmination of a lifetime of intellectual effort and commitment. Yet even though he argued its validity with a great array of critics, sexual selection went into abeyance with Darwin s death, not to be revived until late in the twentieth century, and even today it remains a controversial theory. In unfurling the history of sexual selection, Evelleen Richards brings to vivid life Darwin the man, not the myth, and the social and intellectual roots of his theory building."
Download or read book Materials and Design written by Michael F. Ashby and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2009-10-28 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Materials and Design: The Art and Science of Material Selection in Product Design, Second Edition, discusses the role of materials and processes in product design. The book focuses on the materials that designers need, as well as on how and why they use them. The book's 10 chapters cover topics such as function and personality, factors influencing product design, the design process, materials selection, and case studies in materials and design. Appendices for each chapter provide exercises for readers, along with detailed charts of technical attributes of different materials for reference. This book will be particularly useful to both students and working designers. Students are introduced to the role of materials in manufacturing and design, with the help of familiar language and concepts. Working designers can use the book as a reference source for materials and manufacturing. - The best guide ever published on the on the role of materials, past and present, in product development, by noted materials authority Mike Ashby and professional designer Kara Johnson--now with even better photos and drawings on the Design Process - Significant new section on the use of re-cycled materials in products, and the importance of sustainable design for manufactured goods and services - Enhanced materials profiles, with addition of new materials types like nanomaterials, advanced plastics and bio-based materials
Download or read book Science as a Process written by David L. Hull and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2010-12-15 with total page 601 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Legend is overdue for replacement, and an adequate replacement must attend to the process of science as carefully as Hull has done. I share his vision of a serious account of the social and intellectual dynamics of science that will avoid both the rosy blur of Legend and the facile charms of relativism. . . . Because of [Hull's] deep concern with the ways in which research is actually done, Science as a Process begins an important project in the study of science. It is one of a distinguished series of books, which Hull himself edits."—Philip Kitcher, Nature "In Science as a Process, [David Hull] argues that the tension between cooperation and competition is exactly what makes science so successful. . . . Hull takes an unusual approach to his subject. He applies the rules of evolution in nature to the evolution of science, arguing that the same kinds of forces responsible for shaping the rise and demise of species also act on the development of scientific ideas."—Natalie Angier, New York Times Book Review "By far the most professional and thorough case in favour of an evolutionary philosophy of science ever to have been made. It contains excellent short histories of evolutionary biology and of systematics (the science of classifying living things); an important and original account of modern systematic controversy; a counter-attack against the philosophical critics of evolutionary philosophy; social-psychological evidence, collected by Hull himself, to show that science does have the character demanded by his philosophy; and a philosophical analysis of evolution which is general enough to apply to both biological and historical change."—Mark Ridley, Times Literary Supplement "Hull is primarily interested in how social interactions within the scientific community can help or hinder the process by which new theories and techniques get accepted. . . . The claim that science is a process for selecting out the best new ideas is not a new one, but Hull tells us exactly how scientists go about it, and he is prepared to accept that at least to some extent, the social activities of the scientists promoting a new idea can affect its chances of being accepted."—Peter J. Bowler, Archives of Natural History "I have been doing philosophy of science now for twenty-five years, and whilst I would never have claimed that I knew everything, I felt that I had a really good handle on the nature of science, Again and again, Hull was able to show me just how incomplete my understanding was. . . . Moreover, [Science as a Process] is one of the most compulsively readable books that I have ever encountered."—Michael Ruse, Biology and Philosophy
Download or read book Adaptation in Metapopulations written by Michael J. Wade and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2016-05-03 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Across the globe, populations of plants and animals live in clusters, but maintain a connectivity a population of populations. There are naturally occurring metapopulations, such as clusters of groupers spread across coral reefs, and there are metapopulations humans have helped create by fragmenting landscapes: stands of trees separated by roads, prairies separated by agricultural farms. As the dynamics of landscape change have accelerated, and understanding of how metapopulations functions has played a critical role in ecology and evolutionary biology. Adaptation in Metapopulations synthesizes the role of genetic interactions in adaptive evolution and their influence on the effectiveness of different types of selection. Drawing on extensive field work and lab experiments, cohered with a strong conceptual arc, the work also integrates molecular and organismal biology, as Wade explores adaptation at multiple scales, and shows how evolutionary dynamics scale from the gene to the metapopulation. "
Download or read book Selection Theory and Social Construction written by Cecilia Heyes and published by SUNY Press. This book was released on 2001-07-26 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Top scholars examine the work of Donald T. Campbell, one of the first to emphasize the social structure of science.
Download or read book What Darwin Got Wrong written by Jerry Fodor and published by Profile Books. This book was released on 2011-02-24 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jerry Fodor and Massimo Piatelli-Palmarini, a distinguished philosopher and scientist working in tandem, reveal major flaws at the heart of Darwinian evolutionary theory. They do not deny Darwin's status as an outstanding scientist but question the inferences he drew from his observations. Combining the results of cutting-edge work in experimental biology with crystal-clear philosophical argument they mount a devastating critique of the central tenets of Darwin's account of the origin of species. The logic underlying natural selection is the survival of the fittest under changing environmental pressure. This logic, they argue, is mistaken. They back up the claim with evidence of what actually happens in nature. This is a rare achievement - the short book that is likely to make a great deal of difference to a very large subject. What Darwin Got Wrong will be controversial. The authors' arguments will reverberate through the scientific world. At the very least they will transform the debate about evolution.
Download or read book Scientific Jury Selection written by Joel D. Lieberman and published by American Psychological Association (APA). This book was released on 2007 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Given the importance of trial consultants to the modern-day practice of law, Scientific Jury Selection is designed to be informative for psychologists, other professionals interested in trial consulting (e.g., sociologists, communication experts, marketing researchers, psychiatrists, and social workers), and attorneys. The authors provide a thorough review of the most common techniques used to select jurors and a critical, social-science-based evaluation of the ultimate effectiveness of these methods. The nature and mechanics of the voir dire process, the use of community surveys, and the influence of demographic factors on scientific jury selection are among the many topics given a close examination by the two authors, who are pioneers in the field. Psychologists and other social scientists as well as practicing trial consultants who read the book will gain a better understanding of the current state of research relevant to scientific jury selection, emerging trends, and areas in which new research needs to be conducted to advance the field. Attorneys who read the book will be better positioned to decide whether to hire consultants to assist in future litigation, and if so, what types of services these consultants should provide"--Jacket. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved).
Download or read book Murderous Science written by Benno Müller-Hill and published by CSHL Press. This book was released on 1998 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Human Genome Project has associated many mutant genes with physical ailments and the genetic basis of certain behavioral characteristics is being seriously discussed. In the 1920s and 1930s, advocates for eugenics claimed that genes influenced human behavior, but with no valid evidence. In Germany the Nazis adopted their ideas to justify violent anti-semitism. In this new, expanded edition of the English translation of his compelling book Todliche Wissenschaft,the distinguished German geneticist Benno Muller-Hill documents the long-suppressed collusion of eugenics and racist politics which resulted in the mass murder of millions. In a new Afterword, he warns against the misuse today of newly emerging knowledge about human heredity. In an accompanying essay, Nobel Laureate James D. Watson, an architect of this new era of genetics, vividly describes a recent visit to Berlin and his impressions of the legacy of eugenics in German science.
Download or read book Evolution by Natural Selection written by Michaelis Michael and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2015-11-18 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A persistent argument among evolutionary biologists and philosophers revolves around the nature of natural selection. Evolution by Natural Selection: Confidence, Evidence and the Gap explores this argument by using a theory of persistence as an intentional foil to examine ways in which similar theories can be misunderstood. It discusses Charles Dar
Download or read book The Nature of Selection written by Elliott Sober and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1993-08-15 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Nature of Selection is a straightforward, self-contained introduction to philosophical and biological problems in evolutionary theory. It presents a powerful analysis of the evolutionary concepts of natural selection, fitness, and adaptation and clarifies controversial issues concerning altruism, group selection, and the idea that organisms are survival machines built for the good of the genes that inhabit them. "Sober's is the answering philosophical voice, the voice of a first-rate philosopher and a knowledgeable student of contemporary evolutionary theory. His book merits broad attention among both communities. It should also inspire others to continue the conversation."-Philip Kitcher, Nature "Elliott Sober has made extraordinarily important contributions to our understanding of biological problems in evolutionary biology and causality. The Nature of Selection is a major contribution to understanding epistemological problems in evolutionary theory. I predict that it will have a long lasting place in the literature."-Richard C. Lewontin
Download or read book Natural Selection written by Dave Freedman and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2006-06-06 with total page 395 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A shocking biological discovery. A previously unknown predatory species. Evolving just like the dinosaurs. Now. Today. Being forced out of its world and into man's for a violent first encounter. Weaving science and thriller in a way not seen since Jurassic Park, Natural Selection introduces a phenomenally dangerous new species that is rapidly adapting in a way never before seen. A mystery. A chase. A vast expansive puzzle. A team of marine scientists is on the verge of making the most stunning discovery in the history of man. In their quest for answers, they engage a host of fascinating characters. The world's premier neurology expert. A specialist on animal teeth. Flight simulation wizards, evolution historians, deep sea geologists, and so many more. Along the way, the team of six men and women experience love, friendship, loyalty and betrayal. Together, they set off to exotic locales. Literally to the bottom of the ocean. To a vast and mysterious redwood forest. To an unknown complex of massive caves. When people start dying, the stakes are upped even further. Then the real hunt begins. . . . Loaded with astonishing action sequences, Natural Selection is that rare breed of thriller, filled with intricately layered research, real three-dimensional characters, and tornado pacing.
Download or read book Materials Selection in Mechanical Design written by M. F. Ashby and published by Pergamon. This book was released on 1992-01-01 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New materials enable advances in engineering design. This book describes a procedure for material selection in mechanical design, allowing the most suitable materials for a given application to be identified from the full range of materials and section shapes available. A novel approach is adopted not found elsewhere. Materials are introduced through their properties; materials selection charts (a new development) capture the important features of all materials, allowing rapid retrieval of information and application of selection techniques. Merit indices, combined with charts, allow optimisation of the materials selection process. Sources of material property data are reviewed and approaches to their use are given. Material processing and its influence on the design are discussed. The book closes with chapters on aesthetics and industrial design. Case studies are developed as a method of illustrating the procedure and as a way of developing the ideas further.
