Nature S Longest Threads

Organisms endowed with life show a sense of awareness, interacting with and learning from the universe in and around them. Each level of interaction involves transfer of information of various kinds, and at different levels. Each thread of information is interlinked with the other, and woven together, these constitute the universe — both the internal self and the external world — as we perceive it. They are, figuratively speaking, Nature's longest threads. This volume reports inter-disciplinary research and views on information and its transfer at different levels of organization by reputed scientists working on the frontier areas of science. It is a frontier where physics, mathematics and biology merge seamlessly, binding together specialized streams such as quantum mechanics, dynamical systems theory, and mathematics. The topics would interest a broad cross-section of researchers in life sciences, physics, cognition, neuroscience, mathematics and computer science, as well as interested amateurs, familiarizing them with frontier research on understanding information transfer in living systems. Contents:Mathematics In-forms Physics and Physics Per-forms Mathematics: Comments (N Kumar)An Incomplete Summing Up of Quantum Measurements (N D Hari Dass)Predictive Information for Quantum Bio-Systems (Arun Kumar Pati)Quantum Effects in Biological Systems (Sisir Roy)Instabilities in Sensory Processes (J Balakrishnan)Active Cellular Mechanics and Information Processing in the Living Cell (M Rao)On the Importance of Length Scales in Determining the Physics of Biological Systems (B Ashok)q-Deformations and the Dynamics of the Larch Bud-Moth Population Cycles (Sudharsana V Iyengar and J Balakrishnan)Newtonian Chimpanzees? A Molecular Dynamics Approach to Understanding Decision Making by Wild Chimpanzees (Matthew Westley, Surajit Sen and Anindya Sinha)Quantum Probability — A New Direction for Modeling in Cognitive Science (Sisir Roy)Knowledge, Its Hierarchy and Its Direction (Apoorva Patel)Some Remarks on Numbers and Their Cognition (P P Divakaran)Conceptual Revolution of the 20th Century Leading to One Grand Unified Concept — The Quantum Vacuum (B V Sreekantan)Classical Coherence, Life and Consciousness (Partha Ghose)Consciousness — A Verifiable Prediction (N Panchapakesan)Gödel, Tarski, Turing and the Conundrum of Free Will (Chetan S Mandayam Nayakar & R Srikanth)Mathematics and Cognition (Rajesh Kasturirangan) Readership: Researchers in life sciences, physics, cognition, neuroscience, mathematics and computer science, as well as general public interested in understanding information transfer in living systems. Key Features:This book shows how at each level, differing physics concepts and mathematical tools may be used to model and understand information transfer and its processingKeywords:Bifurcation;Biological Systems;Cognition;Coherence;Complex Systems;Consciousness;Dynamical Systems;Electrostatics;Information;Information Transfer;Length Scales;Life;Microtubules;Mathematics;Mathematical Modelling;Measurement;Neurons;Nonlinearities;Numbers;Olfaction;Polymers;Polyelectrolyte Solutions;Population Cycles;Primates;Probability;Q-Deformation;Quantum Effects;Quantum Mechanics;Sensory Processes;Viscosity

"Part fiction, part overview of 'Aha!' moments in the forward march of physics, Only the Longest Threads takes readers dramatically through scientific fields such as quantum field theory, electromagnetism, relativity, quantum mechanics, and string theory. Each idea or concept is explored in an inventive chapter, each told from a different first-person narrator; the faux emails, letters, and diary entries take place from 1728 to the present day."—Boing Boing, "The Best Books for Nerds from 2014" "Science is done by real human beings, with human concerns. Only the Longest Threads tells a story that conveys the human side of science in a way that is as moving as it is accurate."—Sean Carroll, theoretical physicist at Caltech and author of The Particle at the End of the Universe Only the Longest Threads will thrill readers with its dramatic and lucid accounts of the great breakthroughs in the history of physics—classical mechanics, electromagnetism, relativity, quantum mechanics, quantum field theory, and string theory, each from the viewpoint of a (fictional) witness to the events. Tasneem Zehra Husain re-imagines the pivotal moments in the history of physics when radical new theories shifted our perception of the universe, and our place in it. Husain immerses the reader in the immediacy and excitement of the discoveries—and she guides us as we begin to understand the underlying science and to grasp the revolutionary step forward each of these milestones represents. "Tasneem Zehra Husain writes lyrically, poetically about life, love, and physics. I highly recommend this wonderful book for anyone interested in what physics, and indeed all of science, is about. She masterfully describes the most momentous moments in physics history with verve and talent."—Amir D. Aczel, bestselling author of Fermat’s Last Theorem "A delightful meditation on the development of modern physics, culminating in the discovery of the Higgs. Husain follows the thread of its creation through a dialog between a journalist and young theory student, and as seen through the eyes of witnesses."—John Huth, Donner Professor of Science, Harvard University "Well-written and cleverly constructed, this book takes us on a journey through the history of physics as a series of fictional adventures, loosely linked by another fiction, the storytellers' emails to each other. Some books are praised because 'I couldn’t put it down,' but this one merits a deeper reading, one that stops, muses on, and savors each story before going on to the next. Each one captures not only the emergence of a significant idea in physics, but also something of the characters, culture, and times surrounding that development. So take your time, pause to ponder, but persevere, you will be well rewarded!"—Helen R. Quinn, Physicist, Science Educator, and co-author of The Mystery of the Missing Antimatter, Professor Emeritus SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory "How do theoretical physicists think? Tasneem Zehra Husain knows. She knows their purpose, feels their passions, articulates their frustrations, shares their triumphs. Through the device of fiction Only the Longest Threads communicates the history of physical thought—its roots in inquisitiveness and essential disinterest in outcome—with greater clarity than any popular science text."—Michael Duff FRS, Abdus Salam Professor of Theoretical Physics, Imperial College London "An artfully constructed journey through space and time."—Freddy Cachazo, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics "Husain skillfully weaves a poetic tapestry."—Joseph Mazur, author of Enlightening Symbols

The Blue Economy cites a new business model in China where novel paper production turns crushed rocks, including mining waste that has piled up over centuries into sheets for printing, writing and packaging without the use of water, without cutting down a tree, and recyclable forever. It details how thistles, considered a weed, is turned into a plastic, a lubricant and a herbicide converting an old petrochemical plant into a biorefinery.

Naturalists in every age have been intrigued by frogs, toads, and salamanders. They have seen these amphibians in a variety of guises -- as beings with magical powers or implicit moral lessons, as the products of spontaneous generation, as heralds of the seasons, as evidence of evolution or material for biological experiments, or, most recently, as ecological barometers for the biosphere.Nature's Fading Chorus presents an anthology of writings on amphibians drawn from the entire Western natural history tradition, beginning with Aristotle's Inquiry Concerning Animals written in the fourth century B.C.E., and continuing through recent scientific accounts of the relatively sudden -- and alarming -- global declines and deformities in amphibian species. The offerings not only reveal much about amphibian life, but also provide fascinating insight into the worldviews of the many writers, scientists, and naturalists who have delved into the subject.The book is divided into five sections. The first three offer selections from the most influential contributors to the Western canon of natural history writing, and contain classic texts that illustrate central themes in the changing understanding of amphibians and of the natural world. The fourth section offers engaging essays by leading twentieth-century nature writers that portray a variety of amphibians in diverse terrains. Part five covers the various aspects of, and research on, the problem of amphibian declines and deformities. Featured are more than thirty-five pieces, including works from Pliny the Elder, Gilbert White, William Bartram, Henry David Thoreau, Charles Darwin, T. H. Huxley, Loren Eiseley, Stephen Jay Gould, George Orwell, Annie Dillard, Terry Tempest Williams, and many others.Arranged chronologically, the writings provide an intriguing look at the ways in which humankind's understanding of its place in nature has changed through the course of Western history, and of the niche amphibians have occupied in that evolution.

"Nature's patterns is a trilogy composed of Shapes, Flow, and Branches."

This book is a powerful, interdisciplinary introduction to environmental studies.

Being a hero means standing up to false heroes. To gain this ability, we need to have a good grasp of the nature of the universe and to be able to understand our own minds. This book introduces you to the most current and most advanced topics in science. It is easy to read, stays away from complicated mathematical details, and introduces concepts from the ground up. Becoming a hero requires gaining an understanding of what the greatest minds of history have pondered. Philosophy for Heroes summarizes their wisdom and connects it with the modern world.What would lead a computer scientist and project manager to turn to philosophy for answers? Clemens Lode has a passion for solving problems by applying ideas from nature. In his examination into what could give lifeless machines a "heart," he found that the answer requires a holistic examination of the world.With his book series Philosophy for Heroes, Lode bridges the gap between science, philosophy, psychology, and ultimately leadership. Through addressing these topics and challenging popular myths, we can lay the groundwork for becoming modern-day heroes.In this, the second book in a four-part series, he explores questions like: What is the quantum theory and how can we interpret it? How did the universe come out of "nothingness" and how did life develop from non-living matter? What is the origin of our own creativity? Through addressing these questions and challenging popular myths, we can lay the groundwork for becoming modern-day heroes. Table of Contents: Chapter 1: Philosophy (see Philosophy for Heroes: Knowledge) Chapter 2: Language (see Philosophy for Heroes: Knowledge) Chapter 3: Physics An Introduction to Science Occam's RazorPopular Science Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle Development of Quantum Mechanics Copenhagen Interpretation Interpretations of the Quantum Theory Chaos Theory The Big Bang Chapter 4: Evolution Basics of Evolution Chemical Evolution Artificial Life The Origin of Life The Red Queen Hypothesis Evolution in the Head Chapter 5: Consciousness (see Philosophy for Heroes: Act) Chapter 6: Free Will (see Philosophy for Heroes: Act) Chapter 7: Ethics (see Philosophy for Heroes: Epos) Chapter 8: Heroism (see Philosophy for Heroes: Epos)