Most Popular Books in Science Fiction & Fantasy

The universe is a mathematical hologram. It’s made of ontological mathematics. It’s a living, thinking, self-optimising holographic organism composed of immortal, indestructible, ontological mathematical units called monads, defined by the most powerful and beautiful equation in the whole of mathematics: Euler’s Formula. Monads have a much more resonant name: souls. We all inhabit Soul World, a wondrous immaterial Singularity outside space and time. Our souls are individual mathematical singularities: autonomous, uncaused, uncreated, dimensionless frequency domains. Via Fourier mathematics, these imperishable, immaterial monadic souls can collectively create the spacetime domain of the material world. Where each soul is a single frequency domain, the material world of space and time is their collective Fourier output. What is “matter”? It’s simply dimensional energy: energy existing in the Fourier spacetime domain rather than in the Fourier dimensionless frequency domain. Welcome to Soul World.

In the pursuit of knowledge, Dorion Sagan argues in this dazzlingly eclectic, rigorously crafted, and deliciously witty collection of essays, scientific authoritarianism and philosophical obscurantism are equally formidable obstacles to discovery. As science has become more specialized and more costly, its questing spirit has been constrained by dogma. And philosophy, perhaps the discipline best placed to question orthodoxy, has retreated behind dense theoretical language and arcane topics of learning. Guided by a capacious, democratic view of science inspired by the examples set by his late parents—Carl Sagan, who popularized the study of the cosmos, and Lynn Margulis, an evolutionary biologist who repeatedly clashed with the scientific establishment—Sagan draws on classical and contemporary philosophy to intervene provocatively in often-charged debates on thermodynamics, linear and nonlinear time, purpose, ethics, the links between language and psychedelic drugs, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and the occupation of the human body by microbial others. Informed by a countercultural sensibility, a deep engagement with speculative thought, and a hardheaded scientific skepticism, he advances controversial positions on such seemingly sacrosanct subjects as evolution and entropy. At the same time, he creatively considers a wide range of thinkers, from Socrates to Bataille and Descartes to von Uexküll, to reflect on sex, biopolitics, and the free will of Kermit the Frog. Refreshingly nonconformist and polemically incisive, Cosmic Apprentice challenges readers to reject both dogma and cliché and instead recover the intellectual spirit of adventure that should—and can once again—animate both science and philosophy.

The book presents the conclusions of a psychologist seeking to make sense of contemporary particle physics as described in a number of popular science texts and media articles, written by physicists, seeking to explain the workings of the sub-atomic world. The accounts, it is argued, are a) mutually exclusive and contradictory, and b) metaphysical or magical in essence. Themes of the book include: a discussion of the way we allow physicists to invent things that have no perceivable qualities, on the grounds that they ''must'' be there because otherwise their preconceptions are wrong or their sums don''t work; that, from a psychological perspective, contemporary theory in particle physics has the same properties as any other act of faith, and the same limitations as belief in God; and that physics has now reached a point at which increasingly physicists research their own psychological constructions rather than anything which is unambiguously ''there'' or real. It encourages people to ask basic questions of the type we often use to question the existence of God; such as ''Where is he/it?'', ''Show me?'', ''Do it then'', ''When did it happen?'', ''How do you know it exists?'', and so on, and suggests that people take a leaf out of Dawkins'' text, The God Delusion, but apply it to high-end physics as much as to religious dogma: turning water into wine is a mere conjuring trick compared to producing an entire universe out of nothing.

Publisher description

The splendors of science, delightfully demystified. How do we make sense of the modern world? Science is a profoundly affecting aspect of contemporary life, and yet the gulf between experts and everyone else is widening. Colette Brooks bridges the gap by playing the role of curious layperson, serving as a tour guide to some of the most important discoveries and innovations of the last five centuries. Through serious and absurd stories alike, Brooks takes readers back and forth in time, from dark, cavernous laboratories to the pristine facilities of the twenty–first century. Laugh along with Newton, peer at the moon with Galileo, work beside the Wright Brothers, ride with the astronauts of Apollo 11, watch for UFOs in the 1950s, probe the secrets of the fruit fly, visit Chernobyl, or examine suspicious packages in a Hazmat suit. With Brooks as the guide, it’s easy to become immersed in the twists, turns, and surprises of each imaginative leap forward. Through a series of “thought experiments," Brooks also poses questions and offers helpful tips that ease the readers way into this strange but provocative territory. Bringing her unique perspective to the larger cultural conversation about science, Brooks ultimately unleashes the most powerful force of all: our own wonder.

An authoritative examination of the present and potential impact of nanoscale science and technology on modern life Because truly transformative technologies have far-reaching consequences, they always generate controversy. Establishing an effective process for identifying and understanding the broad implications of nanotechnology will advance its acceptance and success, impact the decisions of policymakers and regulatory agencies, and facilitate the development of judicious policy approaches to new technology options. Nanoscale: Issues and Perspectives for the Nano Century addresses the emerging ethical, legal, policy, business, and social issues. A compilation of provocative treatises, this reference: Covers an area of increasing research and funding Organizes topics in four sections: Policy and Perspectives; Nano Law and Regulation; Nanomedicine, Ethics, and the Human Condition; and Nano and Society: The NELSI Imperative Presents differing perspectives, with views from nanotechnology''s most ardent supporters as well as its most vocal critics Includes contributions from professionals in a variety of industries and disciplines, including science, law, ethics, business, health and safety, government regulation, and policy This is a core reference for professionals dealing with nanotechnology, including scientists from academia and industry, policy makers, ethicists and social scientists, safety and risk assessment professionals, investors, and others. It is also an excellent text for students in fields that involve nanotechnology.

"The irresistible enthusiasm of Great Adaptations couldn’t come at a better time."—David P. Barash, Wall Street Journal "Be very amazed."—Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words and Becoming Wild How one scientist unlocked the secrets behind some of nature’s most astounding animals From star-nosed moles that have super-sensing snouts to electric eels that paralyze their prey, animals possess unique and extraordinary abilities. In Great Adaptations, Kenneth Catania presents an entertaining and engaging look at some of nature’s most remarkable creatures. Telling the story of his biological detective work, Catania sheds light on the mysteries behind the behaviors of tentacled snakes, tiny shrews, zombie-making wasps, and more. He shows not only how studying these animals can provide deep insights into how life evolved, but also how scientific discovery can be filled with adventure and fun. Beginning with the star-nosed mole, Catania reveals what the creature’s nasal star is actually for, and what this tells us about how brains work. He explores how the deceptive hunting strategy of tentacled snakes leads prey straight to their mouths, how eels use electricity to control other animals, and why emerald jewel wasps make zombies out of cockroaches. He also solves the enigma of worm grunting—a traditional technique in which earthworms are enticed out of the ground—by teaming up with professional worm grunters. Catania demonstrates the merits of approaching science with an open mind, considers the role played by citizen scientists, and illustrates that most animals have incredible, hidden abilities that defy our imagination. Examining some strange and spectacular creatures, Great Adaptations offers a wondrous journey into nature’s grand designs.

Planarians, a class of flatworm, are extraordinary: they possess the remarkable ability to regenerate lost body parts, including complete regeneration of the nervous system. If cut into pieces, each piece of the planarian can regenerate into a complete organism. They are also unique among invertebrates in that they display addiction-like behaviors to many drugs abused by humans. Because of these distinct neurological traits, the planarian is often used as an animal model in neurological research, being used most recently for developments in neuropharmacology. The First Brain is a discussion of how planarians have been used in neuropharmacology, and what role they have played in scientific developments that have a high impact on our culture. Planarians have been the animal models for research in drug addiction, antidepressant development, and various other topics in biology, neurobiology, and even zoology. Pagán uses these flatworms as a framework to explore the history of biological research. The book provides accessible background information on how biomedical research is impacted by evolution, and defines neurobiology and neuropharmacology in ways that are easy to understand. At the same time, Pagán provides enough detail for the book to useful for scientists working in various subsections of biology. The planarian has played a key role in the history biological, neuropharmacological, and zoological research, and has even made appearances in a few unexpected places in popular culture. Oné Pagán explores all these roles, and shows us why the planarian truly is one of the most extraordinary and influential organisms in scientific research today.

In this book, Sarah E. Chinn pulls together what seems to be opposite discourses--the information-driven languages of law and medicine and the subjective logics of racism--to examine how racial identity has been constructed in the United States over the past century. She examines a range of primary social case studies such as the American Red Cross'' lamentable decision to segregate the blood of black and white donors during World War II, and its ramifications for American culture, and more recent examples that reveal the racist nature of criminology, such as the recent trial of O.J. Simpson. Among several key American literary texts, she looks at Mark Twain''s Pudd''nhead Wilson, a novel whose plot turns on issues of racial identity and which was written at a time when scientific and popular interest in evidence of the body, such as fingerprinting, was at a peak.

Electrons in Solids, Second Edition: An Introductory Survey introduces the reader to electrons in solids and covers topics ranging from particles and waves to the free electron model, energy bands, and junctions. Optical and electrical properties are also discussed, along with magnetic properties. The wavelike properties of all of matter are chosen as an integrating theme into which to weave such themes as crystal lattice vibrations (with their effect on electron mobility and electrical and thermal conductivity), electromagnetic waves (with their effect on optical reflection and absorption), and electronic transport in solids (with its dependence on the wavelike properties of electrons). This book is comprised of 11 chapters and begins with an overview of particles and waves, together with classical views of electrons, light, and energy. The general properties of waves are then discussed, with particular reference to traveling waves, standing waves, transverse waves, and longitudinal waves. Lattice waves, light waves, and matter waves are also considered. The reader is also introduced to wave equations, boundary conditions, and general wave properties. The remaining chapters are devoted to optical, electrical, and magnetic properties as well as junctions, including metal-metal junctions, metal-semiconductor junctions, and metal-semiconductor junctions. This monograph is intended for undergraduates and first-year graduate students with a background primarily in materials science, metallurgy, or one of the other engineering disciplines.

If you''ve ever had a question about your body (maybe one you''re afraid to ask?), this book is for you. Things like why we yawn, why skin wrinkles after a bath, or even whether it''s possible to keep a severed head alive: The Odd Body explains these and many other silly, weird, bizarre, and fascinating body mysteries. Dr. Stephen Juan entertains and rivets readers with his detailed answers. Reading The Odd Body is like having your doctor patiently answer all your random questions, one by one. But Dr. Juan goes well beyond the usual and ordinary things people wonder about bodies, like why most individuals are right-handed or why you get chills when chalk screeches across a blackboard. He also tells readers how a dead body is made into a mummy, the success rate of those who bore holes in their own heads to relieve headaches, and much, much more. The Odd Body is a unique combination of fun and fascinating material that''s delivered by an expert who happens to be a great storyteller. The book''s question-and-answer format makes it easy to pick up, turn to any page, and immediately become drawn into the intricacies of anatomy and physiology while gaining a better understanding of the human need to know more about ourselves.

Mars is a small world with a big reputation. This mysterious, singular planet—with volcanoes that dwarf Mount Everest, a canyon system that would stretch fully across the United States, and curious landscapes that perhaps once harbored water—has fascinated us for centuries. In the most up-to-date account available of the elusive Red Planet, Stephen James O’Meara follows our longstanding love affair with this unique celestial body, from the musings of humanity’s first stargazers to the imaginings of science-fiction writers, radio broadcasters, and filmmakers, to the latest images and discoveries from the Curiosity rover. The book also reviews plans for piloted missions to Mars—and what it will take for those missions to succeed.

Prosthetic Digital Devices in the Human Body provides a synthetic point-of-view on the different possibilities offered by these implantable tools. Implanting a digital device to provide healthcare isn’t just science-fiction anymore. Since the first pacemakers were surgically implanted in humans 60 years ago, there has been a significant increase in the different types of digital devices added to the body for eHealth purposes. This book comprehensively covers the latest technologies and their applications. Presents a complete review of the field of computerized human prosthetics Drawn from research conducted over 6 years and from 2 post doctoral surveys conducted at renowned institutions in France and Japan (Sorbonne University, CNRS, Tokyo Institute of technology) Provides an interdisciplinary approach, combining anthropology, sociology, psychology and philosophy

The intersection between law and neuroscience has been a focus of intense research for the past decade, as an unprecedented amount of attention has been triggered by the increased use of neuroscientific evidence in courts. While the majority of this attention is currently devoted to criminal law, including capital cases, the wide-ranging proposals for how neuroscience may inform issues of law and public policy extend to virtually every substantive area in law. Bringing together the latest work from leading scholars in the field, this volume examines the philosophical issues that inform this emerging and vibrant subfield of law. From discussions featuring the philosophy of the mind to neuroscience-based lie detection, each chapter addresses foundational questions that arise in the application of neuroscientific technology in the legal sphere.

This Volume 1 of Part II considers the factors that make science progress. It lays out the differences between normal science and pseudoscience by showing the importance of the scientific method in the advancement of science. It introduces the concept of Truth in science by raising the point that even though truth is based on the scientific method, can science be true? Can it depict reality? The author focuses on modern science, which, he thinks, was born thanks to the Scientific Revolution which started with Galileo Galilei and led to the Industrial Revolution. The impacts of the latter is analyzed in light modernism, modernization, and modernity, all three linked to scientific progress. The book also talks about the Newtonian scientific leap – by analyzing particularly the then social and political fabrics of England – and Albert Einstein by showing how he changed history. According to the author, our very physical world can help us understand scientific progress. So, he explains, among other things, the structure of atoms and molecules, the role of physics in the understanding of our universe, Quantum Mechanics, and the importance of Higgs-Boson. On the other hand, the book is a stunning revelation of how important information is to scientific progress. To make his point, the author, first, talks about John Vincent Atanasoff as the Father of computer thanks to the invention of his ABC computer and then, Alan Turing as the Father of modern computer thanks to his Turing Test and his views on Artificial Intelligence. Both men played a momentous role in the Digital Revolution and in the Information Age, according to the book. Finally, the author talks about nanotechnology, which explores the world of small, meaning at the atomic and the molecular levels and is an inescapable tool in the molecular biology revolution which, itself, is an important factor in scientific progress and in transhumanism or human enhancement defined as the ideology according to which man can surpass his present state by improving his genetic material.

“Far more than a history of lunar exploration . . . [Hurt] is at his best in the deft sketches of the astronauts—as they were and as they became.”—Chicago Tribune Between December 1968 and December 1972, twenty-four men captured the imagination of the world as they voyaged to the moon. In For All Mankind, Harry Hurt III presents a dramatic, engrossing, and expansive account of those journeys. Based on extensive research and exclusive interviews with the Apollo astronauts, For All Mankind remains one of the most comprehensive and revealing firsthand accounts of space travel ever assembled. In their own words, the astronauts share the sights, sounds, thoughts, fears, hopes, and dreams they experienced during their incredible voyages. In a compelling narrative structured as one trip to the moon, Harry Hurt recounts all the drama and danger of the lunar voyages, from the anxiety of the astronauts’ prelaunch procedures through the euphoria of touchdown on the lunar surface. Updated with a new introduction by the author for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, For All Mankind is both an extraordinary adventure story and an important historical document. “Hurt’s timely book is like an instant replay of the dramatic moon flight years . . . Hurt tells us of the hardships and the successes of the Apollo program, the remarkable journey to the moon, of the astronauts and technicians who made it possible and the goals of the nation in space.”—Houston Chronicle “The meat here lies in the lunar voyage itself, an irresistible mix of danger, courage, tedium, and spectacle, evoked with unprecedented detail by those who went there.”—Kirkus Reviews

A one-of-a-kind atlas that glorifies God, explores His creation, and honors His followers around the world! Discover amazing wonders of God''s creation, including longest rivers, tallest mountains, and more. Examine interesting factual details about Christian explorers, missionaries, and history makers. learn about geographic features and how these were formed by the Flood, plate tectonics, and volcanic activity - plus other details of God''s amazing design. The atlases that line the shelves of libraries and bookstores are filled with both evolutionary thought and secular worldviews. This atlas is packed with unique insights into Christian history makers and amazing landmarks. One will explore the design of ecosystems and biomes, great civilizations, and discoveries found around the world. The full-color, visually engaging book provides a dual purpose as an elementary curriculum and a valued reference tool. Outline maps and facts regarding the seven continents are provided, as well as detailed maps and data of the featured countries. The comprehensive information provided for each focus country will bring to light their culture and traditions, holidays, exploration, legal system, and economic industries, as well as missionary accounts and other material to help children connect to people from regions around the globe.

Emigrating Beyond Earth puts space colonization into the context of human evolution. Rather than focusing on the technologies and strategies needed to colonize space, the authors examine the human and societal reasons for space colonization. They make space colonization seems like a natural step by demonstrating that if will continue the human species'' 4 million-year-old legacy of adaptation to difficult new environments. The authors present many examples from the history of human expansion into new environments, including two amazing tales of human colonization - the prehistoric settlement of the upper Arctic around 5,000 years ago and the colonization of the Pacific islands around 3,000 years ago - which show that space exploration is no more about rockets and robots that Arctic exploration was about boating!

This volume honors the lifetime achievements of the distinguished activist and scholar Elise Boulding (1920–2010) on the occasion of her 95th birthday. Known as the “matriarch” of the twentieth century peace research movement, she made significant contributions in the fields of peace education, future studies, feminism, and sociology of the family, and as a prominent leader in the peace movement and the Society of Friends. She taught at the University of Colorado, Boulder from 1967 to 1978 and at Dartmouth College from 1978 to 1985, and was instrumental in the development of peace studies programs at both institutions. She was a co-founder of the International Peace Research Association (1964), the Consortium on Peace Research Education and Development (1970), and various peace and women’s issues-related committees and working groups of the American Sociological Association and International Sociological Association.

This volume contains a selection of papers presented to the Fourth Internation~l Symposium on Environmental Biogeochemistry (ISEB), and a conference on Biogeochemistry in Relation to Mining Industry and Environmental Pollution (Leaching Conference), held in Canberra, Aust ralia on August 26-31 and September 3-4, 1979, respectively. The ISEB were established to provide "a forum for uninhibited exchange of information and ideas among the biological, chemical, atmospheric and geolorical scientists working in the common area of biogeochemistry, encompassing soil and other earth sciences as well as the hydrosphere and atmosphere", By linking the fourth ISEB with the Leachin~ Conference the scope of discussions was extended to encompass the application of biogeochemical processes to the mining industry. This wide-ranging philosophy is reflected in the breadth and diversity of the subjects covered in this book. The published papers are expanded versions of those presented at the meetings. They have all been scrutinized by at least one referee in addition to the editors. About 20% of the contributions to the meetings are not included, either because authors did not wish to publish or because the papers were not accepted by the editors.

"Delightful, funny, and yet rigorous and intelligent: only Jorge and Daniel can reach this exquisite balance." —Carlo Rovelli, author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and Helgoland You’ve got questions: about space, time, gravity, and the odds of meeting your older self inside a wormhole. All the answers you need are right here. As a species, we may not agree on much, but one thing brings us all together: a need to know. We all wonder, and deep down we all have the same big questions. Why can’t I travel back in time? Where did the universe come from? What’s inside a black hole? Can I rearrange the particles in my cat and turn it into a dog? Researcher-turned-cartoonist Jorge Cham and physics professor Daniel Whiteson are experts at explaining science in ways we can all understand, in their books and on their popular podcast, Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe. With their signature blend of humor and oh-now-I-get-it clarity, Jorge and Daniel offer short, accessible, and lighthearted answers to some of the most common, most outrageous, and most profound questions about the universe they’ve received. This witty, entertaining, and fully illustrated book is an essential troubleshooting guide for the perplexing aspects of reality, big and small, from the invisible particles that make up your body to the identical version of you currently reading this exact sentence in the corner of some other galaxy. If the universe came with an FAQ, this would be it.

Many places around the world are being produced, converted, interpreted and made fit for tourist consumption. This fascinating book analyzes tourist performances such as walking, shopping, sunbathing, photographing, eating and clubbing, and studies why, and indeed how, some places become global centres whilst others don’t. Arranged in four distinct parts, Sheller and Urry consider: Performing Paradise Performances of Global Heritage Remaking Playful Places New Playful Places. Incorporating a wide array of empirical research and innovative international case studies, this fascinating book illuminates the tourist performance phenomenon: from Eco-tourism on the beach to shopping in Hong Kong, from the making of ''Cool Reykjavik'' to tourism in high-rise suburbs in Paris, and from Inca heritage to medical tourism. Edited by two world authorities in tourism studies, this revealing book deploys a range of theories related to the ''mobility turn'' in the social sciences in order to analyze the contingent and networked nature of how places are stabilized as fit for playful performances. Well-written and researched, with coherent analysis and presentation, this book will appeal to academics, students and those interested in the complex character of global change.

Inspired by the ecosophical writings of Felix Guattari, this book explores the many ways that aesthetics – in the forms of visual art, film, sculpture, painting, literature, and the screenplay – can act as catalysts, allowing us to see the world differently, beyond traditional modes of representation. This is in direct parallel to Guattari''s own attempt to break down the 19th century Kantian dialectic between man, art, and world, in favour of a non-hierarchical, transversal approach, to produce a more ethical and ecologically sensitive world view. Each chapter author analyses artworks which critique capitalism''s industrial devastation of the environment, while at the same time offering affirmative, imaginative futures suggested by art. Including contributions from philosophers, film theorists and artists, this book asks: How can we interact with the world in a non-dominant and non-destructive way? How can art catalyze new ethical relations with non-human entities and the environment? And, crucially, what part can philosophy play in rethinking these structures of interaction?

A manned mission to Mars is faced with challenges and topics that may not be obvious but of great importance and challenging for such a mission. This is the first book that collects contributions from scholars in various fields, from astronomy and medicine, to theology and philosophy, addressing such topics. The discussion goes beyond medical and technological challenges of such a deep-space mission. The focus is on human nature, human emotions and biases in such a new environment. The primary audience for this book are all researchers interested in the human factor in a space mission including philosophers, social scientists, astronomers, and others. This volume will also be of high interest for a much wider audience like the non-academic world, or for students.

Beginning at 6 p.m. and ending at 6 a.m., this poetic odyssey through the nocturnal world explores the hours of darkness in chapters that deal with such themes as sunsets, nocturnal animals, bedtime stories, fireworks, nightclubs, astronomy, sleep and dreams, and endless nights, among others. Reprint. 15,000 first printing.

A science journalist reveals the existence of the world''s first quantum computer--created by a team of Silicon Valley researchers and able to simultaneously compute all possible solutions to a problem, making it the most powerful computer in the world.

Drawing on extensive archival research, Jen Boyle investigates how the use of anamorphic perspective flourished in early modern England as a technology and medium in public interactive art, city and garden design, and as a theory and figure in literature, political theory and natural and experimental philosophy. This study offers a scholarly consideration of anamorphosis (its technical means, performances, and embodied practices) as an interactive media and cultural imaginary.

"Explores and compares neuroscientific and philosophical views of reality and human consciousness"--Provided by publisher.

Dan Lieberman has written an innovative, exhaustively researched and carefully argued book dealing with the evolution of the human head. In it he addresses three interrelated questions. First, why does the human head look the way it does? Second, why did these transformations occur? And third, how is something as complex and vital as the head so variable and evolvable? This book addresses these questions in three sections. The first set of chapters review how human and ape heads grow, both in terms of individual parts (organs and regions) and as an integrated whole. The second section reviews how the head performs its major functions: housing the brain, chewing, swallowing, breathing, vocalizing, thermoregulating, seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and balancing during locomotion. The final set of chapters review the fossil evidence for major transformations of the head during human evolution from the divergence of the human and ape lineages through the origins of Homo sapiens. These chapters use developmental and functional insights from the first two sections to speculate on the developmental and selective bases for these transformations.

Controversies in Digital Ethics explores ethical frameworks within digital culture. Through a combination of theoretical examination and specific case studies, the essays in this volume provide a vigorous examination of ethics in a highly individualistic and mediated world. Focusing on specific controversies-privacy, surveillance, identity politics, participatory culture-the authors in this volume provide a roadmap for navigating the thorny ethical issues in new media. Paul Booth and Amber Davisson bring together multiple writers working from different theoretical traditions to represent the multiplicity of ethics in the 21st century. Each essay has been chosen to focus on a particular issue in contemporary ethical thinking in order to both facilitate classroom discussion and further scholarship in digital media ethics. Accessible for students, but with a robust analysis providing contemporary scholarship in media ethics, this collection unites theory, case studies, and practice within one volume.

Presents fun cartoons alongside explanations of scientific curiosities such as chocolate having more energy than TNT, and wine being radioactive.

This landmark essay collection explains the Anthropocene as a scientific concept and as a human dilemma, showing how it limits our future but liberates our imaginations.

The first edition of this book was voted Winner of the 2004 International Academy of Astronautics Life Sciences Award. The second edition deals with psychological, psychiatric, and psychosocial issues that affect people who live and work in space. Unlike other books that focus on anecdotal reports and ground-based simulation studies, this book emphasizes the findings from psychological research conducted during actual space missions. Both authors have been active in such research.

This collection of review articles summarises recent scientific achievements in the theory of petrology. The book is divided into three sections: general thermodynamics and mineral equilibria; metamorphic and metasomatic processes; and mantle and magmatic processes.

Jointly published with INRA, Paris. The application of new production methods in the food industry - genetic engineering in plants and animals - as well as recent crises over food-borne diseases have led consumers to a growing concern about science as an appropriate basis for developing sound agricultural policies. This book presents the discussion of scientists and politicians in the framework of an OECD programme conference on how to restore public trust in the application of new scientific achievements concerning food production.

Broken down in the Sahara Desert, a pilot meets an extraordinary Little Prince, travelling across time and space to bring peace to his warring planet. Inua Ellams'' magical retelling of the much loved story by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry turns the Little Prince into a descendant of an African race in a parallel galaxy. His journey as a galactic emigrant takes us through solar systems of odd planets with strange beings, addresses climate change and morality, and shows how even a little thing can make a big difference.

This volume aims to map out the complex relationships leisure has with notions of place and space in contemporary life. Illustrating the transdisciplinarity of this key feature of leisure studies, it explores how leisure places and spaces affect personal, social and collective identities.

Modern humanity with some 5,000 years of recorded history has been experiencing growing pains, with no end in sight. It is high time for humanity to grow up and to transcend itself by embracing transhumanism. Transhumanism offers the most inclusive ideology for all ethnicities and races, the religious and the atheists, conservatives and liberals, the young and the old regardless of socioeconomic status, gender identity, or any other individual qualities. This book expounds on contemporary views and practical advice from more than 70 transhumanists. Astronaut Neil Armstrong said on the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Transhumanism is the next logical step in the evolution of humankind, and it is the existential solution to the long-term survival of the human race.