Showing titles in Biology

Bigfoots aren't real, you might say. They're just a myth, a story, a scam, a hoax, a publicity stunt. All of those things and more have been said on the subject. And yet, for decades now, scientists all over the world have spent millions, in both cash and man-hours, investigating this phenomenon. Why would they do this? Why spend time and money on a myth? Why dedicate your life to a practical joke? Because that's what it must be, right?

Allergies, asthma, obesity, stomachaches, acne: These are just a few of the conditions that may be caused - and cured - by the microscopic life inside us. Understand how to use groundbreaking science to improve your health, mood, and more.

In Living on Earth, Godfrey-Smith takes us on a grand tour of the history of life on earth. He visits Rwandan gorillas and Australian bowerbirds, returns to coral reefs and octopus dens, considers the impact of language and writing, and weighs the responsibilities our unique powers bring with them, as they relate to factory farming, habitat preservation, climate change, and the use of animals in experiments.

Trouet, a leading tree-ring scientist, takes us out into the field, from remote African villages to radioactive Russian forests, offering listeners an insider's look at tree-ring research, a discipline formally known as dendrochronology. Tracing her own professional journey while exploring dendrochronology's history and applications, Trouet describes the basics of how tell-tale tree cores are collected and dated with ring-by-ring precision, explaining the unexpected and momentous insights we've gained from the resulting samples.

Why are we the way we are? Why do some of us find it impossible to calm a quick temper or to shake anxiety? The debate has always been divided between nature and nurture, but as psychology professor Daniel P. Keating demonstrates in Born Anxious, new DNA science points to a third factor that allows us to inherit both the nature and the nurture of previous generations - with significant consequences.

Through riveting personal stories and the latest research, Harvard evolutionary biologist Carole Hooven shows how testosterone drives the behaviour of the sexes apart and how understanding the science behind this hormone is empowering for all.

KI wird unseren Arbeitsmarkt verändern, doch das ist nicht das Problem: Unser Sozialleben macht uns zum Menschen. Doch wenn unser bester Freund eine KI ist – haben wir dann noch eins? Karsten Brensing wirft einen Blick auf den Einzug von KI in die Mitte unserer Gesellschaft. Die Veränderungen werden vor allem auch unser Sozialleben betreffen. Tierisch glücklich sein in einer komplexen Welt. Trotz seiner mentalen Leistungsfähigkeit und des technischen Fortschritts ist der Mensch im Laufe der Evolution nicht gleichsam zufriedener geworden.

Spotting a face in a crowd is so easy, you take it for granted. But how you do it is one of science's great mysteries. And vision is involved with so much of everything your brain does. Explaining how it works reveals more than just how you see. In We Know It When We See It, Harvard neuroscientist Richard Masland tackles vital questions about how the brain processes information - how it perceives, learns, and remembers - through a careful study of the inner life of the eye.

Get ready for a three-part journey into the extraordinary with 'The Infinite Abyss Series'. This captivating set of audiobooks takes you on an exploration into the wonders of the cosmos, the mysteries of our oceans, and the marvels of the human body. Prepare to ignite your curiosity and passion for learning with 'The Abyss Above', 'The Abyss Below', and 'The Abyss Inside'. Each book in 'The Infinite Abyss Series' immerses you in a different realm of discovery, filled with mind-blowing facts, intriguing theories, and an exciting exploration of the mysteries that surround us.

This audiobook by Eugène Marais is a passionate, insightful account into the world of termites. It is a meticulously researched expose of their complex, highly structured community life.

Ageing - not cancer, not heart disease - is the world’s leading cause of death and suffering. We accept as inevitable that as we get older our bodies and minds begin to deteriorate, and we are increasingly likely to be struck by dementia or disease. Ageing is so deeply ingrained in human experience that we never think to ask: is it necessary?

Hear the echo of a revolution at the intersection of overpopulation and women’s rights. Dive into an auditory journey that captures the essence of a world striving for balance and justice. Listen as Townsend's compelling narrative unfolds, highlighting the profound connection between overpopulation and the very essence of women's lives, rights, and aspirations. Every chapter, every word, and every nuance is brought to life in this Audible experience, ensuring you don't just hear, but feel the impact.

When a good friend with a severe illness wrote, asking if he might have his “green burial” at Bernd Heinrich’s hunting camp in Maine, it inspired the acclaimed biologist to investigate a subject that had long fascinated him. How exactly does the animal world deal with the flip side of the life cycle? And what are the lessons, ecological to spiritual, raised by a close look at how the animal world renews itself?

An estimated 10 percent of Americans are implanted with medical devices - like pacemakers, artificial hips, cardiac stents, etc. The overwhelming majority of high-risk implanted devices have never undergone a single clinical trial. The FDA lets device manufacturers decide whether to report serious complications or deaths that may have been caused by their products. Here, award-winning journalist Jeanne Lenzer brings these horrifying statistics to life through the story of one working-class man who, after his "cure" nearly kills him, ends up in a battle for justice.

In this intriguing book, evolutionary biologist Scott Solomon draws on the explosion of discoveries in recent years to examine the future evolution of our species. Combining knowledge of our past with current trends, Solomon offers convincing evidence that evolutionary forces still affect us today. But how will modernization - including longer lifespans, changing diets, global travel, and widespread use of medicine and contraceptives - affect our evolutionary future?

Insects might make us recoil in repugnance, but they also manufacture - or make possible in other ways - many of the things we take for granted in our daily lives. When we bite into a shiny apple, listen to the resonant notes of a violin, try on the latest fashions, receive a dental implant, or get a manicure, we are mingling with the by-products of their everyday lives.

In Insect Epiphany, author Barrett Klein shares his expert insights into the outsize influence that insects have had on civilization. Our world would look very different without insects, not just because they are part of the food chain, but because they have inspired so many aspects of our cultural output.

Our sense of smell - or olfaction as it is technically known - is our most enigmatic sense. It can conjure up memories, taking us back to very specific places and emotions, whilst powerful smells can induce strong feelings of hunger or nausea. In the animal kingdom smell can be used to find food, a mate, or a home; to sense danger; and to send and receive complex messages with other members of a species. Yet despite its fundamental importance in our mental life and in the existence of all animals, our scientific understanding of how smell works is limited.

To date, more than a million insect species have been described, with probably at least another 5-8 million species waiting in the wings for a name. Insects are a fascinatingly diverse and beautiful spectrum of animals. They range in size from the tiny parasitic wasp, measuring a mere 139µm, to the aptly named Titan beetle, which can reach lengths of up to 17cm. They can be found on all continents of the world, from the Sahara Desert to the frozen wastes of Antarctica. While no insects live beneath the waves, the intrepid sea skaters skim the surface of some of the world's oceans.

Survival of the Beautiful is a revolutionary new examination of the interplay of beauty, art, and culture in evolution. Taking inspiration from Darwin's observation that animals have a natural aesthetic sense, philosopher and musician David Rothenberg probes why animals, humans included, have innate appreciation for beauty - and why nature is, indeed, beautiful.