Scrape wikipedia-science: 356 new, 4 updated, 378 total (kb-cron)

data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Perú_(book)-0.md

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+title: "El Perú (book)"
+chunk: 1/1
+source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Perú_(book)"
+category: "reference"
+tags: "science, encyclopedia"
+date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:05:40.383607+00:00"
+instance: "kb-cron"
+---
+
+El Perú: Itinerarios de Viajes is an expansive written work covering a variety of topics in the natural history of Peru, written by the prominent Italian-born Peruvian geographer and scientist Antonio Raimondi in the latter half of the 19th century.  The work was compiled from extensive and detailed notes Raimondi took while criss-crossing the country, studying the nation's geography, geology, meteorology, botany, zoology, ethnography, and archaeology; El Perú focuses to some extent on each of these topics and others.  The first volume was published in 1874; several more volumes were published both before Raimondi's death and posthumously from his notes, the last being released in 1913, making a five volume set.  The volumes are a classic example of exploration scholarship, and form one of the earliest and broadest scientific reviews of Peru's natural and cultural heritage.
+
+
+== References ==
+Raimondi, Antonio.  El Perú : itinerarios de viajes (literal transcription from published 1929 copy). Published online by the Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes from a 1929 edition.  Spanish language.
+Wiard, Brenda.  "2neat books: For Sale: Peruvian Publications". Retrieved September 23, 2005.
+
+
+== External links ==
+El Perú : itinerarios de viajes (versión literal de libretas originales) Original text, tables, and drawings of El Perú, published online by the Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes.  Spanish language.

data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orr's_Circle_of_the_Sciences-0.md

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+title: "Orr's Circle of the Sciences"
+chunk: 1/1
+source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orr's_Circle_of_the_Sciences"
+category: "reference"
+tags: "science, encyclopedia"
+date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:05:34.569652+00:00"
+instance: "kb-cron"
+---
+
+Orr's Circle of the Sciences was a scientific encyclopedia of the 1850s, published in London by William Somerville Orr. 
+
+
+== William S. Orr & Co. ==
+
+William S. Orr & Co. was a publisher in Paternoster Row, London. It put out the British Cyclopædia in ten volumes of the 1830s. It also was in business selling engravings (for example the Kenny Meadows illustrations to Shakespeare), and maps, such as a mid-century Cab Fare and Guide Map of London (c. 1853).
+The firm was a general commercial publisher, with a specialist area of natural history, and also published periodicals. It was innovative in its use of wood engraving, in its 1838 edition of Paul et Virginie. In children's literature, it published Christoph von Schmid's Basket of Flowers in an English translation of 1848, in partnership with J. B. Müller of Stuttgart.
+
+
+== William Somerville Orr ==
+Orr himself was a publishers' agent from the 1830s, and was a close associate of Robert and William Chambers. He printed a London edition of Chambers's Edinburgh Journal by mid-1832. The arrangement used stereotype plates, and brought the circulation up to 50,000. By 1845 the circulation was declining from its peak, and Orr wrote to Chambers explaining that the market was changing. In 1846 Chambers terminated the arrangement with Orr.
+Punch magazine, set up in 1841, brought in Orr to help with distribution to booksellers and news agents. Orr died in 1873.
+
+
+== Orr's Circle of the Sciences ==
+Orr's Circle of the Sciences was announced first as a part publication, a series in weekly parts, price 2d. beginning 5 January 1854. The series editor was John Stevenson Bushnan, who also wrote the introductory section of the first volume.
+
+
+== Notes ==
+
+
+== External links ==
+Orr's Circle of the Sciences at archive.org
+Orr's Circle of the Sciences, vol II. The Mathematical Sciences. at Internet Archive

data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overshoot_(book)-0.md

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+title: "Overshoot (book)"
+chunk: 1/4
+source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overshoot_(book)"
+category: "reference"
+tags: "science, encyclopedia"
+date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:05:35.708949+00:00"
+instance: "kb-cron"
+---
+
+Overshoot: The Ecological Basis of Revolutionary Change is a book by American sociologist William R. Catton Jr. The book is a critical work that many consider one of the most essential yet overlooked books of the 20th century. The book discusses how humanity's overexploitation of Earth's resources has led to a situation where our consumption exceeds the planet's capacity for regeneration.
+It is divided into several parts, each addressing different aspects of ecological overshoot. It covers the historical development of human society, our dependence on unsustainable practices, and the need for a new environmental perspective. Catton emphasizes that humanity must recognize and adapt to the limits imposed by nature to avoid catastrophic consequences.
+Catton urges humanity to adopt a more realistic and sustainable way of life on Earth. He warns that ignoring these ecological limits will have severe repercussions, and only by understanding and respecting them can we hope to create a viable future for ourselves and future generations.
+
+== Background ==
+William Catton came of age in sociology when the major debates were about social-only theoretical orientations (structural functionalism or consensus theory versus Marxism or conflict theory) and methodology (quantitative versus qualitative). His primary contribution was articulating an environmental sociological framework that challenged existing sociological theories in general from a completely different tack: synthesizing sociological and ecological theory.
+Catton began writing the manuscript that would become this book during a three-year post as Professor of Sociology at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, then returned to his home country in 1973 as Professor of Sociology at Washington State University. During this period, Catton, in collaboration with fellow scholar Riley E. Dunlap, produced a series of influential articles on ecological issues.
+Catton joined Dunlap in 1978 to coauthor the first substantial paper that not only came to establish the field of environmental sociology but also advocated for a paradigm shift. Titled "Environmental Sociology: A New Paradigm," Catton and Dunlap grounded their critique of then-mainstream sociology as bearing the burden of (what they would later call) the "human exceptionalist paradigm," by which humans were presumed exempt from the ecological constraints facing all other species.
+They argued that this paradigm fundamentally marred sociological research and writing. The mainstream failed to recognize that human dependence on finite natural resources (such as fossil fuel energy), along with human degradation of the air, water, soils, and biological processes on which humanity also depends, would ultimately influence human social systems in powerful ways.
+
+== Great Acceleration ==
+
+Catton begins by recounting the story of Russian peasants in 1921 who chose to starve rather than consume the seed wheat needed for future planting. This story illustrates the concept of not stealing from the future, a principle Catton argues is essential for sustainable living.
+At the end of World War II, many people believed that scientific advancements had the potential to solve various societal problems. The Atomic Age was expected to address energy issues, and technology was considered a limitless resource, dismissing the Neo-Malthusian thinking of Henry Fairfield Osborn Jr. and William Vogt. Optimistic predictions abounded, with the belief that human ingenuity and technology could achieve anything. With an endless supply of energy and a global technical-industrial civilization, economic growth was believed to be unstoppable. The only perceived obstacle was a shortage of trained scientists and engineers. Technology was expected to eliminate resource shortages.
+However, this optimism was misplaced, as we relied too heavily on technology's assurances. In the 1970s, a more realistic outlook emerged as people began to recognize the limits to growth, evidenced by a groundbreaking report from the Club of Rome and significant world events such as the famines in Africa and Asia that affected millions, along with the OPEC oil embargo. These events prompted a reassessment of our approach. Humans had placed too much faith in the capabilities of science and technology, mistakenly equating them with the advantages of inexpensive and easy-to-extract oil. During the post-war era, the perceived low cost and easy availability of petroleum fostered a false belief that it was an endless resource capable of indefinite extraction, disregarding its diminishing returns. This misconception suggested that petroleum resources could be extracted indefinitely without concern for depletion, ignoring their finite nature. Marion King Hubbert, a geophysicist, challenged this notion through his concept of peak oil, which posits that oil extraction follows a bell-shaped curve: it rises to a peak and then inevitably declines. Hubbert’s insights revealed that geological and economic limits would cap oil extraction, effectively dispelling the illusion of infinite oil supplies. His predictions about U.S. oil production accurately forecasted a peak in the early 1970s, highlighting the reality of finite petroleum resources. It appears that humans have overestimated the impact of technology and underestimated the significance of natural resources.
+To move forward, people must embrace conservation and curb technological optimism. Recognizing our planet's finite limits and resource importance is crucial. Catton's text urges us to reassess our expectations from an ecological perspective. We have temporarily increased the planet's ability to support humans, but this has often come at the cost of other species and the depletion of geological reserves. This temporary progress threatens human survival and will inevitably result in a decline in the human population once resources are depleted. Our dependence on technology has led to a progress trap that jeopardizes the environment and the ecological systems crucial for our survival.
+
+== Summary ==

data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overshoot_(book)-1.md

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+title: "Overshoot (book)"
+chunk: 2/4
+source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overshoot_(book)"
+category: "reference"
+tags: "science, encyclopedia"
+date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:05:35.708949+00:00"
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+---
+
+The book emphasizes the need for a new perspective on the unsustainable exploitation of resources, which threatens future generations’ well-being. It stresses the importance of questioning old ways of thinking and putting more emphasis on being aware of the environment. The book highlights what the author calls “the tragic story of human success,” a period of rapid population growth and technological innovation, which led to an overshoot of the planet’s carrying capacity. The myth of limitlessness, distorted by technological advancements and exploitation of new lands, has exacerbated the environmental crisis. The book also discusses the culture of abundance, which led to a belief in human exemption from natural constraints. The book calls for a shift in perspective, acknowledging the ecological reality of finite resources and adapting to them.
+Abundance and liberty, once supported by ecological prerequisites, are under threat as living standards decline. The decline from what the author calls “the Age of Exuberance” has led to environmental changes and an overshoot crisis, causing declining living standards and political instability. Humans must acknowledge their role in altering their habitats and the interconnectedness of all life forms. The rapid growth and mechanization of agriculture have amplified this impact, suggesting a shift in perspective. Human advancements have increased our competitive edge over other species, but the assumption that technology and habitat creation could yield permanent increases in carrying capacity is flawed. The belief in endless resources and human dominance over nature has remained attached to the belief in limitlessness during the Age of Exuberance.
+The text explores the ecological causes of unwelcome change. It also explores Malthus's 1798 Essay on the Principle of Population, the evolution of tool use, and the Industrial Revolution. Malthus suggested that populations grow exponentially, but subsistence increases linearly, leading to food shortages when the biotic potential surpasses their habitat’s carrying capacity. However, modern societies have relied on non-renewable resources and technological advancements to sustain growth, leading to diminishing returns and socio-environmental consequences. The Industrial Revolution began humanity's heavy reliance on nonrenewable resources, leading to an unsustainable carrying capacity expansion. The transition from circular to linear ecosystems with increased dependence on nonrenewable resources has intensified our ecological footprint and led to an unsustainable growth trajectory. The book also talks about how important it is to know the history of these problems and the effects of our actions and choices, not just the choices of one group.
+"Underdeveloped" regions face significant constraints, influenced by climate and geography, which limit their ability to expand human ecological niches. Population pressure, mutual interference, and technological impacts can lead to catastrophic outcomes. Understanding these patterns is crucial for addressing our trajectory and mitigating the effects of collective overshoot. In 1977, then-U.S. President Jimmy Carter attempted a paradigm shift by advocating for conservation but failed to address ecological overshoot. To navigate the post-exuberant world, we must challenge outdated paradigms and embrace an environmental framework that recognizes our limits and fosters sustainable practices. As we look to the future, we have an important decision to make: we can choose to live in a way that's kinder to our environment, using resources wisely and within our limits. This method helps us protect the Earth. On the other hand, we can keep going with our usual habits, but the outcome might make our predicament even worse.
+
+== Reception and legacy ==
+In his review for the Humboldt Journal of Social Relations, Robert Wisniewski commended the book for its revolutionary ecological perspective on global issues. He highlighted Catton’s radical and humane examination of humanity’s predicament and warned of an inevitable population die-off. He noted that although the book is intellectually demanding and requires a shift in thinking, its insights are enriching for those willing to engage with its ecological approach.
+In the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Anne Ehrlich called the book a “required reading for decision makers.”

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+title: "Overshoot (book)"
+chunk: 3/4
+source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overshoot_(book)"
+category: "reference"
+tags: "science, encyclopedia"
+date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:05:35.708949+00:00"
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+---
+
+In 1995, Derrick Jensen similarly chose to highlight Catton's generosity of soul—despite the dark certainty of humanity's future. In his book Listening to the Land, Jensen chose to introduce his interview with Catton by way of this pull quote from Catton's book Overshoot: 
+In a future that is as unavoidable as it will be unwelcome, survival and sanity may depend upon our ability to cherish rather than to disparage the concept of human dignity. 
+In 2008, the introductory paper (by Richard York) for the "Symposium on Catton and Dunlap’s Foundational Work Establishing an Ecological Paradigm" concluded: The effect of Catton and Dunlap’s work has been profound, since it opened up a large swath of new terrain to sociological inquiry. It made possible the growing body of research in sociology that examines both human effects on the environment and the effects of the environment on society.York listed as "foundational" to the field not only the 1978 "New Paradigm" collaboration by Catton and Dunlap but also their coauthored papers published in the Annual Review of Sociology in 1979 and American Behavioral Scientist in 1980. Together, these provided "an explicit intellectual grounding for environmental sociology—defined as the study of societal-environmental interactions." In an obituary for Catton published in the journal New Zealand Sociology, Riley E. Dunlap wrote:I always describe Overshoot as a superb ecological history of Homo sapiens and analysis of our evolution into what Bill called Homo colossus, yielding a profound understanding of our current ecological dilemma.In his review for Public Health Reports, Harold B. Weiss highlights its enduring relevance and visionary insights. Weiss emphasizes Catton's argument that humanity's current consumption patterns are unsustainable, leading to ecological overshoot and future deprivation. Catton's work, characterized as both a paradigm and a temporal shift, critiques the reliance of modern civilization on finite resources and forewarns of unavoidable ecological decline. He emphasizes that public health achievements, like reduced mortality rates, may unintentionally worsen the crisis by accelerating population growth and resource depletion. Weiss raises ethical questions about public health’s role in this destruction and calls for a shift toward long-term ecological sustainability. Weiss underscores the book's challenge to public health professionals to consider long-term ecological impacts alongside immediate humanitarian efforts.
+As with carrying capacity, overshoot is a standard term in the ecological sciences.

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+title: "Overshoot (book)"
+chunk: 4/4
+source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overshoot_(book)"
+category: "reference"
+tags: "science, encyclopedia"
+date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:05:35.708949+00:00"
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+---
+
+In his 2015 obituary for Catton, John Michael Greer put this ecological term into its activist context: The core of Overshoot, which is also the core of the entire world of appropriate technology and green alternatives that got shot through the head and shoved into an unmarked grave in the Reagan years, is the recognition that the principles of ecology apply to industrial society just as much as they do to other communities of living things.
+The manuscript itself attracted an icon of the environmental movement, former U.S. Interior Secretary Stewart Udall. To write the book's foreword was a sign of the popular (and activist) reach the book would garner. That reach included wilderness advocate Dave Foreman, a cofounder of Earth First! and of Wild Earth magazine. In a reflection upon Catton's death, Foreman wrote:William Catton's Overshoot is one of the most important books I've ever read, and Bill was one of my greatest teachers." Catton attributed his own wilderness experiences in national parks of the USA as the source of his drive to understand ecological systems and ecological limits — including the fundamental ecological principle of carrying capacity.In a 2021 guest post titled "Overshoot: Where We Now Stand," Michael Dowd wrote that Catton's book is "the single most important book I have ever read." He also quotes Richard Heinberg, saying:Climate change is not our biggest problem; overshoot is. Global warming is but a symptom of ecological overshoot.The 30th anniversary of the book's publication elicited an 8-page article in Human Ecology Review urging academics to reacquaint themselves with Catton's synthesis:Environmental sociology and related disciplines should seek to rediscover the message in Overshoot and actively pursue a cohesive theoretical direction that challenges the assumptions that drive environmentally destructive behaviors and threaten humanity’s very survival.Summing up the purpose of all his sociological writings after the publication of Overshoot, Catton wrote in 2008:From about 1980 onward, my writing, either solo or in tandem, has sought to spread awareness of the urgent need for everyone, including sociologists, to recognize that our lifestyles, mores, institutions, patterns of interaction, values, and expectations are shaped by a cultural heritage that was formed in a time when carrying capacity exceeded the human load. A cultural heritage can outlast the conditions that produced it. That carrying capacity surplus is gone now, eroded both by population increase and immense technological enlargement of per capita resource appetites and environmental impacts. Human life is now being lived in an era of deepening carrying capacity deficit. All of the familiar aspects of human societal life are under compelling pressure to change in this new era when the load increasingly exceeds the carrying capacities of many local regions — and of a finite planet. Social disorganization, friction, demoralization, and conflict will escalate.Kurt Cobb, in his 2015 tribute to Catton, wrote:Perhaps the most important thing to note about Catton is that he did not blame anyone for the human predicament. To him that predicament is the natural outcome of evolutionary processes and the powers given to humans through those processes. That predicament is no more a product of conscious thought and intention than is the beating of our own hearts.Tom Butler, former editor of Wild Earth magazine, inserted a dedication to Catton in the 2015 book he edited, which was titled Overdevelopment, Overpopulation, Overshoot. There, Butler described Catton as a "peerless teacher on the perils of overshoot." In his 2023 review of the book, Paul Mobbs examined how humans resist obvious facts, notably about ecological limits and society's collapse. Mobbs emphasizes Catton's claim that humanity's development and resource exploitation have created an unsustainable scenario. In addition to warning about ecological fate, Mobbs emphasizes that Overshoot challenges the belief in technological salvation, suggesting that there must be a profound change in how we perceive and react to ecological crises, helping us understand humanity's relationship with the Earth and the need for change:[Overshoot] is not about the ecological processes of ‘overshoot’ and ‘collapse’ specifically; it is about us!, and how we collectively react to those issues.
+
+== References ==
+
+== External links ==
+Official site

data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathological_Altruism-0.md

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+title: "Pathological Altruism"
+chunk: 1/1
+source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathological_Altruism"
+category: "reference"
+tags: "science, encyclopedia"
+date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:05:39.192100+00:00"
+instance: "kb-cron"
+---
+
+Pathological Altruism is a book edited by Barbara Oakley, Ariel Knafo, Guruprasad Madhavan, and David Sloan Wilson. It was published on 5 January 2012 by Oxford University Press, and contains 31 academic papers. Oakley defines pathological altruism as "altruism in which attempts to promote the welfare of others instead result in unanticipated harm".
+
+
+== Overview ==
+The book comprises a collection of essays which discuss negative aspects of altruism and empathy towards others, such as when altruism hurts the altruist, is taken to an unhealthy extreme, or causes more harm than good. Examples given include depression and burnout seen in healthcare professionals, an unhealthy focus on others to the detriment of one's own needs, hoarding of animals, and ineffective philanthropic and social programs that ultimately worsen the situations they are meant to aid. It is considered the first book to explore negative aspects of altruism and empathy.
+According to Oakley, anorexia, supporting addictions of other people (codependency), animal hoarding, depression, guilt and self-righteousness can be pathological altruism. Oakley has also stated that suicide bombings and genocides can be caused by pathological altruism, when perpetrators of these acts believe they are behaving altruistically towards those who share their ideology. 
+Oakley further states that some people are naturally "hypersensitive" or they have an excessive desire to "help" others. According to Oakley, such people are convinced that they are helping others without considering the practical results of their "help".
+
+
+== Sections ==
+The psychology of pathological altruism
+Psychiatric implications of pathological altruism
+Societal implications of pathological altruism
+Cultural and evolutionary dimensions of pathological altruism
+The development and underlying brain processes of pathological altruism
+Synthesis of views on pathological altruism
+
+
+== Reviews ==
+The book was widely reviewed, including reviews in the New Scientist, and The Independent, and The Los Angeles Review of Books. Nursing Standard said "I recommend this book to health professionals looking for a deeper understanding of altruism and its motivation. The arguments are clear and scholarly, and supported by a wealth of references."
+
+Writing in The New York Times, Natalie Angier called the book a "scholarly yet surprisingly sprightly volume." She wrote, pathological altruism is not limited to showcase acts of self-sacrifice... The book is the first comprehensive treatment of the idea that when ostensibly generous 'how can I help you?' behavior is taken to extremes, misapplied or stridently rhapsodized, it can become unhelpful, unproductive and even destructive. Selflessness gone awry may play a role in a broad variety of disorders, including anorexia and animal hoarding, women who put up with abusive partners and men who abide alcoholic ones. Because a certain degree of selfless behavior is essential to the smooth performance of any human group, selflessness run amok can crop up in political contexts. It fosters the exhilarating sensation of righteous indignation, the belief in the purity of your team and your cause and the perfidiousness of all competing teams and causes.
+
+
+== See also ==
+Altruism
+Effective altruism
+Virtue signalling
+
+
+== References ==
+
+
+== Further reading ==
+Barbara Oakley (5 January 2012). Pathological Altruism. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-973857-1.
+
+
+== External links ==
+Oxford University Press catalogue listing
+Page about the book on Barbara Oakley's website

data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_of_the_Poles-0.md

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+title: "Phantom of the Poles"
+chunk: 1/1
+source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_of_the_Poles"
+category: "reference"
+tags: "science, encyclopedia"
+date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:05:41.597283+00:00"
+instance: "kb-cron"
+---
+
+The Phantom of the Poles is a book written by William Reed and published in 1906. It attempts to explain certain mysterious phenomena reported by polar explorers by postulating that the Earth is in fact hollow, with holes at its poles.
+
+
+== Phenomena to be explained ==
+In the General Summary chapter of The Phantom of the Poles, Reed posed several questions that he claimed were explained by the Hollow Earth theory:
+
+Why is the earth flattened at the poles?
+Why have the poles never been reached?
+Why does the sun not appear for so long in winter near the supposed poles?
+Assuming that the earth is hollow, the interior should be warmer.
+We must now resort to the compass. Does it refuse to work when drawing near the supposed poles?
+Meteors are constantly falling near the supposed poles. Why?
+The next query is concerning the great quantities of dust constantly found in the Arctic Ocean. What causes this dust?
+What produces the Aurora Borealis?
+Icebergs are next in order. Where are they formed? And how??
+What causes tidal waves?
+What causes colored snow in the Arctic region?
+Why are the nights so long in the polar regions?
+What causes the great ice-pressure in the Arctic Ocean during still tide and calm weather?
+Why is the ice filled with rock, gravel, and sand?
+
+
+== Invalidation of the theory ==
+Admiral Peary claimed to have reached the North Pole on April 6, 1909.  This would have invalidated Reed's premise that the poles cannot be reached. Although Peary's claim was, in its day, and continues to be controversial, on December 14, 1911, Roald Amundsen undisputedly reached the South Pole.  Subsequent expeditions to and flights over the South Pole have conclusively demonstrated that there are no large holes there.
+
+
+== References ==
+
+
+== External links ==
+The Phantom of the Poles at sacred-texts.com, retrieved November 16, 2006

data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_and_Beyond-0.md

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+---
+title: "Physics and Beyond"
+chunk: 1/1
+source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_and_Beyond"
+category: "reference"
+tags: "science, encyclopedia"
+date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:05:42.791166+00:00"
+instance: "kb-cron"
+---
+
+Physics and Beyond: Encounters and Conversations (German: Der Teil und das Ganze: Gespräche im Umkreis der Atomphysik, lit. 'The Part and the Whole: Conversations in the Field of Atomic Physics') is a book by Werner Heisenberg, the  German physicist who discovered the uncertainty principle. It tells, from his point of view, the history of exploring atomic science and quantum mechanics in the first half of the 20th century.
+The subtitle is "Encounters and Conversations", and the core of the book takes the form of reconstructed discussions between himself and other scientists. Heisenberg said: "I wanted to show that science is done by people, and the most wonderful ideas come from dialog".
+Among the chapters are "The first encounter with the science about atoms", "Quantum mechanics and conversations with Einstein", "Conversation about the relation between biology, physics and chemistry", "Conversations about language" and "The behavior of an individual during a political disaster", dated 1937–1941. With other scientists, including Erwin Schrödinger, Niels Bohr, Albert Einstein and Max Planck, Heisenberg discussed physics and other questions related to biology, humans, philosophy, and politics.
+He often includes detailed descriptions of the historical atmosphere and natural scenery, as many of the conversations took place while backpacking or sailing.
+The book provides a first-hand account about how science is done and how quantum physics, especially the Copenhagen interpretation, emerged.
+"Nobody can reproduce these conversations verbatim, but I believe that the spirit of what the people said, and how they did, is conserved," Heisenberg said in the preface.
+The book was published first in German 1969, in English as Physics and Beyond (1971) and in  French in 1972 as La partie et le tout.
+
+
+== References ==
+
+
+== Bibliography ==
+Heisenberg, Werner (1971). Physics and Beyond: Encounters and Conversations. World Perspectives vol. 42. Translated by Pomerans, Arnold J. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 9780049250086. LCCN 78095963. OCLC 15379872.

data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PiHKAL-0.md

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+---
+title: "PiHKAL"
+chunk: 1/1
+source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PiHKAL"
+category: "reference"
+tags: "science, encyclopedia"
+date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:05:44.032910+00:00"
+instance: "kb-cron"
+---
+
+PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story, also known as Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved, is a book by Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin published in 1991. The subject of the work is psychoactive phenethylamine chemical derivatives, notably those that act as psychedelics and/or entactogens. The book has two halves, with the second part containing detailed entries on 179 phenethylamines. PiHKAL was followed by TiHKAL: The Continuation (Tryptamines I Have Known and Loved) (1997).
+
+
+== Content ==
+The book is arranged into two parts, the first part being a fictionalized autobiography of the couple and the second part describing 179 different psychedelic compounds (most of which Shulgin discovered himself), including detailed synthesis instructions, bioassays, doses, durations, and other commentary.
+The second part was made freely available by Shulgin on Erowid while the first part is available only in the printed text. While the reactions described are beyond the ability of people with a basic chemistry education, some tend to emphasize techniques that do not require difficult-to-obtain chemicals. Notable among these are the use of mercury-aluminium amalgam (an unusual but easy to obtain reagent) as a reducing agent and detailed suggestions on legal plant sources of important drug precursors such as safrole.
+Members of Shulgin's research who contributed to the experience reports included Shulgin himself, Ann Shulgin, Myron Stolaroff, and Jean Stolaroff, among others.
+
+
+== Response ==
+Through PiHKAL (and later TiHKAL), Shulgin sought to ensure that his discoveries would escape the limits of professional research labs and find their way to the public, a goal consistent with his stated beliefs that psychedelic drugs can be valuable tools for self-exploration. The MDMA ("ecstasy") synthesis published in PiHKAL remains one of the most common clandestine methods of its manufacture to this day. Many countries have banned the major substances for which this book gives directions for synthesis, such as 2C-B, 2C-T-2, and 2C-T-7.
+In 1994, two years after PiHKAL was published, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) raided Shulgin's laboratory and requested that he surrender his DEA license. Richard Meyer, spokesman for DEA's San Francisco Field Division, has stated in reference to PiHKAL "It is our opinion that those books are pretty much cookbooks on how to make illegal drugs. Agents tell me that in clandestine labs that they have raided, they have found copies of those books", suggesting that the publication of PiHKAL and the termination of Shulgin's license may have been related.
+
+
+== Notable compounds ==
+Some compounds in PiHKAL, like mescaline, DOM, 2C-B, MDA, and MDMA, are widely known and/or used psychedelics and/or entactogens.
+
+
+=== Essential amphetamines ===
+The "essential amphetamines" are what Shulgin describes as ten amphetamines that differ from natural products such as safrole or myristicin by an amine group (PiHKAL Entry #157 TMA). The list consists of:
+
+PMA (para-methoxyamphetamine)
+2,4-DMA (2,4-dimethoxyamphetamine)
+3,4-DMA (3,4-dimethoxyamphetamine)
+MDA (3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
+MMDA (3-methoxy-4,5-methylendioxyamphetamine)
+MMDA-3a (2-methoxy-3,4-methylendioxyamphetamine)
+MMDA-2 (2-methoxy-4,5-methylendioxyamphetamine)
+TMA (3,4,5-trimethoxyamphetamine)
+TMA-2 (2,4,5-trimethoxyamphetamine)
+DMMDA (2,5-dimethoxy-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
+DMMDA-2 (2,3-dimethoxy-4,5-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
+TeMA (2,3,4,5-tetramethoxyamphetamine)
+Not all of these chemicals are bioassayed in PiHKAL; some are merely mentioned.
+
+
+=== Magical half-dozen ===
+The so-called "magical half-dozen" refers to Shulgin's self-rated most important phenethylamine compounds, all of which except mescaline he developed and synthesized himself. They are found within the first book of PiHKAL, and are as follows:
+
+2C-B (2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromophenethylamine)
+2C-E (2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethylphenethylamine)
+2C-T-2 (2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethylthiophenethylamine)
+2C-T-7 (2,5-dimethoxy-4-propylthiophenethylamine)
+DOM (2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine), DOM being short for des-oxy-methyl, referring to the removal of the oxygen atom from the methoxy group on the "4" carbon
+Mescaline (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine)
+All six are now Schedule I controlled substances in the United States.
+
+
+=== Ten classic ladies ===
+
+Shulgin systematically replaced the 10 unique hydrogen atoms in DOM with methyl groups in order to explore its activity and named these compounds the "ten classic ladies". The resulting compounds were as follows:
+
+Ariadne (α-desmethyl-α-ethyl-DOM)
+Beatrice (N-methyl-DOM)
+Charmian (α-methyl-DOM)
+Daphne (threo-β-methyl-DOM)
+Elvira (erythro-β-methyl-DOM)
+Florence (2-desmethoxy-2-ethoxy-DOM; DOM-2-EtO)
+Ganesha (3-methyl-DOM)
+Hecate (DOET; 4-desmethyl-4-ethyl-DOM)
+Iris (5-desmethoxy-5-ethoxy-DOM; DOM-5-EtO)
+Juno (6-methyl-DOM)
+As with the essential amphetamines, not all of these compounds have been bioassayed.
+Some additional "ladies" have also since been named, including Julia (DOTMA; 3,6-dimethyl-DOM), Jelena (2C-IP), and Selene (2C-P).
+
+
+== Phenethylamines listed ==
+
+Many additional compounds are also discussed within the individual compound entries of PiHKAL, for instance the 2C TWEETIOs.
+In addition to PiHKAL, Shulgin has also described the properties of psychedelic phenethylamines in humans in literature reviews.
+
+
+== Censorship ==
+In December 2025, the Lukashenko regime added the book to the List of printed publications containing information materials, the distribution of which could harm the national interests of Belarus.
+
+
+== See also ==
+Bibliography of Alexander Shulgin
+TiHKAL (Tryptamines I Have Known and Loved) (1997)
+The Shulgin Index, Volume One: Psychedelic Phenethylamines and Related Compounds (2011)
+List of psychedelic literature
+Substituted phenethylamine (PEA)
+Substituted methoxyphenethylamine
+Substituted amphetamine (AMPH)
+Substituted methylenedioxyphenethylamine (MDxx)
+2C, DOx, 4C, scaline, 3C, Ψ-PEA, 25-NB, FLY
+
+
+== References ==
+
+
+== External links ==
+Erowid Online Books: PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story by Alexander & Ann Shulgin
+PiHKAL • Info: A Visual Index and Map of PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story by Alexander & Ann Shulgin
+"Shulgin in Spanish" Project – Information on the first complete translation of PiHKAL and TiHKAL into Spanish Archived October 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
+Transform Press – Publisher of PiHKAL
+PiHKAL - Wikipedia Massviews Analysis (Wikipedia Page Views of Individual PiHKAL Entries)

data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneers_of_Science-0.md

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+---
+title: "Pioneers of Science"
+chunk: 1/1
+source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneers_of_Science"
+category: "reference"
+tags: "science, encyclopedia"
+date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:05:45.287249+00:00"
+instance: "kb-cron"
+---
+
+Pioneers of Science (Turkish: Bilimin öncüleri) (ISBN 9786055888039) is a book by Cemal Yıldırım which has run to 22 editions. The book explains the scientific method with anecdotes from significant figures in scientific history such as Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr and Marie Curie.
+
+
+== References ==

data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oxford_Book_of_Modern_Science_Writing-0.md

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+---
+title: "The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing"
+chunk: 1/1
+source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oxford_Book_of_Modern_Science_Writing"
+category: "reference"
+tags: "science, encyclopedia"
+date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:05:36.821539+00:00"
+instance: "kb-cron"
+---
+
+The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing is an anthology of scientific writings, arranged and introduced by Richard Dawkins of the University of Oxford. Published first in March 2008, it contains 83 writings on many topics from a diverse variety of authors, which range in length from one to eight pages. All inclusions are dated post-1900, and include poetry, anecdotes, and general philosophical musings.
+
+
+== Contents ==
+The book is divided into four segments. The following is a list of pieces included in each segment.
+
+
+=== What Scientists Study ===
+from:
+
+The Mysterious Universe by James Jeans
+Just Six Numbers by Martin Rees
+Creation Revisited by Peter Atkins
+The Ant and the Peacock by Helena Cronin
+The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection by R. A. Fisher
+Mankind Evolving by Theodosius Dobzhansky
+Adaptation and Natural Selection by G. C. Williams
+Life Itself: Its Origin and Nature by Francis Crick
+Genome by Matt Ridley
+"Theoretical Biology in the Third Millennium" by Sydney Brenner
+The Language of the Genes by Steve Jones
+"On Being the Right Size", an essay by J. B. S. Haldane
+The Explanation of Organic Diversity by Mark Ridley
+"The Importance of the Nervous System in the Evolution of Animal Flight" by John Maynard Smith
+Man in the Universe by Fred Hoyle
+On Growth and Form by D'Arcy Thompson
+The Meaning of Evolution by G. G. Simpson
+Trilobite! by Richard Fortey
+The Mind Machine by Colin Blakemore
+Mirrors in Mind by Richard Gregory
+"One Self: A Meditation on the Unity of Consciousness" by Nicholas Humphrey
+The Language Instinct and How the Mind Works by Steven Pinker
+The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee by Jared Diamond
+The Life of the Robin by David Lack
+Curious Naturalists by Niko Tinbergen
+Social Evolution by Robert Trivers
+The Open Sea by Alister Hardy
+The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson
+"How Flowers Changed the World" by Loren Eiseley
+The Diversity of Life by Edward O. Wilson
+
+
+=== Who Scientists Are ===
+from:
+
+The Expanding Universe by Arthur Eddington
+the foreword to G. H. Hardy's A Mathematician's Apology by C. P. Snow
+Disturbing the Universe by Freeman Dyson
+'War and the Nations' by J. Robert Oppenheimer
+'A Passion for Crystals' by Max F. Perutz
+'Said Ryle to Hoyle' by Barbara and George Gamow
+'Cancer's a Funny Thing' by J. B. S. Haldane
+The Identity of Man by Jacob Bronowski
+'Science and Literature', 'Darwin's Illness', 'The Phenomenon of Man', the postscript to 'Lucky Jim', and 'D' Arcy Thompson and Growth and Form' by Peter Medawar
+Self-Made Man by Jonathan Kingdon
+Origins Reconsidered by Richard Leakey and Roger Lewin
+Lucy by Donald C. Johanson and Maitland A. Edey
+'Worm for a Century', and 'All Seasons' by Stephen Jay Gould
+Life Cycles by John Tyler Bonner
+Uncle Tungsten by Oliver Sacks
+'Seven Wonders' by Lewis Thomas
+Avoid Boring People by James Watson
+What Mad Pursuit by Francis Crick
+The Unnatural Nature of Science by Lewis Wolpert
+Essays of a Biologist by Julian Huxley
+'Religion and Science' by Albert Einstein
+The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan
+
+
+=== What Scientists Think ===
+from:
+
+The Character of Physical Law by Richard Feynman
+What Is Life? by Erwin Schrödinger
+Darwin's Dangerous Idea and Consciousness Explained by Daniel Dennett
+The Growth of Biological Thought by Ernst Mayr
+'The Tragedy of the Commons' by Garrett Hardin
+Geometry for the Selfish Herd and Narrow Roads of Geneland by W. D. Hamilton
+How Nature Works by Per Bak
+"The Fantastic Combinations of John Conway's New Solitaire Game 'Life'" by Martin Gardner
+Mathematics for the Million by Lancelot Hogben
+"The Miraculous Jar" in From Here to Infinity by Ian Stewart
+"The Mathematical Theory of Communication" by Claude E. Shannon and Warren Weaver
+"Computing Machinery and Intelligence" by Alan Turing
+'What is the Theory of Relativity?' by Albert Einstein
+Mr Tompkins by George Gamow
+The Goldilocks Enigma by Paul Davies
+The Time and Space of Uncle Albert by Russell Stannard
+The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene
+A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
+
+
+=== What Scientists Delight In ===
+from:
+
+Truth and Beauty by S. Chandrasekhar
+A Mathematician's Apology by G. H. Hardy
+Dreams of a Final Theory by Steven Weinberg
+The Life of the Cosmos by Lee Smolin
+The Emperor's New Mind by Roger Penrose
+Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas Hofstadter
+Geons, Black Holes, and Quantum Foam by John Archibald Wheeler and Kenneth Ford
+The Fabric of Reality by David Deutsch
+Carbon from The Periodic Table by Primo Levi
+Life: An Unauthorized Biography by Richard Fortey
+The Meaning of Evolution by George Gaylord Simpson
+Little Men and Flying Saucers by Loren Eiseley
+Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan
+
+
+== Critical response ==
+The book received extremely favourable reviews, with New Scientist proclaiming that "if you could only ever read one science book, this should probably be it". Peter Forbes of The Independent praised Dawkins' inclusions, stating that "every reader is likely to make a discovery or two". Steven Poole in The Guardian described it as "a beautiful volume" and "a labour of love" on Dawkins' part.
+A number of science bloggers did criticise the lack of women scientists included in the book.
+
+
+== Notes and references ==

data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Panda's_Thumb_(book)-0.md

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+---
+title: "The Panda's Thumb (book)"
+chunk: 1/1
+source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Panda's_Thumb_(book)"
+category: "reference"
+tags: "science, encyclopedia"
+date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:05:38.061123+00:00"
+instance: "kb-cron"
+---
+
+The Panda's Thumb: More Reflections in Natural History (1980) is a collection of 31 essays by the Harvard University paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould. It is the second volume culled from his 27-year monthly column "This View of Life" in Natural History magazine.
+Recurring themes of the essays are 
+evolution and its teaching, science biography, probabilities and common sense.
+The title essay (of 1978, originally titled "The panda's peculiar thumb") presents the paradox that poor design is a better argument for evolution than good design, as illustrated by the anatomy of the panda's "thumb"—which is not an actual thumb at all, but an extension of the radial sesamoid bone. Topics addressed in other essays include the female brain, the Piltdown Man hoax, Down syndrome, and the relationship between dinosaurs and birds.
+The Panda's Thumb won the 1981 U.S. National Book Award in Science.
+
+
+== Reviews ==
+Books of the Times - by Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, The New York Times
+
+
+== Notes ==
+
+
+== References ==