# kb

id: interpretation-of-schizophrenia-20260505-3
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretation_of_Schizophrenia-3.md
category: reference
title: Interpretation of Schizophrenia
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretation_of_Schizophrenia
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:32:51.800940+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: interpretation-of-schizophrenia-20260505-0
summary:
== Schizophrenic thinking == Arieti describes a distinct type of logic, separate from the aristotelian logic used by modern man in advanced societies, called "paleological thinking", or primary process thinking. In paleological thought, nature's events are attributed to the will of outside forces. "If the greeks were afflicted by an epidemic, it was because Phoebus wanted to punish Agamemnon." In the world of paleological thinking, every happening that is relevant to the schizophrenic's complexes is interpreted as being willed by the projected persecutors of the individual. Primary process thinking, which is only encountered in dreams and in early childhood by modern man, is adapted by the schizophrenic to reduce destructive anxiety. Aristotelian logic is abandoned almost entirely, and primary process thinking gains more and more footing as the disease progresses from acute to chronic schizophrenia. In deterministic or paleological/teleologic causality, if Nature's happenings were not willed they simply would not occur. In paranoid projection the schizophrenic takes out from him/herself a disagreeable part of the self onto the world. In Interpretation of schizophrenia Arieti illustrates all of the above theoretical constructions with concrete cases of his clinical experience as a psychiatrist. Anxiety-provoking material is projected onto the environment, because for


id: interpretation-of-schizophrenia-20260505-4
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretation_of_Schizophrenia-4.md
category: reference
title: Interpretation of Schizophrenia
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretation_of_Schizophrenia
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:32:51.800940+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: interpretation-of-schizophrenia-20260505-0
summary:
== Self-image of the schizophrenic == According to Arieti, the pre-schizophrenic person in early childhood fails to build a healthy self-image, being unable to assert themselves in a healthy manner against their primary caregivers, as the dominant, narcissistic and hostile parent allows the child no chance to build up healthy limits and distinctions between themselves and the parent. The dominant parent sees the child less as an individual being, and more as an extension of themselves. The passive parent who projects their hostility from the dominant parent will also thwart such attempts. This is further complicated if other family members also take part in maintaining this atmosphere of hostility. Frequently the child who later becomes schizophrenic is either the dominant parent's favorite child, on whom the dominant parent depends for their self-esteem and self-gratification, or the family scapegoat who sits at the bottom of the family hierarchy, who is used as a lightning rod for discharging hostility within the family both by siblings and by the parents. All children have an internal need to see their parents in a positive light, as the child depends on the parents for survival, even if the parental behavior is destructive to the child's


id: the-kingdom-of-speech-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kingdom_of_Speech-0.md
category: reference
title: The Kingdom of Speech
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kingdom_of_Speech
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:32:52.957988+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-kingdom-of-speech-20260505-0
summary:
The Kingdom of Speech is a critique of Charles Darwin and Noam Chomsky written by Tom Wolfe. The book's criticisms of Chomsky are outlined in an article in Harper's. In the book, Wolfe criticises Darwin and his colleagues for taking partial credit from Alfred Wallace for the theory of evolution and ignoring Wallace's later work on the theory. Wolfe then criticises Noam Chomsky for dismissing Daniel Everett, who disputes Chomsky's claim that all languages are based ultimately on a hard-wired mechanism known as the language acquisition device (LAD). Wolfe argues that speech, not evolution, sets humans apart from animals and is responsible for all of humanity's complex achievements. == Critical response == In The Guardian, Steven Poole criticises Wolfe's whole approach to Darwin and dismisses his suggestion that Darwin had no evidence for his theory of evolution by natural selection, saying that Darwin "adduced a lot of evidence at the time, including the geographical distribution of species, comparative anatomy, fossils and the existence of vestigial organs. Today, of course, evolution is observed in real time in the laboratory, among microbes or insects." In The Washington Post, Jerry Coyne agrees that Wolfe "grossly distorts the theory of evolution". He also notes


id: laboratory-life-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laboratory_Life-0.md
category: reference
title: Laboratory Life
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laboratory_Life
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:32:57.624544+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: laboratory-life-20260505-0
summary:
Laboratory Life: The Social Construction of Scientific Facts is a 1979 book by sociologists of science Bruno Latour and Steve Woolgar. This influential book in the field of science studies presents an anthropological study of Roger Guillemin's scientific laboratory at the Salk Institute. It advances a number of observations regarding how scientific work is conducted, including descriptions of the complex relationship between the routine lab practices performed by scientists, the publication of papers, scientific prestige, research finances and other elements of laboratory life. The book is considered to be one of the most influential works in the laboratory studies tradition within science and technology studies (STS). It is inspired by but not entirely dependent on the ethnomethodological approach. In turn, it served as the inspiration for actor–network theory (or ANT); many of ANT's core concepts (like transcription, inscription, translation, and the deployment of networks) are present in Laboratory Life. == Introduction and Methodology == Latour and Woolgar state that their work "concerns the way in which the daily activities of working scientists lead to the construction of scientific facts" (pp. 32). Laboratory Life therefore stands in opposition to the study of scandalous moments in which the so-called "normal" operation of


id: laboratory-life-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laboratory_Life-1.md
category: reference
title: Laboratory Life
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laboratory_Life
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:32:57.624544+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: laboratory-life-20260505-0
summary:
== The Construction of a Fact: The Case of TRF(H) == The next chapter aims at giving a precise account of the way in which this process operates with respect to a single scientific fact: the peptide TRF(H). This historical account, which Latour and Woolgar admit is, like all histories, a "necessarily literary fiction" (107), has the ostensible purpose of qualifying the initial account given by the observer. To this end, the chapter focuses on the specific way in which TRF(H) was constructed as a fact, describing how one scientist, Guillemin, "redefine[d] the TRF subspecialty solely in terms of determining the structure of the substance" (119). As sequencing TRF(H) required far more sophisticated equipment and techniques than merely determining its physiological effects, Guillemin raised the cost of entry to this field and cut his potential competitors by three-fourths. The authors next claim that the fact regarding TRF(H)'s structure progressed by decreases in the number of "'logically' possible alternatives" (146). However, Latour and Woolgar critique the explanation that "logic" or "deduction" is a satisfactory and complete explanation for the specific way in which a scientific fact is constructed. Instead, as their historical account of TRF(H) shows, the "list of possible alternatives


id: laboratory-life-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laboratory_Life-2.md
category: reference
title: Laboratory Life
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laboratory_Life
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:32:57.624544+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: laboratory-life-20260505-0
summary:
Slovik proposed an assay but his assay did not work everywhere; people could not repeat it; some could, some could not. Then one day Slovik got the idea that it could be related to the selenium content in the water: they checked to see where the assay worked; and indeed, Slovik's idea was right, it worked wherever the selenium content of water was high. (169) This story is contrasted with another story based on interviews with the participants: The University of California required that graduate students get credits in a field totally unrelated to their own. Sara, one of Slovik's students, fulfilled this requirement by taking selenium studies, since it had a vague relation to her major. Graduate students had a tradition of informal seminars where they discussed these unrelated classes. At one meeting, Sara presented a paper on the effects of Selenium on cancer and noted that someone on campus proposed that the geographical distribution of selenium content in water might correlate with the geographical distribution of cancer rates. Slovik was at the meeting and thought that this might explain the geographical difference in his assay working. He phoned a colleague to tell him the idea and ask him


id: lands-beyond-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lands_Beyond-0.md
category: reference
title: Lands Beyond
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lands_Beyond
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:32:58.759908+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: lands-beyond-20260505-0
summary:
Lands Beyond is a study of geographical myths by L. Sprague de Camp and Willy Ley, first published in hardcover by Rinehart in 1952, and reissued by Barnes & Noble in 1993. It has been translated into French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. It was the winner of the 1953 International Fantasy Award for nonfiction. == Contents == Introduction Chapter I. The Land of Longing Chapter II. The Long Homecoming Chapter III. The Fabulous Feast Chapter IV. The Sea of Sindbad Chapter V. The Land of Prester John Chapter VI. The Mislaid Tribes Chapter VII. The Great Dream Chapter VIII. The Western Ocean Chapter IX. Golden Men and Amazons Chapter X. The Shape of the Earth Epilogue Bibliography Index == Reception == New York Times columnist Charles Poore placed Lands Beyond on his annual list of books recommended for Christmas giving. Kirkus Reviews recommended it as "a zestful geographical round-up which combines fact, legend and literature in equally interested parts". Boucher and McComas praised the book, saying it was "written with scholarly authority, literary grace, and an amusedly tolerant exposition of error, to make one of the season's most enjoyable items." New Worlds reviewer Leslie Flood described it as “fascinating”. Weird


id: lexicon-technicum-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexicon_Technicum-0.md
category: reference
title: Lexicon Technicum
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexicon_Technicum
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:00.048311+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: lexicon-technicum-20260505-0
summary:
Lexicon Technicum: or, An Universal English Dictionary of Arts and Sciences: Explaining not only the Terms of Art, but the Arts Themselves was in many respects the first alphabetical encyclopedia written in English, compiled by John Harris, with the first volume published in 1704 and the second in 1710. Although the emphasis of the Lexicon Technicum was on mathematical subjects, its contents go beyond what would be called science or technology today, in conformity with the broad eighteenth century understanding of the terms "arts" and "science," and it includes entries on the humanities and fine arts, notably on law, commerce, music, and heraldry. However, the Lexicon Technicum neglects theology, antiquity, biography, and poetry. == Overview == The Lexicon Technicum was the work of a London clergyman, John Harris (1666-1719). Its professed advantage over French dictionaries of the arts and sciences was that it contained explanation not only of the terms used in the arts and sciences, but also of the arts and sciences themselves. Harris issued a three-page proposal for this work in 1702, and the first edition of the first volume was published in London in 1704. The first volume contains 1220 pages, 4 plates, and many additional diagrams


id: life-and-energy-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_and_Energy-0.md
category: reference
title: Life and Energy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_and_Energy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:01.360024+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: life-and-energy-20260505-0
summary:
Life and Energy is a 1962 book by Isaac Asimov. It is about the biological and physical world, and their contrasts and comparisons. Thus the book is divided into two sections, which is separated by further sub-sections (i.e. chapters): 1) energy; 2) body. In order to accomplish its goal, the book starts with "layman" discussions about energy and how these can be used to single out human from other living systems, or even living systems from non-living matter, what differentiates a rock from an oyster, and finishes with advanced concepts, how living systems are able to "produce" energy. == First Chapters: Energy == The first chapters covers the common questions of the distinctions between living and inanimate objects. == Following Chapters == Asimov then explains in a step by step manner about the physical world first through slow, but interesting chapters. He writes about the effect and major role of the evolution and advance of man by fire and heat, he tells about thermodynamics (and its laws), he recollects the thoughts of previous scientists, and their painstaking works, and finally, the quantum theory and radiation, which has revolutionised physics and technology. An explanation of electricity and basic chemistry laws and


id: life-science-library-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Science_Library-0.md
category: reference
title: Life Science Library
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Science_Library
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:02.459212+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: life-science-library-20260505-0
summary:
The Life Science Library is a series of hardbound books published by Time Life between 1963 and 1967. Each of the 26 volumes explores a major topic of the natural sciences at a level appropriate to an educated lay readership. In each volume, the text of each of eight chapters is followed by a "Picture Essay" illustrating the subject of the preceding chapter. They were available in a monthly subscription from Life magazine. The series explains scientific concepts in simple metaphors; for example, Albert Einstein's theory of relativity is explained in a cartoon about a spy drama involving a train traveling very close to the speed of light, probability is explained with poker hands, and the periodic table of the elements is conveyed with common household items. Although progress has overtaken much of the material in the more than 50 years since their publication, the series' explanations of basic science and the history of discovery remain valid. The consulting editors of the series are microbiologist René Dubos, physicist Henry Margenau, and physicist and novelist C. P. Snow. Each volume was written by a primary author or authors, "and the Editors of LIFE". The volumes are: Matter (1963), by Ralph E.


id: little-science-big-science-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Science,_Big_Science-0.md
category: reference
title: Little Science, Big Science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Science,_Big_Science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:03.600077+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: little-science-big-science-20260505-0
summary:
Little Science, Big Science is a book of collected lectures given by Derek J. De Solla Price, first published in 1963. The book presents the 1962 Brookhaven National Laboratory Pegram Lectures, a series of lectures dedicated to discussing science and its place in society. Price's goal in the lectures is to outline what it may look like for science to be analysed scientifically, by applying methods of measuring, hypothesizing, and deriving to science itself. With this goal in mind, he sets out to define quasi-mathematically how the shape and size of science has shifted from "small science" to "big science" in a historical and sociological way. Price presents a quantification of science as a measurable entity via an analogy to thermodynamics, conceptualizing science like a gas with individual molecules possessing individual velocities and interactions, a total volume, and general properties or laws. == Prologue to a Science of Science == Price begins the lectures by setting forth a demarcation in science centered around the modern period. He describes the phenomenon that, at the time of the lectures, 80 to 90 percent of important scientific work had occurred in one normal human life span. With this facet in mind, he sets


id: little-science-big-science-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Science,_Big_Science-1.md
category: reference
title: Little Science, Big Science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Science,_Big_Science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:03.600077+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: little-science-big-science-20260505-0
summary:
== Galton Revisited == In this chapter, Price suggests various ideas and methods about conducting a science of science, or scientometrics, by first narrating some peculiar contributions to statistics made by Francis Galton. His overall goal is to further the possibility of applying scientific methods to science itself by suggesting various metrics and measures of the size, growth rate, and distribution of science. He focuses on Galton's work concerning the distribution of high achieving scientists and statesmen in the upper echelons of British society, specifically Hereditary Genius and English Men of Science. These works are reviewed with the goal of understanding a basic metric for the number of people or papers in science that reach different levels of quality, an idea basic in Price's formulation of scientometrics. Further, he suggests that understanding such a metric would allow predictions to be made of science and scientists when changes associated with Big Science arrive. Galton's original approach was to estimate the distribution of high achieving practitioners of science among the eminent parts of British society, and Price takes this as a starting step in grasping a scientific metric of the productivity of science. In analyzing Galton's work and the work of another


id: little-science-big-science-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Science,_Big_Science-2.md
category: reference
title: Little Science, Big Science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Science,_Big_Science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:03.600077+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: little-science-big-science-20260505-0
summary:
== Political Strategy for Big Scientists == The final section of the lectures focuses on a larger-picture analysis of science and the monetary trends within it. As a general first statement, Price proposes that the cost of science has been increasing proportional to the square of the number of scientists. He points out that the cost of research in terms of the GDP did not increase in the years preceding World War II, yet afterward began increasing at the rate previously mentioned. As research amounts increase, the current and necessary number of researchers increases, promoting the inducement of scientists with higher salaries and better facilities in turn increasing the overall costs of science. Price suggests that it is this feedback loop that is a potential decelerator for the growth of science, and the main difference between Little Science and Big Science. What follows is his analysis of the "explosion of science" within non-developed countries, specifically Japan. He shows through this analysis that the United States' lack of experience of this explosion of science within the 20th century up to this point is due to the saturation of society with the activities of science, nearing costs not maintainable by the country.


id: loimologia-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loimologia-0.md
category: reference
title: Loimologia
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loimologia
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:04.760994+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: loimologia-20260505-0
summary:
Loimologia, or, an historical Account of the Plague in London in 1665, With precautionary Directions against the like Contagion is a treatise by Dr. Nathaniel Hodges (1629–1688), originally published in London in Latin (Loimologia, sive, Pestis nuperæ apud populum Londinensem grassantis narratio historica) in 1672; an English translation was later published in London in 1720. The treatise provides a first-hand account of the Great Plague of London; it has been described as the best medical record of the epidemic. == Hodges' records of treatments == While most physicians fled the city, including the renowned Thomas Sydenham, and Sir Edward Alston, president of the Royal College of Physicians, Hodges was one of the few physicians who remained in the city during 1665, to record observations and test the effectiveness of treatments against the plague. The book also contains statistics on the victims in each parish. == Additions in the 1720 edition == The English translation (1720) was released while a plague was spreading throughout Marseilles, and people in England were fearful of another disease outbreak. To this 1720 edition was added An essay on the different causes of pestilential diseases, and how they become contagious; with remarks on the infection now


id: longitude-book-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitude_(book)-0.md
category: reference
title: Longitude (book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitude_(book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:05.967266+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: longitude-book-20260505-0
summary:
Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time is a 1995 best-selling book by Dava Sobel about John Harrison, an 18th-century clockmaker who created the first clock (chronometer) sufficiently accurate to be used to determine longitude at sea—an important development in navigation. The book was made into a television series entitled Longitude. In 1998, The Illustrated Longitude was published, supplementing the earlier text with 180 images of characters, events, instruments, maps and publications. == Problem of longitude == Determining longitude on land was fairly easy compared to the task at sea. A stable surface to work from, known coordinates to refer to, a sheltered environment for the unstable chronometers of the day, and the ability to repeat determinations over time made for great accuracy. For calculating longitude at sea however, early ocean navigators had to rely on dead reckoning, or if in sight of land, coastal navigation, which involves triangulating several bearings of the same land feature from different positions. Once out of sight of land, longitude became impossible to calculate, which sometimes led to tragedies in stormy or foggy conditions. In order to deal with not being able to calculate


id: longitude-book-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitude_(book)-1.md
category: reference
title: Longitude (book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitude_(book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:05.967266+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: longitude-book-20260505-0
summary:
As Dava Sobel explains, "To know one's longitude at sea, one needs to know what time it is aboard ship and also the time at the home port or another place of known longitude—at that very same moment. The two clock times enable the navigator to convert the hour difference into geographical separation. Since the earth takes 24 hours to revolve 360 degrees, one hour marks 1/24 of a revolution or 15 degrees. And so each hour's time difference between the ship and starting point marks a progress of fifteen degrees of longitude to the east or west. "Every day at sea, when the navigator resets his ship's clock to local noon when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, and then consults the home port clock, every hour's discrepancy between them translates into another fifteen degrees of longitude. One degree of longitude equals four minutes of time the world over, although in terms of distance, one degree shrinks from 60.15 nautical miles or 111 km [Earth's circumference being 21,653.521 nautical miles, or 24,901.55 statute miles at the Equator], to virtually nothing at the poles. "Precise knowledge of the hour in two different places at once—a longitude prerequisite


id: magia-naturalis-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magia_Naturalis-0.md
category: reference
title: Magia Naturalis
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magia_Naturalis
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:07.148327+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: magia-naturalis-20260505-0
summary:
Magia Naturalis (in English, Natural Magic) is a work of popular science by Giambattista della Porta first published in Naples in 1558. Its popularity ensured it was republished in five Latin editions within ten years, with translations into Italian (1560), French, (1565) Dutch (1566) and English (1658) printed. Natural Magic was revised and considerably expanded throughout the author's lifetime; its twenty books (Naples 1589) include observations upon geology, optics, medicines, poisons, cooking, metallurgy, magnetism, cosmetics, perfumes, gunpowder and invisible writing. Natural Magic is an example of pre-Baconian science. Its sources include the ancient learning of Pliny the Elder and Theophrastus as well as numerous scientific observations made by Della Porta. == Author == Giambattista della Porta (also known as John Baptist Porta) was born in Vico Equense, Italy, between October 3rd and November 15th, 1535 and was the second of three sons. The Porta family belonged to the ancient nobility of Solerno, granting them a modest fortune until Giambattista's father, Nardo Antonio della Porta entered the service of Emperor Charles V in 1541. This allowed the family to alternate residences between Vico Equense and Naples. The nature of Giambattista's formal education is unknown. Only two of Giambattista's teachers have been


id: man-and-power-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_and_Power-0.md
category: reference
title: Man and Power
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_and_Power
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:08.334255+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: man-and-power-20260505-0
summary:
Man and Power: the Story of Power from the Pyramids to the Atomic Age is a science book for children by L. Sprague de Camp, illustrated with documents, photographs by Russ Kinne, Roman Vishniac, and others, and paintings by Alton S. Tobey, first published in hardcover by Golden Press in 1961. == Summary == As stated on the cover, the work is a survey of "the story of power from the pyramids to the atomic age." It traces the "progression of man's discovery and utilization of power ... in chapters dealing consecutively with the different sources of power--animal, wind, water, steam, internal combustion, chemical, electrical, and nuclear power, and possible future sources." == Partial Contents == Manpower Animal Power Wind Power Water Power Steam Power Internal-combustion Power Chemical Power Electric Power Nuclear Power == Reception == Thomas Goonan, writing for Library Journal, rated the book "[r]ecommended," praising its "[e]xcellent illustrations" that "elucidate the text" and "[g]ood index. Comparing it to Edward Stoddard's The Story of Power, he judged de Camp's work "[m]ore comprehensive and detailed." The Science News-Letter, in its September 23, 1961 issue, listed the book among its "Books of the Week," describing the work as a "[c]olorful panorama


id: the-meme-machine-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Meme_Machine-0.md
category: reference
title: The Meme Machine
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Meme_Machine
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:12.999751+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-meme-machine-20260505-0
summary:
The Meme Machine is a popular science book by Susan Blackmore on the subject of memes. Blackmore attempts to constitute memetics as a science by discussing its empirical and analytic potential, as well as some important problems with memetics. The first half of the book tries to create greater clarity about the definition of the meme as she sees it. The last half of the book consists of a number of possible memetic explanations for such different problems as the origin of language, the origin of the human brain, sexual phenomena, the Internet and the notion of the self. These explanations, in her view, give simpler and clearer explanations than trying to create genetic explanations in these fields. The idea of memes, and the word itself, were originally speculated by Richard Dawkins in his book The Selfish Gene although similar, or analogous, concepts had been in currency for a while before its publishing. Richard Dawkins wrote a foreword to The Meme Machine. In the book, Blackmore examines the difficulties associated with the meme including its definition and how to spot one as well as the difficulties which arise from seeing it as being like the gene. She sees the meme


id: the-millennial-project-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Millennial_Project-0.md
category: reference
title: The Millennial Project
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Millennial_Project
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:14.126075+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-millennial-project-20260505-0
summary:
The Millennial Project: Colonizing the Galaxy in Eight Easy Steps by Marshall T. Savage is a book (published in 1992 and reprinted in 1994 with an introduction by Arthur C. Clarke) in the field of exploratory engineering that gives a series of concrete stages the author believes will lead to interstellar colonization. Many specific scientific and engineering details are presented, as are numerous issues involved in space colonization. == The book's thesis == Savage takes a Malthusian view of the exponential growth of human population and life in general, and also recommends the exponential growth of blue-green algae for sustenance. He states that it is humanity's destiny to colonize every star in the galaxy. He draws heavily on the Fermi paradox (briefly stated as, "If there is intelligent life in space, why haven't we found it yet?") to support his position that it is humanity's burden alone to ignite the universe with the "spark of Life." In The Millennial Project, he calls for the creation of an international foundation to realize these goals. Originally known as the First Millennial Foundation (founded by Savage in 1987), the organization changed its name to the Living Universe Foundation. == The steps of the


id: the-mind-of-god-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mind_of_God-0.md
category: reference
title: The Mind of God
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mind_of_God
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:15.294891+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-mind-of-god-20260505-0
summary:
The Mind of God is a 1992 non-fiction book by Paul Davies. Subtitled The Scientific Basis for a Rational World, it is a whirlwind tour and explanation of theories, both physical and metaphysical, regarding ultimate causes. Its title comes from a quotation from Stephen Hawking: "If we do discover a theory of everything...it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason—for then we would truly know the mind of God." In the preface, Davies explains that he has been interested in ultimate causes since childhood, having annoyed his parents with unending "why's" about everything, with each answer demanding another "why," and usually ending with the reply, "Because God made it that way, and that's that!" In the book proper, Davies briefly explores: the nature of reason, belief, and metaphysics; theories of the origin of the universe; the laws of nature; the relationship of mathematics to physics; a few arguments for the existence of God; the possibility that the universe shows evidence of a deity; and his opinion of the implications of Gödel's incompleteness theorem, that "the search for a closed logical scheme that provides a complete and self-consistent explanation is doomed to failure." He concludes with a statement of his


id: mind-the-science-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_the_Science-0.md
category: reference
title: Mind the Science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_the_Science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:16.541663+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: mind-the-science-20260505-0
summary:
Mind the Science: Saving Your Mental Health from the Wellness Industry is a 2024 book by psychologist and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Calgary, Jonathan N. Stea. This book examines the Wellness industry, the harm medical pseudoscience can have on individuals in the hope that people will be able to make more informed decisions about their health care. The book is written for the lay audience and also includes many appendices that define terms that act as a reference guide. This book was published by Oxford University Press. == Synopsis == The journal Psychiatric Times notes that the book is divided into three main sections: how to see red flags in wellness information, identifying propaganda and misinformation, and solutions "grounded in mainstream science and medicine". Stea uses many examples to explain to the layperson how seductive alternative medicine can be when science-based medicine does not offer immediate results. Using the personal story of his mother, Stea explains various pseudoscience practices such as acupuncture, reflexology, chiropractic, Reiki and more. Multiple examples used show how difficult it is to navigate through mental illness, addiction and obsessive compulsive disorder often wasting time, money and causing "great harm". == Reception == Psychologist


id: the-naked-ape-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Naked_Ape-0.md
category: reference
title: The Naked Ape
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Naked_Ape
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:18.840664+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-naked-ape-20260505-0
summary:
The Naked Ape: A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal is a 1967 book by English zoologist and ethologist Desmond Morris that looks at humans as a species and compares them to other animals. The Human Zoo, a follow-up book by Morris that examined the behaviour of people in cities, was published in 1969. == Summary == The Naked Ape, which was serialised in the Daily Mirror newspaper and has been translated into 23 languages, depicts human behaviour as largely evolved to meet the challenges of prehistoric life as a hunter (see Nature versus nurture). The book was so named because out of 193 species of monkeys and apes, only humans (Homo sapiens sapiens) are not covered in hair. Desmond Morris, the author, who had been the curator of mammals at London Zoo, said his book was intended to popularise and demystify science. Morris said that Homo sapiens not only have the largest brains of all higher primates, but that sexual selection in human evolution has caused humans to have the highest ratio of penis size to body mass. Morris conjectured that human ear-lobes developed as an additional erogenous zone to facilitate the extended sexuality necessary in the evolution of


id: natural-obsessions-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_Obsessions-0.md
category: reference
title: Natural Obsessions
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_Obsessions
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:20.013065+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: natural-obsessions-20260505-0
summary:
Natural Obsessions is a book written by American science author Natalie Angier published in 1988. It chronicles a year in the laboratories of two prominent cancer biologists during a period where there was a race to discover and characterize some of the first cancer-causing and cancer-suppressing genes. == Overview == It chronicles the time, about a year, that she spent in the labs of two very prominent cancer biologists, Robert Weinberg and Michael Wigler, during a period where there was a race to discover and characterize some of the first cancer causing and cancer-suppressing genes (oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, respectively). This book gives insight into the day-to-day working of a top scientific laboratory with no embellishment - both the excitement and thrill of discovery as well as the drudgery and politics can be found in Natural Obsessions. Pressure to find these genes mounts and everyone is scrambling to be the first to announce this major discovery which could have gone to several laboratories. == Commercial and critical reception == Natural Obsessions was reviewed favorably in the New York Times and Smithsonian magazine in the months after its initial publication. The book was named a New York Times Notable Book


id: nature-of-man-series-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_of_Man_Series-0.md
category: reference
title: Nature of Man Series
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_of_Man_Series
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:21.219995+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: nature-of-man-series-20260505-0
summary:
The Nature of Man Series is a four-volume series of works in paleoanthropology by the prolific playwright, screenwriter, and science writer Robert Ardrey. The books in the series were published between 1961 and 1976. The series majorly undermined standing assumptions in social sciences, leading to an abandonment of the "blank slate" hypothesis; incited a renaissance in the science of ethology; and led to widespread popular interest in human evolution and human origins. The first work, African Genesis (1961), particularly helped revive interest in ethology, and was a direct precursor to the Konrad Lorenz's On Aggression (1966), Desmond Morris's The Naked Ape (1967), Lionel Tiger's Men in Groups (1969), and Tiger and Robin Fox's The Imperial Animal (1971). The director of the Smithsonian Institution's Human Origins Program Rick Potts, cited Ardrey's work as inspiring him to go anthropology. The works were wildly popular and influenced the public imagination. Stanley Kubrick cited them as major influences in developing his films 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and A Clockwork Orange (1971). == Robert Ardrey == Robert Ardrey was a prolific playwright, screenwriter, and science writer. By the time he returned to the sciences in the 1950s, he had already had a decorated Hollywood


id: the-new-inquisition-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Inquisition-0.md
category: reference
title: The New Inquisition
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Inquisition
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:22.418500+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-new-inquisition-20260505-0
summary:
The New Inquisition is a book written by Robert Anton Wilson and first published in 1986. The New Inquisition is a book about ontology, science, paranormal events, and epistemology. Wilson identifies what he calls "Fundamentalist Materialism" belief and compares it to religious fundamentalism. == Description == In The New Inquisition Wilson criticizes the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal by claiming that scientists do not give a fair hearing to anyone they do not already agree with. Something else he criticizes is that the dependence on the military-industrial complex is the norm. He proclaims that instead of this dictatory attitude scientists should apply skepticism, or a kind of agnostic principle, when faced with new ideas. According to Wilson, science these days glorifies the "Idol of Materialism". He calls their belief "Fundamental Materialism" and likens it to religious fundamentalists. Wilson suggests a principle that "refuses total belief or total denial and regards models as tools to be used only and always where appropriate and replaced (by other models) only and always where not appropriate". It is intended to be deliberately shocking, as Wilson states that he "does not want its ideas to seem any less startling than


id: the-new-inquisition-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Inquisition-1.md
category: reference
title: The New Inquisition
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Inquisition
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:22.418500+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-new-inquisition-20260505-0
summary:
== Critical reception == Jim Lippard described the quality of research in the book as "very shoddy". The book had a large number of typographical errors. He also said that Wilson's message about avoiding dogmatism was worthwhile, that the book was entertaining but that readers should be careful about taking Wilsons' explanations seriously. Lippard listed inaccuracies about the Esperanza Stone, fish falling from the sky and the alleged Mars effect. Kristin Buxton compared Wilson to Martin Gardner, noting that Gardner has written on many of the topics that Wilson writes about in the book, taking very different points of view. She pointed out that Gardner does not think it is easy to exactly define pseudoscience, nor does Gardner think his ideas are infallible. She mentioned that other reviewers had pointed out problems with the research and that the book needs to be read with care. She concluded with suggesting a merging of the views of Robert Anton Wilson and Martin Gardner as a possible new approach to science. Scientist Carl Sagan criticized Wilson's characterizing people skeptical of the phenomena he relates as an "inquisition" in his book The Demon-Haunted World, writing: "Wilson... describes skeptics as a 'new inquisition.' But to


id: a-new-kind-of-science-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_New_Kind_of_Science-0.md
category: reference
title: A New Kind of Science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_New_Kind_of_Science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:23.585706+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: a-new-kind-of-science-20260505-0
summary:
A New Kind of Science is a book by Stephen Wolfram, published by his company Wolfram Research under the imprint Wolfram Media in 2002. Wolfram explores how rules that control the interactions between cellular automata can generate surprisingly non-chaotic results. == Contents == === Computation and its implications === The thesis of A New Kind of Science (NKS) is twofold: that the nature of computation must be explored experimentally, and that the results of these experiments have great relevance to understanding the physical world. === Simple programs === The basic subject of Wolfram's "new kind of science" is the study of simple abstract rules—essentially, elementary computer programs. In almost any class of a computational system, one very quickly finds instances of great complexity among its simplest cases (after a time series of multiple iterative loops, applying the same simple set of rules on itself, similar to a self-reinforcing cycle using a set of rules). This seems to be true regardless of the components of the system and the details of its setup. Systems explored in the book include, among others, cellular automata in one, two, and three dimensions; mobile automata; Turing machines in 1 and 2 dimensions; several varieties of


id: a-new-kind-of-science-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_New_Kind_of_Science-1.md
category: reference
title: A New Kind of Science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_New_Kind_of_Science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:23.585706+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: a-new-kind-of-science-20260505-0
summary:
=== Systematic abstract science === While Wolfram advocates simple programs as a scientific discipline, he also argues that its methodology will revolutionize other fields of science. The basis of his argument is that the study of simple programs is the minimal possible form of science, grounded equally in both abstraction and empirical experimentation. Every aspect of the methodology NKS advocates is optimized to make experimentation as direct, easy, and meaningful as possible while maximizing the chances that the experiment will do something unexpected. Just as this methodology allows computational mechanisms to be studied in their simplest forms, Wolfram argues that the process of doing so engages with the mathematical basis of the physical world, and therefore has much to offer the sciences. Wolfram argues that the computational realities of the universe make science hard for fundamental reasons. But he also argues that by understanding the importance of these realities, we can learn to use them in our favor. For instance, instead of reverse engineering our theories from observation, we can enumerate systems and then try to match them to the behaviors we observe. A major theme of NKS is investigating the structure of the possibility space. Wolfram argues that science


id: a-new-kind-of-science-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_New_Kind_of_Science-2.md
category: reference
title: A New Kind of Science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_New_Kind_of_Science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:23.585706+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: a-new-kind-of-science-20260505-0
summary:
Periodicals gave A New Kind of Science coverage, including articles in The New York Times, Newsweek, Wired, and The Economist. Some scientists, including Cosma Shalizi and Scott Aaronson, criticized the book and perceived a fatal flaw—that simple systems such as cellular automata are not complex enough to describe the degree of complexity in evolved systems, and observed that Wolfram ignored the research categorizing the complexity of systems. Although critics accept Wolfram's result showing universal computation, they view it as minor and dispute Wolfram's claim of a paradigm shift. Others found that the work contained valuable insights and refreshing ideas. Wolfram addressed his critics in a series of blog posts. === Scientific philosophy === A tenet of NKS is that the simpler the system, the more likely a version of it will recur in a wide variety of more complicated contexts. Therefore, NKS argues that systematically exploring the space of simple programs will lead to a base of reusable knowledge. But many scientists believe that of all possible parameters, only some actually occur in the universe. For instance, of all possible permutations of the symbols making up an equation, most will be essentially meaningless. NKS has also been criticized for asserting


id: a-new-kind-of-science-20260505-3
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_New_Kind_of_Science-3.md
category: reference
title: A New Kind of Science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_New_Kind_of_Science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:23.585706+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: a-new-kind-of-science-20260505-0
summary:
=== Originality === NKS has been heavily criticized as not original or important enough to justify its title and claims. The authoritative manner in which NKS presents a vast number of examples and arguments has been criticized as leading the reader to believe that each of these is original to Wolfram; in particular, one of the most substantial new technical results presented in the book, that the rule 110 cellular automaton is Turing complete, was not proven by Wolfram. Wolfram credits the proof to his research assistant Matthew Cook. But the book's notes section acknowledges many of the discoveries made by these other scientists, citing their names together with historical facts, although not in the form of a traditional bibliography section. Additionally, the idea that very simple rules often generate great complexity is already an established idea in science, particularly in chaos theory and complex systems. == See also == Digital physics Scientific reductionism Calculating Space Marcus Hutter's "Universal Artificial Intelligence" algorithm == References == == External links == A New Kind of Science free E-Book What We've Learned from NKS YouTube playlist — extensive discussion of each NKS chapter; (As of 2022, Stephen Wolfram discusses the NKS chapters in


id: nicolaus-copernicus-gesamtausgabe-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolaus_Copernicus_Gesamtausgabe-0.md
category: reference
title: Nicolaus Copernicus Gesamtausgabe
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolaus_Copernicus_Gesamtausgabe
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:24.755956+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: nicolaus-copernicus-gesamtausgabe-20260505-0
summary:
The Nicolaus-Copernicus-Gesamtausgabe (Nicolaus Copernicus Complete Edition) is a comprehensive, commented collection of works by, about, and related to Nicolaus Copernicus. The Gesamtausgabe includes Copernicus's surviving manuscripts and notes, his published writings, other authors' commentary about Copernicus and his works, a bibliography, and a biography. Compilation of the series began in 1973 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Copernicus's birth. The first volume is the astronomer's landmark work, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres), which expounded Copernicus's heliocentric theory of the universe. The set is published by Akademie Verlag in Berlin, Germany. == Volumes == I: De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, 1974, ISBN 978-3-05-003897-1 II: III/1: Kommentar zu "De revolutionibus", 1998, ISBN 978-3-05-003123-1 III/3: De Revolutionibus. Die erste deutsche Übersetzung in der Grazer Handschrift, 2007, ISBN 978-3-05-004355-5 IV: V: Opera Minora 1999, ISBN 978-3-05-003498-0 VI/1: Documenta Copernicana, 1994, ISBN 978-3-05-002594-0 VI/2: Documenta Copernicana, 1996, ISBN 978-3-05-003009-8 VII: VIII/1: Receptio Copernicana, ISBN 978-3-05-003433-1 IX: Biographia Copernicana == External links == Nicolaus Copernicus Gesamtausgabe at Akademie Verlag


id: orr-s-circle-of-the-sciences-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orr's_Circle_of_the_Sciences-0.md
category: reference
title: Orr's Circle of the Sciences
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orr's_Circle_of_the_Sciences
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:29.234434+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: orr-s-circle-of-the-sciences-20260505-0
summary:
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


id: overshoot-book-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overshoot_(book)-0.md
category: reference
title: Overshoot (book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overshoot_(book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:30.380117+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: overshoot-book-20260505-0
summary:
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


id: overshoot-book-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overshoot_(book)-1.md
category: reference
title: Overshoot (book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overshoot_(book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:30.380117+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: overshoot-book-20260505-0
summary:
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


id: overshoot-book-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overshoot_(book)-2.md
category: reference
title: Overshoot (book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overshoot_(book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:30.380117+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: overshoot-book-20260505-0
summary:
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


id: overshoot-book-20260505-3
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overshoot_(book)-3.md
category: reference
title: Overshoot (book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overshoot_(book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:30.380117+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: overshoot-book-20260505-0
summary:
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


id: the-oxford-book-of-modern-science-writing-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oxford_Book_of_Modern_Science_Writing-0.md
category: reference
title: The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oxford_Book_of_Modern_Science_Writing
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:31.605618+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-oxford-book-of-modern-science-writing-20260505-0
summary:
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


id: the-panda-s-thumb-book-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Panda's_Thumb_(book)-0.md
category: reference
title: The Panda's Thumb (book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Panda's_Thumb_(book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:32.782429+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-panda-s-thumb-book-20260505-0
summary:
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 ==


id: pathological-altruism-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathological_Altruism-0.md
category: reference
title: Pathological Altruism
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathological_Altruism
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:33.917944+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: pathological-altruism-20260505-0
summary:
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


id: el-per-book-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Perú_(book)-0.md
category: reference
title: El Perú (book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Perú_(book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:35.165046+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: el-per-book-20260505-0
summary:
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


id: phantom-of-the-poles-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_of_the_Poles-0.md
category: reference
title: Phantom of the Poles
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_of_the_Poles
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:36.339692+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: phantom-of-the-poles-20260505-0
summary:
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


id: physics-and-beyond-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_and_Beyond-0.md
category: reference
title: Physics and Beyond
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_and_Beyond
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:37.539208+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: physics-and-beyond-20260505-0
summary:
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


id: pihkal-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PiHKAL-0.md
category: reference
title: PiHKAL
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PiHKAL
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:38.702679+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: pihkal-20260505-0
summary:
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.


id: pioneers-of-science-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneers_of_Science-0.md
category: reference
title: Pioneers of Science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneers_of_Science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:39.875864+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: pioneers-of-science-20260505-0
summary:
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 ==


id: the-pleasure-of-finding-things-out-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pleasure_of_Finding_Things_Out-0.md
category: reference
title: The Pleasure of Finding Things Out
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pleasure_of_Finding_Things_Out
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:44.398643+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-pleasure-of-finding-things-out-20260505-0
summary:
The Pleasure of Finding Things Out is a collection of short works from American physicist Richard Feynman, including interviews, speeches, lectures, and printed articles. Among these is his famous 1959 lecture "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom", his report on the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, and his speech on scientific integrity in which he coined the term "cargo cult science". The original foreword was written by Freeman Dyson. == References == == External links == Norman, Eric B. (2000). "Reviewed Work: The Pleasure of Finding Things Out by Richard P. Feynman". The American Biology Teacher. 62 (9): 678. doi:10.2307/4451014. JSTOR 4451014. Root-Bernstein, Robert (1999). "The Dubious Pleasure of Yet More Feynman". American Scientist. 87 (5): 462–464. JSTOR 27857907.


id: the-poisoner-s-handbook-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Poisoner's_Handbook-0.md
category: reference
title: The Poisoner's Handbook
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Poisoner's_Handbook
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:45.547938+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-poisoner-s-handbook-20260505-0
summary:
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York is a New York Times best-selling non-fiction book by Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Deborah Blum that was released by Penguin Press in 2010. == Synopsis == In 1918, New York City appointed Charles Norris, Bellevue Hospital's chief pathologist, as its first scientifically trained medical examiner. The book, about Norris and Alexander Gettler, the city's first toxicologist, describes the Jazz Age's poisoning cases. Before the two began working in the medical examiner's office, Blum pointed out in her book, poisoners could get away with murder. The book covers the years from 1915 to 1936, which Blum described as a "coming-of-age" for forensic toxicology. "Under (Norris's) direction, the New York City medical examiner's office would become a department that set forensic standards for the rest of the country," Blum wrote. While a guest on National Public Radio’s "Talk of the Nation/Science Friday" to discuss the book, Blum told host Ira Flatow that she wrote the book because "I've always been interested in poison. I wanted to write about the mystery of how (poisons) kill us.” == Reception == Reader's Digest named The Poisoner's Handbook one of its


id: programming-the-universe-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programming_the_Universe-0.md
category: reference
title: Programming the Universe
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programming_the_Universe
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:46.725738+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: programming-the-universe-20260505-0
summary:
Programming the Universe: A Quantum Computer Scientist Takes On the Cosmos is a 2006 popular science book by Seth Lloyd, professor of mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The book proposes that the Universe is a quantum computer (supercomputer), and advances in the understanding of physics may come from viewing entropy as a phenomenon of information, rather than simply thermodynamics. Lloyd also postulates that the Universe can be fully simulated using a quantum computer; however, in the absence of a theory of quantum gravity, such a simulation is not yet possible. "Particles not only collide, they compute." == Reaction == Reviewer Corey S. Powell of The New York Times writes: In the space of 221 dense, frequently thrilling and occasionally exasperating pages, ... tackles computer logic, thermodynamics, chaos theory, complexity, quantum mechanics, cosmology, consciousness, sex and the origin of life—throwing in, for good measure, a heartbreaking afterword that repaints the significance of all that has come before. The source of all this intellectual mayhem is the kind of Big Idea so prevalent in popular science books these days. Lloyd, a professor of mechanical engineering at M.I.T., takes as his topic the fundamental workings of the universe..., which he


id: questions-of-truth-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Questions_of_Truth-0.md
category: reference
title: Questions of Truth
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Questions_of_Truth
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:47.853826+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: questions-of-truth-20260505-0
summary:
Questions of Truth is a book by John Polkinghorne and Nicholas Beale which offers their responses to 51 questions about science and religion. The foreword is contributed by Antony Hewish. The book was launched at a workshop at the 2009 American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting in Chicago, and then in the UK at a discussion at the Royal Society chaired by Onora O'Neill, in a week when it was also featured on the Today Programme. == Key themes and ideas == The book grew out of questions generated at a website organized to communicate Polkinghorne's ideas. It groups selected questions under seven topics: Leading questions gives an overview of Polkinghorne's views on nine questions, including science and religion, the existence of god, and atheism. The concept and existence of god begins with "Can God's existence be proved?" and addresses The God Delusion, omniscience, predestination and the Trinity. The Universe considers the Big Bang, the anthropic principle and a theory of everything. Evolution starts with "Is evolution a fact or a theory?", discusses intelligent design, which is deemed an unfortunate use of language and a theological mistake, and explores whether the mind can be explained by evolution.


id: the-ragged-edge-of-science-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ragged_Edge_of_Science-0.md
category: reference
title: The Ragged Edge of Science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ragged_Edge_of_Science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:48.979085+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-ragged-edge-of-science-20260505-0
summary:
The Ragged Edge of Science is a science book by L. Sprague de Camp, illustrated by Don Simpson. It was first published by Owlswick Press in 1980. The book is a collection of twenty-two articles (two of them book reviews) on various curiosities and wonders exploring the boundaries between science and pseudo-science. "The[ir] common thread is [their] skeptical takes on subjects that are often muddled by paranormal and pseudoscientific claims." De Camp viewed such phenomena from a skeptically rational viewpoint, pointing out the fallacies in supernatural and otherwise fantastic explanations. His debunking efforts were an important and characteristic feature of his nonfiction, and the present collection is a notable instance of it. The book's constituent articles were originally published in a variety of science magazines, science fiction magazines, and other publications from 1950 to 1976. == Contents == "Preface" Long Ago and Far Away "The Mayan Elephants" (from Astounding Science Fiction, v. 45, no. 4, Jun. 1950) "Faery Lands Forlorn" (from Science Fiction Stories, v. 6, no. 3, Nov. 1955 and v. 6, no. 5, Mar. 1956) "The Pyramids of Kush" (from Science Digest, v. 63, no. 4, Apr. 1968) "The Falls of Troy" (from The Magazine of Fantasy &


id: reaction-chemistry-in-the-movies-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReAction!_Chemistry_in_the_Movies-0.md
category: reference
title: ReAction! Chemistry in the Movies
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReAction!_Chemistry_in_the_Movies
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:50.157949+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: reaction-chemistry-in-the-movies-20260505-0
summary:
ReAction! Chemistry in the Movies (2009, ISBN 978-0-19-532692-5) is a nonfiction book about movies, chemistry, and chemistry in the movies by Chemistry Professor Mark Griep and Artist Marjorie Mikasen published by Oxford University Press USA. The authors were awarded an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant in the area of Public Understanding of Science to research and write the book. This book is about the chemistry when it is part of the narrative. Most of the examples are contemporary popular feature films while some are documentaries, shorts, silents, and international films. The book uses the dualities personified by the benevolent Dr. Jekyll on one hand and the evil Mr. Hyde on the other to describe how chemists and chemistry are portrayed in the movies. There are 10 chapters, the first five of which have dark chemical themes and the second five of which have bright chemical themes. The chapter titles are: 1. Dr. Jekyll's Mysterious Transformative Formula 2. Invisibility Steals the Seen: Chemistry Creates Criminal Opportunities 3. Isomorphs of Paranoia: Chemical Arsenals 4. Bad Company: The Business of Toxicity 5. A Master/Slave Narrative: Drug Addiction and Psychoactives 6. Inventors and their Often Wacky Chemical Inventions 7. Hard Science = Hard Evidence:


id: the-republican-brain-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Republican_Brain-0.md
category: reference
title: The Republican Brain
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Republican_Brain
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:51.300354+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-republican-brain-20260505-0
summary:
The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Deny Science — and Reality is a 2012 book about the psychological basis for many Republicans' rejection of mainstream scientific theories, as well as theories of economics and history, by the American journalist Chris Mooney. == Reception == The Financial Times gave the book a favorable review, describing it as an "intelligent, nuanced and persuasive account" of psychological differences in political behavior. Alissa Quart, in a New York Times opinion piece, cited conservative writers Alex Berezow and Hank Campbell who equated Mooney's argument with eugenics. It was criticized by American conservative Jonah Goldberg, who tried to associate it with "conservative phrenology". Mooney responded, stating that Goldberg had mispresented his book in several respects. Mooney also stated that Goldberg exhibited "precisely the traits he seeks to deny: ideological defensiveness, a lack of nuance, and a deeply unwarranted and overconfident sense of certainty". Mooney later rebutted a similar criticism by Andrew Ferguson and stated that Ferguson dismissed science himself while attacking the book. Paul Krugman wrote in The New York Times that Mooney makes a good point: the personality traits associated with modern conservatism, particularly a lack of openness, make the modern Republican Party


id: the-republican-war-on-science-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Republican_War_on_Science-0.md
category: reference
title: The Republican War on Science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Republican_War_on_Science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:52.494320+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-republican-war-on-science-20260505-0
summary:
The Republican War on Science is a 2005 book by Chris Mooney, an American journalist who focuses on the politics of science policy. In the book, Mooney discusses the Republican Party leadership's stance on science, and in particular that of the George W. Bush administration, with regard to issues such as climate change denialism, intelligent design, bioethics, alternative medicine, pollution, separation of church and state, and the government funding of education, research, and environmental protection. The book argues that the administration regularly distorted and/or suppressed scientific research to further its own political aims. The book was reviewed in Science and Nature Medicine as well as the popular press. It was featured on the cover of The New York Times Book Review and selected as an "Editors' Choice" by The New York Times, which described it as "[a] frankly polemical survey of scientific findings and procedures in collision with political operations." Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (of Super Size Me fame) optioned the rights for the book to create a documentary film, but in 2008 announced that he had released the option. == Reviews == === In scientific journals === A review in Science by Naomi Oreskes states the author recounts the 20-year


id: science-and-religion-some-historical-perspectives-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_Religion:_Some_Historical_Perspectives-0.md
category: reference
title: Science and Religion: Some Historical Perspectives
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_Religion:_Some_Historical_Perspectives
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:53.720718+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: science-and-religion-some-historical-perspectives-20260505-0
summary:
Science and Religion: Some Historical Perspectives is a book on the relationship between science and religion by John Hedley Brooke. The book identifies three traditional views of the relationship between science and religion found in historical analyses: conflict, complementarity, and commonality. The book portrays all three as oversimplifications. It offers up the alternative notion of complexity, which bases the relationship between science and religion on changing circumstances where it is defined upon each particular historical situation and the actual beliefs and ideas of the scientific and religious figures involved. == Reception == The American Historical Review states that the book's bibliographic essay "identifies and … incorporates the results of virtually every significant and relevant article published in the past fifty years." == References == == Further reading == Brooke, John H. (1998). "Essays on Science And Society: Science and Religion: Lessons from History?". Science. 282 (5396): 1985–1986. Bibcode:1998Sci...282.1985B. doi:10.1126/science.282.5396.1985. S2CID 159909162. == List of reviews == Cantor, Geoffrey (1992). "Science and Religion (Book Reviews)". The Times Literary Supplement (4639): 27. Howell, Kenneth J. (December 1994). "Book Review: Science and Religion: Some Historical Perspectives. John Hedley Brooke, George Basalla". The Journal of Modern History. 66 (4): 779–782. doi:10.1086/244944. Olson, Richard; Brooke,


id: science-at-the-crossroads-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_at_the_Crossroads-0.md
category: reference
title: Science at the Crossroads
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_at_the_Crossroads
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:54.888510+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: science-at-the-crossroads-20260505-0
summary:
Science at the Crossroads was an anthology of the contributions of the delegation from the Soviet Union which attended the Second International Congress of the History of Science. Joseph Needham provided a foreword. It was republished with a new foreword and introduction in 1971. Alfred Rupert Hall wrote a scathing review, claiming that it had little impact in the Soviet Union and that most of the contributors' careers led, rather, to the prison camp and the execution squad. == Contents == The 1971 edition included: == References ==


id: science-book-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_book-0.md
category: reference
title: Science book
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_book
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:33:59.529866+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: science-book-20260505-0
summary:
A science book is a work of nonfiction, usually written by a scientist, researcher, or professor like Stephen Hawking (A Brief History of Time), or sometimes by a non-scientist such as Bill Bryson (A Short History of Nearly Everything). Usually these books are written for a wide audience presumed to have a general education rather than a specifically scientific training, as opposed to the very narrow audience that a scientific paper would have, and are therefore referred to as popular science. As such, they require considerable talent on the part of the author to sufficiently explain difficult topics to people who are totally new to the subject, and a good blend of storytelling and technical writing. In the UK, the Royal Society Prizes for Science Books are considered to be the most prestigious awards for science writing. In the US, the National Book Awards briefly had a category for science writing in the 1960s, but now they just have the broad categories of fiction and nonfiction. There are many disciplines that are well explained to lay people through science books. A few examples include Carl Sagan on astronomy, Jared Diamond on geography, Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Dawkins on evolutionary


id: science-fictions-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Fictions-0.md
category: reference
title: Science Fictions
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Fictions
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:00.765640+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: science-fictions-20260505-0
summary:
Science Fictions: How Fraud, Bias, Negligence, and Hype Undermine the Search for Truth is a 2020 non-fiction book on issues undermining scientific research by Scottish psychologist Stuart J. Ritchie. It was published by Metropolitan Books on July 14, 2020 and is Ritchie's second book. Science Fictions was nominated for the £25,000 Royal Society Prize for Science Books but lost out to Merlin Sheldrake's Entangled Life. == Summary == In Science Fictions, Ritchie argues that modern scientific research suffers from a number of issues – including outright fraud; publication bias and human bias; negligence and error; and sensationalism through media hype – that undermine its ability to be objective and accurate. He describes methodological issues involved in the replication crisis, such as p-hacking, as well as broader systemic issues, such as perverse incentives in the peer review process and the problem of null results being difficult or impossible to publish, leading to under-reporting of many important findings. He also details the ways in which technology such as Photoshop has made it easier for researchers to commit subtle but serious fraud. Throughout the book, Ritchie offers examples of egregious fraud in scientific research, such as the misleading studies on trachea replacement published


id: science-in-action-book-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_in_Action_(book)-0.md
category: reference
title: Science in Action (book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_in_Action_(book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:01.971856+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: science-in-action-book-20260505-0
summary:
Science in Action: How to Follow Scientists and Engineers Through Society (ISBN 0-674-79291-2) is a seminal book by French philosopher, anthropologist and sociologist Bruno Latour first published in 1987. It is written in a textbook style, proposes an approach to the empirical study of science and technology, and is considered a canonical application of actor-network theory. It also entertains ontological conceptions and theoretical discussions making it a research monograph and not a methodological handbook per se. In the introduction, Latour develops the methodological dictum that science and technology must be studied "in action", or "in the making". Because scientific discoveries turn esoteric and difficult to understand, it has to be studied where discoveries are made in practice. For example, Latour turns back time in the case of the discovery of the "double helix". Going back in time, deconstructing statements, machines and articles, it is possible to arrive at a point where scientific discovery could have chosen to take many other directions (contingency). Also the concept of "black box" is introduced. A black box is a metaphor borrowed from cybernetics denoting a piece of machinery that "runs by itself". That is, when a series of instructions are too complicated to be


id: science-in-society-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_In_Society-0.md
category: reference
title: Science In Society
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_In_Society
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:03.403724+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: science-in-society-20260505-0
summary:
Science In Society: An Introduction to Social Studies of Science (ISBN 0415321999) is a 2004 book by Massimiano Bucchi. The book explains how science works, what sociologists find to be of interest, and how scientific knowledge is produced. There are chapters on the relevance of science to contemporary life, Kuhn's work and its modern relevance, as well as the role of scientific communication. == See also == List of books about the politics of science == References ==


id: science-order-and-creativity-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science,_Order,_and_Creativity-0.md
category: reference
title: Science, Order, and Creativity
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science,_Order,_and_Creativity
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:04.489116+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: science-order-and-creativity-20260505-0
summary:
Science, Order, and Creativity is a book by theoretical physicist David Bohm and physicist and writer F. David Peat. It was originally published 1987 by Bantam Books, US, then 1989 in Great Britain by Routledge. The second edition, published in 2000 after Bohm's death, comprises a new foreword by Peat as well as an additional introductory chapter, in which a fictitious dialogue between Bohm and Peat serves to introduce the reader to the context and topics of the book. In Science, Order and Creativity, the authors emphasize the role of creativity and communication for science and, also beyond science, for humanity as a whole. == Contents by chapter == 1 Revolutions, Theories, and Creativity in Science The authors consider the form of creativity that is constituted by a metaphor and by equating two different kinds of things, based on an act of perception of a similarity. They emphasize the role of communication and art as part of creativity, citing the example of Helen Keller who, through communication with her mentor Anne Sullivan was led to understanding a similarity among the sensations of water and the symbolic gesture pressed into her palm which represented it. 2 Science as Creative Perception–Communication The


id: scientific-memoirs-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_Memoirs-0.md
category: reference
title: Scientific Memoirs
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_Memoirs
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:05.826170+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: scientific-memoirs-20260505-0
summary:
Scientific Memoirs, Selected from the Transactions of Foreign Academies of science and Learned Societies and from Foreign Journals was a series of books edited and published by Richard Taylor (1781–1858) in London between 1837 and 1852. After 1852 the publication continued in two series: Natural Philosophy, edited by J. Tyndall and William Francis; and, Natural history, edited by Arthur Henfrey and Thomas Henry Huxley. Volume 3 (1843) is noteworthy because it contained Ada Lovelace's notes appended to her translation of Luigi Federico Menabrea's article. Both are available on Wikisource. The Menebrea article The notes by Ada Lovelace. Some volumes have been reprinted by Johnson Reprint Corp. New York in 1966. == Further reading == Richard Taylor, 1781–1858 at the Darwin Correspondence Online Database Niels Bohr Library Book Catalog Scientific memoirs, selected from the transactions of foreign academies of science, and from foreign journals. Natural history at WorldCat Volumes 1-4 on Wikisource == References ==


id: scientologie-wissenschaft-von-der-beschaffenheit-und-der-tauglichkeit-des-wissens-20260505-0
category: reference
title: Scientologie, Wissenschaft von der Beschaffenheit und der Tauglichkeit des Wissens
tags: science, encyclopedia
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:07.147667+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: scientologie-wissenschaft-von-der-beschaffenheit-und-der-tauglichkeit-des-wissens-20260505-0
file:
data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientologie,_Wissenschaft_von_der_Beschaffenheit_und_der_Tauglichkeit_des_Wissens-0.md

summary:
Scientologie, Wissenschaft von der Beschaffenheit und der Tauglichkeit des Wissens (Scientology: Science of the Constitution and Usefulness of Knowledge) is a 1934 book published by Anastasius Nordenholz, in which he defines the term "Scientologie" or "Eidologie" as a science of knowing or knowledge and discusses the philosophical implications of the concept. The book has been cited by some as a possible source of inspiration for L. Ron Hubbard and his better-known conception of Scientology, though this interpretation is disputed. == Summary of the book == Nordenholz highlights the problem of isolating knowledge as "a particular appearance of the world." He asks: "What is Knowing? What IS Knowledge? What can we know, what must we know about Knowledge/Knowing, to do justice to and to justify the world? The question is thus nothing less than self-knowing, determination of the nature of self, and also of self-realization and self-understanding of Knowledge/Knowing. Is this possible? If possible, how can the systemization of Knowledge/Knowing itself be accomplished? How can a Science of Knowledge/Knowing be produced?" After establishing a number of definitions, he concludes that "the world is nothing but knowledge, merely an extraction from knowing....Only out of the equally valued mutual operation of Knowledge/Knowing as

source_url:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientologie,_Wissenschaft_von_der_Beschaffenheit_und_der_Tauglichkeit_des_Wissens


id: the-sea-around-us-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sea_Around_Us-0.md
category: reference
title: The Sea Around Us
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sea_Around_Us
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:08.321211+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-sea-around-us-20260505-0
summary:
The Sea Around Us is a prize-winning and best-selling book by the American marine biologist Rachel Carson, first published as a whole by Oxford University Press in 1951. It reveals the science and poetry of the sea while ranging from its primeval beginnings to the latest scientific probings. Often described as "poetic," it was Carson's second published book and the one that launched her into the public eye and a second career as a writer and conservationist; in retrospect it is counted the second book of her so-called sea trilogy, including Under the Sea-Wind and The Edge of the Sea. The Sea Around Us won both the 1952 National Book Award for Nonfiction and a Burroughs Medal in nature writing. It remained on the New York Times Best Seller List for 86 weeks and it has been translated into 28 languages. == History == Simon & Schuster had published her first book Under the Sea Wind in 1941; it was reviewed favorably but it sold poorly. Carson initially planned to call the sequel Return to the Sea, and began writing in 1948, just after hiring Marie Rodell as her literary agent. Carson began by writing a single chapter (what would


id: sekka-zusetsu-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sekka_Zusetsu-0.md
category: reference
title: Sekka Zusetsu
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sekka_Zusetsu
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:09.564420+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: sekka-zusetsu-20260505-0
summary:
Sekka Zusetsu (雪華図説) is a figure collection written by Doi Toshitsura, the fourth daimyō of Koga Domain in 1832. == Overview == Koga Domain was located at the center of the Kantō Plain. Due to heavy snowfall, the Koga Domain was a good place to observe snowflakes. Doi Toshitsura, the fourth daimyō of Koga Domain started observing snowflakes as his hobby with his own microscope which was imported from the Netherlands, and he drew pictures and studies about snowflakes in the book. This figure collection of his is highly valued today in Japan as the first Japanese figure collection of snowflakes. It's said that Toshitsura had many difficulties observing snowflake properly because snowflakes need −10 to −15 Celsius degrees temperature to hold their correct shapes. So Toshitsura had to observe them under very cold temperatures. This book was written for him and his family (the Doi clan, 土井氏), but it had great influence on Japanese textile-patterns also. As soon as he wrote the book, snowflake patterns (雪華模様) became popular among ordinary people in Edo. == Observation method == Putting a black cloth outside at night when it seems cold enough to snow Receiving snowflakes with the cloth If snowflakes received,


id: the-shulgin-index-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shulgin_Index-0.md
category: reference
title: The Shulgin Index
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shulgin_Index
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:10.747602+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-shulgin-index-20260505-0
summary:
The Shulgin Index, Volume One: Psychedelic Phenethylamines and Related Compounds is a 2011 book written by Alexander Shulgin, Tania Manning, and Paul F. Daley and published by Transform Press. It is about psychedelic substituted phenethylamines and related compounds and their chemistry and pharmacology. The book discusses 126 main compounds from this family as well as 1,300 compounds discussed in total. It followed the earlier books PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story (1991) and TiHKAL: The Continuation (1997) by Shulgin and his wife Ann Shulgin. A second volume on substituted tryptamines was being prepared but was never completed due to Shulgin's death in 2014. According to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) in 2014, the second volume would be finished in the "near future", but there have been no updates since. == Compounds listed == == See also == Bibliography of Alexander Shulgin List of psychedelic literature PiHKAL (Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved) (1991) TiHKAL (Tryptamines I Have Known and Loved) (1997) The Simple Plant Isoquinolines (2002) Substituted phenethylamine (PEA) Substituted amphetamine (AMPH) Substituted methylenedioxyphenethylamine (MDxx) Substituted methoxyphenethylamine 2C, DOx, 4C, scaline, 3C, Ψ-PEA, 25-NB, FLY == References == == External links == The Shulgin Index, Volume One: Psychedelic Phenethylamines


id: the-simple-plant-isoquinolines-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Simple_Plant_Isoquinolines-0.md
category: reference
title: The Simple Plant Isoquinolines
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Simple_Plant_Isoquinolines
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:15.507004+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-simple-plant-isoquinolines-20260505-0
summary:
The Simple Plant Isoquinolines is a 2002 book written by Alexander Shulgin and Wendy Perry about isoquinoline and tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids, for instance the various cyclized phenethylamine mescaline analogues found in many cactus species. It was published by Transform Press. == See also == Bibliography of Alexander Shulgin The Shulgin Index, Volume One: Psychedelic Phenethylamines and Related Compounds (2011) PiHKAL (1991) and TiHKAL (1997) Substituted tetrahydroisoquinoline Peyote § Constituents Pachycereus pringlei § Constituents and biological effects Keeper Trout == References ==


id: six-legged-soldiers-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-legged_Soldiers-0.md
category: reference
title: Six-legged Soldiers
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-legged_Soldiers
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:16.640782+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: six-legged-soldiers-20260505-0
summary:
Six-Legged Soldiers: Using Insects as Weapons of War is a nonfiction scientific warfare book written by author and University of Wyoming professor, Jeffrey A. Lockwood. Published in 2008 by Oxford University Press, the book explores the history of bioterrorism, entomological warfare, biological warfare, and the prevention of agro-terrorism from the earliest times to modern threats. Lockwood, an entomologist, preceded this book with Ethical issues in biological control (1997) and Locust: The devastating rise and mysterious disappearance of the insect that shaped the American frontier (2004), among others. == Summary == Six-Legged Soldiers gives detailed examples of entomological warfare: using buckets of scorpions during a fortress siege, catapulting beehives ("bee bombs") across a castle wall, civilians as human guinea pigs in an effort to weaponize the plague, bombarding civilians from the air with infection-bearing insects, and assassin bugs placed on prisoners to eat away their flesh. Lockwood also describes a domestic ecoterrorism example with the 1989 threat to release the medfly (Ceratitis capitata) within California's crop belt. The last chapter highlights western nations' vulnerability to terrorist attacks. Interviewed about the book by BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the author describes how a terrorist with a suitcase could bring diseases into a


id: the-sixth-extinction-an-unnatural-history-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sixth_Extinction:_An_Unnatural_History-0.md
category: reference
title: The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sixth_Extinction:_An_Unnatural_History
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:17.919142+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-sixth-extinction-an-unnatural-history-20260505-0
summary:
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History is a 2014 nonfiction book written by Elizabeth Kolbert and published by Henry Holt and Company. The book argues that the Earth is in the midst of a modern, man-made, sixth extinction. In the book, Kolbert chronicles previous mass extinction events, and compares them to the accelerated, widespread extinctions during our present time. She also describes specific species extinguished by humans, as well as the ecologies surrounding prehistoric and near-present extinction events. The author received the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction for the book in 2015. The target audience is the general reader, and scientific descriptions are rendered in understandable prose. The writing blends explanations of her treks to remote areas with interviews of scientists, researchers, and guides, without advocating a position, in pursuit of objectivity. Hence, the sixth mass extinction theme is applied to flora and fauna existing in diverse habitats, such as the Panamanian rainforest, the Great Barrier Reef, the Andes, Bikini Atoll, city zoos, and the author's own backyard. The book also applies this theme to a number of other habitats and organisms throughout the world. After researching the current mainstream view of the relevant peer-reviewed science, Kolbert estimates flora and


id: the-sixth-extinction-an-unnatural-history-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sixth_Extinction:_An_Unnatural_History-1.md
category: reference
title: The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sixth_Extinction:_An_Unnatural_History
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:17.919142+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-sixth-extinction-an-unnatural-history-20260505-0
summary:
=== Chapter 3: The Original Penguin === The great auk was a large flightless bird that lived in the Northern Hemisphere. It had a large, intricately grooved beak. When the first settlers arrived in Iceland, the auk population was probably in the millions. However, the settlers found the auks to be “very good and nourishing meat.” They also used their oily bodies for fuel and fish bait, and their feathers for stuffing mattresses. Despite attempts at protecting the species, by 1844, the last auks were killed. Kolbert uses the great auk as a symbol of how human overexploitation of resources is another important mechanism of extinction. === Chapter 4: The Luck of the Ammonites === Kolbert explains that the main cause of the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event was not the impact of the asteroid itself. It was the dust created by the impact. The debris from the impact incinerated anything in its path. She states that it is impossible to estimate the full extent of the various species that died out due to this catastrophe. However, one class of animals we know did die out because of the effects of the asteroid's impact, are the ammonites. Kolbert explains that, even though


id: the-sixth-extinction-an-unnatural-history-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sixth_Extinction:_An_Unnatural_History-2.md
category: reference
title: The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sixth_Extinction:_An_Unnatural_History
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:17.919142+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-sixth-extinction-an-unnatural-history-20260505-0
summary:
=== Chapter 10: The New Pangea === Kolbert points out that there is an evolutionary arms race, in which each species must be equipped to defend against their potential predators and need to be more fit than their competition. A species has no defense if it encounters a new fungus, virus, or bacterium. This can be extremely deadly, as it was in the case of the American bats killed by the psychrophilic fungus Geomyces destructans. Another example of this occurred in the 1800s. The American chestnut was the dominant deciduous tree in eastern American forests. Then, a fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica) started to cause chestnut blight. It was nearly 100 percent lethal. This fungus was unintentionally imported to the US by humans. Kolbert then explains that global trade and travel are creating a virtual "Pangaea", in which species of all kinds are being redistributed beyond historical geographic barriers. This furthers the first chapter's idea that invasive species are a mechanism of extinction. === Chapter 11: The Rhino Gets an Ultrasound === The Sumatran Rhino was once so abundant in numbers it was considered an agricultural pest. However, as Southeast Asia's forests were cut down, the rhino's habitat became fragmented. In the


id: the-skeptics-guide-to-the-universe-book-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Skeptics'_Guide_to_the_Universe_(book)-0.md
category: reference
title: The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe (book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Skeptics'_Guide_to_the_Universe_(book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:19.101702+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-skeptics-guide-to-the-universe-book-20260505-0
summary:
The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: How to Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake is a 2018 book meant to be an all-encompassing guide to skeptical thinking written by Steven Novella and co-authored by other hosts of The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast – Bob Novella, Cara Santa Maria, Jay Novella, and Evan Bernstein. It also contains material from former co-host Perry DeAngelis. == About == In 2017, Skeptical Inquirer reported that The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe was under development with an expected release in 2018. It became available for pre-order in early 2018, and was released by Grand Central Publishing on October 2, 2018. The book was written by Steven Novella and co-authored by Bob Novella, Cara Santa Maria, Jay Novella, Perry DeAngelis, and Evan Bernstein – other individuals that have served as hosts of The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast. In an interview with The European Skeptics Podcast, Jay Novella described their approach to writing the book from the "point of view of an alien species observing the earth from a skeptical perspective using critical thinking," reminiscent of the book's namesake The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.


id: sleepers-wake-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleepers,_Wake!-0.md
category: reference
title: Sleepers, Wake!
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleepers,_Wake!
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:20.305974+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: sleepers-wake-20260505-0
summary:
Sleepers, Wake! Technology and the Future of Work is a book written by Barry Jones, originally published in 1982 and reprinted many times. A revised and updated edition was published in 1995. Based on the premise that technologically advanced nations are currently passing through a post-industrial or information revolution, Jones analyzes the unique threats and opportunities of the sudden rise in information to the field such as manufacturing, service employment, and basic income. Jones argues that science and technology have changed the quality, length, and direction of life in the past century far more than politics, education, ideology, or religion. Therefore, inventors such as Thomas Edison and Henry Ford have shaped human experience more broadly and enduringly than Lenin and Hitler. Some of the book's key points, such as the claim that technological innovation is a major component of economic growth, are more widely accepted now than in 1982. But, to quote Barry Jones himself, "The central thesis was that people were going to be living longer, far longer, but it was possible that they would be working a good deal less." Due to the rising issues for the labour force, Jones proposed the need to assist workers in income


id: sneeze-the-history-and-science-of-the-common-cold-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneeze:_The_History_and_Science_of_the_Common_Cold-0.md
category: reference
title: Sneeze: The History and Science of the Common Cold
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneeze:_The_History_and_Science_of_the_Common_Cold
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:21.494808+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: sneeze-the-history-and-science-of-the-common-cold-20260505-0
summary:
Sneeze: The History and Science of the Common Cold is a 2026 book by British infectious disease immunologist David Miles. This book examines the history of the cold virus, myths about it, and how best to combat the spread. The book is written for the lay audience and does not include an index. This book was published by August Books, and it was released March 16, 2026, everywhere but Canada and the US, where it was released April 28, 2026. == Synopsis == The book is organized in three parts: virus natural history and evolution, evolution of technology for virus discovery, treatment and avoidance, and finally, the stories of the people involved. Miles includes his definition of the common cold as, "an illness caused by a virus that infects the upper respiratory tract and, in most cases, clears up within a matter of days or possibly weeks without requiring medical intervention." He includes SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in this definition. The book also includes the history of research into colds, trials (where people were paid to catch a cold), as well as a history of the Common Cold Unit, which the British Medical Research Council "operated out of


id: the-social-contract-ardrey-book-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Social_Contract_(Ardrey_book)-0.md
category: reference
title: The Social Contract (Ardrey book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Social_Contract_(Ardrey_book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:22.588611+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-social-contract-ardrey-book-20260505-0
summary:
The Social Contract: A Personal Inquiry into the Evolutionary Sources of Order and Disorder is a 1970 book by Robert Ardrey. It is the third in his four-book Nature of Man Series. The book extended Ardrey's refutation of the prevailing conviction within social sciences that all social behavior is purely learned and not governed by innate patterns. Through interwoven analyses of animals and human social structures Ardrey argued that inherited evolutionary traits are an important determining factor in social behavior. Ardrey dedicated The Social Contract to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, after whose 1762 work the book was titled. == Overview == The Social Contract was published in 1970. It was the third book in Ardrey's Nature of Man series, following African Genesis (1961) and The Territorial Imperative (1966) and preceding The Hunting Hypothesis (1976). The Social Contract continues Ardrey's work on understanding how evolutionarily inherited traits are manifest by contemporary man. In particular The Social Contract examines society and hierarchy in terms of genetic diversity. The edition cites many of the scientists who were important influences on Ardrey, including Raymond Dart and Konrad Lorenz. It was illustrated, like the first two books, by Ardrey's wife, the South African actress and illustrator Berdine


id: the-story-of-science-in-america-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Science_in_America-0.md
category: reference
title: The Story of Science in America
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Science_in_America
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:23.749426+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-story-of-science-in-america-20260505-0
summary:
The Story of Science in America is a 1967 science book by L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp, illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher, published by Charles Scribner's Sons. It has been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Burmese and French. == Summary == The book traces the work of inventors and naturalists in the United States from the Colonial era through the mid-19th century, and relates scientific developments in the century following. == Contents == Part One - Science Comes to America I - Science in the Colonies II - Benjamin Franklin's Century III - American Explorers and Expeditions IV - The World of Nature V - Early Inventors and Inventions VI - The Great Industrial Revolution Part Two - The Physical Sciences VII - The Exact Sciences VIII - The Sky Above IX - The Earth and its Waters X - The Revolution in Physics Part Three - The Biological Sciences XI - The Sciences of Life XII - The Most Marvelous Machine XIII - The Sciences of Man Part Four - The Applied Sciences XIV - The Electrical Revolution XV - The Internal-Combustion Revolution XVI - The Dangerous Depths of Space XVII - Scientists of Today and


id: stuff-matters-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuff_Matters-0.md
category: reference
title: Stuff Matters
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuff_Matters
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:24.900465+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: stuff-matters-20260505-0
summary:
Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World is a 2014 non-fiction book by the British materials scientist Mark Miodownik. The book explores many of the common materials people encounter during their daily lives and seeks to explain the science behind them in an accessible manner. Miodownik devotes a chapter each to ten such materials, discussing their scientific qualities alongside quirky facts and anecdotes about their impacts on human history. Called "a hugely enjoyable marriage of science and art", Stuff Matters was critically and commercially successful, becoming a New York Times best seller and a winner of the Royal Society Prize for Science Books. == Background == Miodownik was working at University College London as a professor of materials and society at the time the book was published. He first gained interest in his field of study during his teenage years following an attempted robbery while on the subway. He was stabbed with a razor through multiple layers of clothing, leading him to be curious about the qualities of steel that provided for such a sharp and strong edge. The author would go on to earn a doctorate in jet engine alloys before entering into academic work.


id: the-sun-the-genome-and-the-internet-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sun,_the_Genome,_and_the_Internet-0.md
category: reference
title: The Sun, the Genome, and the Internet
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sun,_the_Genome,_and_the_Internet
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:26.076407+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-sun-the-genome-and-the-internet-20260505-0
summary:
The Sun, the Genome, and the Internet: Tools of Scientific Revolutions is a non-fiction scientific book by physicist Freeman Dyson, Professor Emeritus of Physics at the Institute for Advanced Study in the U.S. It was first published in 1999 by Oxford University Press, and is based on lectures he gave in 1997 at New York Public Library. == Synopsis == Professor Dyson suggests that three rapidly advancing technologies, Solar Energy, Genetic Engineering and World-Wide Communication together have the potential to create a more equal distribution of the world's wealth. Amongst other things he proposes that solar power in the Third World could connect even the most remote areas to all of the information on the Internet, potentially ending the cultural isolation of the poorest countries. Likewise, breakthroughs in genetics could lead to more efficient crops, thereby engendering the renewed vitality of traditional village life, currently devalued by the global market. == Reception == In the journal Science and Public Policy, Axel Gelfert called the book "original, engaging and positively unpretentious [...] which, while not always providing complete answers, asks many important questions." Langdon Winner, in Issues in Science and Technology, gave a negative review, writing that the "slapdash quality of


id: superior-the-return-of-race-science-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior:_The_Return_of_Race_Science-0.md
category: reference
title: Superior: The Return of Race Science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior:_The_Return_of_Race_Science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:30.705588+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: superior-the-return-of-race-science-20260505-0
summary:
Superior: The Return of Race Science is a non-fiction book by Angela Saini published in 2019. Built around interviews with experts, the scientific consensus, and the author's analysis, it argues that some fields of biology are still influenced by the discredited scientific racism theories of the 19th century. == Summary == With Superior, Saini draws upon her own childhood in a white neighbourhood of London. The racial discrimination she faced at the time pushed her towards a style of journalism that seeks to highlight injustice. Her renewed interest in the genetics of race was stirred by the exploitation by the white supremacy movement of research that seems to point to genetically distinct racial groupings. Saini first recounts the history of scientific racism, from its origins of systematic classification of humans according to physical appearance and alleged racially-based personality traits, an approach adopted by a list of scientists that includes Linnaeus, Darwin and Huxley. She goes on to the acceptance of these theories by 20th-century anthropology and biology, and to their integration into political doctrines under the Nazi regime. She traces the way racial categories have changed over a fairly short period of time, revealing them as social constructs. Saini argues


id: sylva-or-a-discourse-of-forest-trees-and-the-propagation-of-timber-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylva,_or_A_Discourse_of_Forest-Trees_and_the_Propagation_of_Timber-0.md
category: reference
title: Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-Trees and the Propagation of Timber
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylva,_or_A_Discourse_of_Forest-Trees_and_the_Propagation_of_Timber
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:32.000895+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: sylva-or-a-discourse-of-forest-trees-and-the-propagation-of-timber-20260505-0
summary:
Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-Trees and the Propagation of Timber in His Majesty's Dominions by the English writer John Evelyn was first presented in 1662 as a paper to the Royal Society. It was published as a book two years later in 1664, and is recognised as one of the most influential texts on forestry ever published. A second edition with new engravings was published in 1670, and a third edition in 1679 included a geological essay by Evelyn. An expanded fourth edition was published in 1706, with the new segments specifically covering fruit trees and the production of cider. == Editions == 1662 Sylva paper was presented to the Royal Society on 16 February 1662. 1664 Sylva First Edition book printed by publisher John Martyn for the Royal Society, and the first book published after the granting of their Royal Charter as publishers in 1662. 1670 Sylva Second Edition. Various engravings added. 1679 Sylva Third Edition. Included an essay from Evelyn about soils: Terra, a Philosophical Essay of Earth, being a Lecture in Course. 1706 Silva Fourth Edition, now spelt Silva, contained new sections Dendrologia, Pomona; Or, An Appendix concerning Fruit-Trees in relation to CIDER and Kalendarium Hortense.


id: the-symbolic-species-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Symbolic_Species-0.md
category: reference
title: The Symbolic Species
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Symbolic_Species
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:33.097774+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-symbolic-species-20260505-0
summary:
The Symbolic Species is a 1997 book by biological anthropologist Terrence Deacon on the evolution of language. Combining perspectives from neurobiology, evolutionary theory, linguistics, and semiotics, Deacon proposes that language, along with the unique human capacity for symbolic thought, co-evolved with the brain. The Symbolic Species is a multi-disclipinary book that at the time of publishing was seen as groundbreaking. It is considered to have bound together a wide array of ideas in a way that advanced the understanding of professionals in several fields. == Symbolic thought and language == The reasons for the unique cognitive capacity of humans are explored, along with those for the large number of human activities impossible for animals. The human use of language is said to be responsible for both. == Co-evolution == A chicken-and-egg problem is shown to exist between the emergence of symbolic thought and language: language is said to be the medium of symbolic thought, but it is reasoned that mastery of language would first require the ability to think symbolically. The solution of this chicken-and-egg problem, according to Deacon, is the subtle evolutionary process of co-evolution. == References ==


id: the-territorial-imperative-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Territorial_Imperative-0.md
category: reference
title: The Territorial Imperative
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Territorial_Imperative
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:34.289690+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-territorial-imperative-20260505-0
summary:
The Territorial Imperative: A Personal Inquiry Into the Animal Origins of Property and Nations is a 1966 nonfiction book by American writer Robert Ardrey. It characterizes an instinct among humans toward territoriality and the implications of this to property ownership and nation building. The Territorial Imperative was influential at the time, and encouraged public interest in human origins. The Territorial Imperative is the second book in Ardrey's Nature of Man Series; it is preceded by African Genesis (1961) and followed by The Social Contract (1970) and The Hunting Hypothesis (1976). It was illustrated by Ardrey's wife, the South African actress and illustrator Berdine Ardrey (née Grunewald). Ardrey dedicated The Territorial Imperative to Henry Eliot Howard, who was noted for being one of the first to describe in detail the territorial behaviors of birds. == Synopsis == The Territorial Imperative develops the theses originally introduced in African Genesis: A Personal Investigation into the Animal Origins and Nature of Man, which was published five years earlier. In African Genesis, Ardrey posited that man originated in Africa instead of Asia, that he is driven by inherited instincts to acquire land and defend territory, and that the development of weapons was a fundamental turning


id: the-territorial-imperative-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Territorial_Imperative-1.md
category: reference
title: The Territorial Imperative
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Territorial_Imperative
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:34.289690+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-territorial-imperative-20260505-0
summary:
== Legacy == The Territorial Imperative was widely read and exerted a cultural influence. It quickly became an international bestseller and was translated into dozens of languages. Ardrey's work in general, and The Territorial Imperative in particular, is often credited with arousing popular interest in ethology, anthropology, and human origins. Geoffrey Gorer, for example, in his Encounter review of The Territorial Imperative, writes: "Almost without question, Robert Ardrey is today the most influential writer in English dealing with the innate or instinctive attributes of human nature, and the most skilled populariser of the findings of paleo-anthropologists, ethologists, and biological experimenters." Ralph Graves claims "[Ardrey] today can claim major credit for having introduced the public to the new field of ethology, the study of animal behavior and its relationship to man." Commenting upon Ardrey's legacy on the occasion of his death, the South African anthropologist Dr. Phillip Tobias stated, "He has made an incalculable contribution to the science of human evolution. Thousands of people around the world, especially in the United States, were made aware of the fascination and the importance of studies on man's place in nature [through his writing]." The work influenced several notable figures. Stanley Kubrick cited Ardrey


id: thing-explainer-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thing_Explainer-0.md
category: reference
title: Thing Explainer
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thing_Explainer
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:35.471232+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: thing-explainer-20260505-0
summary:
Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words is a 2015 illustrated non-fiction book created by Randall Munroe, in which the author attempts to explain various complex subjects using only the 1,000 most common English words. The word "thousand" is not one of those most-used words, thus things are described using "the ten hundred words people use the most often." Munroe conceptualized the book in 2012, when drawing a schematic of the Saturn V rocket for his webcomic xkcd. == Synopsis == In Thing Explainer, Randall Munroe explains the function and mechanics of 54 subjects using only the 1,000 most commonly used words in the English language. The book covers a wide range of topics, including pencils ("writing sticks"), cameras ("picture takers"), microwave ovens ("food-heating radio boxes"), airplane engines ("sky boat pushers"), and atom bombs ("machines for burning cities"). Besides technology, Munroe also explains human organs and conceptual subjects such as the periodic table. The book challenges its readers to figure out what the technical name is of the subjects it describes, and was described by Jack Schofield of ZDNet as a "puzzle game." The book is illustrated using stick figures and includes a large number of nerdy jokes. Peter Gleick


id: the-third-culture-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Third_Culture-0.md
category: reference
title: The Third Culture
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Third_Culture
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:36.649944+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-third-culture-20260505-0
summary:
The Third Culture: Beyond the Scientific Revolution is a 1995 book by John Brockman which discusses the work of several well-known scientists who are directly communicating their new, sometimes provocative, ideas to the general public. John Brockman has continued the themes of 'The Third Culture' in the website of the Edge Foundation, where leading scientists and thinkers contribute their thoughts in plain English. The title of the book refers to C. P. Snow's 1959 work The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution, which described the conflict between the cultures of the humanities and science. == Contents == Contributions by twenty-three authors were included in the 1995 book: physicist Paul Davies biologist Richard Dawkins philosopher Daniel Dennett paleontologist Niles Eldredge chaos theorist J. Doyne Farmer theoretical physicist Murray Gell-Mann biologist Brian Goodwin geologist/biologist Stephen Jay Gould physicist Alan Guth inventor W. Daniel Hillis theoretical psychologist Nicholas Humphrey geneticist Steve Jones biologist Stuart Kauffman complex systems specialist Christopher Langton biologist Lynn Margulis mathematician and computer scientist Marvin Minsky mathematical physicist Roger Penrose cognitive scientist Steven Pinker theoretical astrophysicist Martin Rees cognitive scientist Roger Schank theoretical physicist Lee Smolin biologist Francisco Varela evolutionary biologist George C. Williams The book influenced the reception of


id: throwim-way-leg-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throwim_Way_Leg-0.md
category: reference
title: Throwim Way Leg
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throwim_Way_Leg
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:37.930489+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: throwim-way-leg-20260505-0
summary:
Throwim Way Leg is a 1998 book written by Australian scientist Tim Flannery. It documents Flannery's experiences conducting scientific research in the highlands of Papua New Guinea and Indonesian Western New Guinea. The book describes the flora and fauna of the island and the cultures of its various peoples. The title is an anglicised spelling of the New Guinean Pidgin "Tromoi Lek," to go on a journey. Flannery recounts his 15 trips to New Guinea beginning in 1981, when he was aged 26. He identifies at least 17 previously undescribed species during this period. == References == == External links == Throwim' Way Leg: Tree-Kangaroos, Possums, and Penis Gourds excerpt and text search There Goes the Neighborhood NY Times review of Throwim Way Leg


id: tihkal-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TiHKAL-0.md
category: reference
title: TiHKAL
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TiHKAL
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:39.104345+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: tihkal-20260505-0
summary:
TiHKAL: The Continuation, also known as Tryptamines I Have Known and Loved, is a 1997 book written by Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin. It is about a family of psychoactive drugs known as tryptamines, which includes psychedelics, other hallucinogens, and entactogens. The book has two halves, and the second part of the book contains detailed entries on 55 tryptamines. TiHKAL is a sequel to PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story (Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved) (1991). == Content == TiHKAL, much like its predecessor PiHKAL, is divided into two parts. The first part, for which all rights are reserved, begins with a fictionalized autobiography, picking up where the similar section of PiHKAL left off; it then continues with a collection of essays on topics ranging from psychotherapy and the Jungian mind to the prevalence of DMT in nature, ayahuasca and the war on drugs. The second part of TiHKAL, which may be conditionally distributed for non-commercial reproduction (see § External links, below), is a detailed synthesis manual for 55 tryptamines (many discovered by Alexander Shulgin himself), including their chemical structures, doses, durations, and commentary. It includes entries on compounds including simple tryptamines like dimethyltryptamine (DMT), psilocin, and 5-MeO-DMT, α-alkyltryptamines like


id: time-s-arrow-time-s-cycle-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time's_Arrow,_Time's_Cycle-0.md
category: reference
title: Time's Arrow, Time's Cycle
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time's_Arrow,_Time's_Cycle
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:40.309869+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: time-s-arrow-time-s-cycle-20260505-0
summary:
Time's Arrow, Time's Cycle: Myth and Metaphor in the Discovery of Geological Time is a 1987 history of geology by the paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould, in which the author offers a historical account of the conceptualization of Deep Time and uniformitarianism using the works of the English theologian Thomas Burnet, and the Scottish geologists James Hutton and Charles Lyell. == Deep Time == Gould ranks the development of the concept "deep time," which involved deliberately rejecting the biblical description of earth's past for nearly incomprehensible eons, with the revolutions associated with Copernicus and Charles Darwin. To illustrate this, Gould picked three major figures in the history of geology, one traditional villain (Thomas Burnet) and two traditional heroes (James Hutton and Charles Lyell). == Flimsy 'cardboard' == Standard textbook accounts of the achievements of these three figures have long provided what Gould describes as a "self-serving mythology." These flimsy "cardboard" accounts vaunt the superiority of empiricism and inductivism over the scientific nemesis of religious bigotry. This legend, as perpetuated by geology textbooks over the last century, claims that geology remained in the service of the Mosaic story of creation so long as armchair geological theorists refused to place fieldwork ahead of


id: time-s-arrow-time-s-cycle-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time's_Arrow,_Time's_Cycle-1.md
category: reference
title: Time's Arrow, Time's Cycle
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time's_Arrow,_Time's_Cycle
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:40.309869+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: time-s-arrow-time-s-cycle-20260505-0
summary:
== Hutton’s endless cycles of deep time == Before James Hutton, most geological theorists had dealt only with processes of decay. The earth was created and its geologic structures just wore down through catastrophic events like weathering and especially the biblical Flood. Hutton introduced the concept of repair into geology and, with it, the notion of deep time. The textbook myths see this as a triumph of science and empiricism over religion, but it was nothing of the kind. Hutton's theory of the earth as a geological clockwork of eroding continents balanced against uplifting ocean basins was not based on field observations but on a priori conceptions inspired jointly by religious considerations and "the most rigid and uncompromising version of time's cycle ever developed by a geologist." Hutton's theory grew out of what may be called "the paradox of the soil." Good soil, the product of the "denudation," or eroding, of rock strata, eventually loses its richness to the plant life it sustains. Were there no geological source for continual new soil then the world would bear the intolerable stamp of an imperfectly designed abode for man's existence. Hutton's homocentric and teleological concept of the world therefore demanded that the


id: time-s-arrow-time-s-cycle-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time's_Arrow,_Time's_Cycle-2.md
category: reference
title: Time's Arrow, Time's Cycle
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time's_Arrow,_Time's_Cycle
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:40.309869+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: time-s-arrow-time-s-cycle-20260505-0
summary:
=== From steady state to progressionism === Nor was Lyell's eventual conversion to evolution a strictly empirical affair. When he finally took this step publicly, in 1868, it was not because he had been persuaded by Darwin's theory of natural selection. In fact, Lyell rejected that theory, accepting only a general evolutionary process without its celebrated Darwinian mechanism. Admitting nonmiraculous progression (that is, evolution) in turn allowed him to preserve three of his four uniformities (uniformity of law, process, and rate) while giving up only uniformity of state. This was as Gould notes, "the most conservative intellectual option available to him." Charles Lyell may have lost the battle over progressionism to Darwinism, but through rhetoric he won a battle against catastrophism, which enabled his hypothesis of the uniformity of rate to become a textbook shibboleth. The catastrophists of Lyell's day, Gould nevertheless maintains, were right all along. The literal fossil evidence of major rapid changes in previous faunas does not need to be interpreted away, as Lyell tried to do by appealing to the imperfection of the geological record. Gould sees supreme irony in the recent hypothesis of the Berkeley scientists Luis and Walter Alvarez that mass extinctions were caused


id: transcendence-vince-book-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendence_(Vince_book)-0.md
category: reference
title: Transcendence (Vince book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendence_(Vince_book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:41.412424+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: transcendence-vince-book-20260505-0
summary:
Transcendence: How Humans Evolved Through Fire, Language, Beauty, and Time is a non-fiction book by Gaia Vince published in 2019. It describes how human evolution was shaped by genetic, environmental and cultural factors. It has been reviewed by several science publications, including Nature. == Summary == Vince offers a synthesis of the contemporary research in genetics, anthropology, palaeontology, archaeology and neurology to describe the peculiar evolution of the human race. To Vince, genetics, the environment and culture all contributed to human evolution, each factor influencing the other two. For example, she shows how language is influenced not only by the evolution of the voice box, but also by climate. She describes how language, in turn, influences the way we think and may even have some effects on gene selection. She identifies an increased energy consumption as one of the ways by which we have evolved into the planet-dominating species we are now. Humans have learned to multiply the amount of energy at their disposal, from cooking to reduce time spent consuming food, all the way to the use of machines and electronics. Vince elaborates on the social, cooperative nature of the human animal. Contrary to chimpanzees, humans chose to form


id: transform-press-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transform_Press-0.md
category: reference
title: Transform Press
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transform_Press
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:46.013102+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: transform-press-20260505-0
summary:
Transform Press is a small publishing company in the area of psychedelics and other psychoactive drugs that is based in Berkeley, California. It is the publisher of the books of Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin and is led by Wendy Tucker, Ann Shulgin's daughter. The company's published books by the Shulgins include PiHKAL (Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved) (1991), TiHKAL (Tryptamines I Have Known and Loved) (1997), The Shulgin Index (2011), The Simple Plant Isoquinolines (2002), and The Nature of Drugs (2021). They have also published Ergot Alkaloids: History, Chemistry, and Therapeutic Uses (2023), an English translation by Jitka Nykodemová of Albert Hofmann's 1964 book Die Mutterkornalkaloide: Vom Mutterkorn zum LSD (The Ergot Alkaloids: From Ergot to LSD). According to Nick Cozzi of the Alexander Shulgin Research Institute (ASRI) in mid-2023, the group is in the process of translating Daniel Trachsel's book Phenethylamine: von der Struktur zur Funktion (Phenethylamines: From Structure to Function) into English, with tentative publication by Transform Press. == See also == Bibliography of Alexander Shulgin List of psychedelic literature Alexander Shulgin Research Institute (ASRI) == References == == External links == Official website Transform Press on LinkedIn


id: the-transparent-society-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Transparent_Society-0.md
category: reference
title: The Transparent Society
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Transparent_Society
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:47.154338+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-transparent-society-20260505-0
summary:
The Transparent Society (1998) is a non-fiction book by the science-fiction author David Brin in which he forecasts social transparency and some degree of erosion of privacy, as it is overtaken by low-cost surveillance, communication and database technology, and proposes new institutions and practices that he believes would provide benefits that would more than compensate for lost privacy. The work first appeared as a magazine article by Brin in Wired in late 1996. In 2008, security expert Bruce Schneier called the transparent society concept a "myth" (a characterization Brin later rejected), claiming it ignores wide differences in the relative power of those who access information. == Synopsis == Brin argues that a core level of privacy—protecting our most intimate interactions—may be preserved, despite the rapid proliferation of cameras that become ever-smaller, cheaper and more numerous faster than Moore's law. He feels that this core privacy can be saved simply because that is what humans deeply need and want. Hence, Brin explains that "...the key question is whether citizens will be potent, sovereign and knowing enough to enforce this deeply human want." This means they must not only have rights, but also the power to use them and the ability to


id: transport-phenomena-book-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Phenomena_(book)-0.md
category: reference
title: Transport Phenomena (book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Phenomena_(book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:48.294384+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: transport-phenomena-book-20260505-0
summary:
Transport Phenomena is the first textbook about transport phenomena. It is specifically designed for chemical engineering students. The first edition was published in 1960, two years after having been preliminarily published under the title Notes on Transport Phenomena based on mimeographed notes prepared for a chemical engineering course taught at the University of Wisconsin–Madison during the academic year 1957-1958. The second edition was published in August 2001. A revised second edition was published in 2007. This text is often known simply as BSL after its authors' initials. == History == As the chemical engineering profession developed in the first half of the 20th century, the concept of "unit operations" arose as being needed in the education of undergraduate chemical engineers. The theories of mass, momentum and energy transfer were being taught at that time only to the extent necessary for a narrow range of applications. As chemical engineers began moving into a number of new areas, problem definitions and solutions required a deeper knowledge of the fundamentals of transport phenomena than those provided in the textbooks then available on unit operations. In the 1950s, R. Byron Bird, Warren E. Stewart and Edwin N. Lightfoot stepped forward to develop an undergraduate


id: the-two-cultures-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Cultures-0.md
category: reference
title: The Two Cultures
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Cultures
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:49.568446+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-two-cultures-20260505-0
summary:
"The Two Cultures" is the first part of an influential 1959 Rede Lecture by British scientist and novelist C. P. Snow. The lecture was published that same year in book form as The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. Snow's thesis was that science and the humanities, which represented "the intellectual life of the whole of western society", had become divided into "two cultures", and that the growing division between them was a major handicap in solving the world's problems. == The lecture == The talk was delivered 7 May 1959 in the Senate House, Cambridge, and subsequently published as The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. The lecture and book expanded upon an article by Snow published in the New Statesman of 6 October 1956, also titled "The Two Cultures". The book form of Snow's lecture was widely read and discussed on both sides of the Atlantic, leading him to write a 1963 follow-up, The Two Cultures: And a Second Look: An Expanded Version of the Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. Snow's position can be summed up by an oft-repeated passage from his lecture: A good many times I have been present at gatherings of people who, by


id: the-two-cultures-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Cultures-1.md
category: reference
title: The Two Cultures
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Cultures
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:49.568446+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-two-cultures-20260505-0
summary:
== Antecedents == Contrasting scientific and humanistic knowledge is a repetition of the Methodenstreit of 1890 German universities. A quarrel in 1911 between Benedetto Croce and Giovanni Gentile on the one hand and Federigo Enriques on the other one is believed to have had enduring effects in the separation of the two cultures in Italy and to the predominance of the views of (objective) idealism over those of (logical) positivism. In the social sciences it is also commonly proposed as the quarrel of positivism versus interpretivism. == See also == Culture war The Third Culture Science wars Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge, a 1998 book written by biologist Edward Osborne Wilson, as an attempt to bridge the gap between "the two cultures" Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns Interdisciplinarity, a movement to cross boundaries between academic disciplines, including the divide between "the two cultures" == References == == Further reading == Burguete, Maria, and Lam, Lui, eds. (2008). Science Matters: Humanities as Complex Systems. World Scientific: Singapore. ISBN 978-981-283-593-2 James, Frank A. J. L. (29 November 2016). "Introduction: Some Significances of the Two Cultures Debate" (PDF). Interdisciplinary Science Reviews. 41 (2–3): 107–117. Bibcode:2016ISRv...41..107J. doi:10.1080/03080188.2016.1223651. Sinclair, Andrew (1987). The Red


id: under-a-white-sky-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_a_White_Sky-0.md
category: reference
title: Under a White Sky
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_a_White_Sky
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:50.781551+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: under-a-white-sky-20260505-0
summary:
Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future is a 2021 environmental book by Elizabeth Kolbert. The book follows many of the themes she explored in The Sixth Extinction. == Summary == Under a White Sky is focused on the various kinds of environmental crises created by the Anthropocene and different degrees of technological solutions available to humanity to address them – while also being critical of full-blown techno-solutionism. The title refers to the most extreme climate change mitigation strategy, solar geoengineering, designed to reflect sunlight from the earth. Throughout the book she explores how a technological fix for one problem can lead to further problems while also acknowledging the important role those technologies might play. == Reception == Reception of the book was generally positive. The Washington Post praised it for "expertly mix[ing] travelogue, science reporting, and explanatory journalism, all with the authority of a writer confident enough to acknowledge ambiguity." The New York Times review focused on how the book explores the ambiguities of our current environmental crisis. A NPR review described the book as "tell[ing] by showing. Without beating the reader over the head, she makes it clear how far we already are from a world


id: under-the-sea-wind-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Sea_Wind-0.md
category: reference
title: Under the Sea Wind
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Sea_Wind
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:51.902082+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: under-the-sea-wind-20260505-0
summary:
Under the Sea Wind: A Naturalist's Picture of Ocean Life (1941) is the first book written by the American marine biologist Rachel Carson. It was published by Simon & Schuster in 1941 and received very good reviews, but sold poorly. After the great success of a sequel The Sea Around Us (Oxford, 1951), it was reissued by Oxford University Press; that edition was an alternate Book-of-the-Month Club selection and became another bestseller, and has never gone out of print. It is recognized as one of the "definitive works of American nature writing," and is in print as one of the Penguin Nature Classics. Under the sea-wind was reportedly Rachel Carson's personal favourite book, although first edition copies by Simon & Schuster remain scarce. == Background == Under the Sea Wind was based on the article Undersea by Carson, published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1937. This article began as an eleven-page introduction to a government fisheries brochure, and grew into Carson's first book. Prior to publishing Undersea, she wrote marine themed radio scripts which influenced her later work. The article elaborates on ecology and the unwavering will to survive that embodies marine organisms. After the article was published, Dutch-born children's


id: the-uninhabitable-earth-book-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Uninhabitable_Earth_(book)-0.md
category: reference
title: The Uninhabitable Earth (book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Uninhabitable_Earth_(book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:53.118424+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-uninhabitable-earth-book-20260505-0
summary:
The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming is a 2019 non-fiction book by David Wallace-Wells about the consequences of global warming. It was inspired by his New York magazine article "The Uninhabitable Earth" (2017). == Synopsis == The book fleshes out Wallace-Wells' original New York magazine piece in more detail, dovetailing into discussions surrounding various possibilities for Earth's future across a spectrum of predicted future temperature ranges. Wallace-Wells' argues that even with active intervention, the effects of climate change will have catastrophic impacts across multiple spheres: rising sea levels, extreme weather events, extinctions, disease outbreaks, fires, droughts, famines, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, and increased geopolitical conflict, among other calamities. While the book is not focused on solutions, it recognizes solutions exist to prevent the worst of the damages: "a carbon tax and the political apparatus to aggressively phase out dirty energy; a new approach to agricultural practices and a shift away from beef and dairy in the global diet; and public investment in green energy and carbon capture". == Reception == The book has been both praised and criticized for its dramatic depictions of future life on Earth. As The Economist stated, "Some readers will find Mr. Wallace-Wells’s outline of possible


id: unscientific-america-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unscientific_America-0.md
category: reference
title: Unscientific America
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unscientific_America
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:54.289278+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: unscientific-america-20260505-0
summary:
Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future is a nonfiction book by Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum. It was a New York Times best seller. In the book, the authors tackle the problem of scientific illiteracy in America. The authors criticize scientists for talking down to the misinformed and insulting the religious while calling for more friendly and magnanimous science advocates. They also blame the New Atheist movement, the creation–evolution controversy, the entertainment industry, the media, and science skeptics. == Reception == === Science press === The journal Science Communication gave the book a favourable review, noting that the arguments presented "may make the Ph.D. crowd even more cranky than usual." Indeed, the book did spark significant debate particularly on-line. Seed magazine selected Unscientific America as one to "read now" although it was subsequently more critical of certain aspects of the book. The BMJ, while supporting the authors' assessment of the problem, was critical of the proposed solution. It said that the book sometimes "reads like an overlong and somewhat condescending whine about why science and scientists are not sufficiently appreciated." The New Scientist was similarly supportive of the description of the problem while being critical of the solution


id: unstoppable-nye-book-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unstoppable_(Nye_book)-0.md
category: reference
title: Unstoppable (Nye book)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unstoppable_(Nye_book)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:55.488230+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: unstoppable-nye-book-20260505-0
summary:
Unstoppable: Harnessing Science to Change the World is a 2015 book written by Bill Nye and edited by Corey S. Powell. Published by St. Martin's Press, it is Nye's second book, after Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation, also with Powell, which was also published by St. Martin's Press in 2014. The book is about how to use science to improve the environment and the challenges faced with global warming as well as raising the standard of living. == Reception == BBC science columnist Rose Eveleth wrote a joint review in The New York Times of the audiobook versions of Unstoppable and Leonard Mlodinow's 2015 book The Upright Thinkers. Eveleth found Nye's audiobook "easy to listen to", noting the familiarity of Nye's voice to those who have watched the children's television series Bill Nye the Science Guy. However, Eveleth wrote that both books "stumble" because they "recycle well-known material", describing how Nye "spends a good chunk of his book talking about the setup of his extremely energy-efficient home ... Some of these stories are relevant and interesting. Other times, they feel forced, as if both authors knew that without a personal touch, their books would read like any other


id: unweaving-the-rainbow-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unweaving_the_Rainbow-0.md
category: reference
title: Unweaving the Rainbow
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unweaving_the_Rainbow
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:56.704083+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: unweaving-the-rainbow-20260505-0
summary:
Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder is a 1998 book by the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, in which the author discusses the relationship between science and the arts from the perspective of a scientist. Dawkins addresses the misperception that science and art are at odds. Driven by the responses to his books The Selfish Gene and The Blind Watchmaker wherein readers resented his naturalistic world view, seeing it as depriving life of meaning, Dawkins felt the need to explain that, as a scientist, he saw the world as full of wonders and a source of pleasure. This pleasure was not in spite of, but rather because he does not assume as cause the inexplicable actions of a deity but rather the understandable laws of nature. His starting point is John Keats's well-known, light-hearted accusation that Isaac Newton destroyed the poetry of the rainbow by 'reducing it to the prismatic colours.' See Keats's poem Lamia and Edgar Allan Poe's To Science. Dawkins's agenda is to show the reader that science does not destroy, but rather discovers poetry in the patterns of nature. == Summary == === Preface === It is of little concern whether or not science


id: unweaving-the-rainbow-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unweaving_the_Rainbow-1.md
category: reference
title: Unweaving the Rainbow
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unweaving_the_Rainbow
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:56.704083+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: unweaving-the-rainbow-20260505-0
summary:
=== Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance === Unlike "magisterial poetry" (where metaphors and pretty language are used to describe the familiar), "pupillary poetry" uses poetic imagery to assist a scientist's thinking about the exotic (e.g. consider "being" an electron temporarily). Although it is useful, some authors take pupillary poetry too far, and, "drunk on metaphor", they produce "bad science"; i.e. postulate faulty theories. This is powered by humanity's natural tendency to look for representations. === The selfish cooperator === Genes compete with each other, but this occurs within the context of collaboration, as is shown with examples involving mitochondria, bacteria, and termites. Two types of collaboration are co-adaptation (tailoring simultaneously the different parts of an organism, such as flower colour and flower markings), and co-evolution (two species changing together; e.g. predator and prey running speeds may increase together in a sort of arms race). === The Genetic Book of the Dead === The body of any organism provides clues about its habitat. The genes allow one to reconstruct a picture of the range of ways of life that the species has experienced; in this sense DNA would act as a palimpsestic "digital archive" if only its language of


id: unweaving-the-rainbow-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unweaving_the_Rainbow-2.md
category: reference
title: Unweaving the Rainbow
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unweaving_the_Rainbow
date_saved: 2026-05-05T03:34:56.704083+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: unweaving-the-rainbow-20260505-0
summary:
Video interview with Dawkins about the book, Charlie Rose, 11 April 2000] Dawkins's Rainbow Reduces Science to Truth, Beauty—and Fantasy – reviewed by Robert N. Proctor, American Scientist. Richard Dawkins: The man who knows the meaning of life Archived 31 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine review from The Guardian. How, Why and Wow! Archived 1 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine – reviewed by Jonathan Gathorne-Hardy, The Spectator. There is Poetry in Science – reviewed by Melvyn Bragg, The Observer. Everyone a Scientist Archived 7 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine – reviewed by John Gribbin, The Literary Review. The Poetry of Science – reviewed by Sam Hurwitt, The San Francisco Examiner. The Science of Selfishness – reviewed by Andrew Brown, Salon. Nature of Science: A Wondrous and Poetic Spectrum Archived 1 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine reviewed by Charles M. Vest, Science. Frauds! Fakes! Phonies! – reviewed by Timothy Ferris, The New York Times. Unweaving the Rainbow Archived 24 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine reviewed by Paul R. Gross, The Wall Street Journal. Finding Awe, Reverence, and Wonder in Science – reviewed by Kendrick Frazier, Skeptical Inquirer. Unweaving the Rainbow – review from The Complete Review.


