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The Origins of Language : Unraveling Evolutionary Forces
Developments in cognitive science indicate that human and nonhuman primates share a range of behavioral and physiological characteristics that speak to the issue of language origins. This volume has three major themes, woven throughout the chapters. First, it is argued that scientists in animal behavior and anthropology need to move beyond theoretical debate to a more empirically focused and comparative approach to language. Second, those empirical and comparative methods are described, revealing underpinnings of language, some of which are shared by humans and other primates and others of which are unique to humans. New insights are discussed, and several hypotheses emerge concerning the evolutionary forces that led to the "design" of language. Third, evolutionary challenges that led to adaptive changes in communication over time are considered with an eye toward understanding various constraints that channeled the process.
The Onlife Manifesto : Being Human in a Hyperconnected Era
What is the impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the human condition? In order to address this question, in 2012 the European Commission organized a research project entitled The Onlife Initiative: concept reengineering for rethinking societal concerns in the digital transition. This volume collects the work of the Onlife Initiative. It explores how the development and widespread use of ICTs have a radical impact on the human condition. ICTs are not mere tools but rather social forces that are increasingly affecting our self-conception (who we are), our mutual interactions (how we socialise); our conception of reality (our metaphysics); and our interactions with reality (our agency).
The Neolithic Demographic Transition and its Consequences
The methodological innovation which has made possible the identification of the NDT is the use of a relative chronology, fixed to the local onset of the Neolithic. That is, events are considered not in terms of their absolute calendar dates, but rather in terms of their relation to the local date of the transition to agriculture. This volume presents and discusses the consequences and implications of the NDT on a global scale. Topics include: The causes of the NDT at its onset / Indicators of economic intensification as related to the NDT / Settlement and village practices associated with the pace of the NDT / The emergence of social practices associated with larger population concentrations / The effects of increased population density on human health.
The Nature of Supply Chain Management Research : Insights from a Content Analysis of International Supply Chain Management Literature from 1990 to 2006
Julia Wolf focuses on the theoretical aspect of SCM by analyzing the evolution SCM research has undergone and by assessing the question whether SCM research can be considered a scientific paradigm as of today. A number of factors are investigated based on empirical data gathered from publications on SCM in international refereed journals from 1990 to 2006. As a result, four major periods are distinguished in the evolution of SCM research: emergence, acceptance, growth and a final phase of establishment. These periods are characterized in terms of the following factors and their alterations over time: scientific values, object of study, constructs, methods, schools of thought, and the link of research to practice.
The Myc/Max/Mad Transcription Factor Network
Intense study of the enigmatic myc proto-oncogene over the last 20 years has broadened our view of its functions and led to insights into transcriptional regulation as well as cancer etiology, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and organismal development. How can one gene be involved in so many aspects of cellular behavior? Of particular interest is the fact that the Myc protein functions as part of a network (comprising Myc, Max, and Mad proteins) whose specific interactions direct transcriptional activation or repression of a large number of target genes. The chapters in this volume examine both molecular and biological aspects of the Myc/Max/Mad network. Included are contributions concerning the regulation of its expression, the mechanisms underlying its diverse transcriptional activities, the structural bases for its critical interactions, and the nature of its target genes. Other chapters explore the evolution of the network, its role in development and genomic instability, and the evidence for a parallel transcriptional network. Overall, this volume provides a broad and current overview of research on a crucial group of transcription factors.
The Moral Wager : Evolution and Contract
This book illuminates and sharpens moral theory, by analyzing the evolutionary dynamics of interpersonal relations in a variety of games. We discover that successful players in evolutionary games operate as if following this piece of normative advice: Don't do unto others without their consent.
The Moon and How to Observe It
The Moon is the most commonly observed of all astronomical objects. Here, Peter Grego provides a concise, readable description of the latest ideas about its origin, history and geology.This is followed by a detailed guide for amateur astronomers who want to observe the Moon. It deals with equipment and techniques for a wide range of instruments – including the unaided eye – and features many practical hints and tips for practical astronomers. In one book, here is all you need to observe the Moon with an understanding of just what it is you are looking at.
The Metaphysics of Science : An Account of Modern Science in Terms of Principles, Laws and Theories
The roots of this work lie in my earlier book, Scientific Progress, which first appeared in 1981. One of its topics, the distinction - tween scientific laws and theories, is there treated with reference to the same distinction as drawn by N. R. Campbell in his Physics: The Elements. Shortly after completing Scientific Progress, I read Rom Harré’s The Principles of Scientific Thinking, in which the concept of theory is even more clearly delineated than in Campbell, being directly connected to the notion of a model – as it was in my book. In subsequent considerations regarding science, Harré’s work thus - came my main source of inspiration with regard to theories, while Campbell’s remained my main source with respect to empirical laws. Around the same time I also read William Whewell’s Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences.
The Machines of Leonardo Da Vinci and Franz Reuleaux : Kinematics of Machines from the Renaissance to the 20th Century
This book is about the evolution of these machines and the inv- tors and engineers who created them from the early Renaissance to the early 20th century. I have chosen two personalities who are icons of these two machine ages, Leonardo da Vinci [1452–1519] and Franz Reuleaux [1829– 1905], recognizing both the cadre of machine designers who in?uenced them as well as those who were in?uenced by the accomplishments of these two engineers. A major thesis of this book is that the evolution of machine design methodology, from the intuitive methods of the workshop to the math-based, engineering science analysis and synthesis of modern industrial design, was of equal achievement as the creation of the marvelous machines themselves. In the past two decades there has been increasing interest in rational me- ods of design from topology and optimization theories to genetic algorithms. In the teaching of design at the novitiate level, the importance of design - cles and iteration is emphasized. Yet often the historical background for e- lution of machine design is minimal or missing.
The Lung-Air Sac System of Birds : Development, Structure, and Function
This book provides cutting-edge details on the development, structure, function, and evolutionary design of the avian respiratory system. Outlining the mechanisms and principles through which biological complexity and functional novelty have been crafted in a unique gas exchanger, this account will provoke further inquiries on the many still-unanswered questions. The specific goal of the book is to highlight the uniqueness of the design of the avian respiratory system and the factors that led to its development.
The Joy of Science : An Examination of How Scientists Ask and Answer Questions Using the Story of Evolution as a Paradigm
Scientists have great passion. What could be more exhilarating than to go to work every day feeling as if you were once again a nine-year-old called up to he stage to help the magician with his trick? To be a researcher is to always be in the position of having the chance to see how the trick works. No wonder that many researchers feel that each new day is the most exciting day to be a scientist. It therefore is not surprising that scientists have such trouble communicating with non-scientists. It is difficult for the scientist to understand a life not focused on the desire to understand. But the differences are not that. Everyone wants to understand; that is one of the factors that make us human. The difference is more that scientists limit their definition of comprehension to specific rules of logic and evidence. These rules apply and are used in everyday life, but often with less rigor or restrictions on evidence.
The Intelligent Enterprise : Theoretical Concepts and Practical Implications
Today's enterprises have to continuously extend their operational limits to earn profit, thrive and prosper. Over time evolution led to the development of two concepts to master this challenge: intelligence and knowledge. This work introduces a system theoretic perspective on enterprises, regarding them as natural living systems formed by evolutional forces. Intelligence and knowledge manifest in the system's behavior. 'Intelligence' is identified as the necessary framework that realizes continuous adaptation through the ongoing development and incorporation of control procedures and building blocks. The content that fills this framework is the 'Enterprise Knowledge'. The rigid framework of business processes has to be replaced by a project framework, employees have to be integrated as 'Knowledge Workers' and IT systems have to offer advanced structural and organizational properties to facilitate declarative processing.
The Innovation Revolution in Agriculture : A Roadmap to Value Creation
This book is an important reframing of the role of innovation in agriculture. Dr. Campos and his distinguished coauthors address the need for agriculture to feed a growing global population with a reduced environmental footprint while adapting to and mitigating the effects of changing climate.
The Initial Mass Function 50 Years Later
Contains the proceedings of a Conference intended to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the IMF concept by Ed Salpeter along with Ed Salpeter's 80th birthday. It summarizes a vast amounts of information, and updates the Herstmonceux book on the IMF,(eds. Howell and Gilmore, 1998 - ASP publ). The book collects many long reviews on IMF determinations in the Galaxy, in galaxies, and in the Early Universe as well as deep implications of the IMF on star formation theories and on the physical conditions of the gas before and after star formation. It provides basic information needed for the coverage of these important quantities in graduate courses of Stellar Evolution, Star Formation, Interstellar Medium, Galactic Dynamics, Formation and Evolution of Galaxies. The book covers all aspects of the current researches in this field, as testified by the large number of contributing scientists.
The Influence of Genetics on Contemporary Thinking
Reflects on the effects of recent discoveries in genetics on a broad range of scientific fields. In addition to neuroscience, evolutionary biology, anthropology and medicine, contributors analyze the effects of genetics on theories of health, law, epistemology and philosophy of biology.
The Inclusion of Other Women : Breaking the Silence through Dialogic Learning
Recognizes a reality, our reality, that of the “other women”. Why are we the “other women”? Because we are women who, given the fact that we have not had the chance to obtain an academic education, were silenced and have remained outside of the spaces for public debate about women. This exclusion is worse if we are immigrants or belong to an ethnic minority. Those of us who are housewives, domestic workers or factory workers, because we do not have academic degrees, do not have spaces in which our voices can be heard, where we can say what we want. At times women whose voices are heard, because they have been able to go to university or have been leaders in the feminist movement, speak for all of the other women who have not been able to get a formal education, without asking us what it is we really want or think.
The Human Foot : A Companion to Clinical Studies
The Human Foot, a collaboration between an orthopedic surgeon and a paleoanthropologist, starts by tracing the evolutionary history of feet all the way from their beginnings as fins to modern human feet. It presents the foot, a neglected but important region, taking into account advances in the study of evolution, imaging, physiology and biomechanics.
The Human Central Nervous System : A Synopsis and Atlas
The present edition of The Human Central Nervous System differs considerably from its predecessors. In previous editions, the text was essentially confined to a section dealing with the various functional systems of the brain. This section, which has been rewritten and updated, is now preceded by 15 newly written chapters, which introduce the pictorial material of the gross anatomy, the blood vessels and meninges and the microstructure of its various parts and deal with the development, topography and functional anatomy of the spinal cord, the brain stem and the cerebellum, the diencephalon and the telencephalon. Great pains have been taken to cover the most recent concepts and data. As suggested by the front cover, there is a focus on the evolutionary development of the human brain. Throughout the text numerous correlations with neuropathology and clinical n- rology have been made.
The Heliosphere through the Solar Activity Cycle
Presents the evolution of the heliosphere through an entire solar activity cycle. The last solar cycle (cycle 23) has been the best observed from both the Earth and from a fleet of spacecraft. Of these, the joint ESA-NASA Ulysses probe has provided continuous observations of the state of the heliosphere since 1990 from a unique vantage point, that of a nearly polar orbit around the Sun. Ulysses’ results affect our understanding of the heliosphere from the interior of the Sun to the interstellar medium - beyond the outer boundary of the heliosphere. Written by scientists closely associated with the Ulysses mission, the book describes and explains the many different aspects of changes in the heliosphere in response to solar activity.
The Handbook of Banking Technology
Provides a blueprint for the future of banking, with deep insight into the technologies at the heart of the industry. The rapid evolution of IT brings continual change and demand for investment — yet keeping pace with these changes has become an essential part of doing business. This book describes how banks can harness the power of current and upcoming technology to add business value and gain a competitive advantage; you'll learn how banks are using technology to drive business today, and which emerging trends are likely to drive the evolution of banking over the next decade.
