Fuzzy Logic : A Spectrum of Theoretical & Practical Issues
This book exclusively surveys the active on-going research of the current maturity of fuzzy logic over the last four decades. Many world leaders of fuzzy logic have enthusiastically contributed their best research results into five theoretical, philosophical and fundamental sub areas and nine distinctive applications, including two PhD dissertations from two world class universities dealing with cutting-edge research areas of bioinformatics and geological science. Beyond the scope of survey and collection of the book, one important spin off is the emerging and recognition of a major scientific paradigm shift from the conventional mathematics to the mathematics of uncertainty, which arguably holds the key to solving very difficult and complex problems in biological and social sciences alike. The book, loaded with historical perspective, creative thinking, critical reviewing, and uniquely constructed strategy for future growth of this dynamic research area, is an invaluable resource for active researchers at all levels, university administrators, foundation directors, funding agency program chiefs, research & development planners and technological assessors.
Fun and Games ; 2nd International conference, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, October 20-21, 2008. Proceedings
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Second International Conference on Fun and Games, held in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, in October 2008.The 17 revised full papers, presented together with 2 invited talks were carefully reviewed and selected from a total of 36 submissions. The papers encompass the study of computer games, game development and experiences by researchers from social sciences, computing, electrical engineering, design, etc. Main focus is given to topics such as tightly-coupled embodied control of movement-sensitive mobile devices, hypercomputation and cultural computing, emerging gaming paradigms.
From Walras to Pareto
In this thought-provoking collection, ten international scholars offer reflections and new interpretations of Walras’and Pareto’s unique contributions to topics as broad as the over-arching important of the social sciences, the development of modern microeconomics and (in particular) econometrics, political economy and public choice, and political sociology. Their insights will be of particular interest to researchers and scholars of economic history, political sociology, and the social sciences.
From Fossils to Astrobiology : Records of Life on Earth and Search for Extraterrestrial Biosignatures
From Fossils to Astrobiology reviews developments in paleontology and geobiology that relate to the rapidly-developing field of Astrobiology, the study of life in the Universe. Many traditional areas of scientific study, including astronomy, chemistry and planetary science, contribute to Astrobiology, but the study of the record of life on planet Earth is critical in guiding investigations in the rest of the cosmos. In this varied book, expert scientists from 15 countries present peer-reviewed, stimulating reviews of paleontological and astrobiological studies. The overviews of established and emerging techniques for studying modern and ancient microorganisms on Earth and beyond, will be valuable guides to evaluating biosignatures which could be found in the extraterrestrial surface or subsurface within the Solar System and beyond.
From Colonialism to International Aid : External Actors and Social Protection in the Global South
This book addresses the role of external actors in social protection in the Global South, from the Second World War until today, analysing the influence of colonial powers, superpowers during the Cold War and contemporary donor agencies.
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) : Economy and Society
Until now, Friedrich Nietzsche’s influence on the development of modern social sciences has not been well documented. This volume reconsiders some of Nietzsche’s writings on economics and the science of state and in doing so pioneers a line of research not previously available in English.
Fragile Families and the Marriage Agenda
Some social sciences contend that marriage is the solution to many of the problems associated with single-parent families. Other experts believe that government programs designed to raise marriage rates may cause more problems than they solve,The proposed volume will explore issues related to fragile families from many different perspectives on the causes and consequences of this issue. This book is divided up into sections covering legal and theoretical perspectives, causes and consequences of offspring wellbeing, and the aspect of father’s importance to the "fragile families".
Forest Policy Analysis
This book gives an introduction in the methodology of social sciences. It is a guideline for all those who are interested in the use and protection of the forest. It shows how to identifying political options for solving issues of the forest. The book builds a bridge between the problems concerning forests to the political process.
Forensic Genetics in the Governance of Crime
This book uses a critical sociological perspective to explore contemporary ways of reformulating the governance of crime through genetics. Through the lens of scientific knowledge and genetic technology, Machado and Granja offer a unique perspective on current trends in crime governance. They explore the place and role of genetics in criminal justice systems, and show how classical and contemporary social theory can help address challenges posed by social processes and interactions generated by the uses, meanings, and expectations attributed to genetics in the governance of crime
Food Anxiety in Globalising Vietnam
This book approaches the anxieties inherent in food consumption and production in Vietnam. The country’s rapid and recent economic integration into global agro-food systems and consumer markets spurred a new quality of food safety concerns, health issues and distrust in food distribution networks that have become increasingly obscured. This edited volume further puts the eating body centre stage by following how gendered body norms, food taboos, power structures and social differentiation shape people’s ambivalent relations with food. It uncovers Vietnam’s trajectories of agricultural modernisation against which consumers and producers manoeuvre amongst food self-sufficiency, security and abundance. It provides social science perspectives on anxieties related to food and surrounding discourses that travel between the local and the global, the individual and society and into the body. Therefore, the book’s lens of food anxiety matters for social theory and for understanding the embeddedness and discontinuities of food globalizations in Vietnam and beyond.
Finding the limits of the limes : Modelling demography, economy and transport on the edge of the Roman Empire
This book demonstrates the application of simulation modelling and network analysis techniques. The book shows the added value of state-of-the-art computer modelling techniques and bridges computational and conventional approaches. Topics that will be of particular interest to archaeologists are the question of (forced) surplus production, the demographic and economic effects of the Roman occupation on the local population, and the structuring of transport networks and settlement patterns. For modellers, issues of sensitivity analysis and validation of modelling results are specifically addressed. This book will appeal to students and researchers working in the computational humanities and social sciences, in particular, archaeology and ancient history.
Fashion recommender systems
The impact of social networks and the influence that fashion influencers have on the choices people make for shopping is undeniable. For instance, many people use Instagram to learn about fashion trends from top influencers, which helps them to buy similar or even exact outfits from the tagged brands in the post. When traced, customers’ social behavior can be a very useful guide for online shopping websites, providing insights on the styles the customers are really interested in, and hence aiding the online shops in offering better recommendations and facilitating customers quest for outfits.
Fashion Figures : How Missy the Mathlete Made the Cut
Gain an inside perspective on what it’s like when you love math and science and happen to be a girl. Fashion Figures highlights the societal and internal pressures preteen and early-teen girls often face when they excel in these subjects, and it shows strategies for overcoming barriers to being themselves and doing what they love while still fitting in socially.
Exceptional Lifespans
How long can humans live? This open access book documents, verifies and brings to life the advance of the frontier of human survival. It carefully validates data on supercentenarians, aged 110+, and semi-supercentenarians, aged 105-109, stored in the International Database on Longevity (IDL).
Establishing medical reality : Essays in the metaphysics and epistemology of biomedical science
This volume approaches the philosophy of medicine from the broad naturalist perspective that holds that philosophy must be continuous with, constrained by, and relevant to empirical results of the natural and social sciences and that believes that the history, sociology, politics, and ethics of science provide relevant information for philosophical analysis. One traditional topic covered by several of the contributions is the nature of disease, but the approach is largely from the philosophy of science rather than traditional linguistic analysis. The complex interplay of epistemological and sociological factors in producing evidence in medicine is discussed by chapters on collective medical discussion making, experimental medicine, " genetic" diseases, mental illness, and race and gender categories. The upshot is a volume that ties medicine to contemporary issues in philosophy of science and metaphysics like no other.
Environmental Governance of the Baltic Sea
This edited volume presents a comprehensive and coherent interdisciplinary analysis of challenges and possibilities for sustainable governance of the Baltic Sea ecosystem by combining knowledge and approaches from natural and social sciences. Focusing on the Ecosystem Approach to Management (EAM) and associated multi-level, multi-sector and multi-actor challenges, the book provides up-to-date descriptions and analyses of environmental governance structures and processes at the macro-regional Baltic Sea level.
Engineering a Better Future : Interplay between Engineering, Social Sciences, and Innovation
Examines how the social sciences can be integrated into the praxis of engineering and science, presenting unique perspectives on the interplay between engineering and social science. Motivated by the report by the Commission on Humanities and Social Sciences of the American Association of Arts and Sciences, which emphasizes the importance of social sciences and Humanities in technical fields, the essays and papers collected in this book were presented at the NSF-funded workshop ‘Engineering a Better Future: Interplay between Engineering, Social Sciences and Innovation’, which brought together a singular collection of people, topics and disciplines.
Energy Poverty, Practice, and Policy
New book is theoretically innovative, bringing much-needed insights on poverty and vulnerability into the study of Social Practices. It offers in-depth analysis of how “invisible energy policies” operate in the real world, revealing the important intersections between welfare policies and energy in everyday life. Amid the cost of living crisis, and the ever-more contested politics of social security.
Energy Demand Challenges in Europe : Implications for policy, planning and practice
This book examines the role of citizens in sustainable energy transitions across Europe. It explores energy problem framing, policy approaches and practical responses to the challenge of securing clean, affordable and sustainable energy for all citizens, focusing on households as the main unit of analysis. The book revolves around ten contributions that each summarise national trends, socio-material characteristics, and policy responses to contemporary energy issues affecting householders in different countries, and provides good practice examples for designing and implementing sustainable energy initiatives. Prominent concerns include reducing carbon emissions, energy poverty, sustainable consumption, governance, practices, innovations and sustainable lifestyles.
Enabling Sustainable Energy Transitions : Practices of legitimation and accountable governance
This book reframes sustainable energy transitions as being a matter of resolving accountability crises. It demonstrates how the empirical study of several practices of legitimation can analytically deconstruct energy transitions, and presents a typology of these practices to help determine whether energy transitions contribute to sustainability.



















