What if I told you that free will is an illusion but that instead of a vast, mysterious universe out there controlling our fates, there is actually a vast, mysterious universe within us that we are on the verge of being able to comprehend? By the end of this book, I hope to convince you […]
The Science.” We’re all supposed to know what “The Science” says. “The Science,” we’re told, is settled. How many times have you heard it? Humans have already broken the earth’s climate. Temperatures are rising, sea level is surging, ice is disappearing, and heat waves, storms, droughts, floods, and wildfires are an ever-worsening scourge on the […]
A Meditation on the Origins of Science and the Science of Origins A new synthesis of scientific knowledge has emerged and continues to flourish. In recent years, the answers to questions about our cosmic origins have not come solely from the domain of astrophysics. Working under the umbrella of emergent fields with names such as […]
I vividly remember my first visit to the British Museum, a place that has since become so familiar and important to me. I was a young nun, studying for university entrance, and my tutor had told me to go and look at the manuscripts on display. In those days, the British Library was housed in […]
8th Grade Workbooks are a great way for middle school students to learn essential science skills surrounding space, life science, Earth science, science and technology, and more through a variety of activities that are both fun AND educational! Why You’ll Love This Science Book Engaging and educational activities. “Black Holes Expained”, “The Digital Revolution”, […]
I HAVE LOVED THE STARS too fondly to be fearful of the night.” This last line from Sarah Williams’s poem “The Old Astronomer to His Pupil” has often been a sort of mantra for me. And not just because it makes me sound like a spooky Victorian recluse. I don’t remember how, but as a […]
MATHEMAATICAL MODELS Mathemaatical models can be thought of as equations. In this chapter, and in other parts of the book (see Chapter 7, Chahapter 14 and Chapter 31, for example), we will consider equations which model certain real-world situations. For exampple, when considering a simple direct current (DC) electrical circuit, the equation V = RI […]
f all the many things humans rely on plants for—sustenance, beauty, medicine, fragrance, flavor, fiber—surely the most curious is our use of them to change consciousness: to stimulate or calm, to fiddle with or completely alter, the qualities of our mental experience. Like most people, I use a couple of plants this way on a […]
In the past 10 years or so, there has been a growing interest in applying math and statistics to our everyday work and lives. Why is that? Does it have to do with the accelerated interest in “data science” which Harvard Business Review called “the Sexiest Job of the 21st Century”. Or is it the […]
The Quest for the Holy Grail Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. Absolutely unmixed attention is prayer. —Simone Weil The word “essay” comes from the French essayer, to try, and though Barry Lopez wrote book-length nonfiction and short stories, he was in some sense always an essayist, moving toward an apprehension of […]
This book is designed to provide the foundation for understanding the normal function of the human body. It can be used alone or as a supplement with other resources, textbooks, or with our Coursera course, Introductory Human Physiology. Each chapter emphasizes the basic concepts that apply to each organ and organ system as well as […]
General Approach and Mathematical Level Our emphasis in creating the ninth edition is less on adding new material and more on providing clarity and deeper understanding. This objective was accomplished in part by including new end-of-chapter material that adds connective tissue between chapters. We affectionately call these comments at the end of the chapter “Pot […]