Darwin Comes To Town

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Darwin Comes to Town

Author : Menno Schilthuizen
Publisher : Quercus Publishing
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2018-02-08
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781786481078

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Darwin Comes to Town by Menno Schilthuizen Pdf

See your city through fresh eyes We are marching towards a future in which three-quarters of humans live in cities, and a large portion of the planet's landmass is urbanized. With much of the rest covered by human-shaped farms, pasture, and plantations, where can nature still go? To the cities -- is Menno Schilthuizen's answer in this remarkable book. And with more and more wildlife carving out new niches among humans, evolution takes a surprising turn. Urban animals evolve to become more cheeky and resourceful, city pigeons develop detox-plumage, and weeds growing from cracks in the pavement get a new type of seeds. City blackbirds are even on their way of becoming an entirely new species, which we could name Turdus urbanicus. Thanks to evolutionary adaptation taking place at unprecedented speeds, plants and animals are coming up with new ways of living in the seemingly hostile environments of asphalt and steel that we humans have created. We are on the verge of a new chapter in the history of life, Schilthuizen says -- a chapter in which much old biodiversity is, sadly, disappearing, but also one in which a new and exciting set of life forms is being born. Menno Schilthuizen shows us that evolution in cities can happen far more rapidly, and strangely, than Darwin had dared dream.

Inheritors of the Earth

Author : Chris D. Thomas
Publisher : PublicAffairs
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2017-09-05
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9781610397285

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Inheritors of the Earth by Chris D. Thomas Pdf

Human activity has irreversibly changed the natural environment. But the news isn't all bad. It's accepted wisdom today that human beings have permanently damaged the natural world, causing extinction, deforestation, pollution, and of course climate change. But in Inheritors of the Earth, biologist Chris Thomas shows that this obscures a more hopeful truth -- we're also helping nature grow and change. Human cities and mass agriculture have created new places for enterprising animals and plants to live, and our activities have stimulated evolutionary change in virtually every population of living species. Most remarkably, Thomas shows, humans may well have raised the rate at which new species are formed to the highest level in the history of our planet. Drawing on the success stories of diverse species, from the ochre-colored comma butterfly to the New Zealand pukeko, Thomas overturns the accepted story of declining biodiversity on Earth. In so doing, he questions why we resist new forms of life, and why we see ourselves as unnatural. Ultimately, he suggests that if life on Earth can recover from the asteroid that killed off the dinosaurs, it can survive the onslaughts of the technological age. This eye-opening book is a profound reexamination of the relationship between humanity and the natural world.

Darwin

Author : Ruth Padel
Publisher : Random House
Page : 155 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2012-03-31
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781409075370

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Darwin by Ruth Padel Pdf

In these extraordinary poems, using multiple viewpoints - from Darwin himself, to his beloved wife Emma, and even, at one point, the orangutang at London Zoo - Ruth Padel illuminates the development of Darwin's thought, the drama of the discovery of evolution, and the fluctuating emotions of Darwin the husband, the naturalist and the tender father, in a powerful tribute to her famous ancestor. Shortlisted for the 2009 Costa Poetry Award.

Urban Evolutionary Biology

Author : Marta Szulkin,Jason Munshi-South,Anne Charmantier
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 318 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2020-03-05
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780198836841

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Urban Evolutionary Biology by Marta Szulkin,Jason Munshi-South,Anne Charmantier Pdf

Urban Evolutionary Biology fills an important knowledge gap on wild organismal evolution in the urban environment, whilst offering a novel exploration of the fast-growing new field of evolutionary research. The growing rate of urbanization and the maturation of urban study systems worldwide means interest in the urban environment as an agent of evolutionary change is rapidly increasing. We are presently witnessing the emergence of a new field of research in evolutionary biology. Despite its rapid global expansion, the urban environment has until now been a largely neglected study site among evolutionary biologists. With its conspicuously altered ecological dynamics, it stands in stark contrast to the natural environments traditionally used as cornerstones for evolutionary ecology research. Urbanization can offer a great range of new opportunities to test for rapid evolutionary processes as a consequence of human activity, both because of replicate contexts for hypothesis testing, but also because cities are characterized by an array of easily quantifiable environmental axes of variation and thus testable agents of selection. Thanks to a wide possible breadth of inference (in terms of taxa) that may be studied, and a great variety of analytical methods, urban evolution has the potential to stand at a fascinating multi-disciplinary crossroad, enriching the field of evolutionary biology with emergent yet incredibly potent new research themes where the urban habitat is key. Urban Evolutionary Biology is an advanced textbook suitable for graduate level students as well as professional researchers studying the genetics, evolutionary biology, and ecology of urban environments. It is also highly relevant to urban ecologists and urban wildlife practitioners.

The Neighborhood Project

Author : David Sloan Wilson
Publisher : Little, Brown
Page : 327 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2011-08-24
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780316175258

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The Neighborhood Project by David Sloan Wilson Pdf

After decades studying creatures great and small, evolutionary biologist David Sloan Wilson had an epiphany: Darwin's theory won't fully prove itself until it improves the quality of human life in a practical sense. And what better place to begin than his hometown of Binghamton, New York? Making a difference in his own city would provide a model for cities everywhere, which have become the habitat for over half of the people on earth. Inspired to become an agent of change, Wilson descended on Binghamton with a scientist's eye and looked at its toughest questions, such as how to empower neighborhoods and how best to teach our children. He combined the latest research methods from experimental economics with studies of holiday decorations and garage sales. Drawing upon examples from nature as diverse as water striders, wasps, and crows, Wilson's scientific odyssey took him around the world, from a cave in southern Africa that preserved the dawn of human culture to the Vatican in Rome. Along the way, he spoke with dozens of fellow scientists, whose stories he relates along with his own. Wilson's remarkable findings help us to understand how we must become wise managers of evolutionary processes to accomplish positive change at all scales, from effective therapies for individuals, to empowering neighborhoods, to regulating the worldwide economy. With an ambitious scope that spans biology, sociology, religion, and economics, The Neighborhood Project is a memoir, a practical handbook for improving the quality of life, and an exploration of the big questions long pondered by religious sages, philosophers, and storytellers. Approaching the same questions from an evolutionary perspective shows, as never before, how places define us.

Ringside, 1925

Author : Jen Bryant
Publisher : Yearling
Page : 242 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2009-07-14
Category : Juvenile Fiction
ISBN : 9780440421894

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Ringside, 1925 by Jen Bryant Pdf

Take a ringside seat at one of the most controversial trials in American history. The year is 1925, and the students of Dayton, Tennessee, are ready for a summer of fishing, swimming, and drinking root beer floats at Robinson’s Drugstore. But when their science teacher, J. T. Scopes, is arrested for having taught Darwin’s theory of evolution, it seems it won’t be an ordinary summer in Dayton. As Scopes’s trial proceeds, the small town pulses with energy and is faced with astonishing nationwide publicity. Suddenly surrounded by fascinating people and new ideas, Jimmy Lee, Pete, Marybeth, and Willy are thrilled. But amidst the excitement and circus-like atmosphere is a threatening sense of tension—not only in the courtroom, but among even the strongest of friends. ★ “The colorful facts [Bryant] retrieves, the personal story lines, and the deft rhythm of the narrative are more than enough invitation to readers to ponder the issues she raises.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred

Nature All Around Us

Author : Beatrix Beisner,Christian Messier,Luc-Alain Giraldeau
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 154 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2013
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9780226922751

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Nature All Around Us by Beatrix Beisner,Christian Messier,Luc-Alain Giraldeau Pdf

"Nature All Around Us is an unprecendented field guide to the ecology of the urban environment that invites us to look at our towns, cities, and even our backyards through the eyes of an ecologist"--Provided by publisher.

Reef Madness

Author : David Dobbs
Publisher : Pantheon
Page : 322 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2009-02-25
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9780307490070

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Reef Madness by David Dobbs Pdf

Explores the century-long controversy over the orgins of coral reefs, a debate that split the world of nineteenth-century science, looking at the diverse roles of Louis Agassiz, his son Alexander, and Charles Darwin and reflecting on how the search for the truth shed new light on the formation of Earth and its natural wonders.

Darwin's Blade

Author : Dan Simmons
Publisher : Mulholland Books
Page : 464 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 2013-09-10
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9780316213486

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Darwin's Blade by Dan Simmons Pdf

Darwin Minor travels a dangerous road. A Vietnam veteran turned reluctant expert on interpreting the wreckage of fatal accidents, Darwin uses science and instinct to unravel the real causes of unnatural disasters. He is very, very good at his job. His latest case promises to be his most challenging yet. A spate of seemingly random high-speed car accidents has struck the highways of southern California. Each seems to have been staged-yet the participants have all died. Why would anyone commit fraud at the cost of his own life? The deeper Darwin digs, the closer he comes to unmasking an international network specializing in intimidation and murder, whose members will do anything to make sure Darwin soon suffers a deadly accident of his own. "A literary thriller like no other...A hard-charging, edge-of-the-seat tale."-Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Feral Cities

Author : Tristan Donovan
Publisher : Chicago Review Press
Page : 266 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2015-04-01
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9781569761038

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Feral Cities by Tristan Donovan Pdf

We tend to think of cities as a realm apart, somehow separate from nature, but nothing could be further from the truth. In Feral Cities, Tristan Donovan digs below the urban gloss to uncover the wild creatures that we share our streets and homes with, and profiles the brave and fascinating people who try to manage them. Along the way readers will meet the wall-eating snails that are invading Miami, the boars that roam Berlin, and the monkey gangs of Cape Town. From feral chickens and carpet-roaming bugs to coyotes hanging out in sandwich shops and birds crashing into skyscrapers, Feral Cities takes readers on a journey through streets and neighborhoods that are far more alive than we often realize, shows how animals are adjusting to urban living, and asks what messages the wildlife in our metropolises have for us.

Who was Dr Charlotte Bach?

Author : Francis Wheen
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 176 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2002
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : STANFORD:36105026555693

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Who was Dr Charlotte Bach? by Francis Wheen Pdf

In 1971 a curious new character appeared on the London academic scene, her name was Charlotte Bach. She was a former lecturer at the University of Budapest and she had a new theory of sex and evolution. At the height of her cult status, she would be compared to Einstein and Freud.

Darwin's God

Author : Cornelius G. Hunter
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
Page : 193 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 2019-10-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781532688577

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Darwin's God by Cornelius G. Hunter Pdf

"Cornelius Hunter brilliantly supports his thesis that Darwinism is a mixture of metaphysical dogma and biased scientific observation, that at its core, evolution is about God, not science."--Phillip E. Johnson, author, Darwin on Trial"Biophysicist Cornelius Hunter argues perceptively that the main supporting pole of the Darwinian tent has always been a theological assertion: 'God wouldn't have done it that way.' Rather than demonstrating that evolution is capable of the wonders they attribute to it, Darwinists rely on a man-made version of God to argue that He never would have made life with the particular suite of features we observe. In lucid and engaging prose, Hunter shines a light on Darwinian theology, making plain what is too often obscured by technical jargon."--Michael J. Behe, Lehigh University"This wonderfully insightful book will prove pivotal in the current reassessment of Darwinian evolution. Darwinists argue that evolution has to be true because no self-respecting deity would have created life the way we find it. Hunter unmasks this theological mode of argumentation and argues convincingly that it is not merely incidental but indeed essential to how Darwinists justify evolution."--William A. Dembski, Baylor University"A fascinating study of a much overlooked aspect of the origins controversy."--Stephen C. Meyer, Whitworth College

Understanding Ignorance

Author : Daniel R. DeNicola
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2017-08-18
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780262036443

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Understanding Ignorance by Daniel R. DeNicola Pdf

Ignorance is trending. Politicians boast, "I'm not a scientist." Angry citizens object to a proposed state motto because it is in Latin, and "This is America, not Mexico or Latin America." Lack of experience, not expertise, becomes a credential. Fake news and repeated falsehoods are accepted and shape firm belief. Ignorance about American government and history is so alarming that the ideal of an informed citizenry now seems quaint. Conspiracy theories and false knowledge thrive. This may be the Information Age, but we do not seem to be well informed. In this book, philosopher Daniel DeNicola explores ignorance -- its abundance, its endurance, and its consequences.

Urban Bird Ecology and Conservation

Author : Christopher A. Lepczyk,Paige S. Warren
Publisher : Univ of California Press
Page : 375 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2012-10-26
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780520953895

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Urban Bird Ecology and Conservation by Christopher A. Lepczyk,Paige S. Warren Pdf

Now that more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, the study of birds in urban ecosystems has emerged at the forefront of ornithological research. An international team of leading researchers in urban bird ecology and conservation from across Europe and North America presents the state of this diverse field, addressing classic questions while proposing new directions for further study. Areas of particular focus include the processes underlying patterns of species shifts along urban-rural gradients, the demography of urban birds and the role of citizen science, and human-avian interaction in urban areas. This important reference fills a crucial need for scientists, planners, and managers of urban spaces and all those interested in the study and conservation of birds in the world’s expanding metropolises.

The Darwin Awards II

Author : Wendy Northcutt
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 253 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2001-12-01
Category : Humor
ISBN : 9781101218969

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The Darwin Awards II by Wendy Northcutt Pdf

The hilarious New York Times bestselling phenomenon and the perfect funny gift! The Darwin Awards II: Unnatural Selection brings together a fresh collection of the hapless, the heedless, and the just plain foolhardy among us. Salute the owner of an equipment training school who demonstrates the dangers of driving a forklift by failing to survive the filming of his own safety video. Gawk at the couple who go to sleep on a sloping roof. Witness the shepherd who leaves his rifle unsecured—only to be accidentally shot by one of his own flock. With over one hundred Darwin Award Winners, Honorable Mentions, and debunked Urban Legends, plus science and safety tips for avoiding the scythe of natural selection, The Darwin Awards II proves once again how uncommon common sense can be.