Nine Crazy Ideas In Science

Author : Robert Ehrlich
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 255 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2018-06-05
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691187839

Get Book

Nine Crazy Ideas in Science by Robert Ehrlich Pdf

AIDS is not caused by HIV. Coal and oil are not fossil fuels. Radiation exposure is good for you. Distributing more guns reduces crime. These ideas make headlines, but most educated people scoff at them. Yet some of science's most important concepts-from gravity to evolution-have surfaced from the pool of crazy ideas. In fact, a good part of science is distinguishing between useful crazy ideas and those that are just plain nutty. In this book, a well-known physicist with an affinity for odd ideas applies his open mind to nine controversial propositions on topical subjects. Some, it turns out, are considerably lower on the cuckoo scale than others. Robert Ehrlich evaluates, for the general reader or student, nine seemingly far-out propositions culled from physics, biology, and social science. In the process, he demonstrates in easy-to-understand terms how to weigh an argument, judge someone's use of statistics, identify underlying assumptions, and ferret out secret agendas. His conclusions are sometimes surprising. For instance, he finds that while HIV does cause AIDS and the universe almost certainly started with a big bang, our solar system could have two suns, faster-than-light particles might exist, and time travel can't be ruled out as mere science fiction. Anyone interested in unorthodox ideas will get a kick out of this book. And, as a fun way of learning how to think like a scientist, it has enormous educational value. Of course, only time will tell whether any of these nine ideas will be the next continental drift--the now orthodox account of the Earth's geology that was for years just a crazy idea.

Author : Robert Ehrlich
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 342 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2005
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 0691124043

Get Book

Eight Preposterous Propositions by Robert Ehrlich Pdf

Presents a series of case studies of some of the most controversial subjects in the natural and social sciences including extraterrestrial life, placebo cures, and psychokinesis, explaining how readers can use scientific tools to judge the accuracy of controversial ideas as well as the trustworthiness of their experts.

Author : Robert Ehrlich
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2021-04-13
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691228402

Get Book

Eight Preposterous Propositions by Robert Ehrlich Pdf

Placebo cures. Global warming. Extraterrestrial life. Psychokinesis. In a time when scientific claims can sound as strange as science fiction--and can have a profound effect on individual life or public policy--assessing the merits of a far-out, supposedly scientific idea can be as difficult as it is urgent. Into the breach between helpless gullibility and unyielding skepticism steps physicist Robert Ehrlich, with an indispensable guide to making sense of "scientific" claims. A series of case studies of some of the most controversial (and for the judging public, deeply vexing) topics in the natural and social sciences, Ehrlich's book serves as a primer for evaluating the evidence for the sort of strange-sounding ideas that can shape our lives. A much-anticipated follow-up to his popular Nine Crazy Ideas in Science, this book takes up issues close to readers' everyday reality--issues such as global warming, the dangers of cholesterol, and the effectiveness of placebos--as well as questions that resonate through (and beyond) civic life: Is intelligent design a scientific alternative to evolution? Is homosexuality primarily innate? Are people getting smarter or dumber? In each case, Ehrlich shows readers how to use the tools of science to judge the accuracy of strange ideas and the trustworthiness of ubiquitous "experts." As entertaining as it is instructive, his book will make the work of living wisely a bit easier and more reliable for scientists and nonscientists alike.

Author : Thomas O'Brien
Publisher : NSTA Press
Page : 361 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 2011
Category : Education
ISBN : 9781936137497

Get Book

More Brain-powered Science by Thomas O'Brien Pdf

Author Thomas OOCOBrien uses 20 inquiry-oriented discrepant eventsOCohands-on explorations or demonstrations in which the outcomes are not what students expectOCoto challenge studentsOCO preconceived ideas and urge them to critically examine the empirical evidence, draw logical inferences, and skeptically review their initial explanations with their peers. ItOCOs the perfect dual-purpose activity book for science teachers who aim to motivate their students while expanding their own scientific understanding."

Author : Lewis Wolpert
Publisher : Faber & Faber
Page : 238 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 2014-05-15
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780571317387

Get Book

The Unnatural Nature of Science by Lewis Wolpert Pdf

This book shows that many of our understandings about scientific thought can be corrected once we realise just how "unnatural" science actually is. Quoting scientists from Aristotle to Einstein, the author argues that scientific ideas are, with rare exceptions, counter-intuitive and that common sense often makes no sense at all. A passionate advocate of the beauty and importance of science, the author examines a range of issues, including why science and technology are quite different, why psychoanalysis is not properly scientific and why philosophers and sociologists have made so little contribution to understanding science's true nature. He demonstrates the folly of holding scientists responsible for many of society's problems, and the equal folly of looking to science for a miracle cure.

Author : Martin Cohen
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 375 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2024-06-18
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9781394244584

Get Book

Critical Thinking Skills For Dummies by Martin Cohen Pdf

Learn how to argue points effectively, analyze information, and make sound judgments The ability to think clearly and critically is a lifelong benefit that you can apply in any situation that calls for reflection, analysis, and planning. Being able to think systematically and solve problems is also a great career asset. Critical Thinking Skills For Dummies helps you hone your thinking abilities and become a better communicator. You’ll find hands-on, active instruction and exercises that you can put to work today as you navigate social media and news websites, chat with AI, fact-check your own and others’ views, and more. Become a thinking machine, with this Dummies guide. Identify other people’s arguments and conclusions—and spot holes in them Evaluate evidence and produce more effective arguments in any situation Read between the lines of what people say and form your own judgments Apply critical thinking to school or college assignments to improve your academic performance This is the perfect Dummies title for students, researchers, and everyone who seeks to improve their reasoning and analysis ability.

Author : Douglas P. Fry
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 352 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2009-04-10
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780199725052

Get Book

Beyond War by Douglas P. Fry Pdf

A profoundly heartening view of human nature, Beyond War offers a hopeful prognosis for a future without war. Douglas P. Fry convincingly argues that our ancient ancestors were not innately warlike--and neither are we. He points out that, for perhaps ninety-nine percent of our history, for well over a million years, humans lived in nomadic hunter-and-gatherer groups, egalitarian bands where warfare was a rarity. Drawing on archaeology and fascinating recent fieldwork on hunter-gatherer bands from around the world, Fry debunks the idea that war is ancient and inevitable. For instance, among Aboriginal Australians, warfare was an extreme anomaly. Fry also points out that even today, when war seems ever present, the vast majority of us live peaceful, nonviolent lives. We are not as warlike as we think, and if we can learn from our ancestors, we may be able to move beyond war to provide real justice and security for the world.

Author : Edward J. Calabrese
Publisher : DIANE Publishing
Page : 20 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2008-06
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781437902235

Get Book

Hormesis and the Law: Toxic Torts by Edward J. Calabrese Pdf

Author : G. Rizzi,M.L. Ruggiero
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 456 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2013-03-09
Category : Science
ISBN : 9789401705288

Get Book

Relativity in Rotating Frames by G. Rizzi,M.L. Ruggiero Pdf

Even if the subject is a long-standing one, this is the first monograph on this field. On the one hand, this book is intended to give a rather wide review on this field, both in a historical and pedagogical perspective; on the other hand, it aims at critically re-examining and discussing the most controversial issues. For instance, according to some authors the celebrated Sagnac effect is a disproval of the theory of relativity applied to rotating frames; according to others, it is an astonishing experimental evidence of the relativistic theory. In order to give the reader a deeper insight into this research field, the contributing authors discuss their opinions on the main subjects in an enthralling virtual round table: in this way, the reader can get a direct comparison of the various viewpoints on the most controversial and interesting topics. This is particularly expedient, since the differences in the various approaches are often based upon subtleties that can be understood only by a direct comparison of the underlying hypotheses.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 400 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2001
Category : Engineering
ISBN : STANFORD:36105122353894

Get Book

Yale Scientific by Anonim Pdf

Author : Robert Ehrlich
Publisher : CRC Press
Page : 464 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2013-03-13
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9781466599444

Get Book

Renewable Energy by Robert Ehrlich Pdf

Renewable energy has great significance for the world’s future, given the environmental issues related to energy generation and energy’s importance in our society. Making wise energy choices is not easy, however. It involves balanced consideration of economic, environmental, technical, political, and other perspectives to weigh the relative costs and benefits for a host of possible technologies. Renewable Energy: A First Course is an accessible textbook for science and engineering students who want a well-balanced introduction to the science, technologies, economics, and policies related to energy choices. How Does Renewable Energy Work? Science, Technologies, Economics, and Key Policy Issues The book delves into all forms of renewable energy, from biofuels and geothermal energy to wind, hydro, and solar power. It also discusses nuclear power and fossil fuels, allowing readers to compare and evaluate the advantages and shortcomings of renewable energy. In addition, the book explores four overarching topics that go beyond a specific type of energy, namely, energy conservation, energy storage, energy transmission, and energy policy, and examines the important issue of climate change. A Broad Introduction for Science and Engineering Students Requiring only a basic background in physics and calculus, the book avoids technical jargon and advanced mathematical approaches to focus on the basic principles of renewable energy. Throughout, a wealth of illustrations and real-world examples make the concepts more concrete. Designed for a one- or two-semester course, this book takes a broad approach that addresses the need for diversity in any nation’s energy portfolio.

Author : Arthur M. Diamond, Jr.
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2019-05-01
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9780190263683

Get Book

Openness to Creative Destruction by Arthur M. Diamond, Jr. Pdf

Life improves under the economic system often called "entrepreneurial capitalism" or "creative destruction," but more accurately called "innovative dynamism." Openness to Creative Destruction: Sustaining Innovative Dynamism shows how innovation occurs through the efforts of inventors and innovative entrepreneurs, how workers on balance benefit, and how good policies can encourage innovation. The inventors and innovative entrepreneurs are often cognitively diverse outsiders with the courage and perseverance to see and pursue serendipitous discoveries or slow hunches. Arthur M. Diamond, Jr. shows how economies grow where innovative dynamism through leapfrog competition flourishes, as in the United States from roughly 1830-1930. Consumers vote with their feet for innovative new goods and for process innovations that reduce prices, benefiting ordinary citizens more than the privileged elites. Diamond highlights that because breakthrough inventions are costly and difficult, patents can be fair rewards for invention and can provide funding to enable future inventions. He argues that some fears about adverse effects on labor market are unjustified, since more and better new jobs are created than are destroyed, and that other fears can be mitigated by better policies. The steady growth in regulations, often defended on the basis of the precautionary principle, increases the costs to potential entrepreneurs and thus reduces innovation. The "Great Fact" of economic history is that after at least 40,000 years of mostly "poor, nasty, brutish, and short" humans in the last 250 years have started to live substantially longer and better lives. Diamond increases understanding of why.

Author : Chris Impey
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
Page : 353 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2011-04-11
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780393079173

Get Book

How It Ends: From You to the Universe by Chris Impey Pdf

“Remarkably upbeat, and imbued with wit, wisdom and a palpable sense of awe over our universe.”—Tucson Weekly Most of us are aware of our own mortality, but few among us know what science, with insights yielded from groundbreaking new research, has to say about endings on a larger scale. Enter astronomer Chris Impey, who chronicles the death of the whole shebang: individual, species, bio- sphere, Earth, Sun, Milky Way, and, finally, the entire universe. With a healthy dose of humor, How It Ends illuminates everything from the technologies of human life extension and the evolutionary arms race between microbes and men to the inescapable dimming of the Sun and the ultimate “big rip,” giving us a rare glimpse into a universe without us.

Author : Brian Joseph,Richard Janda
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 904 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2008-04-15
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9780470756331

Get Book

The Handbook of Historical Linguistics by Brian Joseph,Richard Janda Pdf

The Handbook of Historical Linguistics provides a detailed account of the numerous issues, methods, and results that characterize current work in historical linguistics, the area of linguistics most directly concerned with language change as well as past language states. Contains an extensive introduction that places the study of historical linguistics in its proper context within linguistics and the historical sciences in general Covers the methodology of historical linguistics and presents sophisticated overviews of the principles governing phonological, morphological, syntactic, and semantic change Includes contributions from the leading specialists in the field

Author : Michael J. Taleff, PhD, CSAC, MAC
Publisher : Springer Publishing Company
Page : 176 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2006-01-18
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9780826118233

Get Book

Critical Thinking for Addiction Professionals by Michael J. Taleff, PhD, CSAC, MAC Pdf

Learn to Think Critically and Make Better Decisions Addiction professionals make decisions everyday that impact peoples lives. Sometimes these decisions are solid, and sometimes they are the result of flawed thinking, which often results from myths and generalizations that are perpetuated in the field. Thinking flaws are common not just in counselors, but in supervisors, administrators, and presenters, and can lead to potentially negative outcomes both for clients and for programs. In this easy-to-read guide--the first to bring together critical thinking and addiction work--critical thinking expert and addiction professional Dr. Michael J. Taleff offers readers the tools they need to think critically and make better decisions. Readers learn: To evaluate their critical thinking abilities The characteristics of a critical thinking professional What drives bad thinking in addiction work How to recognize and avoid thinking fallacies The ethics and consequences of using critical thinking "Dr. Taleff has provided an insightful analysis of the kinds of thinking errors often made by counselors. The text should be required reading in all areas of health and human services. The concepts and discussion are as valuable to experienced helpers as they are to novices." -Gregory Blevins, Ph.D., Professor, Governors State University