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A science writer explores six seemingly unconnected but unique human traits--the big toe, thumbs, pharynx, tears, kissing, and laughter. Each trait marks a fork in the evolutionary road where humans went one way and the rest of the animal kingdom went the other.
The Science of Facial Expression by José Miguel Fernández Dols,James Albert Russell Pdf
Every Decade has seen work that extends or challenges previous thinking on facial expression. The Science of Facial Expression provides an updated review of the current psychology of facial expression, summarizing current conclusion and conceptual frameworks from leading figures who have shaped their various subfields. It will be of interest to practitioners, students, and researchers of emotion in cognitive psychology, neuroscience, biology, anthropology, linguistics, affective computing, and homeland security. Book jacket.
Within intellectual paradigms that privilege mind over matter, dance has long appeared as a marginal, derivative, or primitive art. Drawing support from theorists and artists who embrace matter as dynamic and agential, this book offers a visionary definition of dance that illuminates its constitutive work in the ongoing evolution of human persons. Why We Dance introduces a philosophy of bodily becoming that posits bodily movement as the source and telos of human life. Within this philosophy, dance appears as an activity that humans evolved to do as the enabling condition of their best bodily becoming. Weaving theoretical reflection with accounts of lived experience, this book positions dance as a catalyst in the development of human consciousness, compassion, ritual proclivity, and ecological adaptability. Aligning with trends in new materialism, affect theory, and feminist philosophy, as well as advances in dance and religious studies, this work reveals the vital role dance can play in reversing the trajectory of ecological self-destruction along which human civilization is racing.
Crying has fascinated mankind for millenia. Since ancient times, we have known that emotional tears are a unique human characteristic. Unsurprisingly, over hundreds of years, scholars from different backgrounds have speculated about the origin and functions of human tears. According to Charles Darwin, tears fulfilled no adaptive function. And yet, this seems in sharp contrast to statements in the popular media about the significance of crying. Crying is thought to bring relief and is considered healthy - and withholding tears unhealthy. In addition, tears have been said to inhibit aggression in assaulters and to promote social bonding. Perhaps that could explain why tears have been so important in our evolution. Ad Vingerhoets is one of the few scientists in the world to have studied crying. He examines in Why only humans weep which claims about crying are scientifically tenable - which are fact and which are fiction? Though a psychologist, he doesn't just restrict himself to the current psychological literature, but also explores work in evolutionary biology, neurosciences, theology, art, history, and anthropology to provide an integrated perspective on this complex phenomenon. Written throughout in an academically accessible style, this book is groundbreaking in contributing to a modern scientific understanding of crying. It will have broad appeal to psychologists, psychiatrists, philosophers, biologists, and anthropologists.
Author : Gert Melville,Carlos Ruta Publisher : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG Page : 280 pages File Size : 42,6 Mb Release : 2014-09-11 Category : Social Science ISBN : 9783110338737
Life Configurations by Gert Melville,Carlos Ruta Pdf
Life Configurations focuses on the analysis and reflection on the various forms in which human beings imagine, design, conjecture, and plan their “becoming”, that is to say their lives. Case studies written by an interdisciplinary circle of well-known academics explore how the capacity of designing life, the concept of free will, and the methods to calculate the future have been changed and adopted in different societies and in different ages.
With the emergence of the new field of evolutionary developmental biology we are witnessing a renaissance of Darwin's insights 150 years after his On the Origin of Species. Thus far, the exciting findings from 'evo-devo' have only been trickling into college courses and into the domain of non-specialists. With its focus on the human organism, Quirks of Human Anatomy opens the floodgates by stating the arguments of evo-devo in plain English, and by offering a cornucopia of interesting case studies and examples. Its didactic value is enhanced by 24 schematic diagrams that integrate a host of disparate observations, by its Socratic question-and-answer format, and by its unprecedented compilation of the literature. By framing the 'hows' of development in terms of the 'whys' of evolution, it lets readers probe the deepest questions of biology. Readers will find the book educational and enjoyable, as it revels in the fun of scientific exploration.
Over the past 150 years scientists have discovered evidence that at least twenty-seven species of humans evolved on planet Earth. These weren't simply variations on apes, but upright-walking humans who lived side by side, competing, cooperating, sometimes even mating with our direct ancestors. Why did the line of ancient humans who eventually evolved into us survive when the others were shown the evolutionary door? Chip Walter draws on new scientific discoveries to tell the fascinating tale of how our survival was linked to our ancestors being born more prematurely than others, having uniquely long and rich childhoods, evolving a new kind of mind that made us resourceful and emotionally complex; how our highly social nature increased our odds of survival; and why we became self aware in ways that no other animal seems to be. Last Ape Standing also profiles the mysterious "others" who evolved with us-the Neanderthals of Europe, the "Hobbits" of Indonesia, the Denisovans of Siberia and the just-discovered Red Deer Cave people of China who died off a mere eleven thousand years ago. Last Ape Standing is evocative science writing at its best-a witty, engaging and accessible story that explores the evolutionary events that molded us into the remarkably unique creatures we are; an investigation of why we do, feel, and think the things we do as a species, and as people-good and bad, ingenious and cunning, heroic and conflicted.
Earthly Things by Karen Bray,Heather Eaton,Whitney Bauman Pdf
Globalization and climate weirding are two of the leading phenomena that challenge and change the way we need to think and act within the planetary community. Modern Western understandings of human beings, animals, and the rest of the natural world and the subsequent technologies built on those understandings have thrown us into an array of social and ecological crises with planetary implications. Earthly Things: Immanence, New Materialisms, and Planetary Thinking, argues that more immanent or planetary ways of thinking and acting have great potential for re-thinking human-technology-animal-Earth relationships and for addressing problems of global climate weirding and other forms of ecological degradation. Older and often-marginalized forms of thought from animisms, shamanisms, and other religious traditions are joined by more recent forms of thinking with immanence such as the universe story, process thought, emergence theory, the new materialisms (NM’s), object-oriented ontologies (OOO’s), affect theory, and queer theory. This book maps out some of the connections and differences between immanent frameworks to provide some eco-intellectual commons for thinking within the planetary community, with a particular emphasis on making connections between more recent theories and older ideas of immanence found in many of the world’s religious traditions. The authors in this volume met and worked together over five years, so the resulting volume reveals sustained and multifaceted perspectives on “thinking and acting with the planet.”
What do bubbles in a soft drink, a bullet-proof vest, a plastic chair, and our DNA have in common? Carbon. It is, and forever has been, the ubiquitous architect of life and civilization, forming the chemical backbone of every living creature. And yet, when we hear the word today, it is more often than not in a crisis situation: carbon dioxide emissions are destroying the ozone layer and warming the planet; the volatile Middle East explodes atop its stores of hydrocarbons; carbohydrates threaten obesity and diabetics. Carbon, thus, sustains us and threatens us in equal measure, Eric Roston illuminates this essential element in all its forms, cleverly recreating the intricate carbon cycle on the page by tracing its journey from the Big Bang to Earth and its extraordinary infiltration of this planet and, in time, influence on humankind and civilization. Evoking its ubiquity-more than 99% of all 31 million known substances contain carbon-Roston chronicles the ways we have used it, often to surprising, and sometimes to catastrophic, effect: having sped up the carbon cycle in the last two centuries, we are now attempting to wrestle Earth's geochemical cycle back from the brink. Blending the latest science with original reporting, Roston makes us aware, as never before, of the seminal impact carbon has, and has had, on our lives.
Some assumptions about biology are so deeply rooted in our thinking that they seem beyond question. These concepts - expressed in playful jargon - are our sacred bovines. With a light-hearted spirit, Douglas Allchin sets out to challenge many of these common beliefs about science and life. Allchin draws on fascinating insights from science to illustrate the ironies in many widespread beliefs. Be prepared to challenge the notion that male and female are fixed natural categories. Or that evolution implies cutthroat competition in human society. Or that we struggle against a fundamental immoral nature. Or that genes establish our identity. Or that science progresses through rare leaps of genius. Or that politics and emotions inevitably taint good science. Sacred Bovines revels in revelations about the nature of science. Reflecting on the many errors in commonly accepted, everyday ideas also fosters creative thinking. How do we challenge assumptions? How do we "think outside the box"? The many examples here provide inspiration and guidance, further elaborated in a retrospective epilogue. An additional "Afterword for Teachers" highlights how the essays can foster learning about the nature of science and describes some practical classroom strategies.
Full Potential: Daoist Wisdom Meets Western Psychology by Livia Kohn Pdf
"Blending modern psychology and Daoist wisdom into a recipe for the fully actualized child, this book shows how human beings form an integral part of nature and the greater universe. Partaking in Dao to the fullest, they can experience a sense of well-being, inner harmony, and overarching excellence. Ancient Chinese texts describe this realization of our full potential in terms of free and easy wandering or skillful spontaneity. Western psychologists similarly speak of personal fulfillment in work and play. Most important among them are Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi with his concept of flow, Martin Seligman with his studies of authentic happiness, and Howard Gardner with his system of multiple intelligences. Activated differently in the brain, subject to both genes and training, these psychological dimensions become apparent in different stages of childhood development and are enhanced by optimal learning conditions, manifold forms of play, and conscientious parenting-leading to the realization of full potential and attainment of Daoist harmony. This book offers a unique presentation: none other pulls the same level of information together, let alone present it in such a vibrant and engaging way"--
The Art of Living for A Technological Age by Ashley John Moyse,Scott A. Kirkland Pdf
The Art of Living for A Technological Age sketches the crisis of our late modern age, where persons are enamored by the promises of progress and disciplined to form by the power of technology--the ontology of our age. Yet, it also offers a response, attending to those performative activities, educative and transformative social practices that might allow us to live humanly and bear witness to human being (becoming) for a technological age. As such, it is an exemplary example of the goals and outcomes of the Dispatches series, the individual volumes of which draw on diverse theological resources in order to offer urgent responses to contemporary crises. Authors in the series introduce succinct and provocative arguments intended to provoke dialogue and exchange of ideas, while setting in relief the implications of theology for political and moral life.
Island Dreams is a true story of the wonders of British Columbias northern Gulf Islands. Swimming in the middle of the Strait of Georgia, these enchanting isles are serenaded by whales and surrounded by crushing depths; caressed by languorous calms and brutalized by terrifying storms. Island Dreams tells of one familys move to Olsen Island, one of the uninhabited gems nestled close by the isle of Lasqueti. Their story tacks through the wild beauty of these islands and dives on glass sponge reefs shimmering in the surrounding depths. Its an exploration of earthquake faults deep below Vancouver Island and the birth of Qualicum winds. Island Dreams also chronicles the natural and anthropological history of the islandstheir formation, the glaciers that scoured them, and the first plants and animals that appeared there. It follows the first migrating Asians who skiffed down the coast, and explores the First Nations villages their ancestors founded. The robust cast of characters includes Sisters Islands light keepers and depression-era fishermen who beach-combed lumber for their island fishing shacks. Island Dreams is also a tale of Lasqueti Island, held out of time by the special folks who make it their home. It is a story of islanders, and of the wind and waves that forge them into believers in the redemptive power of a wild environment.
Christians and non-Christians alike are troubled by powerful questions: Why do innocent people suffer? Why isn't spiritual truth objectively provable? How can evolution be reconciled with belief in God? What is a soul? What is moral truth? How much hard history do the gospels contain? What did Jesus mean when he spoke of perfection? What is evil? Clear, concise answers to these and 265 other questions are offered in Reasonable Faith. Backed by many years of inquiry and research, this book takes on questions that have been avoided or given terse treatment by other "Christian answer" books. In the process of facing such questions, this work provides an honest and reasonable basis for compassionate Christian faith. "Like a breath of fresh air...wonderful." —Dr. Francis Collins Director of the National Institute of Health Author of The Language of God "A masterpiece." —Brother Aelred Reid, Benedictine Monk St. John's Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota "Beautifully written and diligently researched." —Reverend Richard A. Santella Retired United Methodist Minister "Wonderful." —Joan Roughgarden Professor of biology, Stanford University Author of Evolution and Christian Faith
