Pre-Post Paranoid Age - Post-Post-Post-Post Modern satire; spoof on current events mid-decade 00's.

Humanity's ongoing quest to unlock the secrets of dark matter and dark energy Heart of Darkness describes the incredible saga of humankind's quest to unravel the deepest secrets of the universe. Over the past forty years, scientists have learned that two little-understood components—dark matter and dark energy—comprise most of the known cosmos, explain the growth of all cosmic structure, and hold the key to the universe's fate. The story of how evidence for the so-called "Lambda-Cold Dark Matter" model of cosmology has been gathered by generations of scientists throughout the world is told here by one of the pioneers of the field, Jeremiah Ostriker, and his coauthor Simon Mitton. From humankind's early attempts to comprehend Earth's place in the solar system, to astronomers' exploration of the Milky Way galaxy and the realm of the nebulae beyond, to the detection of the primordial fluctuations of energy from which all subsequent structure developed, this book explains the physics and the history of how the current model of our universe arose and has passed every test hurled at it by the skeptics. Throughout this rich story, an essential theme is emphasized: how three aspects of rational inquiry—the application of direct measurement and observation, the introduction of mathematical modeling, and the requirement that hypotheses should be testable and verifiable—guide scientific progress and underpin our modern cosmological paradigm. This monumental puzzle is far from complete, however, as scientists confront the mysteries of the ultimate causes of cosmic structure formation and the real nature and origin of dark matter and dark energy.

Provides a concise and engaging summary of modern evolutionary theory, for students and general readers with little or no formal training in science. Explains variations within species, heredity, genetics and variation, and mutation, and discusses natural selection theory, the origin of species, and speciation in the Galapagos Islands. Examines the origin and early evolution of life and of humanity, and discusses the intersection of science and politics. Includes a "who's who" of key figures with bandw photos and portraits, plus a glossary. The first edition was published in 1978. This second edition contains new chapters on neural and gene evolution, and emphasis on molecular evolution. The author was retired from the paleontology department of The Natural History Museum in London. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This is an expose of the whole modern agricultural industry. From Alzheimer's and cancer to obesity and impotence, many of the late-20th century's major illnesses can be traced to the chemical toxins in our food from industrial farming and environmental pollution. This book contains stories from history, such as the Romans who were poisoned by the lead in their water and wine, together with the latest facts and evidence. It exposes the high rate of cancer among farmers, how human obesity may be caused by the growth hormones given to livestock, and why vets in Belgium are accompanied on farm visits by armed police. Subjects covered in the book include the effects of nuclear, industrial, and car pollution on the food chain; chemical additives; pesticides and fungicides; growth-promoting hormones in livestock; depletion of fish stocks; factory farming; new food products using "chemical special effects;" animal transportation; industrial cover-ups of health risks; and the fallibility of consumer protection.

NUCLEAR ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS is the most modern, up-to-date, and reader friendly nuclear engineering textbook on the market today. It provides a thoroughly modern alternative to classical nuclear engineering textbooks that have not been updated over the last 20 years. Printed in full color, it conveys a sense of awe and wonder to anyone interested in the field of nuclear energy. It discusses nuclear reactor design, nuclear fuel cycles, reactor thermal-hydraulics, reactor operation, reactor safety, radiation detection and protection, and the interaction of radiation with matter. It presents an in-depth introduction to the science of nuclear power, nuclear energy production, the nuclear chain reaction, nuclear cross sections, radioactivity, and radiation transport. All major types of reactors are introduced and discussed, and the role of internet tools in their analysis and design is explored. Reactor safety and reactor containment systems are explored as well. To convey the evolution of nuclear science and engineering, historical figures and their contributions to evolution of the nuclear power industry are explored. Numerous examples are provided throughout the text, and are brought to life through life-like portraits, photographs, and colorful illustrations. The text follows a well-structured pedagogical approach, and provides a wide range of student learning features not available in other textbooks including useful equations, numerous worked examples, and lists of key web resources. As a bonus, a complete Solutions Manual and .PDF slides of all figures are available to qualified instructors who adopt the text. More than any other fundamentals book in a generation, it is student-friendly, and truly impressive in its design and its scope. It can be used for a one semester, a two semester, or a three semester course in the fundamentals of nuclear power. It can also serve as a great reference book for practicing nuclear scientists and engineers. To date, it has achieved the highest overall satisfaction of any mainstream nuclear engineering textbook available on the market today.