The purpose of this book is to give a coherent account of the different perspectives on science and technology that are normally studied under various disciplinary heads such as philosophy of science, sociology of science and science policy. It is intended for students embarking on courses in these subjects and assumes no special knowledge of any science. It is written in a direct and simple style, and technical language is introduced very sparingly. As various perspectives are sketched out in this book, the reader moves towards a consistent conception of contemporary science as a rapidly changing social institution that has already grown out of its traditional forms and plays a central role in society at large. It will appeal to students in a wide range of scientific disciplines and complement well Professor Ziman's earlier books.

Describes simple inventions used by the American Indians to make their life comfortable; tells how these same processes are applied to develop more sophisticated inventions today; and includes simple experiments to duplicate early Indian technology.

The growth in recent years of Soviet political involvement and military presence in the Mediterranean/Middle East region poses a serious challenge to the security of NATO's southern flank. Among other aims, the Soviets hope to reduce Western, especially American, influence in the area; counter and/or neutralize the U.S. strategic posture; and bring to fruition the historic Russian drive for open access through the Turkish Straits. General Gurkan argues that Moscow's strategy is to shift pressure from the relatively stable central region of NATO to the flanks in a multiple pronged southern thrust.

Meet Samuel Todd When he wakes up, Samuel Todd looks in the mirror to make sure he's still Samuel Todd. The mirror is just the first of the great inventions that Samuel Todd celebrates every day. From the belt loops and Velcro that make it easier to get and stay dressed, to the training wheels that make four wheels twice as good as three, to one last check with the mirror before bedtime (yes, he's still Samuel Todd), his day is filled with important inventions that make his life better -- and more fun. Who but two-time Newbery Medalist E.L. Konigsburg could so perfectly capture a child's wonder at everyday miracles like step stools and french fries?

From the author of THE PARENT AGENCY comes a thrilling, funny and touching new adventure. Fred and Ellie are twins. But not identical (because that's impossible for a boy and a girl). They do like all the same things, though. Especially video games. Which they are very good at. They aren't that good, however, at much else - like, for example, football, or dealing with the school bullies. Then, they meet the Mystery Man, who sends them a video game controller, which doesn't look like any other controller they've ever seen. And it doesn't control any of their usual games. When the twins find out what it does control, though, it seems like the answer to all their problems. And the key to all their wildest dreams. At least it seems like that...

This is a book for anyone who has ever paused to wonder whether cloning will ever be legal. Why it is that "savior siblings" and sex selection provoke such strong reactions? Will there ever be such a thing as an artificial womb? Assisted reproductive technologies are unique in their capacity to challenge our assumptions and elicit passionate responses. Looking at the moral, philosophical, and legal issues surrounding cases of surrogacy, single or same-sex parenthood, retrieval of sperm from dead or dying patients, and the impregnation of post-menopausal women, this book questions whether these rapidly-developing technologies are refashioning the nature of the family. The US and UK have played unique roles in the development and regulation of reproductive technologies, and has been at the forefront of controversy over "savior siblings", designer babies, reproductive cloning, and embryo research. This book provides a clear and simple account of the techniques involved in assisted reproduction and embryo research, and discusses the legal and ethical implications of some of these technologies, illustrated by compelling descriptions of real-life cases. The book also addresses the ways in which reproductive technologies are regulated, critically examining the role of the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority and comparing the UK's approach with that of other countries. Finally, it contemplates the possibility that some of our most deeply-held assumptions about human nature may be called into question by further developments in stem cell research and fertility treatments.

A thorough analysis of the challenges Mikhail Gorbachev faces in reforming the Soviet economy in the face of modern high technology.

"Without venture capital, many of the companies whose technical innovations sparked the digital revolution would not exist. Venture investments funded these firms to develop their bright ideas into commercial products that created new business models and established whole new markets. In Profiting from Innovation, Henry Kressel, a partner at multi-billion-dollar global investing company Warburg Pincus, takes you behind the scenes of the private equity process. He draws on his extensive experience to show how venture capital works, why venture capitalists fund certain companies and not others, and what factors influence the success or failure of their high-risk, high-reward investments. He also discusses venture capital's future, now that the commercialization of technology requires larger investments and global market access. Written in clear, non-technical language, the book features informative case studies of venture capital funding in a wide range of industries, including telecommunications, software and services, semiconductors, and the internet"--

This volume, first published in English in 1987 makes available an important part of Weil’s early writings. Although primarily known as a religious thinker, she devoted enormous energy in her formative years to her work as a political activist and as a philosopher/teacher. This book reveals these other sides of Weil and demonstrates the lines of continuity underlying her whole thought. Written between 1929 and 1941 the book covers a crucial and transitional period in Weil’s life. Taken together they represent invaluable primary source material on the evolution of Weil’s life and on her chosen method of abstracting elements from her personal experience and transmuting that experience into considered thought. Even when highly theoretical, her writing was always concerned with the application of her intelligence to concrete problems of human existence.

Waiting for Daisy is about doing all the thinsg you swore you'd never do to get something you hadn't even been sure you wanted. It's a real-life journey of loss, love, anger and redemption. Told with raw candour and a rare wit that marks Waiting for Daisy as a future classic, Peggy Orenstein's story begins when she tells her new husband that she's not certain she ever wants to be a mother. It ends six years later after she's done almost everything humanly possible to have a baby. Along the way she visits an ex-boyfriend who now has fifteen children, encounters 'parasite singles' in Tokyo (women who are rejecting marriage and motherhood in favour of shopping sprees and foreign travel), and shares stories with women survivors of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. The world's professional women are only now beginning to become aware of the risks and realities of 'having it all', and Orenstein's poignant saga unfolds as infertility is developing scarily into a boom industry, with many thousands of women a year seeking treatment.

Most of the shaping in the manufacture of polymeric objects is carried out in the melt state, as it is a substantial part of the physical property development. Melt processing involves an interplay between fluid mechanics and heat transfer in rheologically complex liquids, and taken as a whole it is a nice example of the importance of coupled transport processes. This book is on the underlying foundations of polymer melt processing, which can be derived from relatively straightforward ideas in fluid mechanics and heat transfer; the level is that of an advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate course, and the material can serve as the text for a course in polymer processing or for a second course in transport processes.

Book by Miklos Haraszti

Based on a variety of classified military records, Lewy provides the first systematic analysis of the course of the Vietnam War, the reasons for the failure of American strategy and tactics, and the causes of the final collapse of South Vietnam.

In the winter of 1978, Professor George P61ya and I jointly taught Stanford University's introductory combinatorics course. This was a great opportunity for me, as I had known of Professor P61ya since having read his classic book, How to Solve It, as a teenager. Working with P6lya, who ·was over ninety years old at the time, was every bit as rewarding as I had hoped it would be. His creativity, intelligence, warmth and generosity of spirit, and wonderful gift for teaching continue to be an inspiration to me. Combinatorics is one of the branches of mathematics that play a crucial role in computer sCience, since digital computers manipulate discrete, finite objects. Combinatorics impinges on computing in two ways. First, the properties of graphs and other combinatorial objects lead directly to algorithms for solving graph-theoretic problems, which have widespread application in non-numerical as well as in numerical computing. Second, combinatorial methods provide many analytical tools that can be used for determining the worst-case and expected performance of computer algorithms. A knowledge of combinatorics will serve the computer scientist well. Combinatorics can be classified into three enumerative, eXistential, and constructive. Enumerative combinatorics deals with the counting of combinatorial objects. Existential combinatorics studies the existence or nonexistence of combinatorial configurations.

The formation of images by ultrasound is a fascinating study, with well-established, yet rapidly growing, applic ations in medicine and with increasing relevance to a surprisingly disparate set of problems in the non-destructive examination of materials and components. The present volume is a record of the research presented at the Twelfth International Symposium on Acoustic Imaging, held in London during July 1982. Whilst, therefore, it offers primarily a snap-shot in time of a rapidly developing field, it is so organized that it will also serve as a high-speed entry into the literature for someone embarking, for the first time, on· researches in this branch of applied science. As in previous volumes, some of the work reported is concerned with topics which, whilst of critical importance to the performance of any imaging system, - e.g. transducers, signal processing may not address themselves to image formation per se. A new departure is the inclusion of photo-acoustic imaging a subject of rapidly growing importance for many of the same application areas relevant to acoustical imaging.

In this provocative book, the authors outline the crimes committed by the state under the protective shield of national security including the shaping of foreign policy around the threat of nuclear hostility, the subjection of Americans to human radiation experiments, and the massive environmental contamination caused by radioactive waste. This insightful work clearly shows that the threats posed by nuclear states extend far beyond the dangers of nuclear war. The authors argue convincingly that criminologists, government officials, and the general public have for too long avoided and neglected the illegal aspects of nuclear weapons policies in particular, and the larger issue of state crime in general.

The bridge stimulates the imagination more than any other building form. Few structures as demanding as the bridge can combine technical skill with esthetic beauty in such an imaginative way. This volume describes the wonders of bridge building, the record breakers, the great bridges of the past, and the failures and catastrophic disasters. It explains how they were built, how they work, and examines the common forms of bridges that can be seen in the world today. The story is told of those celebrated engineers who pioneered new ideas, and their fantastic building achievements are illustrated with photos, drawings, and diagrams. The most magnificent are showcased in special features taken across gatefolds, all in fabulous color photos.