by Eric Dinerstein ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 17, 2013
An illuminating perspective on the complexity of life.
The World Wildlife Fund’s chief scientist examines the ecological impact of rare species in shaping the Earth's environment.
In 1988, Dinerstein (Tigerland and Other Unintended Destinations, 2007, etc.) was observing extremely rare one-horned rhinos in India when his attention was drawn to the large communal dung piles that they create. Islands of trees had been created from the fruit seeds that were contained in them. This observation led him to consider the possibility that “ecological impact does not always reflect numerical abundance.” The importance of preserving species diversity is recognized as essential to the maintenance of dynamic ecological balance, but not necessarily the historical evolutionary role of rare species. “[R]obins, rats, and roaches may account for 90 to 95 percent of all individuals on earth,” writes the author, but astonishingly, “as much as 75 percent of all species on Earth may be drawn from the ranks of the rare.” The author makes a subtle distinction between absolute numerical rarity and the rarity of habitats. For example, a species abundant in a small number of specific geographical locations may become extinct because of environmental shifts such as climate change. Trees in the Amazon rain forest may have a large range but, unlike more northerly trees that cluster, be spread out as individuals. A single gigantic tree may “create a three-dimensional stage for millions of smaller organisms and…hold more ant species than are found in the entire British Isles.” Throughout this intriguing book, Dinerstein covers a wide range of topics, including how myths about the supposed medicinal effect of rhino horns has created a lucrative illegal market that threatens them with extinction and why long-lived large animals with few predators but low reproductive rates are especially vulnerable.
An illuminating perspective on the complexity of life.Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-61091-195-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Island Press
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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by Carlo Rovelli ; translated by Simon Carnell & Erica Segre ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2016
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both...
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Italian theoretical physicist Rovelli (General Relativity: The Most Beautiful of Theories, 2015, etc.) shares his thoughts on the broader scientific and philosophical implications of the great revolution that has taken place over the past century.
These seven lessons, which first appeared as articles in the Sunday supplement of the Italian newspaper Sole 24 Ore, are addressed to readers with little knowledge of physics. In less than 100 pages, the author, who teaches physics in both France and the United States, cogently covers the great accomplishments of the past and the open questions still baffling physicists today. In the first lesson, he focuses on Einstein's theory of general relativity. He describes Einstein's recognition that gravity "is not diffused through space [but] is that space itself" as "a stroke of pure genius." In the second lesson, Rovelli deals with the puzzling features of quantum physics that challenge our picture of reality. In the remaining sections, the author introduces the constant fluctuations of atoms, the granular nature of space, and more. "It is hardly surprising that there are more things in heaven and earth, dear reader, than have been dreamed of in our philosophy—or in our physics,” he writes. Rovelli also discusses the issues raised in loop quantum gravity, a theory that he co-developed. These issues lead to his extraordinary claim that the passage of time is not fundamental but rather derived from the granular nature of space. The author suggests that there have been two separate pathways throughout human history: mythology and the accumulation of knowledge through observation. He believes that scientists today share the same curiosity about nature exhibited by early man.
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both scientists and general readers.Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-18441-3
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Riverhead
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
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by Carlo Rovelli ; translated by Simon Carnell
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by Carlo Rovelli ; translated by Marion Lignana Rosenberg
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by Carlo Rovelli ; translated by Erica Segre & Simon Carnell
by Richard Rhodes ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 1986
A magnificent account of a central reality of our times, incorporating deep scientific expertise, broad political and social knowledge, and ethical insight, and Idled with beautifully written biographical sketches of the men and women who created nuclear physics. Rhodes describes in detail the great scientific achievements that led up to the invention of the atomic bomb. Everything of importance is examined, from the discovery of the atomic nucleus and of nuclear fission to the emergence of quantum physics, the invention of the mass-spectroscope and of the cyclotron, the creation of such man-made elements as plutonium and tritium, and implementation of the nuclear chain reaction in uranium. Even more important, Rhodes shows how these achievements were thrust into the arms of the state, which culminated in the unfolding of the nuclear arms race. Often brilliantly, he records the rise of fascism and of anti-Semitism, and the intensification of nationalist ambitions. He traces the outbreak of WW II, which provoked a hysterical rivalry among nations to devise the bomb. This book contains a grim description of Japanese resistance, and of the horrible psychological numbing that caused an unparalleled tolerance for human suffering and destruction. Rhodes depicts the Faustian scale of the Manhattan Project. His account of the dropping of the bomb itself, and of the awful firebombing that prepared its way, is unforgettable. Although Rhodes' gallery of names and events is sometimes dizzying, his scientific discussions often daunting, he has written a book of great drama and sweep. A superb accomplishment.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1986
ISBN: 0684813785
Page Count: 932
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1986
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