Tag Archives: science & nature

The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes – Donald Hoffman

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The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes

Donald Hoffman

Genre: Science & Nature

Price: $14.99

Publish Date: August 13, 2019

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Seller: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.


Can we trust our senses to tell us the truth? Challenging leading scientific theories that claim that our senses report back objective reality, cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman argues that while we should take our perceptions seriously, we should not take them literally. How can it be possible that the world we see is not objective reality? And how can our senses be useful if they are not communicating the truth? Hoffman grapples with these questions and more over the course of this eye-opening work. Ever since Homo sapiens has walked the earth, natural selection has favored perception that hides the truth and guides us toward useful action, shaping our senses to keep us alive and reproducing. We observe a speeding car and do not walk in front of it; we see mold growing on bread and do not eat it. These impressions, though, are not objective reality. Just like a file icon on a desktop screen is a useful symbol rather than a genuine representation of what a computer file looks like, the objects we see every day are merely icons, allowing us to navigate the world safely and with ease. The real-world implications for this discovery are huge. From examining why fashion designers create clothes that give the illusion of a more “attractive” body shape to studying how companies use color to elicit specific emotions in consumers, and even dismantling the very notion that spacetime is objective reality, The Case Against Reality dares us to question everything we thought we knew about the world we see.

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The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes – Donald Hoffman

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Infinite Reality – Jim Blascovich & Jeremy Bailenson

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Infinite Reality

Avatars, Eternal Life, New Worlds, and the Dawn of the Virtual Revolution

Jim Blascovich & Jeremy Bailenson

Genre: Science & Nature

Price: $1.99

Publish Date: April 5, 2011

Publisher: HarperCollins e-books

Seller: HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS


“Enough with speculation about our digital future. Infinite Reality is the straight dope on what is and isn’t happening to us right now, from two of the only scientists working on the boundaries between real life and its virtual extensions.” —Douglas Rushkoff, author of Program or Be Programmed How achievable are the virtual experiences seen in The Matrix, Tron, and James Cameron’s Avatar? Do our brains know where “reality” ends and “virtual” begins? In Infinite Reality, Jim Blascovich and Jeremy Bailenson, two pioneering experts in the field of virtual reality, reveal how the human brain behaves in virtual environments and examine where radical new developments in digital technology will lead us in five, fifty, and five hundred years.

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Infinite Reality – Jim Blascovich & Jeremy Bailenson

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Apollo – Zack Scott

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Apollo

A Graphic Guide to Mankind’s Greatest Mission

Zack Scott

Genre: Science & Nature

Price: $9.99

Publish Date: May 7, 2019

Publisher: ABRAMS

Seller: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.


July 20, 1969, marked one of the greatest achievements of mankind—the moon landing. In his infographic-packed book,  Apollo: A Graphic Guide to Mankind’s Greatest Mission ,   Zack Scott recounts the entire journey of the Apollo space program. Unlike previous books on this topic, Scott illustrates the tiniest details of how man came to walk on the moon, paying particular attention to many of the lesser known facts about the mission. Artful infographics throughout focus on a wide range of details that space-lovers will obsess over—astronaut weights, mission insignia and spacecraft call signs, fuel consumption stats, splashdown sites around the world, and much, much more. A fresh, hip approach to the subject,  Apollo  is the perfect combination of science, design, math, and space.  

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Apollo – Zack Scott

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Every Tool’s a Hammer – Adam Savage

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Every Tool’s a Hammer

Life Is What You Make It

Adam Savage

Genre: Science & Nature

Price: $12.99

Publish Date: May 7, 2019

Publisher: Atria Books

Seller: SIMON AND SCHUSTER DIGITAL SALES INC


“An imperative how-to for creativity.” —Nick Offerman Adam Savage—star of Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters and one of the most beloved figures in science and tech—shares his golden rules of creativity, from finding inspiration to following through and successfully making your idea a reality. Every Tool ’ s a Hammer is a chronicle of my life as a maker. It’s an exploration of making and of my own productive obsessions, but it’s also a permission slip of sorts from me to you. Permission to grab hold of the things you’re interested in, that fascinate you, and to dive deeper into them to see where they lead you. Through stories from forty-plus years of making and molding, building and break­ing, along with the lessons I learned along the way, this book is meant to be a toolbox of problem solving, complete with a shop’s worth of notes on the tools, techniques, and materials that I use most often. Things like: In Every Tool There Is a Hammer —don’t wait until everything is perfect to begin a project, and if you don’t have the exact right tool for a task, just use whatever’s handy; Increase Your Loose Tolerance —making is messy and filled with screwups, but that’s okay, as creativity is a path with twists and turns and not a straight line to be found; Use More Cooling Fluid —it prolongs the life of blades and bits, and it prevents tool failure, but beyond that it’s a reminder to slow down and reduce the fric­tion in your work and relationships; Screw Before You Glue —mechanical fasteners allow you to change and modify a project while glue is forever but sometimes you just need the right glue, so I dig into which ones will do the job with the least harm and best effects. This toolbox also includes lessons from many other incredible makers and creators, including: Jamie Hyneman, Nick Offerman, Pixar director Andrew Stanton, Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro, artist Tom Sachs, and chef Traci Des Jardins. And if everything goes well, we will hopefully save you a few mistakes (and maybe fingers) as well as help you turn your curiosities into creations. I hope this book inspires you to build, make, invent, explore, and—most of all—enjoy the thrills of being a creator.

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Every Tool’s a Hammer – Adam Savage

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This Explains Everything – John Brockman

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This Explains Everything

150 Deep, Beautiful, and Elegant Theories of How the World Works

John Brockman

Genre: Science & Nature

Price: $2.99

Publish Date: January 22, 2013

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Seller: HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS


Drawn from the cutting-edge frontiers of science, This Explains Everything will revolutionize your understanding of the world. What is your favorite deep, elegant, or beautiful explanation? This is the question John Brockman, publisher of Edge.org ("The world's smartest website"—The Guardian), posed to the world's most influential minds. Flowing from the horizons of physics, economics, psychology, neuroscience, and more, This Explains Everything presents 150 of the most surprising and brilliant theories of the way of our minds, societies, and universe work. Jared Diamond on biological electricity • Nassim Nicholas Taleb on positive stress • Steven Pinker on the deep genetic roots of human conflict • Richard Dawkins on pattern recognition • Nobel Prize-winning physicist Frank Wilczek on simplicity • Lisa Randall on the Higgs mechanism • BRIAN Eno on the limits of intuition • Richard Thaler on the power of commitment • V. S. Ramachandran on the "neural code" of consciousness • Nobel Prize winner ERIC KANDEL on the power of psychotherapy • Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on "Lord Acton's Dictum" • Lawrence M. Krauss on the unification of electricity and magnetism • plus contributions by Martin J. Rees • Kevin Kelly • Clay Shirky • Daniel C. Dennett • Sherry Turkle • Philip Zimbardo • Lee Smolin • Rebecca Newberger Goldstein • Seth Lloyd • Stewart Brand • George Dyson • Matt Ridley

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This Explains Everything – John Brockman

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The Science of Harry Potter – Mark Brake & Jon Chase

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The Science of Harry Potter

The Spellbinding Science Behind the Magic, Gadgets, Potions, and More!

Mark Brake & Jon Chase

Genre: Science & Nature

Price: $1.99

Publish Date: November 14, 2017

Publisher: Racehorse

Seller: SIMON AND SCHUSTER DIGITAL SALES INC


How does magic in J. K. Rowling’s universe work? Finally, the scientific secrets are revealed! The story of the boy who lived has brought the idea of magic and sorcery into mainstream fruition more than any other book series in history. Modern muggle scientists have uncovered explanations to the seemingly impossible, including answers to such questions as: • Will we ever see an invisibility cloak? • How hazardous is a flying broomstick like the Nimbus 2000 ? • How has medicine made powerful potions from peculiar plants? ( Felix Felicis , anyone?) • Can scientists ever demonstrate Wingardium Leviosa , or the flying power of a Golden Snitch? • Is it possible to stupefy someone? • And many more! Often perceived as a supernatural force, magic captivates and delights its audience because of its seeming ability to defy physics and logic. But did you ever wonder if science has any explanation for these fantastic feats? The Science of Harry Potter examines the scientific principles—behind some of your favorite characters, spells, items, scenes, and even games like Quidditch and Wizard’s Chess—from boy wizard Harry Potter’s world, providing in-depth analysis and scientific facts to support its theories. Author Mark Brake, whose The Science of Star Wars was a knockout success, has found the answers to satisfy the curious spirits of muggles everywhere… A perfect Harry Potter gift for anyone obsessed enough to stand in line to be the first to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child or Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , witches and wizards alike will be fascinated by the merging of this improbable realm and real science!

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The Science of Harry Potter – Mark Brake & Jon Chase

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Drawdown – Paul Hawken

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Drawdown

The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming

Paul Hawken

Genre: Science & Nature

Price: $1.99

Publish Date: April 18, 2017

Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

Seller: PENGUIN GROUP USA, INC.


•  New York Times  bestseller  • The 100 most substantive solutions to reverse global warming, based on meticulous research by leading scientists and policymakers around the world “At this point in time, the  Drawdown  book is exactly what is needed; a credible, conservative solution-by-solution narrative that we can do it. Reading it is an effective inoculation against the widespread perception of doom that humanity cannot and will not solve the climate crisis. Reported by-effects include increased determination and a sense of grounded hope.” —Per Espen Stoknes, Author,  What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming   “There’s been no real way for ordinary people to get an understanding of what they can do and what impact it can have. There remains no single, comprehensive, reliable compendium of carbon-reduction solutions across sectors. At least until now. . . . The public is hungry for this kind of practical wisdom.” —David Roberts,  Vox “This is the ideal environmental sciences textbook—only it is too interesting and inspiring to be called a textbook.” —Peter Kareiva, Director of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA In the face of widespread fear and apathy, an international coalition of researchers, professionals, and scientists have come together to offer a set of realistic and bold solutions to climate change. One hundred techniques and practices are described here—some are well known; some you may have never heard of. They range from clean energy to educating girls in lower-income countries to land use practices that pull carbon out of the air. The solutions exist, are economically viable, and communities throughout the world are currently enacting them with skill and determination. If deployed collectively on a global scale over the next thirty years, they represent a credible path forward, not just to slow the earth’s warming but to reach drawdown, that point in time when greenhouse gases in the atmosphere peak and begin to decline. These measures promise cascading benefits to human health, security, prosperity, and well-being—giving us every reason to see this planetary crisis as an opportunity to create a just and livable world.

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Drawdown – Paul Hawken

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Biotechnology in Our Lives – Jeremy Gruber & Sheldon Krimsky

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Biotechnology in Our Lives

What Modern Genetics Can Tell You about Assisted Reproduction, Human Behavior, and Personalized Medicine, and Much More

Jeremy Gruber & Sheldon Krimsky

Genre: Science & Nature

Price: $1.99

Publish Date: June 1, 2013

Publisher: Skyhorse

Seller: SIMON AND SCHUSTER DIGITAL SALES INC


For a quarter of a century, the Council for Responsible Genetics has provided a unique historical lens into the modern history, science, ethics, and politics of genetic technologies. Since 1983 the Council has had leading scientists, activists, science writers, and public health advocates researching and reporting on a broad spectrum of issues, including genetically engineered foods, biological weapons, genetic privacy and discrimination, reproductive technologies, and human cloning. Biotechnology in Our Lives examines how these issues affect us daily whether we realize it or not. Written for the nonscientist, it looks at the many applications of genetics on the world around us by posing questions such as: • What should we know about genetics and childbirth? • Can our genes keep us from qualifying for health insurance? • Can gene therapy cure cancer? • Is behavior genetically determined? • Why would the FBI want our genes? • Are foreign genes in our food? • And much more Ultimately, this definitive book on the subject also encourages us to think about the social, environmental, and moral ramifications of where this technology is taking us.

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Biotechnology in Our Lives – Jeremy Gruber & Sheldon Krimsky

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The Dancing Wu Li Masters – Gary Zukav

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The Dancing Wu Li Masters

An Overview of the New Physics

Gary Zukav

Genre: Science & Nature

Price: $1.99

Publish Date: October 6, 2009

Publisher: HarperOne

Seller: HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS


“The most exciting intellectual adventure I've been on since reading Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance .” — Times Gary Zukav’s timeless, humorous, New York Times bestselling masterpiece, The Dancing Wu Li Masters , is arguably the most widely acclaimed introduction to quantum physics ever written. Scientific American raves: “Zukav is such a skilled expositor, with such an amiable style, that it is hard to imagine a layman who would not find his book enjoyable and informative.” Accessible, edifying, and endlessly entertaining, The Dancing Wu Li Masters is back in a beautiful new edition—and the doors to the fascinating, dazzling, remarkable world of quantum physics are opened to all once again, no previous mathematical or technical expertise required.

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The Dancing Wu Li Masters – Gary Zukav

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Martian Summer – Andrew Kessler

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Martian Summer

My Ninety Days with Interplanetary Pioneers, Temperamental Robots, and NASA’s Phoenix Mars Mission

Andrew Kessler

Genre: Science & Nature

Price: $1.99

Publish Date: July 15, 2014

Publisher: Open Road Media

Seller: OpenRoad Integrated Media, LLC


A space enthusiast goes inside mission control with a motley crew of rocket scientists in this “fascinating journey of discovery peppered with humor” ( Publishers Weekly ). The  Phoenix  Mars mission was the first man-made probe ever sent to the Martian arctic. Its purpose was to find out how climate change could turn a warm, wet planet (read: Earth) into a cold, barren desert (read: Mars). Along the way,  Phoenix  discovered a giant frozen ocean trapped beneath the north pole of Mars, exotic food for aliens, and liquid water, and laid the foundation for NASA’s current exploration of Mars using the  Curiosity  rover. This is not science fiction. It’s fact. And for the luckiest fanboy in fandom, it was the best vacation ever. Andrew Kessler spent the summer of 2008 in NASA’s mission control with one hundred thirty of the world’s best planetary scientists and engineers as they carried out this ambitious operation. He came back with a story of human drama about modern-day pioneers battling NASA politics, temperamental robots, and the bizarre world of daily life in mission control.

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Martian Summer – Andrew Kessler

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