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Dry Storeroom No 1
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Book Synopsis Dry Storeroom No. 1 by : Richard Fortey
Download or read book Dry Storeroom No. 1 written by Richard Fortey and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2009-09-08 with total page 19 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A remarkable behind-the-scenes look at the extraordinary people, meticulous research, and driving passions that make London’s Natural History Museum one of the world’s greatest institutions. In an elegant and illuminating narrative, Richard Fortey takes his readers to a place where only a few privileged scientists, curators, and research specialists have been—the hallowed halls that hold the permanent collection of the Natural History Museum. Replete with fossils, jewels, rare plants, and exotic species, Fortey’s walk through offers an intimate view of many of the premiere scientific accomplishments of the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries. Like looking into the mind of mankind and all the fascinating discoveries, ideas, and accomplishments that reside there, Fortey’s tour is utterly entertaining from first to last.
Book Synopsis Dry Store Room No. 1 by : Richard A. Fortey
Download or read book Dry Store Room No. 1 written by Richard A. Fortey and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Dry Store Room No. 1' is an intimate biography of the Natural History Museum, celebrating the eccentric personalities who have peopled it and capturing the wonders of scientific endeavour, academic rigour and imagination. 'This book is a kind of museum of the mind. It is my own collection, a personal archive, designed to explain what goes on behind the polished doors in the Natural History Museum. The lustre of a museum does not depend only on the artefacts or objects it contains - the people who work out of sight are what keeps a museum alive...I want to bring those invisible people into the sunlight.' Behind the public façade of any great museum there lies a secret domain: one of unseen galleries, locked doors, priceless specimens and hidden lives. Through the stories of the numerous eccentric individuals whose long careers have left their mark on the study of evolutionary science, Richard Fortey, former senior paleaontologist at London's Natural History Museum, celebrates the pioneering work of the Museum from its inception to the present day. He delves into the feuds, affairs, scandals and skulduggery that have punctuated its long history, and formed a backdrop to extraordinary scientific endeavour. He explores the staying power and adaptability of the Museum as it responds to changes wrought by advances in technology and molecular biology - 'spare' bones from an extinct giant bird suddenly become cutting-edge science with the new knowledge that DNA can be extracted from them, and ancient fish are tested with the latest equipment that is able to measure rises in pollution. 'Dry Store Room No. 1' is a fascinating and affectionate account of a hidden world of untold treasures, where every fragment tells a story about time past, by a scientist who combines rigorous professional learning with a gift for prose that sparkles with wit and literary sensibility.
Book Synopsis The Language of Butterflies by : Wendy Williams
Download or read book The Language of Butterflies written by Wendy Williams and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-06-02 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this “deeply personal and lyrical book” (Publishers Weekly) from the New York Times bestselling author of The Horse, Wendy Williams explores the lives of one of the world’s most resilient creatures—the butterfly—shedding light on the role that they play in our ecosystem and in our human lives. “[A] glorious and exuberant celebration of these biological flying machines…Williams takes us on a humorous and beautifully crafted journey” (The Washington Post). From butterfly gardens to zoo exhibits, these “flying flowers” are one of the few insects we’ve encouraged to infiltrate our lives. Yet, what has drawn us to these creatures in the first place? And what are their lives really like? In this “entertaining look at ‘the world’s favorite insect’” (Booklist, starred review), New York Times bestselling author and science journalist Wendy Williams reveals the inner lives of these delicate creatures, who are far more intelligent and tougher than we give them credit for. Monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles each year from Canada to Mexico. Other species have learned how to fool ants into taking care of them. Butterflies’ scales are inspiring researchers to create new life-saving medical technology. Williams takes readers to butterfly habitats across the globe and introduces us to not only various species, but “digs deeply into the lives of both butterflies and [the] scientists” (Science magazine) who have spent decades studying them. Coupled with years of research and knowledge gained from experts in the field, this accessible “butterfly biography” explores the ancient partnership between these special creatures and humans, and why they continue to fascinate us today. “Informative, thought-provoking,” (BookPage, starred review) and extremely profound, The Language of Butterflies is a “fascinating book [that] will be of interest to anyone who has ever admired a butterfly, and anyone who cares about preserving these stunning creatures” (Library Journal).
Book Synopsis William Stimpson and the Golden Age of American Natural History by : Ronald Scott Vasile
Download or read book William Stimpson and the Golden Age of American Natural History written by Ronald Scott Vasile and published by Northern Illinois University Press. This book was released on 2018-06-19 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: William Stimpson was at the forefront of the American natural history community in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Stimpson displayed an early affinity for the sea and natural history, and after completing an apprenticeship with famed naturalist Louis Agassiz, he became one of the first professionally trained naturalists in the United States. In 1852, twenty-year-old Stimpson was appointed naturalist of the United States North Pacific Exploring Expedition, where he collected and classified hundreds of marine animals. Upon his return, he joined renowned naturalist Spencer F. Baird at the Smithsonian Institution to create its department of invertebrate zoology. He also founded and led the irreverent and fun-loving Megatherium Club, which included many notable naturalists. In 1865, Stimpson focused on turning the Chicago Academy of Sciences into one of the largest and most important museums in the country. Tragically, the museum was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and Stimpson died of tuberculosis soon after, before he could restore his scientific legacy. This first-ever biography of William Stimpson situates his work in the context of his time. As one of few to collaborate with both Agassiz and Baird, Stimpson's life provides insight into the men who shaped a generation of naturalists—the last before intense specialization caused naturalists to give way to biologists. Historians of science and general readers interested in biographies, science, and history will enjoy this compelling biography.
Book Synopsis Innovation for inclusive development and transformation in South Africa by : Charles Hongoro
Download or read book Innovation for inclusive development and transformation in South Africa written by Charles Hongoro and published by AOSIS. This book was released on 2023-03-01 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Science, technology, and innovation (STI) are generally accepted as major drivers of growth and can help address poverty and directly improve the well-being of different groups in society. However, under certain circumstances, STI can reinforce social exclusion and inequalities. This book explores discourses around directionality and the importance of Innovation for Inclusive Development (IID) in addressing policy questions that explore the relationship between IID with inequalities in income and opportunities. It seeks to unpack the concept of IID and what it means in a country such as South Africa – a country characterised by endemic poverty, deepening inequality, and high levels of unemployment. The book is largely original and based on a critique of existing literature to expose specific issues or bolster specific arguments about the role of IID in equitable and inclusive development. This book has been written by various scholars who understand the various notions of IID and how it can possibly be applied and the relevance of such knowledge for policy, programmes and practice.
Book Synopsis The Call of the Crawfish Frog by : Michael J. Lannoo
Download or read book The Call of the Crawfish Frog written by Michael J. Lannoo and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2020-03-16 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Crawfish Frogs (Rana areolata) have been called the most secretive frog in North America, and it is unusual in the twenty-first century – in the most scientifically advanced country in the world – that basic discoveries can still be made on an animal that inhabits a quarter of the United States. This is not only a story of the biology of Crawfish Frogs, but a case study of discovery. This volume describes the life history and natural history critical to the survival of the endangered amphibian and recommends management actions to ensure persistence. The authors tell an optimistic conservation biology story and fill a gap between science and the public. The authors have compiled and summarized the peer-reviewed literature on the biology of Crawfish Frogs, which may be one of the most interesting frogs in North America (that nobody knows about). Key Features Recounts the story of an imperiled species and how to go about saving it Vividly brings science to life and makes it accessible Provides a popular account of natural history research and ecological fieldwork Related Titles D. Vieira de Andrade, C. R. Bevier & J. Eduardo de Carvalho, eds. Amphibian and Reptile Adaptations to the Environment: Interplay Between Physiology and Behavior (ISBN 978-1-4822-2204-3). M. Ogielska, ed. Reproduction of Amphibians (ISBN 978-1-1381-1771-6). D. W. Sparling, G. Linder, C. A. Bishop & S. Krest, eds. Ecotoxicology of Amphibians and Reptiles, 2nd Edition (ISBN 978-1-4200-6416-2). F. L. Frye. Reptiles and Amphibians: Self-Assessment Color Review, Second Edition (ISBN 978-1-4822-5760-1).
Download or read book Curators written by Lance Grande and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2017-03-21 with total page 431 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Natural history museums have evolved from being little more than musty repositories of stuffed animals and pinned bugs, to being crucial generators of new scientific knowledge. They have also become vibrant educational centers, full of engaging exhibits that share those discoveries with students and an enthusiastic general public. Grande offers a portrait of curators and their research, conveying the intellectual excitement and the educational and social value of curation. He uses the personal story of his own career-- most of it spent at Chicago's Field Museum-- to explore the value of research and collections, the importance of public engagement, changing ecological and ethical considerations, and the impact of rapidly improving technology.
Book Synopsis Methuselah's Zoo by : Steven N. Austad
Download or read book Methuselah's Zoo written by Steven N. Austad and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2023-08-15 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stories of long-lived animal species—from thousand-year-old tubeworms to 400-year-old sharks—and what they might teach us about human health and longevity. Opossums in the wild don’t make it to the age of three; our pet cats can live for a decade and a half; cicadas live for seventeen years (spending most of them underground). Whales, however, can live for two centuries and tubeworms for several millennia. Meanwhile, human life expectancy tops out around the mid-eighties, with some outliers living past 100 or even 110. Is there anything humans can learn from the exceptional longevity of some animals in the wild? In Methusaleh’s Zoo, Steven Austad tells the stories of some extraordinary animals, considering why, for example, animal species that fly live longer than earthbound species and why animals found in the ocean live longest of all. Austad—the leading authority on longevity in animals—argues that the best way we will learn from these long-lived animals is by studying them in the wild. Accordingly, he proceeds habitat by habitat, examining animals that spend most of their lives in the air, comparing insects, birds, and bats; animals that live on, and under, the ground—from mole rats to elephants; and animals that live in the sea, including quahogs, carp, and dolphins. Humans have dramatically increased their lifespan with only a limited increase in healthspan; we’re more and more prone to diseases as we grow older. By contrast, these species have successfully avoided both environmental hazards and the depredations of aging. Can we be more like them?
Book Synopsis The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi by : Keith Seifert
Download or read book The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi written by Keith Seifert and published by Greystone Books Ltd. This book was released on 2022-05-24 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The must-have gift for mushroom fans and foragers: “fans of Merlin Sheldrake’s Entangled Life and Suzanne Simard’s Finding the Mother Tree will enjoy Seifert’s latest... A perspective-shifting guide to our microfungal matrix.”—Kirkus Even though we can’t always see them, fungi exist all around us. From forests and farms to food and medicine—and even our homes and bodies—fungal connections shape how we live. In this illuminating book, readers will “discover how these marvels of nature enrich (and sometimes threaten) our lives.”(Peter Wohlleben, New York Times-bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees. Esteemed career mycologist Keith Seifert reveals the important role that microscopic fungi, including yeasts, molds, and slimes, play in our lives, all while remaining invisible to the naked eye. Divided into sections, each one exploring a different environment where fungi thrive, The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi introduces readers to the fascinating world of mycology, with information on: How fungi are at the heart of life-changing medical breakthroughs, including the development of antibiotics such as penicillin and organ transplant drugs. Where fungi live in our homes and how they influence our health, from our gut to our scalps. How fungi add important vitamins to our diet and make our favorite foods and drinks possible, including wine, cheese, chocolate, and beer. The essential role fungi are playing in innovative technologies, such as creating alternative energy sources, reducing plastic pollution, cleaning up toxins from oil spills, and even building architecture for a Mars colony. Despite their many benefits, we hold a precarious relationship with fungi: fungal diseases lead to over 1 million deaths each year, and they have played a destructive role in disasters ranging from the Irish Potato Famine to possibly even the extinction of the dinosaurs. The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi urges us to better understand our relationship with fungi—and to plan our future with them in mind—while revealing their world in all its beautiful complexity.
Book Synopsis The Discovery of Jeanne Baret by : Glynis Ridley
Download or read book The Discovery of Jeanne Baret written by Glynis Ridley and published by Crown. This book was released on 2011-12-06 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The year was 1765. Eminent botanist Philibert Commerson had just been appointed to a grand new expedition: the first French circumnavigation of the world. As the ships’ official naturalist, Commerson would seek out resources—medicines, spices, timber, food—that could give the French an edge in the ever-accelerating race for empire. Jeanne Baret, Commerson’s young mistress and collaborator, was desperate not to be left behind. She disguised herself as a teenage boy and signed on as his assistant. The journey made the twenty-six-year-old, known to her shipmates as “Jean” rather than “Jeanne,” the first woman to ever sail around the globe. Yet so little is known about this extraordinary woman, whose accomplishments were considered to be subversive, even impossible for someone of her sex and class. When the ships made landfall and the secret lovers disembarked to explore, Baret carried heavy wooden field presses and bulky optical instruments over beaches and hills, impressing observers on the ships’ decks with her obvious strength and stamina. Less obvious were the strips of linen wound tight around her upper body and the months she had spent perfecting her masculine disguise in the streets and marketplaces of Paris. Expedition commander Louis-Antoine de Bougainville recorded in his journal that curious Tahitian natives exposed Baret as a woman, eighteen months into the voyage. But the true story, it turns out, is more complicated. In The Discovery of Jeanne Baret, Glynis Ridley unravels the conflicting accounts recorded by Baret’s crewmates to piece together the real story: how Baret’s identity was in fact widely suspected within just a couple of weeks of embarking, and the painful consequences of those suspicions; the newly discovered notebook, written in Baret’s own hand, that proves her scientific acumen; and the thousands of specimens she collected, most famously the showy vine bougainvillea. Ridley also richly explores Baret’s awkward, sometimes dangerous interactions with the men on the ship, including Baret’s lover, the obsessive and sometimes prickly naturalist; a fashion-plate prince who, with his elaborate wigs and velvet garments, was often mistaken for a woman himself; the sour ship’s surgeon, who despised Baret and Commerson; even a Tahitian islander who joined the expedition and asked Baret to show him how to behave like a Frenchman. But the central character of this true story is Jeanne Baret herself, a working-class woman whose scientific contributions were quietly dismissed and written out of history—until now. Anchored in impeccable original research and bursting with unforgettable characters and exotic settings, The Discovery of Jeanne Baret offers this forgotten heroine a chance to bloom at long last.
Book Synopsis Connecting with Our Ancestors: Human Evolution Museum Experiences by : Shelley L. Smith
Download or read book Connecting with Our Ancestors: Human Evolution Museum Experiences written by Shelley L. Smith and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on with total page 542 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Book Synopsis Dinosaurs by the Decades by : Randy Moore
Download or read book Dinosaurs by the Decades written by Randy Moore and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2014-07-23 with total page 502 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Providing an appealing chronology of "all things dinosaur," this book covers these ancient creatures' roles and surprising importance in science, religion, and society at large. This exhaustive, up-to-date book contains more than 2,000 entries about dinosaurs and dinosaur-related topics. It provides not only detailed information about their discovery, underlying science, and recent technologies and theories but also encompasses all of the facets of dinosaurs in society—for example, their use in consumer marketing and promotion, popularization of dinosaurs in the media, as "proof" for both evolutionists and creationists to substantiate their claims about life's origins, and as cultural artifacts. Organized chronologically, the book offers an informative and entertaining timeline of how dinosaurs have appeared in science, religion, and society since they were discovered in the 1800s, covering everything from dinosaur museum displays to how dinosaurs served advocates of young-Earth creationism. This fascinating work enables a broad appreciation for the surprising significance of dinosaurs in many aspects of our daily lives and modern society.
Book Synopsis Garden Allies by : Frederique Lavoipierre
Download or read book Garden Allies written by Frederique Lavoipierre and published by Timber Press. This book was released on 2021-09-28 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Explains how your garden can be a thriving, balanced community that gives more to your landscape than it takes." —Douglas W. Tallamy, author of The Nature of Oaks and Nature’s Best Hope The birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects that inhabit our yards and gardens are overwhelmingly on our side—they are not our enemies, but instead our allies. They pollinate our flowers and vegetable crops, and they keep pests in check. In Garden Allies, Frédérique Lavoipierre shares fascinating portraits of these creatures, describing their life cycles and showing how they keep the garden’s ecology in balance. Also included is helpful information on how to nurture and welcome these valuable creatures into your garden. With beautiful pen-and-ink drawings by Craig Latker, Garden Allies invites you to make friends with the creatures that fill your garden—the reward is a renewed sense of nature’s beauty and a garden humming with life.
Book Synopsis Doing Museology Differently by : Duncan Grewcock
Download or read book Doing Museology Differently written by Duncan Grewcock and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-09-05 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One might believe that museum studies is a stable field of academic inquiry based on a set of familiar institutional forms and functions. But as institutions museums have never been stable or singular, and neither has the discipline of museum studies. Museum studies as a field of academic inquiry has received little critical attention. One result of this neglect has arguably been a lack of invention in museum studies; another is the distancing of academic museum studies from museum practice. Doing Museology Differently charts a different course. A critical‐creative reflection on academic practice, the book takes the form of a narrative account of museological fieldwork. A research story unfolds, challenging academic conventions at the level of its own presentation: the book combines critical museum visiting with an autobiographical voice. The identification of a previously underexplored interdisciplinary space leads the author to experiment with museum studies using contemporary developments in the theory and practice of human geography. The new approaches to museological research and representation that emerge from this unique inquiry challenge assumed institutional and intellectual boundaries and act as a call to further creative experimentation.
Book Synopsis Colorado Flora by : William A. Weber
Download or read book Colorado Flora written by William A. Weber and published by University Press of Colorado. This book was released on 2012-04-06 with total page 610 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope describes the remarkable flora of the state, distinctive in its altitudinal range, numerous microhabitats, and ancient and rare plants. Together with Colorado Flora: Western Slope, Fourth Edition, these volumes are designed to educate local amateurs and professionals in the recognition of vascular plant species and encourage informed stewardship of our biological heritage. These thoroughly revised and updated editions reflect current taxonomic knowledge. The authors describe botanical features of this unparalleled biohistorical region and its mountain ranges, basins, and plains and discuss plant geography, giving detailed notes on habitat, ecology, and range. The keys recount interesting anecdotes and introductions for each plant family. The book is rounded out with historical background of botanical work in the state, suggested readings, glossary, index to scientific and common names, references, and hundreds of illustrations. The books also contain a new contribution from Donald R. Farrar and Steve J. Popovich on moonworts. The fourth editions of Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope and Colorado Flora: Western Slope are ideal for both student and scientist and essential for readers interested in Colorado's plant life.
Book Synopsis Colorado Flora: Western Slope by : Ronald C. Wittmann
Download or read book Colorado Flora: Western Slope written by Ronald C. Wittmann and published by University Press of Colorado. This book was released on 2011-10-01 with total page 585 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: [C]learly a book that every Rocky Mountain botanist should own." -Arctic and Alpine Research Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope describes the remarkable flora of the state, distinctive in its altitudinal range, numerous microhabitats, and ancient and rare plants. Together with Colorado Flora: Western Slope, Fourth Edition, these volumes are designed to educate local amateurs and professionals in the recognition of vascular plant species so that they can be better stewards of our priceless and irreplaceable biological heritage. These thoroughly revised and updated editions reflect current taxonomic knowledge. The authors describe botanical features of this unparalleled biohistorical region and its mountain ranges, basins, and plains and discuss plant geography, giving detailed notes on habitat, ecology, and range. The keys contain interesting anecdotes and introductions for each plant family. Each volume includes a background of botanical work in the state, a complete glossary, indices to common and scientific names, references and suggested readings, and hundreds of illustrations. The books also contain a new contribution from Donald R. Farrar and Steve J. Popovich on moonworts. The fourth editions of Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope and Colorado Flora: Western Slope are ideal for both student and scientist and essential for readers interested in Colorado's plant life.
Book Synopsis Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope by : Ronald C. Wittmann
Download or read book Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope written by Ronald C. Wittmann and published by University Press of Colorado. This book was released on 2011-10-01 with total page 610 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: [C]learly a book that every Rocky Mountain botanist should own." -Arctic and Alpine Research Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope describes the remarkable flora of the state, distinctive in its altitudinal range, numerous microhabitats, and ancient and rare plants. Together with Colorado Flora: Western Slope, Fourth Edition, these volumes are designed to educate local amateurs and professionals in the recognition of vascular plant species so that they can be better stewards of our priceless and irreplaceable biological heritage. These thoroughly revised and updated editions reflect current taxonomic knowledge. The authors describe botanical features of this unparalleled biohistorical region and its mountain ranges, basins, and plains and discuss plant geography, giving detailed notes on habitat, ecology, and range. The keys contain interesting anecdotes and introductions for each plant family. Each volume includes a background of botanical work in the state, a complete glossary, indices to common and scientific names, references and suggested readings, and hundreds of illustrations. The books also contain a new contribution from Donald R. Farrar and Steve J. Popovich on moonworts. The fourth editions of Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope and Colorado Flora: Western Slope are ideal for both student and scientist and essential for readers interested in Colorado's plant life.
