Autonomous Nature

Author : Carolyn Merchant
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317395875
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.74/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Autonomous Nature written by Carolyn Merchant and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-08-27 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Autonomous Nature investigates the history of nature as an active, often unruly force in tension with nature as a rational, logical order from ancient times to the Scientific Revolution of the seventeenth century. Along with subsequent advances in mechanics, hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetism, nature came to be perceived as an orderly, rational, physical world that could be engineered, controlled, and managed. Autonomous Nature focuses on the history of unpredictability, why it was a problem for the ancient world through the Scientific Revolution, and why it is a problem for today. The work is set in the context of vignettes about unpredictable events such as the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, the Bubonic Plague, the Lisbon Earthquake, and efforts to understand and predict the weather and natural disasters. This book is an ideal text for courses on the environment, environmental history, history of science, or the philosophy of science.

Author : Carolyn Merchant
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317395883
Total Pages : 196 pages
Book Rating : 4.81/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Autonomous Nature written by Carolyn Merchant and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-08-27 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Autonomous Nature investigates the history of nature as an active, often unruly force in tension with nature as a rational, logical order from ancient times to the Scientific Revolution of the seventeenth century. Along with subsequent advances in mechanics, hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetism, nature came to be perceived as an orderly, rational, physical world that could be engineered, controlled, and managed. Autonomous Nature focuses on the history of unpredictability, why it was a problem for the ancient world through the Scientific Revolution, and why it is a problem for today. The work is set in the context of vignettes about unpredictable events such as the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, the Bubonic Plague, the Lisbon Earthquake, and efforts to understand and predict the weather and natural disasters. This book is an ideal text for courses on the environment, environmental history, history of science, or the philosophy of science.

Author : Isabelle ; Jordan Fremeaux (Jay)
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780745345895
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.91/5 ( download)

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Download or read book We Are 'Nature' Defending Itself written by Isabelle ; Jordan Fremeaux (Jay) and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In 2008, as the storms of the financial crash blew, Isabelle Fremeaux and Jay Jordan deserted the metropolis and their academic jobs, traveling across Europe in search of post-capitalist utopias. They wanted their art activism to no longer be uprooted. They arrived at a place French politicians had declared lost to the republic, otherwise know as the zad (the zone to defend): a messy but extraordinary canvas of commoning, illegally occupying 4,000 acres of wetlands where an international airport was planned. In 2018, the 40-year-long struggle snatched an incredible victory, defeating the airport expansion project through a powerful cocktail that merged creation and resistance. Fremeaux and Jordan blend rich eyewitness accounts with theory, inspired by a diverse array of approaches, from neo-animism to revolutionary biology, insurrectionary writings and radical art history"--

Author : Daniel Shiffman
Publisher : No Starch Press
ISBN 13 : 1718503717
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.17/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Nature of Code written by Daniel Shiffman and published by No Starch Press. This book was released on 2024-09-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: All aboard The Coding Train! This beginner-friendly creative coding tutorial is designed to grow your skills in a fun, hands-on way as you build simulations of real-world phenomena with “The Coding Train” YouTube star Daniel Shiffman. How can we use code to capture the unpredictable properties of nature? How can understanding the mathematical principles behind our physical world help us create interesting digital environments? Written by “The Coding Train” YouTube star Daniel Shiffman, The Nature of Code is a beginner-friendly creative coding tutorial that explores a range of programming strategies for developing computer simulations of natural systems—from elementary concepts in math and physics to sophisticated machine-learning algorithms. Using the same enthusiastic style on display in Shiffman’s popular YT channel, this book makes learning to program fun, empowering you to generate fascinating graphical output while refining your problem-solving and algorithmic-thinking skills. You’ll progress from building a basic physics engine that simulates the effects of forces like gravity and wind resistance, to creating evolving systems of intelligent autonomous agents that can learn from their mistakes and adapt to their environment. The Nature of Code introduces important topics such as: Randomness Forces and vectors Trigonometry Cellular automata and fractals Genetic algorithms Neural networks Learn from an expert how to transform your beginner-level skills into writing well-organized, thoughtful programs that set the stage for further experiments in generative design. NOTE: All examples are written with p5.js, a JavaScript library for creative coding, and are available on the book's website.

Author : Thomas Heyd
Publisher : Columbia University Press
ISBN 13 : 0231509804
Total Pages : 243 pages
Book Rating : 4.00/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Recognizing the Autonomy of Nature written by Thomas Heyd and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2005-11-09 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do the ways in which we think about and describe nature shape the use and protection of the environment? Do our seemingly well-intentioned efforts in environmental conservation reflect a respect for nature or our desire to control nature's wildness? The contributors to this collection address these and other questions as they explore the theoretical and practical implications of a crucial aspect of environmental philosophy and policy-the autonomy of nature. In focusing on the recognition and meaning of nature's autonomy and linking issues of metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and policy, the essays provide a variety of new perspectives on human relationships to nature. The authors begin by exploring what is meant by "nature," in what sense it can be seen as autonomous, and what respect for the autonomy of nature might entail. They examine the conflicts that arise between the satisfaction of human needs (food, shelter, etc.) and the natural world. The contributors also consider whether the activities of human beings contribute to nature's autonomy. In their investigation of these issues, they not only draw on philosophy and ethics; they also discuss how the idea of nature's autonomy affects policy decisions regarding the protection of agricultural, rural, and beach areas. The essays in the book's final section turn to management and restoration practices. The essays in this section pay close attention to how efforts at environmental protection alter or reinforce the traditional relationship between humans and nature. More specifically, the contributors examine whether management practices, as they are applied in nature conservation, actually promote the autonomy of nature, or whether they turn the environment into a "client" for policymakers.

Author : Alvaro Moreno
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 9401798370
Total Pages : 221 pages
Book Rating : 4.72/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Biological Autonomy written by Alvaro Moreno and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-05-04 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since Darwin, Biology has been framed on the idea of evolution by natural selection, which has profoundly influenced the scientific and philosophical comprehension of biological phenomena and of our place in Nature. This book argues that contemporary biology should progress towards and revolve around an even more fundamental idea, that of autonomy. Biological autonomy describes living organisms as organised systems, which are able to self-produce and self-maintain as integrated entities, to establish their own goals and norms, and to promote the conditions of their existence through their interactions with the environment. Topics covered in this book include organisation and biological emergence, organisms, agency, levels of autonomy, cognition, and a look at the historical dimension of autonomy. The current development of scientific investigations on autonomous organisation calls for a theoretical and philosophical analysis. This can contribute to the elaboration of an original understanding of life - including human life - on Earth, opening new perspectives and enabling fecund interactions with other existing theories and approaches. This book takes up the challenge.

Author : Markus Maurer
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 3662488477
Total Pages : 706 pages
Book Rating : 4.78/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Autonomous Driving written by Markus Maurer and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-05-21 with total page 706 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book takes a look at fully automated, autonomous vehicles and discusses many open questions: How can autonomous vehicles be integrated into the current transportation system with diverse users and human drivers? Where do automated vehicles fall under current legal frameworks? What risks are associated with automation and how will society respond to these risks? How will the marketplace react to automated vehicles and what changes may be necessary for companies? Experts from Germany and the United States define key societal, engineering, and mobility issues related to the automation of vehicles. They discuss the decisions programmers of automated vehicles must make to enable vehicles to perceive their environment, interact with other road users, and choose actions that may have ethical consequences. The authors further identify expectations and concerns that will form the basis for individual and societal acceptance of autonomous driving. While the safety benefits of such vehicles are tremendous, the authors demonstrate that these benefits will only be achieved if vehicles have an appropriate safety concept at the heart of their design. Realizing the potential of automated vehicles to reorganize traffic and transform mobility of people and goods requires similar care in the design of vehicles and networks. By covering all of these topics, the book aims to provide a current, comprehensive, and scientifically sound treatment of the emerging field of “autonomous driving".

Author : Thomas Heyd
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780231136068
Total Pages : 230 pages
Book Rating : 4.64/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Recognizing the Autonomy of Nature written by Thomas Heyd and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The contributors to this collection address what is meant by "nature" and in what sense it can be seen as autonomous. They then consider the conflicts that arise between the satisfaction of human needs and interests and respect for nature's autonomy. The essays in the book's final section turn to management and restoration practices, investigating whether they promote the autonomy of nature or represent further attempts to dominate the natural world.

Author : Richard M. Ryan
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 019936625X
Total Pages : 1805 pages
Book Rating : 4.55/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of Human Motivation written by Richard M. Ryan and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2013-12-15 with total page 1805 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Motivation is that which moves us to action. Human motivation is thus a complex issue, as people are moved to action by both their evolved natures and by myriad familial, social and cultural influences. The Oxford Handbook of Human Motivation collects the top theorists and researchers of human motivation into a single volume, capturing the current state-of-the-art in this fast developing field. The book includes theoretical overviews from some of the best-known thinkers in this area, including chapters on Social Learning Theory, Control Theory, Self-determination theory, Terror Management theory, and the Promotion and Prevention perspective. Topical chapters appear on phenomena such as ego-depletion, flow, curiosity, implicit motives, and personal interests. A section specifically highlights goal research, including chapters on goal regulation, achievement goals, the dynamics of choice, unconscious goals and process versus outcome focus. Still other chapters focus on evolutionary and biological underpinnings of motivation, including chapters on cardiovascular dynamics, mood, and neuropsychology. Finally, chapters bring motivation down to earth in reviewing its impact within relationships, and in applied areas such as psychotherapy, work, education, sport, and physical activity. By providing reviews of the most advanced work by the very best scholars in this field, The Oxford Handbook of Human Motivation represents an invaluable resource for both researchers and practitioners, as well as any student of human nature.

Author : Paul Scharre
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN 13 : 0393608999
Total Pages : 384 pages
Book Rating : 4.91/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War written by Paul Scharre and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2018-04-24 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The book I had been waiting for. I can't recommend it highly enough." —Bill Gates The era of autonomous weapons has arrived. Today around the globe, at least thirty nations have weapons that can search for and destroy enemy targets all on their own. Paul Scharre, a leading expert in next-generation warfare, describes these and other high tech weapons systems—from Israel’s Harpy drone to the American submarine-hunting robot ship Sea Hunter—and examines the legal and ethical issues surrounding their use. “A smart primer to what’s to come in warfare” (Bruce Schneier), Army of None engages military history, global policy, and cutting-edge science to explore the implications of giving weapons the freedom to make life and death decisions. A former soldier himself, Scharre argues that we must embrace technology where it can make war more precise and humane, but when the choice is life or death, there is no replacement for the human heart.