Showing titles in Evolution

An extraterrestrial colony, in some form, may already exist, just awaiting discovery. But the greatest impediment to such an important scientific discovery may not be technological, but political. No scientific endeavor can be launched without a budget, and matters of money are within the arena of politicians. Dr. Ben Bova explores some of the key players and the arguments waged in a debate of both scientific and cultural priorities.

The zombie has had a bit of a renaissance over the last decade. Hollywood churns out films like World War Z and TV shows like The Walking Dead, and communities throughout the country hold zombie runs and races. So what’s driving the zombie obsession? Where did the fear of this creature originate? In this audiobook, The Real Zombies of Nature, we look at the myth of the zombie versus real instances of zombification in the natural world and engage in some scientific speculation about what would happen if myth ever became reality.

In Why Are We Like This? science journalist Zoe Kean takes us behind the scenes of the evolutionary paradoxes that make up life on this planet. Exploring with scientists, whether freezing in Tasmanian sleet or in a laboratory of sleeping sharks in North Queensland, we see how these evolutionary mysteries might just uncover the secrets of a better life for humans and the creatures we share the planet with.

Survival of the Beautiful is a revolutionary new examination of the interplay of beauty, art, and culture in evolution. Taking inspiration from Darwin's observation that animals have a natural aesthetic sense, philosopher and musician David Rothenberg probes why animals, humans included, have innate appreciation for beauty - and why nature is, indeed, beautiful.

For fans of accessible and fun popular science comes an exploration of evolution’s quirkiest puzzles and most enduring mysteries. Why do cats live longer than dogs? Why do bees have yellow stripes? Why can we smell a skunk from a mile away? Such questions can be seen as puzzles about...

Does it ever feel like there's a hypercritical, negative voice inside your head, telling you that you aren't good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, or worthy of success or love? Negative self-talk is all too common, especially for women. This inner critic originally served an important evolutionary purpose—to ensure survival. The problem is, this voice can be difficult to "switch off," leading to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. So, how can you move past negative self-talk and start living with confidence?

Kooperation ist ein grundlegendes Prinzip allen Lebens. Heute weiß man: Kein Tier, keine Pflanze, kein komplexer Organismus kommt ohne sie aus. Dirk Brockmann führt uns ein in die Welt der Symbiosen, beschreibt die Macht der Bakterien und erklärt, wie revolutionäre Innovationen der Erdgeschichte erst durch Kooperationen möglich wurden.

This audiobook is narrated by an AI Voice. This is the official OpenStax Concepts of Biology audiobook, produced by Audileo, an authorized OpenStax Technology Partner. Concepts of Biology is designed for the typical introductory biology course for nonmajors, covering standard scope and sequence...

In Star Trek, crew members travel to unusual planets, meet diverse beings, and encounter unique civilizations. Throughout these remarkable space adventures, does Star Trek reflect biology and evolution as we know it? What can the science in the science fiction of Star Trek teach us? In Live Long and Evolve, biologist and die-hard Trekkie Mohamed Noor takes fans on a fun, fact-filled scientific journey. Noor offers Trekkies, science-fiction fans, and anyone curious about how life works a cosmic gateway into introductory biology.

In The Genial Gene, Joan Roughgarden forcefully rejects ideas that have come to dominate the study of animal evolution. Building on her brilliant and innovative book Evolution's Rainbow, in which she challenged accepted wisdom about gender identity and sexual orientation, Roughgarden upends the notion of the selfish gene and the theory of sexual selection and develops a compelling and controversial alternative theory called social selection.

Scientists often challenge conventional wisdom and spark debates that last for generations. But no scientist has fuelled more debate than Charles Darwin. To some he is the revolutionary 'father' of evolution. To others he is the perverse 'originator' of modern eugenics. In The Darwin Myth: The Life and Lies of Charles Darwin, author Benjamin Wiker brings these conflicting identities to light.

If we are, in part, a product of our genes, can free will exist? Incisive and engaging, this indispensable tour of evolutionary biology runs the gamut of contemporary debates, from science and religion to our place in the universe.

What do computers, cells, and brains have in common? Computers are electronic devices designed by humans; cells are biological entities crafted by evolution; brains are the containers and creators of our minds. But all are, in one way or another, information-processing devices. The power of the human brain is, so far, unequaled by any existing machine or known living being. Our brains have even allowed us to develop computers that are almost as powerful as the human brain itself. Arlindo Oliveira describes how advances in science and technology could enable us to create digital minds.

Impressive Deception offers an inside look at the deceiving portrayal of evolution by the media and in our public schools. DeeDee Briski uncovers the media bias that forms the basis of the worldview that has become the accepted view in our mainstream educational systems.

This (short) audiobook is about an encounter I had with the creature commonly known as Bigfoot in a remote northern part of California state in 2003. Before that night, I thought Bigfoot a remote possibility. I also thought I had a good marriage, confidence in all areas of my life, and never thought it possible to wet myself in fear - and not realize I was doing it when it happened. That night changed me profoundly and in ways I never thought possible. Think twice before you go looking for the giant, wild, hairy man, because you might just find him.

The author of Seven Daughters of Eve returns with a lively account of how all dogs are descended from a mere handful of wolves.  

Blending cutting-edge ideas with incisive spiritual insights, Evolutionaries is the first popular presentation of an emerging school of thought called "evolutionary spirituality". Carter Phipps, the former executive editor of EnlightenNext magazine, asserts that evolution is not only a scientific but also a spiritual idea in an audiobook whose message has the power to bring new meaning and purpose to life as we know it.  

The Fool and the Heretic is a deeply personal story told by two respected scientists who hold opposing views on the topic of origins, share a common faith in Jesus Christ, and began a sometimes-painful journey to explore how they can remain in Christian fellowship when each thinks the other is...

Consciousness is the most fascinating but tantalizingly difficult topic in biology. Although many people now believe that mammals, birds, and possibly all vertebrates are conscious, there are also claims that many other animals such as crabs and insects may be conscious too. Such claims, if true...

In his acclaimed Cosmosapiens, renowned scientist John Hands looked back on how we humans evolved from the origin of the universe to the present day. Building on that work, The Future of Humankind: Why We Should Be Optimistic looks ahead to our ultimate destiny. Listeners embark on a fascinating journey in which Hands evaluates current major predictions for our future in three categories—extinction, survival, and transformation—before making his own unique and astonishing forecast.