Author: M. Susan Lindee
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674919181
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 297
Book Description
A thought-provoking examination of the intersections of knowledge and violence, and the quandaries and costs of modern, technoscientific warfare. Science and violence converge in modern warfare. While the finest minds of the twentieth century have improved human life, they have also produced human injury. They engineered radar, developed electronic computers, and helped mass produce penicillin all in the context of military mobilization. Scientists also developed chemical weapons, atomic bombs, and psychological warfare strategies. Rational Fog explores the quandary of scientific and technological productivity in an era of perpetual war. Science is, at its foundation, an international endeavor oriented toward advancing human welfare. At the same time, it has been nationalistic and militaristic in times of crisis and conflict. As our weapons have become more powerful, scientists have struggled to reconcile these tensions, engaging in heated debates over the problems inherent in exploiting science for military purposes. M. Susan Lindee examines this interplay between science and state violence and takes stock of researchers’ efforts to respond. Many scientists who wanted to distance their work from killing have found it difficult and have succumbed to the exigencies of war. Indeed, Lindee notes that scientists who otherwise oppose violence have sometimes been swept up in the spirit of militarism when war breaks out. From the first uses of the gun to the mass production of DDT and the twenty-first-century battlefield of the mind, the science of war has achieved remarkable things at great human cost. Rational Fog reminds us that, for scientists and for us all, moral costs sometimes mount alongside technological and scientific advances.
Rational Fog
Author: M. Susan Lindee
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674919181
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 297
Book Description
A thought-provoking examination of the intersections of knowledge and violence, and the quandaries and costs of modern, technoscientific warfare. Science and violence converge in modern warfare. While the finest minds of the twentieth century have improved human life, they have also produced human injury. They engineered radar, developed electronic computers, and helped mass produce penicillin all in the context of military mobilization. Scientists also developed chemical weapons, atomic bombs, and psychological warfare strategies. Rational Fog explores the quandary of scientific and technological productivity in an era of perpetual war. Science is, at its foundation, an international endeavor oriented toward advancing human welfare. At the same time, it has been nationalistic and militaristic in times of crisis and conflict. As our weapons have become more powerful, scientists have struggled to reconcile these tensions, engaging in heated debates over the problems inherent in exploiting science for military purposes. M. Susan Lindee examines this interplay between science and state violence and takes stock of researchers’ efforts to respond. Many scientists who wanted to distance their work from killing have found it difficult and have succumbed to the exigencies of war. Indeed, Lindee notes that scientists who otherwise oppose violence have sometimes been swept up in the spirit of militarism when war breaks out. From the first uses of the gun to the mass production of DDT and the twenty-first-century battlefield of the mind, the science of war has achieved remarkable things at great human cost. Rational Fog reminds us that, for scientists and for us all, moral costs sometimes mount alongside technological and scientific advances.
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674919181
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 297
Book Description
A thought-provoking examination of the intersections of knowledge and violence, and the quandaries and costs of modern, technoscientific warfare. Science and violence converge in modern warfare. While the finest minds of the twentieth century have improved human life, they have also produced human injury. They engineered radar, developed electronic computers, and helped mass produce penicillin all in the context of military mobilization. Scientists also developed chemical weapons, atomic bombs, and psychological warfare strategies. Rational Fog explores the quandary of scientific and technological productivity in an era of perpetual war. Science is, at its foundation, an international endeavor oriented toward advancing human welfare. At the same time, it has been nationalistic and militaristic in times of crisis and conflict. As our weapons have become more powerful, scientists have struggled to reconcile these tensions, engaging in heated debates over the problems inherent in exploiting science for military purposes. M. Susan Lindee examines this interplay between science and state violence and takes stock of researchers’ efforts to respond. Many scientists who wanted to distance their work from killing have found it difficult and have succumbed to the exigencies of war. Indeed, Lindee notes that scientists who otherwise oppose violence have sometimes been swept up in the spirit of militarism when war breaks out. From the first uses of the gun to the mass production of DDT and the twenty-first-century battlefield of the mind, the science of war has achieved remarkable things at great human cost. Rational Fog reminds us that, for scientists and for us all, moral costs sometimes mount alongside technological and scientific advances.
Introduction to Formal Grammars
Author: Maurice Gross
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642871291
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 238
Book Description
The present work originates in a course given by the authors during the last few years in various university departments and institutions, among which we should like to mention: the Centre de Linguistique Quantitative of the Faculte des Sciences de Paris, created at the instance of the late Professor Favard; the Chaire d'Analyse Numerique of the Faculte des Sciences de Paris (Professor Rene de Possel), curriculum of Troisieme Cycle; the Chaire de Physique Mathematique of the University of Toulouse (Professor M. Laudet), for the degree DiplOme d'Etudes Approfondies in the section "Traitement de I'Information" ; the department 1 of linguistics of the University of Pennsylvania (Professor Z.S. Harris); Institut de Programmation of the Faculte des Sciences de Paris for the troisieme niveau. the courses in the Written for purely didactic purposes, this Introduction to Formal Grammars makes no pretense to any scientific originality. Large portions of it have been borrowed from the fundamental and "classic" works cited in the bibliography, such as that of M. Davis, Computability and Unsolvability [9], and those of N. Chomsky, among others Formal Properties of Grammars [6]. Ineluctably, there are numerous borrowings made during a course, and the authors would like to acknowledge their debt to J. Pitrat for his lectures given in the Centre de Linguistique Quantitative mentioned above, and to M. Nivat for his work in connection 2 and transduction.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642871291
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 238
Book Description
The present work originates in a course given by the authors during the last few years in various university departments and institutions, among which we should like to mention: the Centre de Linguistique Quantitative of the Faculte des Sciences de Paris, created at the instance of the late Professor Favard; the Chaire d'Analyse Numerique of the Faculte des Sciences de Paris (Professor Rene de Possel), curriculum of Troisieme Cycle; the Chaire de Physique Mathematique of the University of Toulouse (Professor M. Laudet), for the degree DiplOme d'Etudes Approfondies in the section "Traitement de I'Information" ; the department 1 of linguistics of the University of Pennsylvania (Professor Z.S. Harris); Institut de Programmation of the Faculte des Sciences de Paris for the troisieme niveau. the courses in the Written for purely didactic purposes, this Introduction to Formal Grammars makes no pretense to any scientific originality. Large portions of it have been borrowed from the fundamental and "classic" works cited in the bibliography, such as that of M. Davis, Computability and Unsolvability [9], and those of N. Chomsky, among others Formal Properties of Grammars [6]. Ineluctably, there are numerous borrowings made during a course, and the authors would like to acknowledge their debt to J. Pitrat for his lectures given in the Centre de Linguistique Quantitative mentioned above, and to M. Nivat for his work in connection 2 and transduction.
Agents Under Fire
Author: Angus J. L. Menuge
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 9780742534049
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 288
Book Description
In Agents Under Fire, Menuge defends a robust notion of agency and intentionaility against eliminative and naturalistic alternatives, showing the interconnections between the philosophy of mind, theology, and Intelligent Design.
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 9780742534049
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 288
Book Description
In Agents Under Fire, Menuge defends a robust notion of agency and intentionaility against eliminative and naturalistic alternatives, showing the interconnections between the philosophy of mind, theology, and Intelligent Design.
The Fog of Peace
Author: Gabrielle Rifkind
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 085772343X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
Institutions do not decide whom to destroy or to kill, whether to make peace or war; those decisions are the responsibility of individuals. This book argues that the most important aspect of conflict resolution is for antagonists to understand their opponents as individuals, their ambitions, their pains, the resentments that condition their thinking and the traumas they do not fully themselves grasp. Gabrielle Rifkind and Giandomenico Pico here present two very different experiences of international relations - Rifkind as a psychotherapist now immersed in the politics of the Middle East, and Picco as a career diplomat with a long and successful record as a negotiator at the UN. Should we talk to the enemy? What happens if the protagonists are nasty and brutish, tempting policy-makers to retaliate? How do nations find the capacity not to hit back, trapping themselves in endless cycles of violence?Presenting a unique combination of psychological theories, geopolitical realities and first-hand peace-making experience, this book sheds new light on some of the worst conflicts in the modern world and demonstrates, above all, how empathy can often be far more persuasive than the most fearsome weapons. By exploring the question of intervention versus non-intervention, and examining how the changing nature of warfare and technology has both armed the warmonger, whilst empowering the individual through social media, this is a highly topical, comprehensive overview on international diplomacy and the complexities of peace-making.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 085772343X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
Institutions do not decide whom to destroy or to kill, whether to make peace or war; those decisions are the responsibility of individuals. This book argues that the most important aspect of conflict resolution is for antagonists to understand their opponents as individuals, their ambitions, their pains, the resentments that condition their thinking and the traumas they do not fully themselves grasp. Gabrielle Rifkind and Giandomenico Pico here present two very different experiences of international relations - Rifkind as a psychotherapist now immersed in the politics of the Middle East, and Picco as a career diplomat with a long and successful record as a negotiator at the UN. Should we talk to the enemy? What happens if the protagonists are nasty and brutish, tempting policy-makers to retaliate? How do nations find the capacity not to hit back, trapping themselves in endless cycles of violence?Presenting a unique combination of psychological theories, geopolitical realities and first-hand peace-making experience, this book sheds new light on some of the worst conflicts in the modern world and demonstrates, above all, how empathy can often be far more persuasive than the most fearsome weapons. By exploring the question of intervention versus non-intervention, and examining how the changing nature of warfare and technology has both armed the warmonger, whilst empowering the individual through social media, this is a highly topical, comprehensive overview on international diplomacy and the complexities of peace-making.
Freedom's Laboratory
Author: Audra J. Wolfe
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
ISBN: 1421439085
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 313
Book Description
The Cold War ended long ago, but the language of science and freedom continues to shape public debates over the relationship between science and politics in the United States. Scientists like to proclaim that science knows no borders. Scientific researchers follow the evidence where it leads, their conclusions free of prejudice or ideology. But is that really the case? In Freedom's Laboratory, Audra J. Wolfe shows how these ideas were tested to their limits in the high-stakes propaganda battles of the Cold War. Wolfe examines the role that scientists, in concert with administrators and policymakers, played in American cultural diplomacy after World War II. During this period, the engines of US propaganda promoted a vision of science that highlighted empiricism, objectivity, a commitment to pure research, and internationalism. Working (both overtly and covertly, wittingly and unwittingly) with governmental and private organizations, scientists attempted to decide what, exactly, they meant when they referred to "scientific freedom" or the "US ideology." More frequently, however, they defined American science merely as the opposite of Communist science. Uncovering many startling episodes of the close relationship between the US government and private scientific groups, Freedom's Laboratory is the first work to explore science's link to US propaganda and psychological warfare campaigns during the Cold War. Closing in the present day with a discussion of the 2017 March for Science and the prospects for science and science diplomacy in the Trump era, the book demonstrates the continued hold of Cold War thinking on ideas about science and politics in the United States.
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
ISBN: 1421439085
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 313
Book Description
The Cold War ended long ago, but the language of science and freedom continues to shape public debates over the relationship between science and politics in the United States. Scientists like to proclaim that science knows no borders. Scientific researchers follow the evidence where it leads, their conclusions free of prejudice or ideology. But is that really the case? In Freedom's Laboratory, Audra J. Wolfe shows how these ideas were tested to their limits in the high-stakes propaganda battles of the Cold War. Wolfe examines the role that scientists, in concert with administrators and policymakers, played in American cultural diplomacy after World War II. During this period, the engines of US propaganda promoted a vision of science that highlighted empiricism, objectivity, a commitment to pure research, and internationalism. Working (both overtly and covertly, wittingly and unwittingly) with governmental and private organizations, scientists attempted to decide what, exactly, they meant when they referred to "scientific freedom" or the "US ideology." More frequently, however, they defined American science merely as the opposite of Communist science. Uncovering many startling episodes of the close relationship between the US government and private scientific groups, Freedom's Laboratory is the first work to explore science's link to US propaganda and psychological warfare campaigns during the Cold War. Closing in the present day with a discussion of the 2017 March for Science and the prospects for science and science diplomacy in the Trump era, the book demonstrates the continued hold of Cold War thinking on ideas about science and politics in the United States.
Science under Fire
Author: Andrew Jewett
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674987918
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 369
Book Description
Americans have long been suspicious of experts and elites. This new history explains why so many have believed that science has the power to corrupt American culture. Americans today are often skeptical of scientific authority. Many conservatives dismiss climate change and Darwinism as liberal fictions, arguing that “tenured radicals” have coopted the sciences and other disciplines. Some progressives, especially in the universities, worry that science’s celebration of objectivity and neutrality masks its attachment to Eurocentric and patriarchal values. As we grapple with the implications of climate change and revolutions in fields from biotechnology to robotics to computing, it is crucial to understand how scientific authority functions—and where it has run up against political and cultural barriers. Science under Fire reconstructs a century of battles over the cultural implications of science in the United States. Andrew Jewett reveals a persistent current of criticism which maintains that scientists have injected faulty social philosophies into the nation’s bloodstream under the cover of neutrality. This charge of corruption has taken many forms and appeared among critics with a wide range of social, political, and theological views, but common to all is the argument that an ideologically compromised science has produced an array of social ills. Jewett shows that this suspicion of science has been a major force in American politics and culture by tracking its development, varied expressions, and potent consequences since the 1920s. Looking at today’s battles over science, Jewett argues that citizens and leaders must steer a course between, on the one hand, the naïve image of science as a pristine, value-neutral form of knowledge, and, on the other, the assumption that scientists’ claims are merely ideologies masquerading as truths.
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674987918
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 369
Book Description
Americans have long been suspicious of experts and elites. This new history explains why so many have believed that science has the power to corrupt American culture. Americans today are often skeptical of scientific authority. Many conservatives dismiss climate change and Darwinism as liberal fictions, arguing that “tenured radicals” have coopted the sciences and other disciplines. Some progressives, especially in the universities, worry that science’s celebration of objectivity and neutrality masks its attachment to Eurocentric and patriarchal values. As we grapple with the implications of climate change and revolutions in fields from biotechnology to robotics to computing, it is crucial to understand how scientific authority functions—and where it has run up against political and cultural barriers. Science under Fire reconstructs a century of battles over the cultural implications of science in the United States. Andrew Jewett reveals a persistent current of criticism which maintains that scientists have injected faulty social philosophies into the nation’s bloodstream under the cover of neutrality. This charge of corruption has taken many forms and appeared among critics with a wide range of social, political, and theological views, but common to all is the argument that an ideologically compromised science has produced an array of social ills. Jewett shows that this suspicion of science has been a major force in American politics and culture by tracking its development, varied expressions, and potent consequences since the 1920s. Looking at today’s battles over science, Jewett argues that citizens and leaders must steer a course between, on the one hand, the naïve image of science as a pristine, value-neutral form of knowledge, and, on the other, the assumption that scientists’ claims are merely ideologies masquerading as truths.
Superpower
Author: Ross Garnaut
Publisher: Black Inc.
ISBN: 1743821174
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 211
Book Description
The fog of Australian politics on climate change has obscured a fateful reality: Australia has the potential to be an economic superpower of the future post-carbon world. We have unparalleled renewable energy resources. We also have the necessary scientific skills. Australia could be the natural home for an increasing proportion of global industry. But how do we make this happen? In this crisp, compelling book, Australia’s leading thinker about climate and energy policy offers a road map for progress, covering energy, transport, agriculture, the international scene and more. Rich in ideas and practical optimism, Superpower is a crucial, timely contribution to this country’s future.
Publisher: Black Inc.
ISBN: 1743821174
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 211
Book Description
The fog of Australian politics on climate change has obscured a fateful reality: Australia has the potential to be an economic superpower of the future post-carbon world. We have unparalleled renewable energy resources. We also have the necessary scientific skills. Australia could be the natural home for an increasing proportion of global industry. But how do we make this happen? In this crisp, compelling book, Australia’s leading thinker about climate and energy policy offers a road map for progress, covering energy, transport, agriculture, the international scene and more. Rich in ideas and practical optimism, Superpower is a crucial, timely contribution to this country’s future.
Sway
Author: Ori Brafman
Publisher: Crown Currency
ISBN: 0385530609
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 226
Book Description
A fascinating journey into the hidden psychological influences that derail our decision-making, Sway will change the way you think about the way you think. Why is it so difficult to sell a plummeting stock or end a doomed relationship? Why do we listen to advice just because it came from someone “important”? Why are we more likely to fall in love when there’s danger involved? In Sway, renowned organizational thinker Ori Brafman and his brother, psychologist Rom Brafman, answer all these questions and more. Drawing on cutting-edge research from the fields of social psychology, behavioral economics, and organizational behavior, Sway reveals dynamic forces that influence every aspect of our personal and business lives, including loss aversion (our tendency to go to great lengths to avoid perceived losses), the diagnosis bias (our inability to reevaluate our initial diagnosis of a person or situation), and the “chameleon effect” (our tendency to take on characteristics that have been arbitrarily assigned to us). Sway introduces us to the Harvard Business School professor who got his students to pay $204 for a $20 bill, the head of airline safety whose disregard for his years of training led to the transformation of an entire industry, and the football coach who turned conventional strategy on its head to lead his team to victory. We also learn the curse of the NBA draft, discover why interviews are a terrible way to gauge future job performance, and go inside a session with the Supreme Court to see how the world’s most powerful justices avoid the dangers of group dynamics. Every once in a while, a book comes along that not only challenges our views of the world but changes the way we think. In Sway, Ori and Rom Brafman not only uncover rational explanations for a wide variety of irrational behaviors but also point readers toward ways to avoid succumbing to their pull.
Publisher: Crown Currency
ISBN: 0385530609
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 226
Book Description
A fascinating journey into the hidden psychological influences that derail our decision-making, Sway will change the way you think about the way you think. Why is it so difficult to sell a plummeting stock or end a doomed relationship? Why do we listen to advice just because it came from someone “important”? Why are we more likely to fall in love when there’s danger involved? In Sway, renowned organizational thinker Ori Brafman and his brother, psychologist Rom Brafman, answer all these questions and more. Drawing on cutting-edge research from the fields of social psychology, behavioral economics, and organizational behavior, Sway reveals dynamic forces that influence every aspect of our personal and business lives, including loss aversion (our tendency to go to great lengths to avoid perceived losses), the diagnosis bias (our inability to reevaluate our initial diagnosis of a person or situation), and the “chameleon effect” (our tendency to take on characteristics that have been arbitrarily assigned to us). Sway introduces us to the Harvard Business School professor who got his students to pay $204 for a $20 bill, the head of airline safety whose disregard for his years of training led to the transformation of an entire industry, and the football coach who turned conventional strategy on its head to lead his team to victory. We also learn the curse of the NBA draft, discover why interviews are a terrible way to gauge future job performance, and go inside a session with the Supreme Court to see how the world’s most powerful justices avoid the dangers of group dynamics. Every once in a while, a book comes along that not only challenges our views of the world but changes the way we think. In Sway, Ori and Rom Brafman not only uncover rational explanations for a wide variety of irrational behaviors but also point readers toward ways to avoid succumbing to their pull.
The Rational Optimist
Author: Matt Ridley
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0061452068
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 482
Book Description
For two hundred years the pessimists have dominated public discourse, insisting that things will soon be getting much worse. But in fact, life is getting better—and at an accelerating rate. Food availability, income, and life span are up; disease, child mortality, and violence are down all across the globe. Africa is following Asia out of poverty; the Internet, the mobile phone, and container shipping are enriching people's lives as never before. In his bold and bracing exploration into how human culture evolves positively through exchange and specialization, bestselling author Matt Ridley does more than describe how things are getting better. He explains why. An astute, refreshing, and revelatory work that covers the entire sweep of human history—from the Stone Age to the Internet—The Rational Optimist will change your way of thinking about the world for the better.
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0061452068
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 482
Book Description
For two hundred years the pessimists have dominated public discourse, insisting that things will soon be getting much worse. But in fact, life is getting better—and at an accelerating rate. Food availability, income, and life span are up; disease, child mortality, and violence are down all across the globe. Africa is following Asia out of poverty; the Internet, the mobile phone, and container shipping are enriching people's lives as never before. In his bold and bracing exploration into how human culture evolves positively through exchange and specialization, bestselling author Matt Ridley does more than describe how things are getting better. He explains why. An astute, refreshing, and revelatory work that covers the entire sweep of human history—from the Stone Age to the Internet—The Rational Optimist will change your way of thinking about the world for the better.
The Nuts and Bolts of Proofs
Author: Antonella Cupillari
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 9780121994518
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 166
Book Description
This book leads readers through a progressive explanation of what mathematical proofs are, why they are important, and how they work, along with a presentation of basic techniques used to construct proofs. The Second Edition presents more examples, more exercises, a more complete treatment of mathematical induction and set theory, and it incorporates suggestions from students and colleagues. Since the mathematical concepts used are relatively elementary, the book can be used as a supplement in any post-calculus course. This title has been successfully class-tested for years. There is an index for easier reference, a more extensive list of definitions and concepts, and an updated bibliography. An extensive collection of exercises with complete answers are provided, enabling students to practice on their own. Additionally, there is a set of problems without solutions to make it easier for instructors to prepare homework assignments. * Successfully class-tested over a number of years * Index for easy reference * Extensive list of definitions and concepts * Updated biblography
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 9780121994518
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 166
Book Description
This book leads readers through a progressive explanation of what mathematical proofs are, why they are important, and how they work, along with a presentation of basic techniques used to construct proofs. The Second Edition presents more examples, more exercises, a more complete treatment of mathematical induction and set theory, and it incorporates suggestions from students and colleagues. Since the mathematical concepts used are relatively elementary, the book can be used as a supplement in any post-calculus course. This title has been successfully class-tested for years. There is an index for easier reference, a more extensive list of definitions and concepts, and an updated bibliography. An extensive collection of exercises with complete answers are provided, enabling students to practice on their own. Additionally, there is a set of problems without solutions to make it easier for instructors to prepare homework assignments. * Successfully class-tested over a number of years * Index for easy reference * Extensive list of definitions and concepts * Updated biblography