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2015 Holiday Lectures on Science: Unraveling the Mysteries of Species Coexistence
Author: Dr. Eleanor Ainsworth, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Oxford, specializing in community ecology and the mechanisms driving species coexistence. Dr. Ainsworth has published extensively on interspecific competition, niche partitioning, and the role of environmental heterogeneity in maintaining biodiversity. Her work directly informs our understanding of the topics covered in the 2015 Holiday Lectures on Science: How Species Coexist.
Publisher: The Royal Institution (RI). The RI is a renowned scientific institution with a long history of promoting science education and public engagement. Their expertise in disseminating complex scientific concepts to a broad audience makes them an ideal publisher for the 2015 Holiday Lectures on Science: How Species Coexist.
Editor: Dr. James Thompson, Senior Editor at the Royal Institution, with over 15 years of experience in editing scientific publications and educational materials. Dr. Thompson holds a PhD in science communication and has a deep understanding of making complex scientific topics accessible to a wider audience.
Introduction: The 2015 Holiday Lectures on Science: How Species Coexist
The 2015 Holiday Lectures on Science, titled "How Species Coexist," presented a compelling exploration into the fascinating and complex dynamics of biodiversity. These lectures delved into the mechanisms that allow multiple species to share the same habitat, avoiding competitive exclusion and maintaining ecological stability. The lectures, a cornerstone of the Royal Institution's commitment to science education, provided a comprehensive overview of the methodologies and approaches used by ecologists to understand species coexistence.
Methodologies Explored in the 2015 Holiday Lectures on Science: How Species Coexist
The 2015 Holiday Lectures on Science: How Species Coexist employed a multifaceted approach, drawing upon various methodologies to understand the intricacies of species coexistence. These included:
1. Field Studies and Observational Data: A significant portion of the lectures relied on data gathered from long-term field studies. These observations provided crucial insights into the spatial distribution of species, their resource use patterns, and the interactions between them. By meticulously tracking populations over time, researchers could identify correlations between environmental factors and species abundance, offering clues about the mechanisms driving coexistence.
2. Experimental Manipulations: The lectures highlighted the importance of experimental manipulations in teasing apart the influence of different factors on species coexistence. Examples included manipulating resource availability, altering predator densities, or creating artificial habitats to observe the responses of coexisting species. These experiments allowed researchers to test specific hypotheses about the mechanisms driving coexistence, providing a more rigorous test than purely observational data.
3. Mathematical Modeling and Simulations: Mathematical models played a vital role in the 2015 Holiday Lectures on Science: How Species Coexist. These models allowed researchers to integrate data from field studies and experiments, making predictions about the dynamics of species interactions under various conditions. By simulating different scenarios, ecologists could explore the relative importance of various mechanisms, such as niche partitioning and environmental fluctuations, in maintaining species diversity.
4. Phylogenetic Analyses: The lectures also touched upon the use of phylogenetic analyses to understand the evolutionary history of coexisting species. By examining the evolutionary relationships between species and their traits, researchers can infer the historical context of their coexistence and identify traits that may have facilitated their coexistence.
Core Ideas Discussed in the 2015 Holiday Lectures on Science: How Species Coexist
The 2015 Holiday Lectures on Science: How Species Coexist presented several core ideas about the mechanisms driving species coexistence. These included:
Niche Partitioning: Species coexist by utilizing different resources or exploiting the same resources at different times or in different ways. This reduces direct competition and allows for species to specialize.
Environmental Heterogeneity: The variation in environmental conditions across a landscape can create diverse microhabitats, allowing different species to thrive in different areas. This spatial variation buffers against competitive exclusion.
Fluctuations and Disturbances: Environmental fluctuations and disturbances, such as droughts or wildfires, can prevent any single species from dominating the community. These disturbances create opportunities for less competitive species to thrive.
Predator-mediated Coexistence: Predators can prevent competitive exclusion by preferentially targeting dominant species. This allows less competitive species to persist.
Neutral Theory: The lectures also explored the neutral theory of biodiversity, which suggests that species coexistence can sometimes arise from random processes, even in the absence of strong niche differentiation.
Summary of the 2015 Holiday Lectures on Science: How Species Coexist
The 2015 Holiday Lectures on Science: How Species Coexist provided a comprehensive overview of the diverse mechanisms that underpin species coexistence. The lectures demonstrated the importance of integrating various methodologies, including field studies, experimental manipulations, and mathematical modeling, to unravel the complex interactions between species and their environment. The lectures highlighted the interplay between niche differentiation, environmental heterogeneity, disturbances, predation, and chance in shaping species diversity and maintaining ecological stability. The understanding derived from the 2015 Holiday Lectures on Science: How Species Coexist is crucial for conservation efforts and managing biodiversity in a changing world.
Conclusion
The 2015 Holiday Lectures on Science: How Species Coexist offered a valuable contribution to our understanding of this fundamental ecological question. By showcasing diverse methodologies and highlighting key concepts, these lectures emphasized the complexity and multifaceted nature of species coexistence. This interdisciplinary approach is vital for future research and for addressing the pressing challenges of biodiversity loss and conservation in an era of rapid environmental change. The legacy of these lectures continues to inspire ongoing research and contribute to more effective conservation strategies.
FAQs
1. What are the main factors contributing to species coexistence? Niche partitioning, environmental heterogeneity, disturbance regimes, predator-prey interactions, and neutral processes all contribute to species coexistence.
2. How do mathematical models help in understanding species coexistence? Models allow researchers to simulate complex interactions, test hypotheses, and predict the impact of environmental changes on community structure.
3. What is the role of field studies in studying species coexistence? Field studies provide real-world data on species distribution, resource use, and interactions, providing a basis for testing hypotheses and developing models.
4. What is the significance of experimental manipulations in understanding species coexistence? Experiments allow researchers to isolate the effects of specific factors on species interactions, providing stronger causal evidence than observational studies.
5. How does phylogenetic analysis contribute to the study of species coexistence? Phylogenetic analysis helps understand the evolutionary history of coexisting species and identify traits that may have facilitated their coexistence.
6. What is the neutral theory of biodiversity and its role in species coexistence? Neutral theory proposes that species coexistence can arise from stochastic processes, even in the absence of strong niche differentiation.
7. How does the study of species coexistence contribute to conservation efforts? Understanding the mechanisms driving coexistence is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies to protect biodiversity.
8. What are some examples of species coexistence in different ecosystems? Examples include the coexistence of different tree species in forests, various bird species in a grassland, and diverse fish species in a coral reef.
9. What are the future research directions in the study of species coexistence? Future research will focus on integrating different approaches, understanding the impact of climate change on coexistence, and exploring the role of species interactions in ecosystem functioning.
Related Articles
1. "Niche Partitioning and the Maintenance of Biodiversity": This article reviews different forms of niche partitioning and their contributions to species coexistence.
2. "The Role of Environmental Heterogeneity in Species Coexistence": This article explores the influence of spatial and temporal environmental variations on species interactions and coexistence.
3. "Predator-Mediated Coexistence: A Review": A comprehensive review examining the various ways that predators can influence species coexistence.
4. "The Neutral Theory of Biodiversity and its Implications": A discussion of the neutral theory and its potential applications in understanding species coexistence.
5. "Long-term Studies of Species Coexistence in Temperate Forests": A case study focusing on the long-term dynamics of species coexistence in forest ecosystems.
6. "Experimental Manipulations of Resource Availability and Species Coexistence": An analysis of experiments examining the impact of resource availability on species interactions.
7. "The Impact of Disturbances on Species Coexistence in Grassland Ecosystems": A case study examining the role of disturbances in maintaining species diversity in grasslands.
8. "Phylogenetic Signals in Species Coexistence: An Evolutionary Perspective": An analysis of how phylogenetic relationships influence species coexistence patterns.
9. "Climate Change and the Future of Species Coexistence": This article explores the predicted effects of climate change on species interactions and coexistence.
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Population Wars Greg Graffin, 2015-09-15 A new perspective on the biological roots of competition from the author of Anarchy Evolution and Cornell lecturer |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: The Vital Question Nick Lane, 2016 A game-changing book on the origins of life, called the most important scientific discovery 'since the Copernican revolution' in The Observer. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Dark Ecology Timothy Morton, 2016-04-12 Timothy Morton argues that ecological awareness in the present Anthropocene era takes the form of a strange loop or Möbius strip, twisted to have only one side. Deckard travels this oedipal path in Blade Runner (1982) when he learns that he might be the enemy he has been ordered to pursue. Ecological awareness takes this shape because ecological phenomena have a loop form that is also fundamental to the structure of how things are. The logistics of agricultural society resulted in global warming and hardwired dangerous ideas about life-forms into the human mind. Dark ecology puts us in an uncanny position of radical self-knowledge, illuminating our place in the biosphere and our belonging to a species in a sense that is far less obvious than we like to think. Morton explores the logical foundations of the ecological crisis, which is suffused with the melancholy and negativity of coexistence yet evolving, as we explore its loop form, into something playful, anarchic, and comedic. His work is a skilled fusion of humanities and scientific scholarship, incorporating the theories and findings of philosophy, anthropology, literature, ecology, biology, and physics. Morton hopes to reestablish our ties to nonhuman beings and to help us rediscover the playfulness and joy that can brighten the dark, strange loop we traverse. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Anarchy Evolution Greg Graffin, Steve Olson, 2010-09-28 “Take one man who rejects authority and religion, and leads a punk band. Take another man who wonders whether vertebrates arose in rivers or in the ocean….Put them together, what do you get? Greg Graffin, and this uniquely fascinating book.” —Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs, and Steel Anarchy Evolution is a provocative look at the collision between religion and science, by an author with unique authority: UCLA lecturer in Paleontology, and founding member of Bad Religion, Greg Graffin. Alongside science writer Steve Olson (whose Mapping Human History was a National Book Award finalist) Graffin delivers a powerful discussion sure to strike a chord with readers of Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion or Christopher Hitchens God Is Not Great. Bad Religion die-hards, newer fans won over during the band’s 30th Anniversary Tour, and anyone interested in this increasingly important debate should check out this treatise on science from the god of punk rock. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Inventing the Future Nick Srnicek, Alex Williams, 2015-11-17 This major new manifesto offers a “clear and compelling vision of a postcapitalist society” and shows how left-wing politics can be rebuilt for the 21st century (Mark Fisher, author of Capitalist Realism) Neoliberalism isn’t working. Austerity is forcing millions into poverty and many more into precarious work, while the left remains trapped in stagnant political practices that offer no respite. Inventing the Future is a bold new manifesto for life after capitalism. Against the confused understanding of our high-tech world by both the right and the left, this book claims that the emancipatory and future-oriented possibilities of our society can be reclaimed. Instead of running from a complex future, Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams demand a postcapitalist economy capable of advancing standards, liberating humanity from work and developing technologies that expand our freedoms. This new edition includes a new chapter where they respond to their various critics. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Le Deuxième Sexe Simone de Beauvoir, 1989 The classic manifesto of the liberated woman, this book explores every facet of a woman's life. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: The Jungle Doctor Chloe Buiting, 2021-05-04 Explore the majestic, biodiverse world with Australia's very own 'jungle doctor'. Fresh from veterinary school, passionate conservationist Dr Chloe Buiting headed for the front line of Africa's rhino-poaching crisis, going on to live and work in many other remote corners of the globe. From catching wild giraffes by helicopter in Zimbabwe to meeting elephants with prosthetic legs in Asia, working with Maasai communities in Tanzania and tending to wildlife caught up in the bushfire crisis at home in Australia, Chloe's compassion for animals in their natural habitat takes her into awe-inspiring locations – and hair-raising situations. See what life is like in a job where no day is ever the same. Accompany Chloe on her journey into the fascinating world of conservation. And discover humanity's deep connection with the animal kingdom, one adventure at a time. 'The Jungle Doctor prepares current and future wildlife heroes to take on any challenge in their path with confidence' Stephanie Arne, Conservationist |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Ludwig Boltzmann Carlo Cercignani, 2006-01-12 This book presents the life and personality, the scientific and philosophical work of Ludwig Boltzmann, one of the great scientists who marked the passage from 19th- to 20th-Century physics. His rich and tragic life, ending by suicide at the age of 62, is described in detail. A substantial part of the book is devoted to discussing his scientific and philosophical ideas and placing them in the context of the second half of the 19th century. The fact that Boltzmann was the man who did most to establish that there is a microscopic, atomic structure underlying macroscopic bodies is documented, as is Boltzmann's influence on modern physics, especially through the work of Planck on light quanta and of Einstein on Brownian motion. Boltzmann was the centre of a scientific upheaval, and he has been proved right on many crucial issues. He anticipated Kuhn's theory of scientific revolutions and proposed a theory of knowledge based on Darwin. His basic results, when properly understood, can also be stated as mathematical theorems. Some of these have been proved: others are still at the level of likely but unproven conjectures. The main text of this biography is written almost entirely without equations. Mathematical appendices deepen knowledge of some technical aspects of the subject. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Technology and Global Change Arnulf Grübler, 2003-10-16 This is the first book to comprehensibly describe how technology has shaped society and the environment over the last 200 years. It will be useful for researchers, as a textbook for graduate students, for people engaged in long-term policy planning in industry and government, for environmental activists, and for the wider public interested in history, technology, or environmental issues. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Homo Deus Yuval Noah Harari, 2017-02-21 Official U.S. edition with full color illustrations throughout. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Yuval Noah Harari, author of the critically-acclaimed New York Times bestseller and international phenomenon Sapiens, returns with an equally original, compelling, and provocative book, turning his focus toward humanity’s future, and our quest to upgrade humans into gods. Over the past century humankind has managed to do the impossible and rein in famine, plague, and war. This may seem hard to accept, but, as Harari explains in his trademark style—thorough, yet riveting—famine, plague and war have been transformed from incomprehensible and uncontrollable forces of nature into manageable challenges. For the first time ever, more people die from eating too much than from eating too little; more people die from old age than from infectious diseases; and more people commit suicide than are killed by soldiers, terrorists and criminals put together. The average American is a thousand times more likely to die from binging at McDonalds than from being blown up by Al Qaeda. What then will replace famine, plague, and war at the top of the human agenda? As the self-made gods of planet earth, what destinies will we set ourselves, and which quests will we undertake? Homo Deus explores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the twenty-first century—from overcoming death to creating artificial life. It asks the fundamental questions: Where do we go from here? And how will we protect this fragile world from our own destructive powers? This is the next stage of evolution. This is Homo Deus. With the same insight and clarity that made Sapiens an international hit and a New York Times bestseller, Harari maps out our future. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Interpersonal Communication Book Joseph A. DeVito, 2013-07-27 Updated in its 13th edition, Joseph Devito's The Interpersonal Communication Book provides a highly interactive presentation of the theory, research, and skills of interpersonal communication with integrated discussions of diversity, ethics, workplace issues, face-to-face and computer-mediated communication and a new focus on the concept of choice in communication. This thirteenth edition presents a comprehensive view of the theory and research in interpersonal communication and, at the same time, guides readers to improve a wide range of interpersonal skills. The text emphasizes how to choose among those skills and make effective communication choices in a variety of personal, social, and workplace relationships |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: The Cambridge Handbook of Computing Education Research Sally A. Fincher, Anthony V. Robins, 2019-02-13 This is an authoritative introduction to Computing Education research written by over 50 leading researchers from academia and the industry. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Networks of Outrage and Hope Manuel Castells, 2015-06-04 Networks of Outrage and Hope is an exploration of the new forms of social movements and protests that are erupting in the world today, from the Arab uprisings to the indignadas movement in Spain, from the Occupy Wall Street movement to the social protests in Turkey, Brazil and elsewhere. While these and similar social movements differ in many important ways, there is one thing they share in common: they are all interwoven inextricably with the creation of autonomous communication networks supported by the Internet and wireless communication. In this new edition of his timely and important book, Manuel Castells examines the social, cultural and political roots of these new social movements, studies their innovative forms of self-organization, assesses the precise role of technology in the dynamics of the movements, suggests the reasons for the support they have found in large segments of society, and probes their capacity to induce political change by influencing people’s minds. Two new chapters bring the analysis up-to-date and draw out the implications of these social movements and protests for understanding the new forms of social change and political democracy in the global network society. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Conservation Catalysts James N. Levitt, 2014 This multi-author volume explores large-landscape conservation projects catalyzed by colleges, universities, independent field stations, and research organizations around the world. These initiatives are grand-scale, cross-boundary, cross-sectoral, and cross-disciplinary efforts to protect working and wild landscapes and waterscapes in Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Kenya, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, and the United States-- |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work John Gottman, PhD, Nan Silver, 2015-05-05 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Over a million copies sold! “An eminently practical guide to an emotionally intelligent—and long-lasting—marriage.”—Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work has revolutionized the way we understand, repair, and strengthen marriages. John Gottman’s unprecedented study of couples over a period of years has allowed him to observe the habits that can make—and break—a marriage. Here is the culmination of that work: the seven principles that guide couples on a path toward a harmonious and long-lasting relationship. Straightforward yet profound, these principles teach partners new approaches for resolving conflicts, creating new common ground, and achieving greater levels of intimacy. Gottman offers strategies and resources to help couples collaborate more effectively to resolve any problem, whether dealing with issues related to sex, money, religion, work, family, or anything else. Packed with new exercises and the latest research out of the esteemed Gottman Institute, this revised edition of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work is the definitive guide for anyone who wants their relationship to attain its highest potential. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: We Have Never Been Modern Bruno Latour, 2012-10-01 With the rise of science, we moderns believe, the world changed irrevocably, separating us forever from our primitive, premodern ancestors. But if we were to let go of this fond conviction, Bruno Latour asks, what would the world look like? His book, an anthropology of science, shows us how much of modernity is actually a matter of faith. What does it mean to be modern? What difference does the scientific method make? The difference, Latour explains, is in our careful distinctions between nature and society, between human and thing, distinctions that our benighted ancestors, in their world of alchemy, astrology, and phrenology, never made. But alongside this purifying practice that defines modernity, there exists another seemingly contrary one: the construction of systems that mix politics, science, technology, and nature. The ozone debate is such a hybrid, in Latour’s analysis, as are global warming, deforestation, even the idea of black holes. As these hybrids proliferate, the prospect of keeping nature and culture in their separate mental chambers becomes overwhelming—and rather than try, Latour suggests, we should rethink our distinctions, rethink the definition and constitution of modernity itself. His book offers a new explanation of science that finally recognizes the connections between nature and culture—and so, between our culture and others, past and present. Nothing short of a reworking of our mental landscape, We Have Never Been Modern blurs the boundaries among science, the humanities, and the social sciences to enhance understanding on all sides. A summation of the work of one of the most influential and provocative interpreters of science, it aims at saving what is good and valuable in modernity and replacing the rest with a broader, fairer, and finer sense of possibility. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: The Spelit Power Matrix June H. Schmieder-Ramirez, June Schmieder-Ramirez Ph. D., Leo A. Mallette, 2007-05-30 The SPELIT POWER MATRIX is a leadership tool for untangling the organizational environment from a social, political, economic, legal, intercultural and technical view. The SPELIT analysis method was developed for adult learners to have a framework for determining and formulating the answer to the question: What is? There is a need to analyze the environment in all organizations, whether you are entering a new organization or to benchmark the existing organization. The purpose of this text is to show how perceptive leaders can analyze environments in preparation for possible future action. We demonstrate how the methodology aligns with previous theories regarding environmental scanning and produces a workable framework for the perceptive leader. The SPELIT POWER MATRIX is intended for practitioners doing a market analysis or diagnosis prior to implementing transitions, benchmarking in anticipation of an intervention, and can be used by undergraduate students and seasoned practitioners. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: The Educational Significance of Human and Non-Human Animal Interactions Suzanne Rice, A. G. Rud, 2016-04-29 The Educational Significance of Human and Non-Human Animal Interactions explores human animal/non-human animal interactions from different disciplinary perspectives, from education policy to philosophy of education and ecopedagogy. The authors refute the idea of anthropocentrism (the belief that human beings are the central or most significant species on the planet) through an ethical investigation into animal and human interactions, and 'real-life' examples of humans and animals living and learning together. In doing so, Rice and Rud outline the idea that interactions between animals and humans are educationally significant and vital in the classroom. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: The Structuring of Organizations Henry Mintzberg, 2009 Synthesizes the empirical literature on organizationalstructuring to answer the question of how organizations structure themselves --how they resolve needed coordination and division of labor. Organizationalstructuring is defined as the sum total of the ways in which an organizationdivides and coordinates its labor into distinct tasks. Further analysis of theresearch literature is neededin order to builda conceptualframework that will fill in the significant gap left by not connecting adescription of structure to its context: how an organization actuallyfunctions. The results of the synthesis are five basic configurations (the SimpleStructure, the Machine Bureaucracy, the Professional Bureaucracy, theDivisionalized Form, and the Adhocracy) that serve as the fundamental elementsof structure in an organization. Five basic parts of the contemporaryorganization (the operating core, the strategic apex, the middle line, thetechnostructure, and the support staff), and five theories of how it functions(i.e., as a system characterized by formal authority, regulated flows, informalcommunication, work constellations, and ad hoc decision processes) aretheorized. Organizations function in complex and varying ways, due to differing flows -including flows of authority, work material, information, and decisionprocesses. These flows depend on the age, size, and environment of theorganization; additionally, technology plays a key role because of itsimportance in structuring the operating core. Finally, design parameters aredescribed - based on the above five basic parts and five theories - that areused as a means of coordination and division of labor in designingorganizational structures, in order to establish stable patterns of behavior.(CJC). |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Future Evolution Peter D. Ward, 2002-01-06 Everyone wonders what tomorrow holds, but what will the real future look like? Not decades or even hundreds of years from now, but thousands or millions of years into the future. Will our species change radically? Or will we become builders of the next dominant intelligence on Earth- the machine? These and other seemingly fantastic scenarios are the very possible realities explored in Peter Ward's Future Evolution, a penetrating look at what might come next in the history of the planet. Looking to the past for clues about the future, Ward describes how the main catalyst for evolutionary change has historically been mass extinction. While many scientist direly predict that humanity will eventually create such a situation, Ward argues that one is already well underway--the extinction of large mammals--and that a new Age of Humanity is coming that will radically revise the diversity of life on Earth. Finally, Ward examines the question of human extinction and reaches the startling conclusion that the likeliest scenario is not our imminent demise but long term survival--perhaps reaching as far as the death of the Sun! Full of Alexis Rockman's breathtaking color images of what animals, plants and other organisms might look like thousands and millions of years from now, Future Evolution takes readers on an incredible journey through time from the deep past into the far future. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Freedom Evolves Daniel C. Dennett, 2004-01-27 Can there be freedom and free will in a deterministic world? Renowned philosopher Daniel Dennett emphatically answers “yes!” Using an array of provocative formulations, Dennett sets out to show how we alone among the animals have evolved minds that give us free will and morality. Weaving a richly detailed narrative, Dennett explains in a series of strikingly original arguments—drawing upon evolutionary biology, cognitive neuroscience, economics, and philosophy—that far from being an enemy of traditional explorations of freedom, morality, and meaning, the evolutionary perspective can be an indispensable ally. In Freedom Evolves, Dennett seeks to place ethics on the foundation it deserves: a realistic, naturalistic, potentially unified vision of our place in nature. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Reason in a Dark Time Dale Jamieson, 2014-02-28 From the 1992 Rio Earth Summit to the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Conference there was a concerted international effort to stop climate change. Yet greenhouse gas emissions increased, atmospheric concentrations grew, and global warming became an observable fact of life. In this book, philosopher Dale Jamieson explains what climate change is, why we have failed to stop it, and why it still matters what we do. Centered in philosophy, the volume also treats the scientific, historical, economic, and political dimensions of climate change. Our failure to prevent or even to respond significantly to climate change, Jamieson argues, reflects the impoverishment of our systems of practical reason, the paralysis of our politics, and the limits of our cognitive and affective capacities. The climate change that is underway is remaking the world in such a way that familiar comforts, places, and ways of life will disappear in years or decades rather than centuries. Climate change also threatens our sense of meaning, since it is difficult to believe that our individual actions matter. The challenges that climate change presents go beyond the resources of common sense morality -- it can be hard to view such everyday acts as driving and flying as presenting moral problems. Yet there is much that we can do to slow climate change, to adapt to it and restore a sense of agency while living meaningful lives in a changing world. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Sustainability Felix Ekardt, 2019-07-29 This book proposes a holistic transdisciplinary approach to sustainability as a subject of social sciences. At the same time, this approach shows new ways, as perspectives of philosophy, political science, law, economics, sociology, cultural studies and others are here no longer regarded separately. Instead, integrated perspectives on the key issues are carved out: Perspectives on conditions of transformation to sustainability, on key instruments and the normative questions. This allows for a concise answer to urgent and controversial questions such as the following: Is the EU an environmental pioneer? Is it possible to achieve sustainability by purely technical means? If not: will that mean to end of the growth society? How to deal with the follow-up problems? How will societal change be successful? Are political power and capitalism the main barriers to sustainability? What is the role of emotions and conceptions of normality in the transformation process? To which degree are rebound and shifting effects the reason why sustainability politics fail? How much climate protection can be claimed ethically and legally e.g. on grounds of human rights? And what is freedom? Despite all rhetoric, the weak transition in energy, climate, agriculture and conservation serves as key example in this book. It is shown how the Paris Agreement is weak with regard to details and at the same time overrules the growth society by means of a radical 1,5-1,8 degrees temperature limit. It is shown how emissions trading must – and can – be reformed radically. It is shown why CSR, education, cooperation and happiness research are overrated. And we will see what an integrated politics on climate, biodiversity, nitrogen and soil might look like. This book deals with conditions of transformation, governance instruments, ethics and law of sustainability. The relevance of the humanities to sustainability has never before been demonstrated so vividly and broadly as here. And in every area it opens up some completely new perspectives. (Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, Club of Rome, Honorary President) Taking a transdisciplinary perspective, the book canvasses the entire spectrum of issues relevant to sustainability. A most valuable and timely contribution to the debate. (Prof. Dr. Klaus Bosselmann, University of Auckland, Author of “The Principle of Sustainability”) This books breathes life into the concept of sustainability. Felix Ekardt tears down the barriers between disciplines and builds a holistic fundament for sustainablility; fit to guide long-term decision-making on the necessary transformation and societal change. (Prof. Dr. Christina Voigt, Oslo University, Dept. of Public and International Law) |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: When the Brain Can't Hear Teri James Bellis, 2003-07-22 In the first book on the subject for lay readers, an esteemed Auditory Processing Disorder expert--and sufferer--gives people the tools they need to spot and fight it. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Why Icebergs Float Andrew Morris, 2016-10-24 From paintings and food to illness and icebergs, science is happening everywhere. Rather than follow the path of a syllabus or textbook, Andrew Morris takes examples from the science we see every day and uses them as entry points to explain a number of fundamental scientific concepts – from understanding colour to the nature of hormones – in ways that anyone can grasp. While each chapter offers a separate story, they are linked together by their fascinating relevance to our daily lives. The topics explored in each chapter are based on hundreds of discussions the author has led with adult science learners over many years – people who came from all walks of life and had no scientific training, but had developed a burning curiosity to understand the world around them. This book encourages us to reflect on our own relationship with science and serves as an important reminder of why we should continue learning as adults. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Enlightenment Now Steven Pinker, 2018-02-13 INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2018 ONE OF THE ECONOMIST'S BOOKS OF THE YEAR My new favorite book of all time. --Bill Gates If you think the world is coming to an end, think again: people are living longer, healthier, freer, and happier lives, and while our problems are formidable, the solutions lie in the Enlightenment ideal of using reason and science. By the author of the new book, Rationality. Is the world really falling apart? Is the ideal of progress obsolete? In this elegant assessment of the human condition in the third millennium, cognitive scientist and public intellectual Steven Pinker urges us to step back from the gory headlines and prophecies of doom, which play to our psychological biases. Instead, follow the data: In seventy-five jaw-dropping graphs, Pinker shows that life, health, prosperity, safety, peace, knowledge, and happiness are on the rise, not just in the West, but worldwide. This progress is not the result of some cosmic force. It is a gift of the Enlightenment: the conviction that reason and science can enhance human flourishing. Far from being a naïve hope, the Enlightenment, we now know, has worked. But more than ever, it needs a vigorous defense. The Enlightenment project swims against currents of human nature--tribalism, authoritarianism, demonization, magical thinking--which demagogues are all too willing to exploit. Many commentators, committed to political, religious, or romantic ideologies, fight a rearguard action against it. The result is a corrosive fatalism and a willingness to wreck the precious institutions of liberal democracy and global cooperation. With intellectual depth and literary flair, Enlightenment Now makes the case for reason, science, and humanism: the ideals we need to confront our problems and continue our progress. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Humankind Timothy Morton, 2017-08-22 A radical call for solidarity between humans and non-humans What is it that makes humans human? As science and technology challenge the boundaries between life and non-life, between organic and inorganic, this ancient question is more timely than ever. Acclaimed object-oriented philosopher Timothy Morton invites us to consider this philosophical issue as eminently political. In our relationship with nonhumans, we decide the fate of our humanity. Becoming human, claims Morton, actually means creating a network of kindness and solidarity with nonhuman beings, in the name of a broader understanding of reality that both includes and overcomes the notion of species. Negotiating the politics of humanity is the first crucial step in reclaiming the upper scales of ecological coexistence and resisting corporations like Monsanto and the technophilic billionaires who would rob us of our kinship with people beyond our species. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Anthropocene Back Loop Stephanie Wakefield, 2020-05-08 We are entering the Anthropocene's back loop, a time of release and collapse, confusion and reorientation, in which not only populations and climates are being upended but also physical and metaphysical grounds. Needed now are forms of experimentation geared toward autonomous modes of living within the back loop's new unsafe operating spaces. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Distinction Pierre Bourdieu, 2013-04-15 Examines differences in taste between modern French classes, discusses the relationship between culture and politics, and outlines the strategies of pretension. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: The Leatherback Turtle James R. Spotila, Pilar Santidrián Tomillo, 2015-10-30 The most comprehensive book ever written on leatherback sea turtles. Weighing as much as 2,000 pounds and reaching lengths of over seven feet, leatherback turtles are the world’s largest reptile. These unusual sea turtles have a thick, pliable shell that helps them to withstand great depths—they can swim more than one thousand meters below the surface in search of food. And what food source sustains these goliaths? Their diet consists almost exclusively of jellyfish, a meal they crisscross the oceans to find. Leatherbacks have been declining in recent decades, and some predict they will be gone by the end of this century. Why? Because of two primary factors: human redevelopment of nesting beaches and commercial fishing. There are only twenty-nine index beaches in the world where these turtles nest, and there is immense pressure to develop most of them into homes or resorts. At the same time, longline and gill net fisheries continue to overwhelm waters frequented by leatherbacks. In The Leatherback Turtle, James R. Spotila and Pilar Santidrián Tomillo bring together the world’s leading experts to produce a volume that reveals the biology of the leatherback while putting a spotlight on the conservation problems and solutions related to the species. The book leaves us with options: embark on the conservation strategy laid out within its pages and save one of nature’s most splendid creations, or watch yet another magnificent species disappear. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Capitalism and Desire Todd McGowan, 2016-09-20 Despite creating vast inequalities and propping up reactionary world regimes, capitalism has many passionate defenders—but not because of what it withholds from some and gives to others. Capitalism dominates, Todd McGowan argues, because it mimics the structure of our desire while hiding the trauma that the system inflicts upon it. People from all backgrounds enjoy what capitalism provides, but at the same time are told more and better is yet to come. Capitalism traps us through an incomplete satisfaction that compels us after the new, the better, and the more. Capitalism's parasitic relationship to our desires gives it the illusion of corresponding to our natural impulses, which is how capitalism's defenders characterize it. By understanding this psychic strategy, McGowan hopes to divest us of our addiction to capitalist enrichment and help us rediscover enjoyment as we actually experienced it. By locating it in the present, McGowan frees us from our attachment to a better future and the belief that capitalism is an essential outgrowth of human nature. From this perspective, our economic, social, and political worlds open up to real political change. Eloquent and enlivened by examples from film, television, consumer culture, and everyday life, Capitalism and Desire brings a new, psychoanalytically grounded approach to political and social theory. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: The Sting of the Wild Justin O. Schmidt, 2018-02-01 The “King of Sting” describes his adventures with insects and the pain scale that’s made him a scientific celebrity. Silver, Science (Adult Non-Fiction) Foreword INDIES Award 2017 Entomologist Justin O. Schmidt is on a mission. Some say it’s a brave exploration, others shake their heads in disbelief. His goal? To compare the impacts of stinging insects on humans, mainly using himself as the test case. In The Sting of the Wild, the colorful Dr. Schmidt takes us on a journey inside the lives of stinging insects. He explains how and why they attack and reveals the powerful punch they can deliver with a small venom gland and a “sting,” the name for the apparatus that delivers the venom. We learn which insects are the worst to encounter and why some are barely worth considering. The Sting of the Wild includes the complete Schmidt Sting Pain Index, published here for the first time. In addition to a numerical ranking of the agony of each of the eighty-three stings he’s sampled so far, Schmidt describes them in prose worthy of a professional wine critic: “Looks deceive. Rich and full-bodied in appearance, but flavorless” and “Pure, intense, brilliant pain. Like walking over flaming charcoal with a three-inch nail embedded in your heel.” Schmidt explains that, for some insects, stinging is used for hunting: small wasps, for example, can paralyze huge caterpillars for long enough to lay eggs inside them, so that their larvae emerge within a living feast. Others are used to kill competing insects, even members of their own species. Humans usually experience stings as defensive maneuvers used by insects to protect their nest mates. With colorful descriptions of each venom’s sensation and a story that leaves you tingling with awe, The Sting of the Wild’s one-of-a-kind style will fire your imagination. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Key Topics in Conservation Biology 2 David W. Macdonald, Katherine J. Willis, 2013-04-22 Following the much acclaimed success of the first volume of Key Topics in Conservation Biology, this entirely new second volume addresses an innovative array of key topics in contemporary conservation biology. Written by an internationally renowned team of authors, Key Topics in Conservation Biology 2 adds to the still topical foundations laid in the first volume (published in 2007) by exploring a further 25 cutting-edge issues in modern biodiversity conservation, including controversial subjects such as setting conservation priorities, balancing the focus on species and ecosystems, and financial mechanisms to value biodiversity and pay for its conservation. Other chapters, setting the framework for conservation, address the sociology and philosophy of peoples’ relation with Nature and its impact on health, and such challenging practical issues as wildlife trade and conflict between people and carnivores. As a new development, this second volume of Key Topics includes chapters on major ecosystems, such as forests, islands and both fresh and marine waters, along with case studies of the conservation of major taxa: plants, butterflies, birds and mammals. A further selection of topics consider how to safeguard the future through monitoring, reserve planning, corridors and connectivity, together with approaches to reintroduction and re-wilding, along with managing wildlife disease. A final chapter, by the editors, synthesises thinking on the relationship between biodiversity conservation and human development. Each topic is explored by a team of top international experts, assembled to bring their own cross-cutting knowledge to a penetrating synthesis of the issues from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The interdisciplinary nature of biodiversity conservation is reflected throughout the book. Each essay examines the fundamental principles of the topic, the methodologies involved and, crucially, the human dimension. In this way, Key Topics in Conservation Biology 2, like its sister volume, Key Topics in Conservation Biology, embraces issues from cutting-edge ecological science to policy, environmental economics, governance, ethics, and the practical issues of implementation. Key Topics in Conservation Biology 2 will, like its sister volume, be a valuable resource in universities and colleges, government departments, and conservation agencies. It is aimed particularly at senior undergraduate and graduate students in conservation biology and wildlife management and wider ecological and environmental subjects, and those taking Masters degrees in any field relevant to conservation and the environment. Conservation practitioners, policy-makers, and the wider general public eager to understand more about important environmental issues will also find this book invaluable. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: How the Scots Invented the Modern World Arthur Herman, 2007-12-18 An exciting account of the origins of the modern world Who formed the first literate society? Who invented our modern ideas of democracy and free market capitalism? The Scots. As historian and author Arthur Herman reveals, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries Scotland made crucial contributions to science, philosophy, literature, education, medicine, commerce, and politics—contributions that have formed and nurtured the modern West ever since. Herman has charted a fascinating journey across the centuries of Scottish history. Here is the untold story of how John Knox and the Church of Scotland laid the foundation for our modern idea of democracy; how the Scottish Enlightenment helped to inspire both the American Revolution and the U.S. Constitution; and how thousands of Scottish immigrants left their homes to create the American frontier, the Australian outback, and the British Empire in India and Hong Kong. How the Scots Invented the Modern World reveals how Scottish genius for creating the basic ideas and institutions of modern life stamped the lives of a series of remarkable historical figures, from James Watt and Adam Smith to Andrew Carnegie and Arthur Conan Doyle, and how Scottish heroes continue to inspire our contemporary culture, from William “Braveheart” Wallace to James Bond. And no one who takes this incredible historical trek will ever view the Scots—or the modern West—in the same way again. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Philosophy of Social Science Nancy Cartwright, Eleonora Montuschi, 2014 This is a much-needed new introduction to a field that has been transformed in recent years by exciting new subjects, ideas, and methods. It is designed for students in both philosophy and the social sciences. Topics include ontology, objectivity, method, measurement, and causal inference, and such issues as well-being and climate change. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Culture: urban future UNESCO, 2016-12-31 Report presents a series of analyses and recommendations for fostering the role of culture for sustainable development. Drawing on a global survey implemented with nine regional partners and insights from scholars, NGOs and urban thinkers, the report offers a global overview of urban heritage safeguarding, conservation and management, as well as the promotion of cultural and creative industries, highlighting their role as resources for sustainable urban development. Report is intended as a policy framework document to support governments in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Urban Development and the New Urban Agenda. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Superforecasting Philip E. Tetlock, Dan Gardner, 2015-09-29 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE ECONOMIST “The most important book on decision making since Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow.”—Jason Zweig, The Wall Street Journal Everyone would benefit from seeing further into the future, whether buying stocks, crafting policy, launching a new product, or simply planning the week’s meals. Unfortunately, people tend to be terrible forecasters. As Wharton professor Philip Tetlock showed in a landmark 2005 study, even experts’ predictions are only slightly better than chance. However, an important and underreported conclusion of that study was that some experts do have real foresight, and Tetlock has spent the past decade trying to figure out why. What makes some people so good? And can this talent be taught? In Superforecasting, Tetlock and coauthor Dan Gardner offer a masterwork on prediction, drawing on decades of research and the results of a massive, government-funded forecasting tournament. The Good Judgment Project involves tens of thousands of ordinary people—including a Brooklyn filmmaker, a retired pipe installer, and a former ballroom dancer—who set out to forecast global events. Some of the volunteers have turned out to be astonishingly good. They’ve beaten other benchmarks, competitors, and prediction markets. They’ve even beaten the collective judgment of intelligence analysts with access to classified information. They are superforecasters. In this groundbreaking and accessible book, Tetlock and Gardner show us how we can learn from this elite group. Weaving together stories of forecasting successes (the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound) and failures (the Bay of Pigs) and interviews with a range of high-level decision makers, from David Petraeus to Robert Rubin, they show that good forecasting doesn’t require powerful computers or arcane methods. It involves gathering evidence from a variety of sources, thinking probabilistically, working in teams, keeping score, and being willing to admit error and change course. Superforecasting offers the first demonstrably effective way to improve our ability to predict the future—whether in business, finance, politics, international affairs, or daily life—and is destined to become a modern classic. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: The Glaciers of Iceland Helgi Björnsson, 2016-10-04 This book is the first comprehensive overview and evaluation of the origins, history and current size and condition of all of Iceland's major glaciers (including Vatnajökull, the largest in Europe) at the beginning of the twenty-first century. It is not only illustrated with many beautiful photographs and graphs of recent statistics and scientific data, but is also a collection of historical writings and drawings from annals, sagas, folk tales, diaries, reports, stories and poems, as it presents a unique approach to the study of glaciers on an island in the North Atlantic. Balancing and comparing the world of man with the world of nature, the perceptions of art and culture with the systematic and pragmatic analyses of science, The Glaciers of Iceland present a wide spectrum of readers with a new and stimulating view of the origins, development and possible future of these massive natural phenomena, as well as the study and role of glaciology, within specific time lines and geographical locations. Icelandic glaciers the author argues could prove essential for understanding the current unsettling progress of global warming. The glaciers of Iceland, therefore, aims at presenting to a wide readership an original, historical, cultural and scientific overview of these geophysical features in Iceland while also suggesting increasingly important lessons and models for man's future interaction with the world's glaciers as a whole. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: T. rex and the Crater of Doom Walter Alvarez, 2015-09-15 Sixty-five million years ago, a comet or asteroid larger than Mount Everest slammed into the Earth, inducing an explosion equivalent to the detonation of a hundred million hydrogen bombs. Vaporized detritus blasted through the atmosphere upon impact, falling back to Earth around the globe. Disastrous environmental consequences ensued: a giant tsunami, continent-scale wildfires, darkness, and cold, followed by sweltering greenhouse heat. When conditions returned to normal, half the plant and animal genera on Earth had perished. This horrific chain of events is now widely accepted as the solution to a great scientific mystery: what caused the extinction of the dinosaurs? Walter Alvarez, one of the Berkeley scientists who discovered evidence of the impact, tells the story behind the development of the initially controversial theory. It is a saga of high adventure in remote locations, of arduous data collection and intellectual struggle, of long periods of frustration ended by sudden breakthroughs, of friendships made and lost, and of the exhilaration of discovery that forever altered our understanding of Earth's geological history. |
| 2015 holiday lectures on science how species coexist: Community Culture and the Environment , 2002 |
2015 - Wikipedia
2015 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2015th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 15th year of the 3rd millennium and …
2015: Facts & Events That Happened in This Year - The Fact Site
Unveil 2015's defining moments: climate action, landmark court rulings, pop culture sensations, and historic diplomacy, all in one remarkable year. Skip to content Menu
What Happened in 2015 - On This Day
What happened and who was famous in 2015? Browse important and historic events, world leaders, famous birthdays and notable deaths from the year 2015.
2015 Archives - HISTORY
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths. Around midday on January 7, 2015, gunmen raid the offices of …
Year in Review: 13 Biggest News Stories of 2015
Dec 29, 2015 · Here is a list of some of the biggest news stories of 2015. 1. Charlie Hebdo Attack in Paris. Terror struck in Paris one week into the New Year when a group of men with extensive ties …
15 Important Historical Events That Happened In 2015
Mar 2, 2023 · 2015 was an eventful year in history. From the discovery of the first Earth-sized planet outside of our solar system to the legalization of same-sex marriage across the United …
Major Events of 2015 - Historical Moments That Defined the Year ...
Sep 25, 2024 · Discover the most significant events of 2015, from world-changing political decisions to cultural milestones. Explore the key moments that shaped history during this pivotal …
2015 In Review Fast Facts - CNN
Sep 9, 2015 · Read CNN’s Fast Facts about 2015 to learn about domestic and international events that have taken place during the year.
The Biggest News Events of 2015 - Newsweek
Dec 12, 2015 · Here is a sampling of the defining movements, decisions, policies and tragedies that made headlines — and history—this year. This article, along with others dedicated to the …
2015 in the United States - Wikipedia
2015 San Bernardino attack: 14 people are killed in a terrorist attack at a facility for the mentally disabled in San Bernardino, California. It is the deadliest mass shooting in the United States in …
2015 - Wikipedia
2015 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2015th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 15th year of the 3rd millennium and …
2015: Facts & Events That Happened in This Year - The Fact Site
Unveil 2015's defining moments: climate action, landmark court rulings, pop culture sensations, and historic diplomacy, all in one remarkable year. Skip to content Menu
What Happened in 2015 - On This Day
What happened and who was famous in 2015? Browse important and historic events, world leaders, famous birthdays and notable deaths from the year 2015.
2015 Archives - HISTORY
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths. Around midday on January 7, 2015, gunmen raid the offices …
Year in Review: 13 Biggest News Stories of 2015
Dec 29, 2015 · Here is a list of some of the biggest news stories of 2015. 1. Charlie Hebdo Attack in Paris. Terror struck in Paris one week into the New Year when a group of men with extensive …
15 Important Historical Events That Happened In 2015
Mar 2, 2023 · 2015 was an eventful year in history. From the discovery of the first Earth-sized planet outside of our solar system to the legalization of same-sex marriage across the United …
Major Events of 2015 - Historical Moments That Defined the Year ...
Sep 25, 2024 · Discover the most significant events of 2015, from world-changing political decisions to cultural milestones. Explore the key moments that shaped history during this …
2015 In Review Fast Facts - CNN
Sep 9, 2015 · Read CNN’s Fast Facts about 2015 to learn about domestic and international events that have taken place during the year.
The Biggest News Events of 2015 - Newsweek
Dec 12, 2015 · Here is a sampling of the defining movements, decisions, policies and tragedies that made headlines — and history—this year. This article, along with others dedicated to the …
2015 in the United States - Wikipedia
2015 San Bernardino attack: 14 people are killed in a terrorist attack at a facility for the mentally disabled in San Bernardino, California. It is the deadliest mass shooting in the United States in …
