Simulating Nature

Simulating Nature
Author: Arthur C. Petersen
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2012-04-24
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 1466500670

Computer simulation has become an important means for obtaining knowledge about nature. The practice of scientific simulation and the frequent use of uncertain simulation results in public policy raise a wide range of philosophical questions. Most prominently highlighted is the field of anthropogenic climate change-are humans currently changing the

Simulating Nature

Simulating Nature
Author: Arthur C. Petersen
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 227
Release: 2012-04-24
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 146650062X

Computer simulation has become an important means for obtaining knowledge about nature. The practice of scientific simulation and the frequent use of uncertain simulation results in public policy raise a wide range of philosophical questions. Most prominently highlighted is the field of anthropogenic climate change—are humans currently changing the climate? Referring to empirical results from science studies and political science, Simulating Nature: A Philosophical Study of Computer-Simulation Uncertainties and Their Role in Climate Science and Policy Advice, Second Edition addresses questions about the types of uncertainty associated with scientific simulation and about how these uncertainties can be communicated. The author, who participated in the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) plenaries in 2001 and 2007, discusses the assessment reports and workings of the IPCC. This second edition reflects the latest developments in climate change policy, including a thorough update and rewriting of sections that refer to the IPCC.

The Nature of Code

The Nature of Code
Author: Daniel Shiffman
Publisher: No Starch Press
Total Pages: 642
Release: 2024-09-03
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1718503717

All aboard The Coding Train! This beginner-friendly creative coding tutorial is designed to grow your skills in a fun, hands-on way as you build simulations of real-world phenomena with “The Coding Train” YouTube star Daniel Shiffman. What if you could re-create the awe-inspiring flocking patterns of birds or the hypnotic dance of fireflies—with code? For over a decade, The Nature of Code has empowered countless readers to do just that, bridging the gap between creative expression and programming. This innovative guide by Daniel Shiffman, creator of the beloved Coding Train, welcomes budding and seasoned programmers alike into a world where code meets playful creativity. This JavaScript-based edition of Shiffman’s groundbreaking work gently unfolds the mysteries of the natural world, turning complex topics like genetic algorithms, physics-based simulations, and neural networks into accessible and visually stunning creations. Embark on this extraordinary adventure with projects involving: A physics engine: Simulate the push and pull of gravitational attraction. Flocking birds: Choreograph the mesmerizing dance of a flock. Branching trees: Grow lifelike and organic tree structures. Neural networks: Craft intelligent systems that learn and adapt. Cellular automata: Uncover the magic of self-organizing patterns. Evolutionary algorithms: Play witness to natural selection in your code. Shiffman’s work has transformed thousands of curious minds into creators, breaking down barriers between science, art, and technology, and inviting readers to see code not just as a tool for tasks but as a canvas for boundless creativity. Whether you’re deciphering the elegant patterns of natural phenomena or crafting your own digital ecosystems, Shiffman’s guidance is sure to inform and inspire. The Nature of Code is not just about coding; it’s about looking at the natural world in a new way and letting its wonders inspire your next creation. Dive in and discover the joy of turning code into art—all while mastering coding fundamentals along the way. NOTE: All examples are written with p5.js, a JavaScript library for creative coding, and are available on the book's website.

Behavior and the Natural Environment

Behavior and the Natural Environment
Author: Irwin Altman
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 354
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1461335396

The theme of the present volume concerns people' s response to the natural environment, considered at scales varying from that of a house hold plant to that of vast wilderness areas. Our decision to focus on this particular segment of the physical environment was prompted in part by the intrinsic interest in this subject on the part of a diverse group of sodal scientists and professionals-and of laypersons, for that matter and in part by the relative neglect of this topic in standard treatments of the environment-behavior field. It also serves to bring out once again the interdisdplinary nature of that field, and we are pleased to have been able to inc1ude representatives from geography, sodology, soda! ecology, and natural recreation among our contributors. We believe that this volume will serve a useful purpose in helping to integrate the find ings and concepts in this presently somewhat fragmented field, scat tered as they are over a very diverse array of publications representing a similarly varied group of spedalties. It is hoped that the result will be to stimulate future development of this area and to add a measure of in creased coherence to it. Volume 7 of our series will be devoted to the theme of elderly people and the environment, with M. Powell Lawton joining us as guest co-editor. The titles of the papers comprising Volume 7 are shown on page v. Irwin Altman J oachim F. Wohlwill ix Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Natural Resources

Natural Resources
Author: Siegfried V. Ciriacy-Wantrup
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 230
Release: 2023-11-10
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0520332628

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1967.

Adaptive Sensory Environments

Adaptive Sensory Environments
Author: Maria Lorena Lehman
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 203
Release: 2016-08-12
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1317247264

***WINNER OF A NAUTILUS 2017 SILVER MEDAL BOOK AWARD*** Adaptive Sensory Environments: An Introduction presents a cutting-edge methodology for adaptive sensory design by fostering an inter-disciplinary approach in which aspects of neuroscience, biophilia, captology, nanotechnology, kinetics, and sensemaking all play critical roles in helping adaptive architecture "tune" to occupants. Furthermore, the book illustrates how adaptive sensory environments transform and uplift quality of life in entirely new ways, by strategically unlocking the potential that technological innovations bring. By teaching scholars, researchers, practitioners, specialists, and consultants how to design architecture that guides what emerging interactive technology can do, it allows them to see deeper into an architectural design, to extend beyond interaction and, ultimately, to build environments that adapt by changing and growing with their occupants’ immediate needs and long-term goals.

Foundations of Chinese Psychology

Foundations of Chinese Psychology
Author: Kwang-Kuo Hwang
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 402
Release: 2011-12-04
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1461414393

Mainstream psychology emanated from European-American and Judeo-Christian philosophical and scientific traditions. The application of this viewpoint, which embeds colonial and imperialist concepts is less relevant to Asian and other indigenous cultures. Although it has been accepted by non-Western scholars in an attempt to emulate Western scientific practice, the mainstream viewpoint is in a process of transformation to accommodate geographically relevant perspectives. In this light, Foundations of Chinese Psychology, bridges the gap between western and eastern traditions and elaborates on theories based on local phenomena, findings, and experiences by research methods that are contextually appropriate. Using a guiding principle of cultural psychology – ‘one mind, many mentalities’, this book advocates the balancing of a global psychology concept without sacrificing that of a specific locality and people. It analyzes the basics of Confucionism and compares them to Western ethical thinking, arriving at a series of theories concerning social exchange, face, achievement motivation, organizational behaviors, and conflict resolution. Beyond the specifics of a particular culture, this book exemplifies the act of constructing autonomous social science that may be emulated in other non-Western settings. It also serves as an excellent guide for cross-cultural research as well as a caveat on the limitations of presumptive individualism and exclusionary perspectives.

Feynman and His Physics

Feynman and His Physics
Author: Jörg Resag
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 328
Release: 2018-12-21
Genre: Science
ISBN: 331996836X

This book takes the reader on a journey through the life of Richard Feynman and describes, in non-technical terms, his revolutionary contributions to modern physics. Feynman was an unconventional thinker who always tried to get to the bottom of things. In doing so, he developed an intuitive view that made him one of the greatest teachers of physics. The author captures this development and explains it in the context of the zeitgeist of modern physics: What revolutionary ideas did Feynman have, what contribution did he make to the development of quantum mechanics and quantum field theory, how can Feynman's methods be understood? Be enchanted by this book and understand the physics of the genius whose 100th birthday was celebrated in 2018.