There is virtually nowhere on Earth today that remains untouched by plastic and ecosystems are evolving to adapt to this new context. While plastics have revolutionized our modern world, new and often unforeseen effects of plastic and its production are continually being discovered. Plastics are entangled in multiple ecological and social crises, f...
This book describes how man-made litter, primarily plastic, has spread into the remotest parts of the oceans and covers all aspects of this pollution problem from the impacts on wildlife and human health to socio-economic and political issues. Marine litter is a prime threat to marine wildlife, habitats and food webs worldwide.The book illustrates ...
This volume focuses on microscopic plastic debris, also referred to as microplastics, which have been detected in aquatic environments around the globe and have accordingly raised serious concerns. The book explores whether microplastics represent emerging contaminants in freshwater systems, an area that remains underrepresented to date. Given th...
This book facilitates an integrative understanding of the development, genetics and evolution of butterfly wing patterns. To develop a deep and realistic understanding of the diversity and evolution of butterfly wing patterns, it is essential and necessary to approach the problem from various kinds of key research fields such as "evo-devo,&quo...
Fifty years have passed since the first Earth Day, on 22 April 1970. This accessible, incisive and timely collection of essays brings together a diverse set of expert voices to examine how the Earth's environment has changed over this past half century, and what lies in store for our planet over the coming fifty years.
Earth 2020: An Inside...
Additive manufacturing or 3D printing, manufacturing a product layer by layer, offers large design freedom and faster product development cycles, as well as low startup cost of production, on-demand production and local production. In principle, any product could be made by additive manufacturing. Even food and living organic cells can be printed. ...
This open book gathers authoritative contributions concerning multiscale problems in biomechanics, geomechanics, materials science and tribology. It is written in memory of Sergey Grigorievich Psakhie to feature various aspects of his multifaceted research interests, ranging from theoretical physics, computer modeling of materials and material char...
This open book presents a collection of the most up-to-date research results in the field of steel development with a focus on pioneering alloy concepts that result in previously unattainable materials properties. Specifically, it gives a detailed overview of the marriage of high-performance steels of the highest strength and form-ability with dama...
Bodging electrical components together on a breadboard is all very well, but when it comes to making a circuit permanent, you have to learn to solder. We've rounded up the best wizarding wands to give you this magical maker power.
- Vandalism done properly
- A robot that can climb stairs
- Air-powered rocketry
- Use a laser cutter to mak...
This book is devoted to innovative medicine, comprising the proceedings of the Uehara Memorial Foundation Symposium 2014. It remains extremely rare for the findings of basic research to be developed into clinical applications, and it takes a long time for the process to be achieved. The task of advancing the development of basic research into clini...
Taking the business model as point of departure, this book explores how companies and organizations can contribute to a more sustainable future by designing innovative models that are both sustainable and profitable. Based upon years of research, it draws together theoretical foundations and existing literature on the topic of sustainable business ...
This book addresses a wide variety of events and technologies concerning the sago palm, ranging from its botanical characteristics, culture and use to social conditions in the places where it is grown, in order to provide a record of research findings and to benefit society. It discusses various subjects, including the sago palm and related species...
The average person can name more bird species than they think, but do we really know what a bird "species" is? This book takes up several fascinating aspects of bird life to elucidate this basic concept in biology. From genetic and physiological basics to the phenomena of bird song and bird migration, it analyzes various interactions of b...
The world is faced with an epidemic of metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. This is due to changes in dietary habits and the decrease in physical activity. Exercise is usually part of the prescription, the first line of defense, to prevent or treat metabolic disorders. However, we are still learning how and why exercise provides ...
This book examines more than two centuries of societal development using novel historical and statistical approaches. It applies the well-being monitor developed by Statistics Netherlands that has been endorsed by a significant part of the international, statistical community. It features The Netherlands as a case study, which is an especially inte...
This book summarizes peer-reviewed articles and the abstracts of oral and poster presentations given during the YOUMARES 9 conference which took place in Oldenburg, Germany, in September 2018. The aims of this book are to summarize state-of-the-art knowledge in marine sciences and to inspire scientists of all career stages in the development of fur...
This comprehensive textbook describes the synthesis, characterization and technical and engineering applications of polymers. Offering a broad and balanced introduction to the basic concepts of macromolecular chemistry and to the synthesis and physical chemistry of polymers, it is the ideal text for graduate students and advanced Masters students s...
Written by a group of international experts in the field and the result of over ten years of collaboration, it allows students and readers to gain to gain a detailed understanding of scar and wound treatment - a topic still dispersed among various disciplines. The content is divided into three parts for easy reference. The first part focuses on the...
This issue we're paying homage to some of our favourite projects built on the Raspberry Pi. We're living in a golden age for experimentation, accessible making and digital discovery - and a large part of that is thanks to this teeny tiny computer. Just add imagination!
- How one maker achieved perfection (yes, really!) by embracing fai...
With a little bit of coding, you can breathe life into anything. Discover the building blocks of programming that will take your creations to the next level - whether that's motors, servos, sensors or just adding blinkenlights. Coding is a superpower!
- How to build an elite-level hot air balloon
- Get ready for Christmas with flashy festi...
What is the most pressing problem facing the American public today? Is it immigration reform, health care costs, the student debt crisis, stagnating wages, or a budget deficit reaching into the trillions? How about climate change or the threat of plastic pollution in the ocean? What about gun violence and gun rights? The problems facing the U.S. ar...