Showing results by publisher "Audible studios" in Biological Sciences

Humor, like pornography, is famously difficult to define. We know it when we see it, but is there a way to figure out what we really find funnyand why? In this fascinating investigation into the science of humor and laughter, cognitive neuroscientist Scott Weems uncovers what’s happening in our heads when we giggle, guffaw, or double over with laughter. While we typically think of humor in terms of jokes or comic timing, in Ha! Weems proposes a provocative new model.

The human reaction to insects is neither purely biological nor simply cultural. And no one reacts to insects with indifference. Insects frighten, disgust, and fascinate us. Jeff Lockwood explores this phenomenon through evolutionary science, human history, and contemporary psychology, as well as a debilitating bout with entomophobia in his work as an entomologist. Exploring the nature of anxiety and phobia, Lockwood explores the lively debate about how much of our fear of insects can be attributed to ancestral predisposition for our own survival and how much is learned through individual experiences.

The first audiobook of its kind, Mind Wars covers the ethical dilemmas and bizarre history of cutting-edge technology and neuroscience developed for military applications. As the author discusses the innovative Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the role of the intelligence community and countless university science departments in preparing the military and intelligence services for the 21st century, he also charts the future of national security.

For the past 50 years, popular culture has led us to believe in the left brain vs. right brain theory of personality types. It would be an illuminating theory if it did not have one major drawback: It is simply not supported by science. In contrast, the Top Brain, Bottom Brain theory is based on solid research that has stayed within the confines of labs all over the world—until now.

We evolved to eat berries rather than bagels, to live in mud huts rather than condos, to sprint barefoot rather than play football - or did we? Are our bodies and brains truly at odds with modern life? Although it may seem as though we have barely had time to shed our hunter-gatherer legacy, biologist Marlene Zuk reveals that the story is not so simple. Popular theories about how our ancestors lived - and why we should emulate them - are often based on speculation, not scientific evidence. Armed with a razor-sharp wit and brilliant, eye-opening research, Zuk takes us to the cutting edge of biology to show that evolution can work much faster than was previously realized.

Have you ever watched a horse flick her tail or had a dog greet you at your door and known in your heart that the animal was exhibiting something more than simple instinctual responses? If so, you must read this book. In it Vicki Hearne asserts that animals that interact with humans are more intelligent than we assume. In fact, they are capable of developing an understanding of "the good", a moral code that influences their motives and actions. Hearne’s thorough studies led her to adopt a new system of animal training that contradicts modern animal behavioral research, but - as her examples show - is astonishingly effective.

In this revealing romp through the mysteries of human perception, University of California psychologist and researcher Lawrence Rosenblum explores the astonishing abilities of the five senses - skills of which most of us are remarkably unaware. Drawing on groundbreaking insights into the brain's plasticity and integrative powers, including findings from his own research, Rosenblum examines how our brains use the subtlest information to perceive the world.

Beyond images of emaciated polar bears and drought-cracked lakes, there remains a major part of climate change's impact that the media has neglected: how our health will suffer from higher temperatures and extreme weather. From spiraling rates of asthma and allergies and spikes in heatstroke-related deaths to swarms of invasive insects carrying diseases like dengue or West Nile and increases in heart and lung disease and cancer, the effect of rising temperatures on human health will be far-reaching, and is more imminent than we think.

Bright Rivers chronicles the angling passions and frustrations of one of fly-fishing's greatest men of letters. A city dweller trapped in the complexities of modern life, Nick Lyons has always found solace in his pilgrimages to great rivers. It is there that he fishes for trout, and in Bright Rivers, Lyons recounts the sometimes moving, sometimes hilarious experiences of his expeditions to the Delaware, Beaverkill, Madison, Big Hole, and Yellowstone rivers, sharing reminiscences of trout taken, released, and sometimes lost.

Everything about the sense of smell fascinates us, from its power to evoke memories to its ability to change our moods and influence our behavior. From brain-imaging laboratories to the high-stakes world of scent marketing, What the Nose Knows takes us on a tour of the strange and surprising realm of smell.

Die Welt der Quanten ist voller atemberaubender Geschichten und Ideen – von winzigen Teilchen, die sich an zwei verschiedenen Orten gleichzeitig befinden, von Katzen, die gleichzeitig lebendig und tot sind, von geheimnisvoller Teleportation. Gleichzeitig bestimmt Quantenphysik längst unseren Alltag: Laser, Mikrochips oder MRT-Bilder wären ohne Quantentheorie nicht möglich. Immer wieder heißt es: Quanten sind so kompliziert, dass sie höchstens von ein paar Wissenschaftsgenies verstanden werden können.

IQ scores have the power to determine the chances we have in life: the people we meet, the schools we attend, the jobs we get, the lives we live. Very few of us, however, understand what IQ tests and ratings really mean. In this fascinating, provocative book, Stephen Murdoch explains the turbulent history and controversial current uses of intelligence testing.

This marvelous collection features stories from some of America’s finest and most respected writers about every outdoorsman’s favorite and most loyal hunting partner: his dog. For the first time, the stories of acclaimed writers such as Richard Ford, Tom Brokaw, Howell Raines, Rick Bass, Sydney Lea, Jim Harrison, Tom McGuane, Phil Caputo, and Chris Camuto come together in one collection. Hunters and non-hunters alike will recognize in these poignant tales the universal aspects of owning dogs.

Patagonia. The name connotes the exotic and a distance that seems nearly mythical. Tucked toward the toe of South America, this largely unsettled landscape is among the most varied and breathtaking in the world - aching in its beauty as it sweeps from the Andes through broad, arid steppes to pristine beaches and down to a famously violent sea. It is also home to a vast array of rare wildlife as diverse and fascinating as the region itself.

Die Wissenschaft hinter dem Gesetz der Anziehung - Manifestieren lernen vom Experten. Weltbestseller-Autor James Doty (Into the Magic Shop – Das Alphabet des Herzens) zeigt in seinem neuen Ratgeber Mind Magic, dass Manifestieren wirklich funktioniert: Du hast echte Herzenswünsche, möchtest bestimmte Ziele erreichen oder einfach ein glückliches und erfülltes Leben führen? Der Neurochirurg Dr. James Doty erklärt anschaulich, was in unserem Gehirn passiert, wenn wir Affirmationen sprechen und unsere Wünsche visualisieren.

Saviez-vous que les dinosaures vivaient partout sur la Terre, de l'Alaska à l'Antarctique ? Que loin d'être des « reptiles stupides », certains étaient des animaux communautaires capables de vivre en meute, de communiquer ou de prodiguer des soins parentaux ? À l'aide d'exemples choisis parmi les découvertes et interprétations les plus récentes, cet ouvrage fait revivre, sous nos yeux, un monde disparu. Il raconte le travail passionnant des chercheurs du monde entier, qui, grâce aux nouvelles techniques mises à leur disposition (géochimie, synchrotron, intelligence artificielle...

Este libro descubre la más sucia, sorprendente y festiva intimidad de los seres vivos. Ahí fuera se vive una orgía permanente en la que los chimpancés disfrutan de sus penes con espinas y los patos, de sus enormes sacacorchos; donde los pájaros se ponen los cuernos sin remordimiento alguno y las ranas se hacen las muertas para escapar de los pretendientes más insistentes; en el que los hongos tienen tres, cuatro o hasta miles de sexos, algunos peces cambian de sexo y otros llevan los genitales de sus examantes pegados a sus escamas; donde los zánganos eyaculan tan fuerte que revientan.

È l'organo che più ci contraddistingue come specie, quello che – a torto o a ragione – ci fa sentire superiori agli altri esseri viventi, il fondamento della nostra civiltà e, per alcuni, la sede dell'anima; ma a che cosa serve davvero il nostro cervello, e come funziona?

Stimmt es, dass Elefanten über ihre Füße hören können? Wie wird CO2 im Ozean abgebaut? Warum sind Bärtierchen gar nicht so groß wie sie klingen? Was haben Farne schon alles überlegen? Warum sind Sukkulenten wahre Spezialisten? Und was haben Gene eigentlich mit einer Schere zu tun? In unserem Podcast beantworten eine marine Mikrobiologin und ein Herpetologe die großen und kleinen Fragen rund um die Biologie der Tiere, Menschen, Pflanzen und allem dazwischen.

★1000万人を驚嘆させた「森の科学者」の世界的ベストセラー、ついに日本上陸!!★「映画のような面白さ！」──NYタイムズ、WSJ、ガーディアンなどが大絶賛!!