What turns owls into airborne ninjas? Which creature has the highest pounce rate? Which dinosaur scared the pants off the mighty T-rex? Glenn Murphy, author of Why is Snot Green? and How Loud Can You Burp? leads us through the wide world of all things toothed, clawed and fearsome in this brilliantly informative book about creatures that hunt to survive. Packed with amazing photographs, illustrations, information and jokes about all things sharp, toothy and ferocious – from lions and bears to dinosaurs and wolverines, Predators: The Whole Tooth and Claw Story contains absolutely no boring bits! Discover more funny science with Evolution: The Whole Life on Earth Story.
Are Olympic athletes born stronger and faster than the rest of us? Why do tennis rackets have strings? How do gymnasts balance on their hands? Why do hurdlers do the splits when they jump? Glenn Murphy, author of Why is Snot Green?, answers these and lots of other brilliant questions in Olympic Sport: The Whole Muscle-Flexing Story, a fascinating book about the science of sport. From running a marathon to beating your friends at basketball or being the bendiest gymnast around, find out everything you ever wanted to know about sports and games and what it is that makes athletes the best at what they do. Discover more funny science with Does Farting Make You Faster?.
"This book provides a comprehensive coverage of the biology, ecology, and conservation of top predators--including big cats, wild dogs, sharks, raptors, marine mammals (Orca and others), snakes and lizards, and humans--but it is not encyclopedic in its approach. While it incorporates up-to-date scholarship from practitioners working with a diversity of top predators, the book is also accessible for non-experts. The book is illustrated with a original art and many color photographs"--
Man the Hunted argues that primates, including the earliest members of the human family, have evolved as the prey of any number of predators, including wild cats and dogs, hyenas, snakes, crocodiles, and even birds. The authors' studies of predators on monkeys and apes are supplemented here with the observations of naturalists in the field and revealing interpretations of the fossil record. Eyewitness accounts of the 'man the hunted' drama being played out even now give vivid evidence of its prehistoric significance. This provocative view of human evolution suggests that countless adaptations that have allowed our species to survive (from larger brains to speech), stem from a considerably more vulnerable position on the food chain than we might like to imagine. The myth of early humans as fearless hunters dominating the earth obscures our origins as just one of many species that had to be cautious, depend on other group members, communicate danger, and come to terms with being merely one cog in the complex cycle of life.
FOREWORD BY BRAD SMITH, VICE CHAIR AND PRESIDENT OF MICROSOFT Discover how AI leaders and researchers are using AI to transform the world for the better In AI for Good: Applications in Sustainability, Humanitarian Action, and Health, a team of veteran Microsoft AI researchers delivers an insightful and fascinating discussion of how one of the world's most recognizable software companies is tackling intractable social problems with the power of artificial intelligence (AI). In the book, you’ll see real in-the-field examples of researchers using AI with replicable methods and reusable AI code to inspire your own uses. The authors also provide: Easy-to-follow, non-technical explanations of what AI is and how it works Examples of the use of AI for scientists working on mitigating climate change, showing how AI can better analyze data without human bias, remedy pattern recognition deficits, and make use of satellite and other data on a scale never seen before so policy makers can make informed decisions Real applications of AI in humanitarian action, whether in speeding disaster relief with more accurate data for first responders or in helping address populations that have experienced adversity with examples of how analytics is being used to promote inclusivity A deep focus on AI in healthcare where it is improving provider productivity and patient experience, reducing per-capita healthcare costs, and increasing care access, equity, and outcomes Discussions of the future of AI in the realm of social benefit organizations and efforts Beyond the work of the authors, contributors, and researchers highlighted in the book, AI For Good begins with a foreword from Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith. There, Smith details the Microsoft rationale behind the creation of and continued investment in the AI for Good Lab. The vision is one of hope with AI saving lives in disasters, improving health care globally, and Microsoft's mission to make sure AI's benefits are available to all. An essential guide to impactful social change with artificial intelligence, AI for Good is a must-read resource for technical and non-technical professionals interested in AI’s social potential, as well as policymakers, regulators, NGO professionals, and non-profit volunteers.
PREPARE TO LAUGH AND LEARN Scientific answers to mysteries kids really want to know. Sure a lot of kids want to grow up to be astronauts, but according to scientist Glenn Murphy, even MORE kids want to know what happens to astronaut farts. (Short answer: Not good things!) And they want to know: Why don't all fish die from lightening storms? Why haven't we all been sucked into a black hole? Do animals talk? Told in a back-and-forth conversational style, Why is Snot Green? presents science just the way kids want to learn it--with lots of laughter.
Savage. Menacing. Ruthless. Predators get a pretty bad rap. Sure, they prey on helpless animals that never stand a chance, but behind those jagged teeth, powerful jaws, and razor-sharp claws, every predator has a softer side. Maybe even an adorable one. Everyone has compassion for the cute bunny or lamb. But what about their predators who are working hard for their meal? Capturing their prey is a life-or-death game. Just think about the last time you had to hunt for food while hangry. You can understand, right? Including famous quotes from history that give context to these disturbingly cute illustrations, Alex Solis shares his sense of humor while giving readers a way to enjoy the darkest parts of life with a smile. It’s time to give theses predators a break! Because, in the end, both predators and their prey play a role. I mean, it’s not their fault they were made this way! They’re just living off of instincts, doing what comes naturally to them. So rather than turning away from nature, let’s celebrate all the animals who complete The Adorable Circle of Life.
Up close with the ocean's most fearsome and famous predator and the scientists who study them—just twenty-six miles from the Golden Gate Bridge! A few miles from San Francisco lives a population of the ocean's largest and most famous predators. Each fall, while the city's inhabitants dine on steaks, salads, and sandwiches, the great white sharks return to California's Farallon Islands to dine on their favorite meal: the seals that live on the island's rocky coasts. Massive, fast, and perfectly adapted to hunting after 11 million years of evolution, the great whites are among the planet's most fearsome, fascinating, and least understood animals. In the fall of 2012, Katherine Roy visited the Farallons with the scientists who study the islands' shark population. She witnessed seal attacks, observed sharks being tagged in the wild, and got an up close look at the dramatic Farallons—a wildlife refuge that is strictly off-limits to all but the scientists who work there. Neighborhood Sharks is an intimate portrait of the life cycle, biology, and habitat of the great white shark, based on the latest research and an up-close visit with these amazing animals.
