In the vein of Randall Munroe's What If? meets Brian Green's Elegant Universe, a senior writer from Space.com leads readers on a wild ride of exploration into the final frontier, investigating what's really "out there." We've all asked ourselves the question. It's impossible to look up at the stars and NOT think about it: Are we alone in the universe? Books, movies and television shows proliferate that attempt to answer this question and explore it. In Out There Space.com senior writer Dr. Michael Wall treats that question as merely the beginning, touching off a wild ride of exploration into the final frontier. He considers, for instance, the myriad of questions that would arise once we do discover life beyond Earth (an eventuality which, top NASA officials told Wall, is only drawing closer). What would the first aliens we meet look like? Would they be little green men or mere microbes? Would they be found on a planet in our own solar system or orbiting a star far, far away? Would they intend to harm us, and if so, how might they do it? And might they already have visited? Out There is arranged in a simple question-and-answer format. The answers are delivered in Dr. Wall's informal but informative style, which mixes in a healthy dose of humor and pop culture to make big ideas easier to swallow. Dr. Wall covers questions far beyond alien life, venturing into astronomy, physics, and the practical realities of what long-term life might be like for we mere humans in outer space, such as the idea of lunar colonies, and even economic implications. Dr. Wall also shares the insights of some of the leading lights in space exploration today, and shows how the next space age might be brighter than ever./DIV
This thesis investigates ultracold molecules as a resource for novel quantum many-body physics, in particular by utilizing their rich internal structure and strong, long-range dipole-dipole interactions. In addition, numerical methods based on matrix product states are analyzed in detail, and general algorithms for investigating the static and dynamic properties of essentially arbitrary one-dimensional quantum many-body systems are put forth. Finally, this thesis covers open-source implementations of matrix product state algorithms, as well as educational material designed to aid in the use of understanding such methods.
From renowned human rights lawyer Michael Sfard, an unprecedented exploration of the struggle for human rights in Israel's courts A farmer from a village in the occupied West Bank, cut off from his olive groves by the construction of Israel’s controversial separation wall, asked Israeli human rights lawyer Michael Sfard to petition the courts to allow a gate to be built in the wall. While the gate would provide immediate relief for the farmer, would it not also confer legitimacy on the wall and on the court that deems it legal? The defense of human rights is often marked by such ethical dilemmas, which are especially acute in Israel, where lawyers have for decades sought redress for the abuse of Palestinian rights in the country’s High Court—that is, in the court of the abuser. In The Wall and the Gate, Michael Sfard chronicles this struggle—a story that has never before been fully told— and in the process engages the core principles of human rights legal ethics. Sfard recounts the unfolding of key cases and issues, ranging from confiscation of land, deportations, the creation of settlements, punitive home demolitions, torture, and targeted killings—all actions considered violations of international law. In the process, he lays bare the reality of the occupation and the lives of the people who must contend with that reality. He also exposes the surreal legal structures that have been erected to put a stamp of lawfulness on an extensive program of dispossession. Finally, he weighs the success of the legal effort, reaching conclusions that are no less paradoxical than the fight itself. Writing with emotional force, vivid storytelling, and penetrating analysis, Michael Sfard offers a radically new perspective on a much-covered conflict and a subtle, painful reckoning with the moral ambiguities inherent in the pursuit of justice. The Wall and the Gate is a signal contribution to everyone concerned with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and human rights everywhere.
We've all asked ourselves the question. It's impossible to look up at the stars and NOT think about it: Are we alone in the universe? Books, movies and television shows proliferate that attempt to answer this question and explore it. In OUT THERE Space.com senior writer Dr. Michael Wall treats that question as merely the beginning, touching off a wild ride of exploration into the final frontier. He considers, for instance, the myriad of questions that would arise once we do discover life beyond Earth (an eventuality which, top NASA officials told Wall, is only drawing closer). What would the first aliens we meet look like? Would they be little green men or mere microbes? Would they be found on a planet in our own solar system or orbiting a star far, far away? Would they intend to harm us, and if so, how might they do it? And might they already have visited? OUT THERE is arranged in a simple question-and-answer format. The answers are delivered in Dr. Wall's informal but informative style, which mixes in a healthy dose of humor and pop culture to make big ideas easier to swallow. Dr. Wall covers questions far beyond alien life, venturing into astronomy, physics, and the practical realities of what long-term life might be like for we mere humans in outer space, such as the idea of lunar colonies, and even economic implications. Dr. Wall also shares the insights of some of the leading lights in space exploration today, and shows how the next space age might be brighter than ever.
It tells the story of my upbringing and future life. I hope that any young person in similar situation reads the book and realises that no matter how difficult life seems to be, there is no need to turn to drugs or crime to make a living. Just take a deep breath, have faith in yourself, and jump into life. Choose your friends wisely and dont be afraid to take a chance. Keep in mind that good friends, trusted friends, are your best assets and that not everyone is out to rob you or cheat you. Life is for living. Go and live it and enjoy.
ON THE TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL, MICHAEL MEYER PROVIDES A RIVETING EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF THE COLLAPSE OF COMMUNISM IN EASTERN EUROPE THAT BRILLIANTLY REWRITES OUR CONVENTIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE COLD WAR CAME TO AN END AND HOLDS IMPORTANT LESSONS FOR AMERICA'S CURRENT GEOPOLITICAL CHALLENGES. " Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" President Ronald Reagan's famous exhortation when visiting Berlin in 1987 has long been widely cited as the clarion call that brought the Cold War to an end. The United States won, so this version of history goes, because Ronald Reagan stood firm against the USSR; American resoluteness brought the evil empire to its knees. Michael Meyer, who was there at the time as a Newsweek bureau chief, begs to differ. In this extraordinarily compelling account of the revolutions that roiled Eastern Europe in 1989, he shows that American intransigence was only one of many factors that provoked world-shaking change. Meyer draws together breathtakingly vivid, on-the-ground accounts of the rise of the Solidarity movement in Poland, the stealth opening of the Hungarian border, the Velvet Revolution in Prague and the collapse of the infamous wall in Berlin. But the most important events, Meyer contends, occurred secretly, in the heroic stands taken by individuals in the thick of the struggle, leaders such as poet and playwright Vaclav Havel in Prague; the Baltic shipwright Lech Walesa; the quietly determined reform prime minister in Budapest, Miklos Nemeth; and the man who privately realized that his empire was already lost, and decided -- with courage and intelligence -- to let it go in peace,Soviet general secretary of the communist party, Mikhail Gorbachev. Reporting for Newsweek from the frontlines in Eastern Europe, Meyer spoke to these players and countless others. Alongside their deliberate interventions were also the happenstance and human error of history that are always present when events accelerate to breakneck speed. Meyer captures these heady days in all of their rich drama and unpredictability. In doing so he provides not just a thrilling chronicle of the most important year of the twentieth century but also a crucial refutation of American political mythology and a triumphal misunderstanding of history that seduced the United States into many of the intractable conflicts it faces today. The Year That Changed the World will change not only how we see the past, but also our understanding of America's future.
Writer-photographer Michael Webb and designer-photographer Arnold Schwartzman offer a world tour in pictures and text of walls; the building blocks of our homes and cities, the barriers we erect to protect our lives and property, and the canvasses we paint and decorate.
The second edition of Rosen’s Atlas of Abdominal Wall Reconstruction has been refreshed and updated to include today's latest advances in abdominal wall surgery. Coverage of 10 brand-new operative procedures provides the clear guidance needed to make the most effective use of both commonly performed and new and emerging surgical techniques for reconstruction. Comprehensive in scope and lavishly illustrated throughout, it's a must-have resource that residents and practitioners alike will reference for repairs ranging from the simple to the complex. Covers congenital as well as acquired abdominal wall problems and surgeries, presenting readers with the full range of disorders which cause these defects and their surgical therapies. High-quality 4-color anatomic illustrations and clinical intra-operative photos allow users to view internal structures in a meaningful way. Features laparoscopic, open, and hybrid surgical approaches, providing surgeons with the skills necessary to repair both simple and complex defects. Familiarizes readers with all aspects of the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative care of the patient. Covers the latest advances in reconstruction, including mesh deployment techniques and minimally invasive techniques for hernia repair. Highlights 10 brand-new operative procedures: -Posterior Component Separation with Transversus Abdominus Muscle Release -Open Ventral Hernia Repair with Onlay Mesh -Chemical Component Separation with Botox -Perineal Hernia Repair -Robotic Transabdominal Preperitoneal (r-TAPP) Hernia Repair for Ventral Hernias -Surgical Approach to the Rectus Diastasis -Umbilical Hernia Repair -Repair of the Post-TRAM Bulge/Hernia -Transabdominal Preperitoneal Inguinal Hernia Repair -Laparoscopic Totally Extraperitoneal Inguinal Hernia Repair Includes a new chapter on the Preoperative Optimization of the Hernia Patient.
This thesis reports on sparsity-based multipath exploitation methods for through-the-wall radar imaging. Multipath creates ambiguities in the measurements provoking unwanted ghost targets in the image. This book describes sparse reconstruction methods that are not only suppressing the ghost targets, but using multipath to one’s advantage. With adopting the compressive sensing principle, fewer measurements are required for image reconstruction as compared to conventional techniques. The book describes the development of a comprehensive signal model and some associated reconstruction methods that can deal with many relevant scenarios, such as clutter from building structures, secondary reflections from interior walls, as well as stationary and moving targets, in urban radar imaging. The described methods are evaluated here using simulated as well as measured data from semi-controlled laboratory experiments.
An important review on abdominal wall reconstruction for the general surgeon! Topics will include preoperative optimization of a ventral hernia patient, prevention of incisional hernias, laparoscopic ventral hernia repair, open ventral hernia repair, atypical hernias, epigastric and umbilical hernias, parastomal hernia repair, flap reconstruction, synthetic mesh, clinical outcomes of biologic mesh, pediatric hernias, takedown of enterocutaneous fistula, a review of laparoscopic versus open inguinal hernia, and more!
This SpringerBrief presents strategies for fire mitigation based on combustible assembly systems of exterior walls. Providing background information on common exterior wall systems, the mechanisms of fire spread, and case studies, it examines the difficulties in controlling a fire with several materials and assembly methods. The brief compiles information on typical fire scenarios which involve the exterior wall, along with further exploration into test methods, approval and regulatory requirements for the various assembly systems. Offering testing approaches for possible mitigation strategies, the brief takes into account that current commercial wall assembly systems are constructed to improve energy performance, reduce water and air infiltration, and allow for aesthetic design flexibility. Exterior Insulation Finish Systems, metal composite claddings, high-pressure laminates, and weather-resistive barrier systems all have components which directly impact the fire hazard. Recommendations for future exterior wall construction are based on identified knowledge gaps.
Chronicles the separation of East and West Berlin in the post-World War II years and the closing of the borders on August 13, 1961 when East Germany's Communist government stopped its citizens from fleeing to the West.
Atlas of Abdominal Wall Reconstruction, edited by Michael J. Rosen, offers comprehensive coverage on the full range of abdominal wall reconstruction and hernia repair. Master laparoscopic repairs, open flank surgery, mesh choices for surgical repair, and more with high-quality, full-color anatomic illustrations and clinical intra-operative photographs and videos of procedures performed by masters. In print and online at www.expertconsult.com, this detailed atlas provides the clear guidance you need to make the most effective use of both commonly performed and new and emerging surgical techniques for abdominal wall reconstruction. Tap into the experience of masters from videos demonstrating key moments and techniques in abdominal wall surgery. Manage the full range of treatments for abdominal wall disorders with coverage of congenital as well as acquired problems. Get a clear picture of internal structures thanks to high-quality, full-color anatomic illustrations and clinical intra-operative photographs. Make optimal choices of surgical meshes with the best current information on the range of materials available for surgical repair. Access the fully searchable contents and videos online at www.expertconsult.com.
Chronicles the separation of East and West Berlin in the post-World War II years and the closing of the borders on August 13, 1961 when East Germany's Communist government stopped its citizens from fleeing to the West.
There are many fleeting moments when either Colin or Tony want to smother the laughs of their wives. The two couples fight for every inch of their lives, from the garden of a house in Ealing to the grounds of a mental asylum. Women Laughinghas been performed at the Royal Exchange Manchester, the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, the Palace Theatre Watford and was toured in 2000 by Not The National Theatre.
In this authoritative piece, Professor Kaluya castigates fellow Africans, especially the leaders and intellectuals of the African continent to understand how significant BACKWARDNESS has remained a major aspect in holding the continent in the dark. He traces the level of African backwardness from an African societal perspective that failed to inherit the fundamental truths, to enhance a creative and effective developmental scope started off by the Stone Age. The level of BACKWARDNESS in Africa is further stagnated by increased dependence of Africans on their former colonial masters and donors who today continue to hold the continent at ransom, through foreign aid offers and collaboration with African leaders to sustain their economies on mostly foreign aid. Above all, the fall of the Berlin wall in German to unite the east and west is the setting of this piece, and offers Africans and their leaders an opportunity to audaciously look forward and revolutionalize the continent back into the hands of the African people.
Today’s first year composition classrooms are largely reflective of the writing pedagogy that has been used for the last 200 years. Unfortunately, this methodology does not meet the research or writing needs of today’s college and university students. Burns and MacBride were determined to make their first year composition courses more relevant to their students and sought a way to revolutionize their syllabus to do so. Building on the work of Tom Romono, Nancy Mack, Camille Allen, Sirpa Grierson, Melinda Putz (and others), Burns and MacBride set out to determine if a multigenre research project could better teach their students research, writing, and critical thinking skills than a traditional research-based essay. The findings of their semester-long study indicated that not only does a MGRP teach these skills, but it far surpasses a traditional essay in teaching engagement, intellectual creativity, and transferable writing skills. Burns and MacBride demonstrate two different ways to integrate a multigenre research project into the college composition classroom.
Description: In the fall of 1989, I was a wide-eyed teenager bound for college. Less than a month later, I was fighting my way out of a padded room. Sixty Days to Sanity is my best recollection of what happened, when at 18, my world was turned upside down by a severe manic episode and diagnosis of Bipolar I. The focus of this story is the human side of bipolar disorder and how these initial sixty days affected me and those close to me. It's my hope that Sixty Days to Sanity can provide valuable insight to those coping with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and those friends, families and professionals who are attempting to understand it.
Shoot-Out at Wall And Broad is a fable, but more fact than fiction, about a veteran activist money manger. An activist doesnt just take a position in a stock and passively wait until an anticipated scenario plays out and changes the value of his investment but instead writes the scenario and has a complete understanding of the realities of the business he is investing in. He is initially triggered into action on the short side by the follies, greeted enthusiastically by the herd on Wall Street, of an entrenched hereditary and incompetent management and then switches strategy completely when the stock collapses. His focus is on changing the strategy of a chastened management and, most importantly, of the markets perception of the stock. En route, he employs some old fashioned tape painting, option maneuvers, news management, perception manipulation, and ingenious financial engineering. There is always someone on the other side of the trade, and the protagonist matches wits with other money mangers, hedge funds, market manipulators and underwriters. A story not for those who believe in the tooth fairy but for the pragmatist who believes that investing is sometimes a zero sum game.
The Wall has existed long before Uncle Humpty climbed it that fateful day. Years later, the adventurous Dumpling Dumpty wants to learn what Great Uncle Humpty saw from atop the Wall. In order to do so he and his egg friends must avoid their maniacal teacher wanting to egg-spell them, travel a long distance, and be mindful of a cat, playful puppy, muddy pigs, trespassing cows, and the ever dangerous wacky chickens. The final challenge is to climb The Wall - climbing is something all sensible eggs fear." -- from back cover.
This SpringerBrief presents strategies for fire mitigation based on combustible assembly systems of exterior walls. Providing background information on common exterior wall systems, the mechanisms of fire spread, and case studies, it examines the difficulties in controlling a fire with several materials and assembly methods. The brief compiles information on typical fire scenarios which involve the exterior wall, along with further exploration into test methods, approval and regulatory requirements for the various assembly systems. Offering testing approaches for possible mitigation strategies, the brief takes into account that current commercial wall assembly systems are constructed to improve energy performance, reduce water and air infiltration, and allow for aesthetic design flexibility. Exterior Insulation Finish Systems, metal composite claddings, high-pressure laminates, and weather-resistive barrier systems all have components which directly impact the fire hazard. Recommendations for future exterior wall construction are based on identified knowledge gaps.
It is 1992, and twenty-year-old Justin Bench has arrived, recently and unexpectedly, to the tiny, fictional mid-valley town of Appleton. Here, in the sparsely-populated mountains of central Washington State, Justin's adoptive father has passed on, bequeathing him a small trust fund, and a caretaker's cabin in the wooded environs of the old abandoned Appleton Quarry. Though encumbered with an unspecified learning disability, Justin's indomitable good nature -- in concert with a solid gold work ethic -- has earned him the almost reverential trust and respect of the entire community; in particular, a cadre of outdoorsy, verbally competitive, soon-to-be tenth graders known collectively as The Scalawags. Justin's idyllic lifestyle comes under siege when someone engages in an anonymous, steadily mounting crusade of harassment and hate against him. His high school friends are quick to come to the side of their comrade, but Justin is dead-set against any formal intervention from law enforcement authorities on behalf of his frightful problem. Thrown into the mix is a seldom-seen, but essential (and sentient) crow, who possesses the incurable habit of "intervening" at the most necessary and opportunistic times. Crow provides a sly and subtle fantasy-fiction feel to a story about longing and belonging. About small towns, and small-town citizens who surmount generations of dead-end dreams and disappointments. About a clutch of youngsters who adjust, adapt and learn to rely on one another when confronted with a very grown up problem; who cultivate friendships enduring enough to muddle through it all, and beyond.
The Sawyer is a novel set in the woods and towns of Northwestern Montana and the men who work in that setting. This story tells a tale of what happens to one of them when things go horribly wrong and how he finds his way back from tragedy to a new kind of normality. It is a story based on the power of friendship and the bond between men and women who have made difficult choices when faced with abnormal difficulties in an environment of some of the most beautiful natural beauty in the country.
Get up to speed on Apache Accumulo, the flexible, high-performance key/value store created by the National Security Agency (NSA) and based on Google’s BigTable data storage system. Written by former NSA team members, this comprehensive tutorial and reference covers Accumulo architecture, application development, table design, and cell-level security. With clear information on system administration, performance tuning, and best practices, this book is ideal for developers seeking to write Accumulo applications, administrators charged with installing and maintaining Accumulo, and other professionals interested in what Accumulo has to offer. You will find everything you need to use this system fully. Get a high-level introduction to Accumulo’s architecture and data model Take a rapid tour through single- and multiple-node installations, data ingest, and query Learn how to write Accumulo applications for several use cases, based on examples Dive into Accumulo internals, including information not available in the documentation Get detailed information for installing, administering, tuning, and measuring performance Learn best practices based on successful implementations in the field Find answers to common questions that every new Accumulo user asks
The book is a trivia list of multiple choice questions where the answer is always "d." Mimicking the style of the author - humorist Mr. Dave Barry, it seeks to impart a smattering of knowledge about popes - most especially the more oddball ones. For example, whereas Bill Clinton was taken to task for engaging in sex with a White House intern, Pope Alexander VI was accused of fathering a child ... with his own daughter. Other pontiffs among this papal roster of rascals include: John VIII - he created a navy, captured 18 enemy ships, and was hammered to death by his own bishops; John XII - he committed incest with his sisters, raped female tourists, and was murdered by a jealous husband; Formosus - his rotting corpse was dug up, dressed in pontifical vestments, placed on trial, and found guilty; John XX - he never existed - Pope John XXI simply had difficulty counting that high; Benedict IX - he became pope three times, was nicknamed the "Demon From Hell," and auctioned off the papacy, and; Joan - for centuries the Catholic Church preached as gospel that it had once been ruled by a WOMAN pope! Over the past two millennia, there have been 264 true popes with another 30 or so imposters, or "antipopes." The vast majority of these have been Italian, along with 15 French, 3 Martians, 1 English, 1 Dutch, 1 Polish, and a partridge in a pear tree. In theory, any male Roman Catholic laymen can become pope. But, in reality, usually only cardinals make the cut. And, needless to say, no woman has ever been elected pope (except Pope Joan). Why the title "idiots" you might well ask? Simple. When it comes to history, most Americans are, shall we say, somewhat "intellectually challenged." They are not born that way, nor is the condition self-inflicted. They are victims. They hate history simply because misguided fools (called teachers) have crammed their heads full of meaningless, politically correct rubbish.
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