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natural selection gizmo: Deconstructing the Elements with 3ds Max Pete Draper, 2015-04-24 Get the most realistic effects from 3ds Max without having to spend more on plug-ins! Boost your effects skill-set with this 3ds Max workshop. Tutorial lessons give you hands-on experience in creating realistic fire, earth, air and water effects. Updated to demonstrate production techniques suitable for any version of 3ds Max, this new edition is co-published by Autodesk Media and Entertainment, and includes new tutorials on entering the Earth's atmosphere, glaciers, lava eruptions and a Badlands landscape. Inspirational color images cover every page of the book as the author shares his professional techniques and workflow processes. The companion DVD contains all of the required tutorial media as well as over 6 hours of video tutorials. User level: Intermediate and advanced |
natural selection gizmo: Maternal-Newborn Nursing Robert Durham, Linda Chapman, 2013-10-15 A better way to learn maternal and newborn nursing! This unique presentation provides tightly focused maternal-newborn coverage in a highly structured text |
natural selection gizmo: Rise of the Self-Replicators Tim Taylor, Alan Dorin, 2020-07-30 Is it possible to design robots and other machines that can reproduce and evolve? And, if so, what are the implications: for the machines, for ourselves, for our environment, and for the future of life on Earth and elsewhere? In this book the authors provide a chronological survey and comprehensive archive of the early history of thought about machine self-reproduction and evolution. They discuss contributions from philosophy, science fiction, science and engineering, and uncover many examples that have never been discussed in the Artificial Intelligence and Artificial Life literature before now. In the final chapter they provide a synthesis of the concepts discussed, offer their views on the field’s future directions, and call for a broad community discussion about the significant implications of intelligent evolving machines. The book will be of interest to general readers, and a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and historians engaged with ideas in artificial intelligence, artificial life, robotics, and evolutionary computing. |
natural selection gizmo: The Shape of Thought H. Clark Barrett, 2015-01-16 The Shape of Thought: How Mental Adaptations Evolve presents a road map for an evolutionary psychology of the twenty-first century. It brings together theory from biology and cognitive science to show how the brain can be composed of specialized adaptations, and yet also an organ of plasticity. Although mental adaptations have typically been seen as monolithic, hard-wired components frozen in the evolutionary past, The Shape of Thought presents a new view of mental adaptations as diverse and variable, with distinct functions and evolutionary histories that shape how they develop, what information they use, and what they do with that information. The book describes how advances in evolutionary developmental biology can be applied to the brain by focusing on the design of the developmental systems that build it. Crucially, developmental systems can be plastic, designed by the process of natural selection to build adaptive phenotypes using the rich information available in our social and physical environments. This approach bridges the long-standing divide between nativist approaches to development, based on innateness, and empiricist approaches, based on learning. It shows how a view of humans as a flexible, culturally-dependent species is compatible with a complexly specialized brain, and how the nature of our flexibility can be better understood by confronting the evolved design of the organ on which that flexibility depends. |
natural selection gizmo: It's a Jungle in There David A. Rosenbaum, 2014-02-03 The saying It's a jungle out there refers to a competitive environment in which you'd better hone your skills if you hope to survive. And you'd better do what you can to keep a roof over your head, food in your belly, a leaf on your loins, and a mate who'll help pass on your genes to the next generation of jungle Jims and Janes. Distinguished professor and cognitive psychologist David Rosenbaum takes this metaphor of surviving in the wild and applies it to the competitive arena within the brain. He argues that the overarching theory of biology, Darwin's theory, should be the overarching theory of cognitive psychology, the science of mental functioning. He explores this new and intriguing idea by showing how neural elements compete and cooperate in a kind of inner jungle, where only the fittest survive. Competition within your brain does as much to shape who you are as the physical and figurative competition you face externally. Just as the jungle night seethes with noisy creatures beckoning their mates, issuing their warnings, and settling their arguments, you might have trouble falling asleep at night because the thoughts in your head are fighting for their chance at survival. Rosenbaum's pursuit of this bold idea explains why we are shaped into who we are, for better or worse, because we are the hosts of inner battlefields. Written in a light-hearted tone and with reference to hypothetical neural creatures making their way in a tough environment, Rosenbaum makes cognitive psychology and his theory easy to understand and exciting to ponder. Rather than rely on the series of disconnected phenomena and collection of curiosities that often constitute cognitive psychology, It's a Jungle in There provides a fascinating way to place all cognitive phenomena under one flourishing tree. |
natural selection gizmo: Climbing Mount Improbable Richard Dawkins, 1997-09-17 A brilliant book celebrating improbability as the engine that drives life, by the acclaimed author of The Selfish Gene and The Blind Watchmaker. The human eye is so complex and works so precisely that surely, one might believe, its current shape and function must be the product of design. How could such an intricate object have come about by chance? Tackling this subject—in writing that the New York Times called a masterpiece—Richard Dawkins builds a carefully reasoned and lovingly illustrated argument for evolutionary adaptation as the mechanism for life on earth. The metaphor of Mount Improbable represents the combination of perfection and improbability that is epitomized in the seemingly designed complexity of living things. Dawkins skillfully guides the reader on a breathtaking journey through the mountain's passes and up its many peaks to demonstrate that following the improbable path to perfection takes time. Evocative illustrations accompany Dawkins's eloquent descriptions of extraordinary adaptations such as the teeming populations of figs, the intricate silken world of spiders, and the evolution of wings on the bodies of flightless animals. And through it all runs the thread of DNA, the molecule of life, responsible for its own destiny on an unending pilgrimage through time. Climbing Mount Improbable is a book of great impact and skill, written by the most prominent Darwinian of our age. |
natural selection gizmo: Tradigital Maya Lee Montgomery, 2012-08-06 Explore Disney's 12 principles of animation, while learning how to animate in Maya. You can develop your own leading digital techniques rooted to traditional workflows. From squash and stretch to timing and appeal, you will enhance your creative toolset with strong classics training and cutting edge techniques. Trusted Maya Authority, Lee Montgomery offers the only artistic guide to applying the principles of traditional animation with Maya's tools, which are used in production by the best animators and VFX artists today. Add another webpage to your favourites and expand your digital workflow to include the practical resources of the Tradigital Maya with the robust companion web site that include demonstrations, project files, links to further resources, available at www.tradigitalmaya.com. |
natural selection gizmo: The Making of the Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution Sean B. Carroll, 2007-08-28 A geneticist discusses the role of DNA in the evolution of life on Earth, explaining how an analysis of DNA reveals a complete record of the events that have shaped each species and how it provides evidence of the validity of the theory of evolution. |
natural selection gizmo: Learning to Float Lili Wright, 2003-06-10 Lili Wright is a thirty-something woman on the emotional lam. Faced with a choice between two men--Stuart, the steady veterinarian, and Peter, the dreamy writer--she climbs into her car and leaves them both behind. With only a borrowed dog named Brando for company and a map of twelve states in her pocket, Lili sets out on a road trip, hoping that by setting herself in motion she will find a way to settle down. Charting a course from Cadillac Mountain in Maine to the faded glory of Key West, Florida, she camps out on beaches and crashes on couches, in sketchy motels and even in a cop's trailer. She travels not only south, but also back in time, trying to figure out why previous relationships with a Nantucket waiter, a French tennis clown, a Utah ski bum, and others flared and fizzled. Along the way, Lili meets a string of unlikely gurus, including a well-worn shrimper, a vegan astrologer, and even a woman who marries herself. These and other unassuming strangers offer offbeat wisdom and guidance as Lili struggles to understand the nature of love, the voodoo of sex, and how couples can settle down without settling for. Between adventures, Lili tackles tough questions: Why does everything love touches turn risky? Does staying with the same person mean staying the same? Where does love come from, and where does it go? By journey’s end, this restless traveler begins to see how she can share her life with just one other person, and how love, like water, can make a body float. Lili Wright’s engaging memoir from the road updates the tradition of the picaresque traveler’s tale. With unflinching honesty and refreshing wit, she captures the torn emotions, comic misfires, and inevitable trade-offs felt by young people everywhere. |
natural selection gizmo: Hungry H. A. Swain, 2014-06-03 In the future, there is no food, and hunger has become a relic of the past. That is, until a girl named Thalia Apple begins to feel something unfamiliar and uncomfortable. She's hungry. |
natural selection gizmo: Autodesk 3ds Max 2013 Bible Kelly L. Murdock, 2012-08-13 Updated version of the bestselling 3ds Max book on the market Autodesk 3ds Max is top animation software used by developers, visual effects artists, and graphic designers in film, television, and the game industry. One place designers turn for crucial information on how to use 3ds Max is this in-depth book. Whether you're a beginner just itching to create something right away or an experienced user checking out the latest and greatest features, you'll find it here. See what's new, what's tried and true, and just how creative you can get using the tips, tricks, and techniques in this essential reference. Every previous edition has been a top-seller. Packs expert advice, timesaving tips, and more than 150 step-by-step tutorials into over 800 pages that help you master this complex software Gives you in-depth coverage of all new features, as well as the basics Jump-starts your learning on day one with a Quick Start tutorial, so you can create an exciting animation right away Provides you with access to all before-and-after example files from each tutorial, plus unique models and textures that you can customize on the companion CD Includes extra content from previous editions of the 3ds Max Bible, including bonus Quick Start tutorials from previous editions Whether you're just starting out or getting up to speed on 3ds Max 2013, this comprehensive book will get you there. |
natural selection gizmo: Uncovering Student Ideas in Life Science Page Keeley, 2011 Author Page Keeley continues to provide KOCo12 teachers with her highly usable and popular formula for uncovering and addressing the preconceptions that students bring to the classroomOCothe formative assessment probeOCoin this first book devoted exclusively to life science in her Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series. Keeley addresses the topics of life and its diversity; structure and function; life processes and needs of living things; ecosystems and change; reproduction, life cycles, and heredity; and human biology. |
natural selection gizmo: Autodesk 3ds Max 2014 Bible Kelly L. Murdock, 2013-10-31 A complete reference covering the newest version of 3ds Max software Autodesk 3ds Max is the popular 3D modeling, animation, rendering, and compositing software preferred by game developers and graphic designers in film and television. This comprehensive reference not only introduces beginners to this pricey and complex software, but also serves as a reference for experienced users. Packed with expert advice from popular author Kelly Murdock, it begins with a Quick Start tutorial to get you up and running, then continues with more than 150 step-by-step tutorials, advanced coverage, and plenty of tips and timesavers. 3ds Max is professional modeling and animation software used in the film, television, and game development industries; this complete guide gets beginners started and teaches experienced users how to take advantage of the program's newest capabilities Covers all the basics as well as advanced topics including crowd simulation, particle systems, rigid body dynamics, state sets, compositing, radiosity, network rendering, and MAXScript Features more than 150 step-by-step tutorials and complete references detailing all primitives, modifiers, materials, maps, and controllers Companion website includes examples from the book, unique models and textures that you can customize, before-and-after examples from the tutorials, and bonus Quick Starts from previous editions Autodesk 3ds Max 2014 Bible is the one book you need to succeed with this all-new version of 3ds Max. |
natural selection gizmo: Mind and Rights Matthias Mahlmann, 2023-02-16 Mind and Rights combines historical, philosophical, and legal perspectives with research from psychology and the cognitive sciences to probe the justification of human rights in ethics, politics and law. Chapters critically examine the growth of the human rights culture, its roots in history and current human rights theories. They engage with the so-called cognitive revolution and investigate the relationship between human cognition and human rights to determine how insights gained from modern theories of the mind can deepen our understanding of the foundations of human rights. Mind and Rights argues that the pursuit of the human rights idea, with its achievements and tragic failures, is key to understand what kind of beings humans are. Amidst ongoing debate on the universality and legitimacy of human rights, this book provides a uniquely comprehensive analysis of great practical and political importance for a culture of legal justice undergirded by rights. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core. |
natural selection gizmo: Evolution Education Re-considered Ute Harms, Michael J. Reiss, 2019-07-16 This collection presents research-based interventions using existing knowledge to produce new pedagogies to teach evolution to learners more successfully, whether in schools or elsewhere. ‘Success’ here is measured as cognitive gains, as acceptance of evolution or an increased desire to continue to learn about it. Aside from introductory and concluding chapters by the editors, each chapter consists of a research-based intervention intended to enable evolution to be taught successfully; all these interventions have been researched and evaluated by the chapters’ authors and the findings are presented along with discussions of the implications. The result is an important compendium of studies from around the word conducted both inside and outside of school. The volume is unique and provides an essential reference point and platform for future work for the foreseeable future. |
natural selection gizmo: Popular Science , 1950 |
natural selection gizmo: The Business of Sustainable Mobility Paul Nieuwenhuis, Philip Vergragt, Peter Wells, 2017-09-08 In many parts of the world, there is a crisis of mobility. This book shows that technology may well not be enough in itself and that for a genuinely sustainable transport future far more radical change - affecting many aspects of society - is needed. It is useful for academics, practitioners, and policy-makers. |
natural selection gizmo: About Face Alan Cooper, 1995-08-25 This book is intended to provide the reader with effective and practical tools for designing user interfaces. It integrates tactical and strategic approaches, helping the programmer understand how the user comprehends their software. |
natural selection gizmo: Sculpting in ZBrush Made Simple Lukas Kutschera, 2024-03-08 Written by 'House of the Dragon' sculptor Lukas Kutschera, jumpstart your sculpting career and learn how to use the industry's most effective modeling and sculpting tools to create AAA-quality characters, props, and lifelike portraits Key Features Shine in a professional environment with three practical projects and vital design and portfolio tips through this part-color guide Explore organic modeling, concept sculpting, and character creation workflows Discover tools and techniques employed by professionals from the games, VFX and collectibles industries Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook Book DescriptionEmbark on a creative journey with ZBrush, the leading software for creating characters, creatures, and props in films, games, and 3D printing. This guide will take you through its powerful yet user-friendly workflows, allowing you to explore its dynamic organic sculpting, painting, and hard-surface modeling tools. The first part of this book is dedicated to helping you become familiar with ZBrush’s user interface and learning the very basics, from sculpting brushes and painting the model with Polypaint to setting up lights and rendering images. You’ll also create a demon bust with the help of ZBrush’s concept sculpting tool, DynaMesh. In the second part, you’ll get to grips with the creation of a humanoid character that is optimized for 3D printing. Focusing on anatomy, poly-modeling, and preparing the model for 3D printing, you’ll acquire the skills essential for sculptors. The final part delves into portrait sculpting, where you’ll learn everything from basic facial anatomy to hair creation with FiberMesh. By the end of this book, you'll have developed the expertise necessary to succeed in the ever-evolving world of 3D character modeling, complemented by portfolio and social media tips for showcasing your standout work.What you will learn Enhance your sculpting skills to craft a variety of organic and hard surface objects Create humanoid characters, focusing on basic anatomy and proportions Explore sculpting techniques for intricate details in human heads and hair Sculpt objects such as armor, clothing, and accessories Create custom brushes to enhance your sculpting workflow Develop skills in detailing and surfacing to add texture and depth to your sculpts Use Polypaint and Materials to add color and enhance your sculptures Render and export your sculpts to share them with others Who this book is for This book is for 3D artists, digital sculptors, modelers, and anyone looking to learn the ZBrush software. It's a valuable resource for professionals switching to ZBrush or looking to broaden their skill set. While prior ZBrush experience and artistic abilities will prove beneficial, they're not prerequisites to understand the content covered. The book covers common and essential ZBrush workflows, making it ideal for both beginner and intermediate artists looking to explore the extensive capabilities of ZBrush. |
natural selection gizmo: Mastering Autodesk VIZ 2008 Jon McFarland, 2008-01-03 In Mastering Autodesk VIZ 2008, VIZ expert Jon McFarland teaches you how to get the most out of Autodesk's potent 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software. As you follow real-world examples, you'll quickly see how to apply these techniques to your design projects. Whether you're entirely new to VIZ or simply want to master its newest features, this book offers the clear explanations and step-by-step instruction you need to make VIZ work for you. Coverage includes: Finding your way around in VIZ Linking to AutoCAD files Modeling using primitive and compound objects Editing using modifers and sub-objects Creating complex shapes with surface modeling tools Managing your design data more efficiently Simulating lighting effects accurately with global illumination Rendering real-world surfaces with Architectural material Setting up animated walk-throughs Using radiosity to create accurate scene lighting Using mental ray to achieve the most realistic rendering Producing design presentation views Understanding keyframes and function curve editing Acquiring 3D models and props from the Web |
natural selection gizmo: Popular Science , 2006-05 Popular Science gives our readers the information and tools to improve their technology and their world. The core belief that Popular Science and our readers share: The future is going to be better, and science and technology are the driving forces that will help make it better. |
natural selection gizmo: A Hard-water World Greg Breining, 2008 Striking photographs by Kennedy and engaging essays by outdoor writer and fisherman Breining capture the quirky world of ice fishing--its natural beauty and solitary subzero vigils, along with its oddball practices and practitioners. |
natural selection gizmo: Product Design for the Web Randy J. Hunt, 2014 Web designers are no longer just web designers. To create a successful web product that's as large as Etsy, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest-or even as small as a tiny app-you need to know more than just HTML and CSS. You need to understand how to create meaningful online experiences so that users want to come back again and again. In other words, you have to stop thinking like a web designer or a visual designer or a UX designer or an interaction designer and start thinking like a product designer. In this breakthrough introduction to modern product design, Etsy Creative Director Randy Hunt explains the skills, processes, types of tools, and recommended workflows for creating world-class web products. After reading this book, you'll have a complete understanding of what product design really is and you'll be equipped with the best practices necessary for building your own successful online products. |
natural selection gizmo: Unreal Engine 4 Virtual Reality Projects Kevin Mack, Robert Ruud, 2019-04-30 The key problem with VR development is understanding how to set up a project and running it on your desktop or mobile VR device. With this book, you will not only learn the specifics of virtual reality development in Unreal but also build immersive and fun VR projects that can be experienced on your VR devices. |
natural selection gizmo: Attachment, Evolution, and the Psychology of Religion Lee A. Kirkpatrick, 2005-01-01 In this provocative and engaging book, Lee Kirkpatrick establishes a broad, comprehensive framework for approaching the psychology of religion from an evolutionary perspective. Kirkpatrick argues that religion is a collection of byproducts of numerous psychological mechanisms and systems that evolved for other functions. |
natural selection gizmo: The Greatest Invention Silvia Ferrara, 2022-03-01 In this exhilarating celebration of human ingenuity and perseverance—published all around the world—a trailblazing Italian scholar sifts through our cultural and social behavior in search of the origins of our greatest invention: writing. The L where a tabletop meets the legs, the T between double doors, the D of an armchair’s oval backrest—all around us is an alphabet in things. But how did these shapes make it onto the page, never mind form complex structures such as this sentence? In The Greatest Invention, Silvia Ferrara takes a profound look at how—and how many times—human beings have managed to produce the miracle of written language, traveling back and forth in time and all across the globe to Mesopotamia, Crete, China, Egypt, Central America, Easter Island, and beyond. With Ferrara as our guide, we examine the enigmas of undeciphered scripts, including famous cases like the Phaistos Disk and the Voynich Manuscript; we touch the knotted, colored strings of the Inca quipu; we study the turtle shells and ox scapulae that bear the earliest Chinese inscriptions; we watch in awe as Sequoyah single-handedly invents a script for the Cherokee language; and we venture to the cutting edge of decipherment, in which high-powered laser scanners bring tears to an engineer’s eye. A code-cracking tour around the globe, The Greatest Invention chronicles a previously uncharted journey, one filled with past flashes of brilliance, present-day scientific research, and a faint, fleeting glimpse of writing’s future. |
natural selection gizmo: Moral Tribes Joshua Greene, 2014-12-30 “Surprising and remarkable…Toggling between big ideas, technical details, and his personal intellectual journey, Greene writes a thesis suitable to both airplane reading and PhD seminars.”—The Boston Globe Our brains were designed for tribal life, for getting along with a select group of others (Us) and for fighting off everyone else (Them). But modern times have forced the world’s tribes into a shared space, resulting in epic clashes of values along with unprecedented opportunities. As the world shrinks, the moral lines that divide us become more salient and more puzzling. We fight over everything from tax codes to gay marriage to global warming, and we wonder where, if at all, we can find our common ground. A grand synthesis of neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy, Moral Tribes reveals the underlying causes of modern conflict and lights the way forward. Greene compares the human brain to a dual-mode camera, with point-and-shoot automatic settings (“portrait,” “landscape”) as well as a manual mode. Our point-and-shoot settings are our emotions—efficient, automated programs honed by evolution, culture, and personal experience. The brain’s manual mode is its capacity for deliberate reasoning, which makes our thinking flexible. Point-and-shoot emotions make us social animals, turning Me into Us. But they also make us tribal animals, turning Us against Them. Our tribal emotions make us fight—sometimes with bombs, sometimes with words—often with life-and-death stakes. A major achievement from a rising star in a new scientific field, Moral Tribes will refashion your deepest beliefs about how moral thinking works and how it can work better. |
natural selection gizmo: The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism Among the Primates Henry Cabot Lodge (Jr.), Frans B. M. Waal, 2013-03-25 Moral behavior does not begin and end with religion but is in fact a product of evolution. |
natural selection gizmo: Mastering Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2011 Mark Gerhard, Jeffrey Harper, 2010-07-28 Autodesk’s official guide to architectural visualization using 3ds Max Design Exclusively endorsed by Autodesk, this comprehensive tutorial and reference thoroughly covers 3ds Max Design, the 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software used for architectural visualizations. It also includes essential material for students preparing for the new Certified Associate and Certified Professional exams. Examples come from projects that architects, designers, and planners actually encounter each day, while the workflows and instructions have been tested in real-world applications. The official guide endorsed by Autodesk, with comprehensive information on using 3ds Max Design 2011 as well as achieving certification Features step-by-step instructions and real-world projects that readers will actually encounter Covers using the 3ds Max interface, working with Revit and AutoCAD files, using the data and scene management tools, modeling, simulating lighting effects, analyzing sustainable design features, setting up animated walkthroughs, and much more Explains how to render real-world surfaces with architectural material and how to choose the renderer that creates the desired effect Mastering Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2011 covers every facet of this powerful program. |
natural selection gizmo: The Architectural Review , 1989 |
natural selection gizmo: Conscious (R)Evolution, Humanity, Insanity, and the Planet Michael Anthony, 2024-01-05 In Conscious (R)Evolution, Humanity, Insanity, and the Planet, the author brings together two powerful insights: that all life on this planet is interconnected, and that humanity’s current path of consumerism and industrialization is leading to catastrophe. From deforestation to pollution, we are damaging the very environment that sustains us. This book asks us to stop and consider the bigger picture: as an intelligent species, why would we willingly destroy the planet that gave us life? With urgency and clarity, the author calls for a new way of living, one that recognizes our place in the natural world and uses our intelligence to create a better future for all. |
natural selection gizmo: Billboard , 1979-03-17 In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
natural selection gizmo: Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society Michael G. Shafto, Pat Langley, 1997 This volume features the complete text of the material presented at the Nineteenth Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society. Papers have been loosely grouped by topic and an author index is provided in the back. As in previous years, the symposium included an interesting mixture of papers on many topics from researchers with diverse backgrounds and different goals, presenting a multifaceted view of cognitive science. In hopes of facilitating searches of this work, an electronic index on the Internet's World Wide Web is provided. Titles, authors, and summaries of all the papers published here have been placed in an online database which may be freely searched by anyone. You can reach the web site at: www-csli.stanford.edu/cogsci97. |
natural selection gizmo: The Case for Rational Optimism Frank Robinson, 2017-07-28 The Case for Rational Optimism tackles a host of challenging subjects in an engaging, accessible, down-to-earth style. It is intellectually serious, ceaselessly intriguing, and devoid of banalities. While other books in this genre tend to be oriented toward self-help, this volume brings evolutionary biology, neuroscience, psychology, sociology, economics, and a keen sense of history to the topic. Robinson begins with three goals: making the case for feeling good about oneself, about humanity in general, and about the global situation. He addresses such seemingly disparate subjects as selfi shness versus altruism, mind and free will, human nature, and issues relating to economics, technology, the environment, and more. Unifying these ideas into a coherent philosophical whole are central concepts: evolution has endowed our species with more good qualities than bad, and why; those qualities, and our use of reason, are the foundations of civilization, and how; and, consistent with our nature, we make a better world by valuing human life therefore enabling others to fl ourish in ways they freely choose. The Case for Rational Optimism argues that the highly challenging conditions confronting early man created a Darwinian selective pressure for cooperation, even altruism, among members of a tribe. Th e author fi nds evidence for this in the way our brains work, and in observable human behavior. He argues against existential despair over the human condition. Even though there probably is no grand celestial design investing life with meaning, he considers this liberating, giving every person the freedom to craft their own meaning. To Robinson, whether sentient beings experience suff ering or joy is the only thing that matters; without emotive highs and lows, the Universe would hardly matter. |
natural selection gizmo: Humanities Index , 1985 |
natural selection gizmo: The Next One Hundred Years Jonathan Weiner, 1990 An analysis of our earth today and during the next century. |
natural selection gizmo: Digital Rubbish Jennifer Gabrys, 2013-04-26 This is a study of the material life of information and its devices; of electronic waste in its physical and electronic incarnations; a cultural and material mapping of the spaces where electronics in the form of both hardware and information accumulate, break down, or are stowed away. Where other studies have addressed digital technology through a focus on its immateriality or virtual qualities, Gabrys traces the material, spatial, cultural and political infrastructures that enable the emergence and dissolution of these technologies. In the course of her book, she explores five interrelated spaces where electronics fall apart: from Silicon Valley to Nasdaq, from containers bound for China to museums and archives that preserve obsolete electronics as cultural artifacts, to the landfill as material repository. Digital Rubbish: A Natural History of Electronics describes the materiality of electronics from a unique perspective, examining the multiple forms of waste that electronics create as evidence of the resources, labor, and imaginaries that are bundled into these machines. Ranging across studies of media and technology, as well as environments, geography, and design, Jennifer Gabrys draws together the far-reaching material and cultural processes that enable the making and breaking of these technologies. |
natural selection gizmo: Kelly L. Murdock's Autodesk 3ds Max 2020 Complete Reference Guide Kelly Murdock, 2019-08 Kelly L. Murdock's Autodesk 3ds Max 2020 Complete Reference Guide is a popular book among users new to 3ds Max and is used extensively in schools around the globe. The success of this book is found in its simple easy-to-understand explanations coupled with its even easier to follow tutorials. The tutorials are laser focused on a specific topic without any extra material, making it simple to grasp difficult concepts. The book also covers all aspects of the software, making it a valuable reference for users of all levels. The Complete Reference Guide is the ultimate book on 3ds Max, and like Autodesk’s 3D animation software, it just gets better and better with each release. Whether you're new to 3ds Max or an experienced user, you'll find everything you need in this complete resource. The book kicks off with a getting started section, so beginners can jump in and begin working with 3ds Max right away. Experienced 3ds Max users will appreciate advanced coverage of features like crowd simulation, particle systems, radiosity, MAXScript and more. Over 150 tutorials – complete with before and after files – help users at all levels build real world skills. What is Autodesk 3ds Max? Autodesk 3ds Max is a popular 3D modeling, animation, rendering, and compositing software widely used by game developers and graphic designers in the film and television industry. What you'll learn Discover all the new features and changes in 3ds Max 2020 Learn how to reference, select, clone, group, link and transform objects Explore 3D modeling and how to apply materials and textures Set impressive scenes with backgrounds, cameras and lighting Master smart techniques for rendering, compositing and animating Create characters, add special effects, and finish with dynamic animations such as hair and cloth Get comfortable with key tools such as Track View, Quicksilver, mental ray®, Space Warps, MassFX and more Who this book is for This comprehensive reference guide not only serves as a reference for experienced users, but it also easily introduces beginners to this complex software. Packed with expert advice from popular author Kelly Murdock, it begins with a getting started section to get you up and running, then continues with more than 150 step-by-step tutorials, in depth coverage of advanced features, and plenty of tips and timesavers along the way. Section Videos Each section of the book has a corresponding video. In each video author Kelly Murdock gives a brief overview of the contents of that section in the book, and covers some of the basics from the chapters within that section. |
natural selection gizmo: Research Handbook on the Law of Artificial Intelligence Woodrow Barfield, Ugo Pagallo, 2018-12-28 The field of artificial intelligence (AI) has made tremendous advances in the last two decades, but as smart as AI is now, it is getting smarter and becoming more autonomous. This raises a host of challenges to current legal doctrine, including whether AI/algorithms should count as ‘speech’, whether AI should be regulated under antitrust and criminal law statutes, and whether AI should be considered as an agent under agency law or be held responsible for injuries under tort law. This book contains chapters from US and international law scholars on the role of law in an age of increasingly smart AI, addressing these and other issues that are critical to the evolution of the field. |
natural selection gizmo: The Beak of the Finch Jonathan Weiner, 2014-05-14 PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • A dramatic story of groundbreaking scientific research of Darwin's discovery of evolution that spark[s] not just the intellect, but the imagination (Washington Post Book World). “Admirable and much-needed.... Weiner’s triumph is to reveal how evolution and science work, and to let them speak clearly for themselves.”—The New York Times Book Review On a desert island in the heart of the Galapagos archipelago, where Darwin received his first inklings of the theory of evolution, two scientists, Peter and Rosemary Grant, have spent twenty years proving that Darwin did not know the strength of his own theory. For among the finches of Daphne Major, natural selection is neither rare nor slow: it is taking place by the hour, and we can watch. In this remarkable story, Jonathan Weiner follows these scientists as they watch Darwin's finches and come up with a new understanding of life itself. The Beak of the Finch is an elegantly written and compelling masterpiece of theory and explication in the tradition of Stephen Jay Gould. |
NATURAL Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of NATURAL is based on an inherent sense of right and wrong. How to use natural in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Natural.
NATURAL | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
NATURAL definition: 1. as found in nature and not involving anything made or done by people: 2. A natural ability or…. Learn more.
NATURAL Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com
having or showing feelings, such as affection, gratitude, or kindness, considered part of basic human nature. It's a very natural portrait of her. not tinted or colored; undyed. natural cowhide. …
Natural - definition of natural by The Free Dictionary
natural - in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature; "a very natural development"; "our natural environment"; "natural science"; "natural resources"; "natural cliffs"; "natural …
NATURAL - Meaning & Translations | Collins English Dictionary
Master the word "NATURAL" in English: definitions, translations, synonyms, pronunciations, examples, and grammar insights - all in one complete resource.
1354 Synonyms & Antonyms for NATURAL - Thesaurus.com
Find 1354 different ways to say NATURAL, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.
Natural Definition & Meaning - YourDictionary
Natural definition: Of, relating to, or concerning nature.
What does Natural mean? - Definitions.net
Natural can be defined as something that exists or occurs in the natural world, as opposed to being made or brought about by humans. It is typically associated with the qualities and …
Natural Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary
NATURAL meaning: 1 : existing in nature and not made or caused by people coming from nature; 2 : not having any extra substances or chemicals added not containing anything artificial
NATURAL Synonyms: 519 Similar and Opposite Words - Merriam-Webster
Some common synonyms of natural are normal, regular, and typical. While all these words mean "being of the sort or kind that is expected as usual, ordinary, or average," natural applies to …
NATURAL Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of NATURAL is based on an inherent sense of right and wrong. How to use natural in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Natural.
NATURAL | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
NATURAL definition: 1. as found in nature and not involving anything made or done by people: 2. A natural ability or…. Learn more.
NATURAL Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com
having or showing feelings, such as affection, gratitude, or kindness, considered part of basic human nature. It's a very natural portrait of her. not tinted or colored; undyed. natural cowhide. …
Natural - definition of natural by The Free Dictionary
natural - in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature; "a very natural development"; "our natural environment"; "natural science"; "natural resources"; "natural cliffs"; "natural …
NATURAL - Meaning & Translations | Collins English Dictionary
Master the word "NATURAL" in English: definitions, translations, synonyms, pronunciations, examples, and grammar insights - all in one complete resource.
1354 Synonyms & Antonyms for NATURAL - Thesaurus.com
Find 1354 different ways to say NATURAL, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.
Natural Definition & Meaning - YourDictionary
Natural definition: Of, relating to, or concerning nature.
What does Natural mean? - Definitions.net
Natural can be defined as something that exists or occurs in the natural world, as opposed to being made or brought about by humans. It is typically associated with the qualities and …
Natural Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary
NATURAL meaning: 1 : existing in nature and not made or caused by people coming from nature; 2 : not having any extra substances or chemicals added not containing anything artificial
NATURAL Synonyms: 519 Similar and Opposite Words - Merriam-Webster
Some common synonyms of natural are normal, regular, and typical. While all these words mean "being of the sort or kind that is expected as usual, ordinary, or average," natural applies to …