TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Marilyn Fenichel A2 - Heidi A. Schweingruber TI - Surrounded by Science: Learning Science in Informal Environments SN - DO - 10.17226/12614 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12614/surrounded-by-science-learning-science-in-informal-environments PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Education AB - Practitioners in informal science settings—museums, after-school programs, science and technology centers, media enterprises, libraries, aquariums, zoos, and botanical gardens—are interested in finding out what learning looks like, how to measure it, and what they can do to ensure that people of all ages, from different backgrounds and cultures, have a positive learning experience. Surrounded by Science: Learning Science in Informal Environments, is designed to make that task easier. Based on the National Research Council study, Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits, this book is a tool that provides case studies, illustrative examples, and probing questions for practitioners. In short, this book makes valuable research accessible to those working in informal science: educators, museum professionals, university faculty, youth leaders, media specialists, publishers, broadcast journalists, and many others. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Conserving Biodiversity: A Research Agenda for Development Agencies SN - DO - 10.17226/1925 PY - 1992 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1925/conserving-biodiversity-a-research-agenda-for-development-agencies PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - The loss of the earth's biological diversity is widely recognized as a critical environmental problem. That loss is most severe in developing countries, where the conditions of human existence are most difficult. Conserving Biodiversity presents an agenda for research that can provide information to formulate policy and design conservation programs in the Third World. The book includes discussions of research needs in the biological sciences as well as economics and anthropology, areas of critical importance to conservation and sustainable development. Although specifically directed toward development agencies, non-governmental organizations, and decisionmakers in developing nations, this volume should be of interest to all who are involved in the conservation of biological diversity. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - A Biological Survey for the Nation SN - DO - 10.17226/2243 PY - 1994 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/2243/a-biological-survey-for-the-nation PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Our country has long recognized the importance of its biological resources but we often lack sufficient scientific knowledge to make wise decisions. This realization has led to calls for new ways of providing this information, including the formation of a national biological survey. This volume discusses key issues and problems for which an improved assessment of the nation's biological resources is needed; the kinds of efforts in research and information management needed to create that assessment; and how government, private organizations, and individuals can work together to meet the needs identified. Policymakers, resource managers, public interest groups, and researchers will find this book useful as they participate in the national dialogue on this topic and take actions to implement the needed survey activities. ER - TY - BOOK A2 - E.O. Wilson A2 - Harvard University TI - Biodiversity DO - 10.17226/989 PY - 1988 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/989/biodiversity PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - This important book for scientists and nonscientists alike calls attention to a most urgent global problem: the rapidly accelerating loss of plant and animal species to increasing human population pressure and the demands of economic development. Based on a major conference sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences and the Smithsonian Institution, Biodiversity creates a systematic framework for analyzing the problem and searching for possible solutions. ER - TY - BOOK A2 - Peter H. Raven A2 - Tania Williams TI - Nature and Human Society: The Quest for a Sustainable World SN - DO - 10.17226/6142 PY - 1997 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6142/nature-and-human-society-the-quest-for-a-sustainable-world PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - From earliest times, human beings have noticed patterns in nature: night and day, tides and lunar cycles, the changing seasons, plant succession, and animal migration. While recognizing patterns conferred great survival advantage, we are now in danger from our own success in multiplying our numbers and altering those patterns for our own purposes. It is imperative that we engage again with the patterns of nature, but this time, with awareness of our impact as a species. How will burgeoning human populations affect the health of ecosystems? Is loss of species simply a regrettable byproduct of human expansion? Or is the planet passing into a new epoch in just a few human generations? Nature and Human Society presents a wide-ranging exploration of these and other fundamental questions about our relationship with the environment. This book features findings, insights, and informed speculations from key figures in the field: E.O. Wilson, Thomas Lovejoy, Peter H. Raven, Gretchen Daily, David Suzuki, Norman Myers, Paul Erlich, Michael Bean, and many others. This volume explores the accelerated extinction of species and what we stand to lose—medicines, energy sources, crop pollination and pest control, the ability of water and soil to renew itself through biological processes, aesthetic and recreational benefits—and how these losses may be felt locally and acutely. What are the specific threats to biodiversity? The book explores human population growth, the homogenization of biota as a result in tourism and trade, and other factors, including the social influences of law, religious belief, and public education. Do we have the tools to protect biodiversity? The book looks at molecular genetics, satellite data, tools borrowed from medicine, and other scientific techniques to firm up our grasp of important processes in biology and earth science, including the "new" science of conservation biology. Nature and Human Society helps us renew our understanding and appreciation for natural patterns, with surprising details about microorganisms, nematodes, and other overlooked forms of life: their numbers, pervasiveness, and importance to the health of the soil, water, and air and to a host of human endeavors. This book will be of value to anyone who believes that the world's gross natural product is as important as the world's gross national product. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Twenty-First Century Ecosystems: Managing the Living World Two Centuries After Darwin: Report of a Symposium SN - DO - 10.17226/13109 PY - 2011 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13109/twenty-first-century-ecosystems-managing-the-living-world-two-centuries PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - The two hundredth anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, February 12, 2009, occurred at a critical time for the United States and the world. In honor of Darwin's birthday, the National Research Council appointed a committee under the auspices of the U.S. National Committee (USNC) for DIVERSITAS to plan a Symposium on Twenty-first Century Ecosystems. The purpose of the symposium was to capture some of the current excitement and recent progress in scientific understanding of ecosystems, from the microbial to the global level, while also highlighting how improved understanding can be applied to important policy issues that have broad biodiversity and ecosystem effects. The aim was to help inform new policy approaches that could satisfy human needs while also maintaining the integrity of the goods and services provided by biodiversity and ecosystems over both the short and the long terms. This report summarizes the views expressed by symposium participants; however, it does not provide a session-by-session summary of the presentations at the symposium. Instead, the symposium steering committee identified eight key themes that emerged from the lectures, which were addressed in different contexts by different speakers. The focus here is on general principles rather than specifics. These eight themes provide a sharp focus on a few concepts that enable scientists, environmental NGOs, and policy makers to engage more effectively around issues of central importance for biodiversity and ecosystem management. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Amaranth: Modern Prospects for an Ancient Crop DO - 10.17226/19381 PY - 1984 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/19381/amaranth-modern-prospects-for-an-ancient-crop PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - KW - Agriculture ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Environmental Science in the Coastal Zone: Issues for Further Research SN - DO - 10.17226/2249 PY - 1994 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/2249/environmental-science-in-the-coastal-zone-issues-for-further-research PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Earth Sciences AB - This book assesses the dimensions of our scientific knowledge as it applies to environmental problems in the coastal zone. The volume contains 10 papers that cover different aspects of science, management, and public policy concerning the coastal zone. A consensus is presented on several key issues confronting science for developing a more holistic approach in managing this region's intense human activities and important natural resources. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Lost Crops of the Incas: Little-Known Plants of the Andes with Promise for Worldwide Cultivation SN - DO - 10.17226/1398 PY - 1989 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1398/lost-crops-of-the-incas-little-known-plants-of-the PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Agriculture KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - This fascinating, readable volume is filled with enticing, detailed information about more than 30 different Incan crops that promise to follow the potato's lead and become important contributors to the world's food supply. Some of these overlooked foods offer special advantages for developing nations, such as high nutritional quality and excellent yields. Many are adaptable to areas of the United States. Lost Crops of the Incas includes vivid color photographs of many of the crops and describes the authors' experiences in growing, tasting, and preparing them in different ways. This book is for the gourmet and gourmand alike, as well as gardeners, botanists, farmers, and agricultural specialists in developing countries. ER - TY - BOOK TI - Symposium on Tactical Oceanography: Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, 12-15 March 1990 DO - 10.17226/9945 PY - 1991 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9945/symposium-on-tactical-oceanography-naval-postgraduate-school-monterey-california-12 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Sciences TI - Biographical Memoirs: Volume 60 SN - DO - 10.17226/6061 PY - 1991 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6061/biographical-memoirs-volume-60 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biography and Autobiography AB - Biographic Memoirs: Volume 60 contains the biographies of deceased members of the National Academy of Sciences and bibliographies of their published works. Each biographical essay was written by a member of the Academy familiar with the professional career of the deceased. For historical and bibliographical purposes, these volumes are worth returning to time and again. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Finding the Path: Issues of Access to Research Resources SN - DO - 10.17226/9629 PY - 1999 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9629/finding-the-path-issues-of-access-to-research-resources PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Industry and Labor AB - On January 27-28, 1999, the NRC Commission on Life Sciences organized "Finding the Path: Issues of Access to Research Resources", a conference to explore the breadth of problems and opportunities related to obtaining and transferring research resources. The following summary of the 2-day meeting lays out the problems concerning access to research resources as discussed by 2 dozen speakers and members of the audience. ER - TY - BOOK A2 - Marjorie L. Reaka-Kudla A2 - Don E. Wilson A2 - Edward O. Wilson TI - Biodiversity II: Understanding and Protecting Our Biological Resources SN - DO - 10.17226/4901 PY - 1997 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/4901/biodiversity-ii-understanding-and-protecting-our-biological-resources PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Explore Science KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - "The book before you...carries the urgent warning that we are rapidly altering and destroying the environments that have fostered the diversity of life forms for more than a billion years." With those words, Edward O. Wilson opened the landmark volume Biodiversity (National Academy Press, 1988). Despite this and other such alarms, species continue to vanish at a rapid rate, taking with them their genetic legacy and potential benefits. Many disappear before they can even be identified. Biodiversity II is a renewed call for urgency. This volume updates readers on how much we already know and how much remains to be identified scientifically. It explores new strategies for quantifying, understanding, and protecting biodiversity, including: New approaches to the integration of electronic data, including a proposal for a U.S. National Biodiversity Information Center. Application of techniques developed in the human genome project to species identification and classification. The Gap Analysis Program of the National Biological Survey, which uses layered satellite, climatic, and biological data to assess distribution and better manage biodiversity. The significant contribution of museum collections to identifying and categorizing species, which is essential for understanding ecological function and for targeting organisms and regions at risk. The book describes our growing understanding of how megacenters of diversity (e.g., rainforest insects, coral reefs) are formed, maintained, and lost; what can be learned from mounting bird extinctions; and how conservation efforts for neotropical primates have fared. It also explores ecosystem restoration, sustainable development, and agricultural impact. Biodiversity II reinforces the idea that the conservation of our biological resources is within reach as long as we pool resources; better coordinate the efforts of existing institutions—museums, universities, and government agencies—already dedicated to this goal; and enhance support for research, collections, and training. This volume will be important to environmentalists, biologists, ecologists, educators, students, and concerned individuals. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine AU - National Academy of Engineering TI - Resources for Teaching Middle School Science SN - DO - 10.17226/5774 PY - 1998 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/5774/resources-for-teaching-middle-school-science PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Education AB - With age-appropriate, inquiry-centered curriculum materials and sound teaching practices, middle school science can capture the interest and energy of adolescent students and expand their understanding of the world around them. Resources for Teaching Middle School Science, developed by the National Science Resources Center (NSRC), is a valuable tool for identifying and selecting effective science curriculum materials that will engage students in grades 6 through 8. The volume describes more than 400 curriculum titles that are aligned with the National Science Education Standards. This completely new guide follows on the success of Resources for Teaching Elementary School Science, the first in the NSRC series of annotated guides to hands-on, inquiry-centered curriculum materials and other resources for science teachers. The curriculum materials in the new guide are grouped in five chapters by scientific area—Physical Science, Life Science, Environmental Science, Earth and Space Science, and Multidisciplinary and Applied Science. They are also grouped by type—core materials, supplementary units, and science activity books. Each annotation of curriculum material includes a recommended grade level, a description of the activities involved and of what students can be expected to learn, a list of accompanying materials, a reading level, and ordering information. The curriculum materials included in this book were selected by panels of teachers and scientists using evaluation criteria developed for the guide. The criteria reflect and incorporate goals and principles of the National Science Education Standards. The annotations designate the specific content standards on which these curriculum pieces focus. In addition to the curriculum chapters, the guide contains six chapters of diverse resources that are directly relevant to middle school science. Among these is a chapter on educational software and multimedia programs, chapters on books about science and teaching, directories and guides to science trade books, and periodicals for teachers and students. Another section features institutional resources. One chapter lists about 600 science centers, museums, and zoos where teachers can take middle school students for interactive science experiences. Another chapter describes nearly 140 professional associations and U.S. government agencies that offer resources and assistance. Authoritative, extensive, and thoroughly indexed—and the only guide of its kind—Resources for Teaching Middle School Science will be the most used book on the shelf for science teachers, school administrators, teacher trainers, science curriculum specialists, advocates of hands-on science teaching, and concerned parents. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Ruxandra Floroiu A2 - Richard T. Sylves TI - Alerting America: Effective Risk Communication: Summary of a Forum DO - 10.17226/10652 PY - 2003 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10652/alerting-america-effective-risk-communication-summary-of-a-forum PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English AB - This is a summary of presentations and discussion from a forum on risk communication convened by the Natural Disasters Roundtable. Issues related to risk communication were discussed at the forum by speakers and participants from the scientific community, local and federal agencies, and media organizations. The need for more research and actions to further the nation’s risk communication capacity and make communities less vulnerable to natural, technological, and human-induced disasters was an overarching theme of the day. This summary is authored by Ruxandra Floroiu, formerly of the National Research Council and by Richard T. Sylves, University of Delaware. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Investing in Research Infrastructure in the Behavioral and Social Sciences SN - DO - 10.17226/6276 PY - 1998 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6276/investing-in-research-infrastructure-in-the-behavioral-and-social-sciences PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences KW - Policy for Science and Technology ER - TY - BOOK TI - GEWEX-CLIVAR: Coordination of U.S. Activities DO - 10.17226/9653 PY - 1998 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9653/gewex-clivar-coordination-of-us-activities PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Sciences TI - Climate Change and Ecosystems DO - 10.17226/25504 PY - 2019 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25504/climate-change-and-ecosystems PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - The National Academies convened a forum on November 8-9, 2018 to highlight current research frontiers such as the effects of climate extremes, interactions among climate and other stressors, the timing, sequence, and clustering of climate-related events, and tipping points for abrupt change. Topics of discussion at the forum pertained to the changes ecosystems are currently undergoing, sustaining ecosystems, the impact of ecosystems on global climate change, societal adaptation to climate change, and priorities for future research. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions from the forum. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Improving Student Learning in Mathematics and Science: The Role of National Standards in State Policy SN - DO - 10.17226/5844 PY - 1997 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/5844/improving-student-learning-in-mathematics-and-science-the-role-of PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Education ER - TY - BOOK TI - Science and Human Rights DO - 10.17226/9733 PY - 1988 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9733/science-and-human-rights PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences AB - Why does the National Academy of Sciences have a Committee on Human Rights? How does the committee define human rights and which rights are fundamental? Does a focus on human rights undermine efforts toward international scientific cooperation , development, political stability, or nuclear disarmament? Why does the committee work only in behalf of scientists and how do scientists become victims of human rights violations? How and why do some health professionals collude with torturers? These questions are typical of those asked frequently of the members and staff of the academy's Committee on Human Rights. They are important questions that this document helps to answer. Science and Human Rights is the summary of the presentation and discussion of a Symposium convened by the National Academy of Sciences to discuss these issues. Also included in this report are three major papers written by former prisoners from Chile, South Africa, and the Soviet Union. ER -