Earth Sciences: Notable Research and Discoveries (Frontiers of Science)
Earth is home to environments as varied as rain forests and deserts, and is a large, complicated object to study. The interactions of the planet's various components—including the atmosphere, oceans, land, and the rocks and metals of the interior—produce a bewildering array of phenomena. Many of these phenomena strongly impact people's lives, despite the fact that the realm of human society does not generally extend beyond the Earth's surface.
Case study research has a long history within the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, dating back to the early 1920’s. At first it was a useful way for researchers to make valid inferences from events outside the laboratory in ways consistent with the rigorous practices of investigation inside the lab. Over time, case study approaches garnered interest in multiple disciplines as scholars studied phenomena in context. Despite widespread use, case study research has received little attention among the literature on research strategies.
Superconductivity--the flow of electric current without resistance in certain materials as temperatures near absolute zero--is one of the greatest discoveries of 20th century physics, but it can seem impenetrable to those who lack a solid scientific background. Outlining the fascinating history of how superconductivity was discovered, and the race to understand its many mysterious and counter-intuitive phenomena, Stephen Blundell explains in accessible terms the theories that have been developed to explain it, and how they have influenced other areas of science
There are many more astronomical and meteorological phenomena involving color than most people are aware of, let alone have observed. Visual double stars with contrasting color are obvious targets for amateur astronomers, but there are many more - everything from colors on the Moon, through colors on the planets and in deep-sky objects, to man-made colors in the night sky. A great deal of these colored phenomena can be seen with the unaided eye, and can be visible in - and imaged with - a modest telescope, but all require preparation, anticipation and planning.
Calculation of Roundabouts: Capacity, Waiting Phenomena and ReliabilityRoundabouts have become one of the most significant traffic control measures because they are generally statistically safer and more efficient than traditional at grade intersections. This book is dedicated to the evaluation of the operating conditions of roundabouts. In five parts, it thoroughly illustrates the calculation of the capacity, including reliability, and waiting phenomena parameters, such as the times spent in the system and queue lengths.
