Results 1 to 3 of 3
- Silk : a world history / by Prasad, Aarathi,author.(CARDINAL)606206;
Introduction -- Moths. The wondrous transformation ; Inner workings ; Bombyx ; The long road ; Saturniidae ; In ambon ; Indus ; Antheraea ; Muga ; The works of industry of all nations ; Wardle -- Silken shells, golden orbs. Coquillages à soie ; A tangle of threads ; SLKY ; Italo ; Pinnidae ; Upon the usefulness of the Silk of spiders ; Araneae ; The house of the spiders ; Nephila -- Reinvention. The Khan's underclothes ; Conscription ; Tombstone ; Mimic men ; The silks of nearly anything ; Smarter silk."In a gorgeous history that spans continents and millennia, Aarathi Prasad weaves together the complex story of the queen of fabrics. Through the scientists who have studied silk, and the biology of the animals from which it has been drawn, Prasad explores the global, natural, and cultural history (and future) of a unique material that has fascinated the world for thousands of years"--- Subjects: Informational works.; Sericulture; Silkworms; Silk; Lepidopterology; Silkworms; Bombyx mori;
- Available copies: 17 / Total copies: 19
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- The dangerous world of butterflies : the startling subculture of criminals, collectors, and conservationists / by Laufer, Peter,1950-(CARDINAL)362682;
Includes bibliographical references and index.Off to Nicaragua and an introduction to Lepidoptera -- With the purists where butterflies fly free -- My successful commercial butterfly release -- Diapause -- The flight and plight of the monarch -- In pursuit of the world's most wanted butterfly smuggler -- Death-defying, globe-trotting butterfly hunting -- Butterflies versus National Security -- The butterfly as art -- Creation versus evolution -- Butterfly resurrection."Turning from the Iraq War, author and journalist Laufer (Mission Rejected: U.S. Soldiers Who Say No to Iraq) decided to focus on the presumably innocuous business of butterflies. Fluttering across the globe for at least 40 million years, Lepidoptera face increasing threats in modern times, largely from habitat loss and pesticides. Amateur and professional butterfly experts weigh in on everything from art to conservation, breeding and butterfly sex to development and wing colors, as well as the meaning of their fascination for humans. Lepidopterology contains a surprising stack of unsolved mysteries, including the process of metamorphosis: what goes on in the chrysalis, in which every cell of the caterpillar's body liquefies before reconstituting into a butterfly, might as well be magic. Laufer also finds controversy in commercial breeding and discovers "worldwide criminal operations" in butterfly poaching and smuggling (in which driving species to near extinction is a standard practice for pushing up specimen prices). In casual prose, Laufer delivers an absorbing science lesson for fans of the colorful bugs"--Washington Post.Chronicles Laufer's unexpected discoveries in the butterfly industry and underground--from the beauty and magic of butterflies to the high-stakes realms of organized crime, ecological devastation, species depletion, natural history museum integrity, and chaos theory.- Subjects: Butterflies; Butterflies; Butterflies; Butterflies; Butterflies; Lepidopterology.;
- Available copies: 4 / Total copies: 4
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- There are places in the world where rules are less important than kindness : and other thoughts on physics, philosophy and the world / by Rovelli, Carlo,1956-author.(CARDINAL)353586; Segre, Erica,translator.(CARDINAL)353589; Carnell, Simon,1962-translator.(CARDINAL)353590;
"A delightful intellectual feast from the bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and The Order of Time One of the world's most prominent physicists and fearless free spirit, Carlo Rovelli is also a masterful storyteller. His bestselling books have introduced millions of readers to the wonders of modern physics and his singular perspective on the cosmos. This new collection of essays reveals a curious intellect always on the move. Rovelli invites us on an accessible and enlightening voyage through science, literature, philosophy, and politics. Written with his usual clarity and wit, this journey ranges widely across time and space: from Newton's alchemy to Einstein's mistakes, from Nabokov's lepidopterology to Dante's cosmology, from mind-altering psychedelic substances to the meaning of atheism, from the future of physics to the power of uncertainty. Charming, pithy, and elegant, this book is the perfect gateway to the universe of one of the most influential minds of our age"--- Subjects: Essays.; Science; Science;
- Available copies: 20 / Total copies: 23
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Results 1 to 3 of 3