What We Are Reading Today: Magnetic Reconnection

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Updated 12 June 2022
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What We Are Reading Today: Magnetic Reconnection

Author: Masaaki Yamada

Plasmas comprise more than 99 percent of the visible universe; and, wherever plasmas are, magnetic reconnection occurs.
In this common yet incompletely understood physical process, oppositely directed magnetic fields in a plasma meet, break, and then reconnect, converting the huge amounts of energy stored in magnetic fields into kinetic and thermal energy. In Magnetic Reconnection, Masaaki Yamada offers an illuminating synthesis of modern research and advances on this important topic.
Magnetic reconnection produces such phenomena as solar flares and the northern lights, and occurs in nuclear fusion devices.
A better understanding of this crucial cosmic activity is essential to comprehending the universe and varied technological applications, such as satellite communications.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Digital Cultural Shock’ by Katherina Reinecke

Updated 28 December 2024
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Digital Cultural Shock’ by Katherina Reinecke

Robots that encroach on your personal space, baffling emojis, a chatbot that gives you an answer that seems terribly rude—does any of this sound familiar?

An encounter with new technology can teach us to embrace the unfamiliar, but a mismatch between design and user can create misunderstanding and loss of trust, and can even become a tool of digital imperialism.

In “Digital Culture Shock,” computer scientist Katharina Reinecke travels through countries and cultures around the world to show the many fascinating ways that technology design and use can differ. 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Essence of Software’

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Updated 27 December 2024
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Essence of Software’

  • “The Essence of Software” introduces a theory of software design that gives new answers to old questions

Author: DANIEL JACKSON

As our dependence on technology increases, the design of software matters more than ever before. Why then is so much software flawed? Why hasn’t there been a systematic and scalable way to create software that is easy to use, robust, and secure? Examining these issues in depth, “The Essence of Software” introduces a theory of software design that gives new answers to old questions.

Daniel Jackson explains that a software system should be viewed as a collection of interacting concepts, breaking the functionality into manageable parts and providing a new framework for thinking about design.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Flows in Networks’

Updated 27 December 2024
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Flows in Networks’

Authors: Lester Randolf Ford Jr. & D. R. Fulkerson

In this classic book, first published in 1962, L. R. Ford, Jr., and D. R. Fulkerson set the foundation for the study of network flow problems. The models and algorithms introduced in “Flows in Networks” are used widely today in the fields of transportation systems, manufacturing, inventory planning, image processing, and internet traffic.

The techniques presented by Ford and Fulkerson spurred the development of powerful computational tools for solving and analyzing network flow models, and also furthered the understanding of linear programming.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Planetary Climates’ by Andrew Ingersoll

Updated 25 December 2024
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Planetary Climates’ by Andrew Ingersoll

This concise, sophisticated introduction to planetary climates explains the global physical and chemical processes that determine climate on any planet or major planetary satellite— from Mercury to Neptune and even large moons such as Saturn’s Titan.

Although the climates of other worlds are extremely diverse, the chemical and physical processes that shape their dynamics are the same.

As this book makes clear, the better we can understand how various planetary climates formed and evolved, the better we can understand Earth’s climate history and future.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Dragonflies of North America’

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Updated 24 December 2024
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Dragonflies of North America’

  • “Dragonflies of North America” is the ultimate guide to these extraordinary insects

Author: ED LAM

Dragonflies are large and beautiful insects, diverse in color and pattern. This premier field guide provides all the information you need to identify every male and female dragonfly found in North America, whether in the field, in the hand, or under the microscope.

The extensive illustrations are the heart of the book. Close-up color portraits of each species, often several times life size, show the best possible specimens for close examination.
“Dragonflies of North America” is the ultimate guide to these extraordinary insects.