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    • Mama's Last Hug: Animal and Human Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves

      Frans de Waal

      Levenswetenschappen New York Times best-selling author and primatologist Frans de Waal explores the fascinating world of animal and human emotions. New York Times best-selling author and primatologist Frans de Waal explores the fascinating world of animal and human emotions. New York Times best-selling author and primatologist Frans de Waal explores the fascinating world of animal and human emotions. Frans de Waal has spent four decades at the forefront of animal research. Following up on the best-selling Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?, which investigated animal intelligence, Mama’s Last Hug delivers a fascinating exploration of the rich emotional lives of animals. Mama’s Last Hug begins with the death of Mama, a chimpanzee matriarch who formed a deep bond with biologist Jan van Hooff. When Mama was dying, van Hooff took the unusual step of visiting her in her night cage for a last hug. Their goodbyes were filmed and went viral. Millions of people were deeply moved by the way Mama

    • Genius Foods

      Max Lugavere & Paul Grewal, M.D.

      Levenswetenschappen New York Times Bestseller Discover the critical link between your brain and the food you eat and change the way your brain ages, in this cutting-edge, practical guide to eliminating brain fog, optimizing brain health, and achieving peak mental performance from media personality and leading voice in health Max Lugavere. After his mother was diagnosed with a mysterious form of dementia, Max Lugavere put his successful media career on hold to learn everything he could about brain health and performance. For the better half of a decade, he consumed the most up-to-date scientific research, talked to dozens of leading scientists and clinicians around the world, and visited the country’s best neurology departments—all in the hopes of understanding his mother’s condition. Now, in Genius Foods, Lugavere presents a comprehensive guide to brain optimization. He uncovers the stunning link between our dietary and lifestyle choices and our brain functions, revealing how the foods you eat dire

    • A Dictionary of Animal Behaviour

      David McFarland

      Levenswetenschappen Covering every aspect of animal behaviour from adaptation to warning, this accessible A-Z also includes terms from the related fields of ecology, physiology and psychology. This new edition adds 80 new entries, expands coverage of behavioural ecology, cognitive ethology, and evolutionary theory, and brings the text up to date with new theories and research.

    • Nexus

      Yuval Noah Harari

      Levenswetenschappen We hebben onze soort  Homo sapiens  genoemd, ‘de wijze mens’, maar als mensen zo wijs zijn, waarom zijn we dan zo zelfdestructief? Waarom staan we op het punt ecologische en technologische zelfmoord te plegen? Op dit moment maken we de meest ingrijpende informatierevolutie in onze geschiedenis door. Om goed te kunnen begrijpen wat er gebeurt, moeten we leren van het verleden en analyseren welke rol informatie in ons leven speelt. Al eeuwenlang verkrijgt de mensheid macht door het verspreiden van informatie in de vorm van fictie, fantasieën en massale waanideeën. In  Nexus  neemt Yuval Noah Harari ons mee naar het stenen tijdperk, de heiligverklaring van de Bijbel, vroegmoderne heksenjachten, het stalinisme, het nazisme en de heropleving van het hedendaagse populisme, om de complexe relatie tussen informatie en waarheid, bureaucratie en mythologie, wijsheid en macht bloot te leggen. Hij onderzoekt hoe verschillende samenlevingen en politieke systemen in h

    • Het nieuwe ademen

      James Nestor

      Levenswetenschappen De wereldwijde bestseller over wat je ademhaling kan doen voor je gezondheid en welzijn. Adem in. Adem uit. Herhaal 25.000 keer Wat je eet, hoeveel je traint en hoe jong je bent is lang niet zo belangrijk als dat wat we allemaal, elke dag, onbewust doen: ademen. Er is niets essentiëler voor onze gezondheid en ons welzijn dan in- en uitademen, zo’n 25.000 keer per dag. Onderzoek toont aan dat zelfs kleine aanpassingen aan de manier waarop we ademhalen onze atletische prestaties kunnen verbeteren, onze interne organen kunnen verjongen en zelfs astma en auto-immuunziektes kunnen verhelpen. Het nieuwe ademen zet alles wat je dacht te weten over je meest fundamentele biologische functie op zijn kop, op basis van medisch onderzoek en recente studies op het gebied van psychologie, biochemie en menselijke fysiologie. Ademen zal nooit meer hetzelfde zijn. ‘Verhelderend en verbazingwekkend, een boek dat verklaart waarom zo velen van ons ziek en moe zijn. Dit moet je lezen.’ Dr. Steven Y.

    • Een kleine geschiedenis van bijna alles

      Bill Bryson

      Wetenschap en natuur Eén van 's werelds meest geliefde schrijvers Bill Bryson maakt zijn ultieme reis -naar de meest boeiende en onoplosbare vragen die de wetenschap probeert te beantwoorden. In 'Een kleine geschiedenis van bijna alles' lukt het Bill Bryson om wetenschappelijke kennis uit onder andere de geologie, scheikunde, kwantumfysica, paleontologie en sterrenkunde voor een groot publiek te ontsluiten. Hij doet dat op zo'n heldere en spannende wijze dat ook degenen die altijd in slaap vielen tijdens de natuurkundeles Bryson met veel plezier zullen volgen op zijn avontuurlijke reis door de bètawetenschappen.

    • Homo Deus

      Yuval Noah Harari

      Levenswetenschappen Official U.S. edition with full color illustrations throughout. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Yuval Noah Harari, author of the critically-acclaimed New York Times bestseller and international phenomenon Sapiens, returns with an equally original, compelling, and provocative book, turning his focus toward humanity’s future, and our quest to upgrade humans into gods. Over the past century humankind has managed to do the impossible and rein in famine, plague, and war. This may seem hard to accept, but, as Harari explains in his trademark style—thorough, yet riveting—famine, plague and war have been transformed from incomprehensible and uncontrollable forces of nature into manageable challenges. For the first time ever, more people die from eating too much than from eating too little; more people die from old age than from infectious diseases; and more people commit suicide than are killed by soldiers, terrorists and criminals put together. The average American is a thousand times more l

    • Sapiens

      Yuval Noah Harari

      Levenswetenschappen #1 New York Times Bestseller • New York Times Readers’ Pick: Top 100 Books of the 21st Century • The Summer Reading Pick for President Barack Obama and Bill Gates Official U.S. edition with full color illustrations throughout. From renowned historian Yuval Noah Harari comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.” One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us? Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving hu

    • Spiegelzee

      Salomon Kroonenberg

      Levenswetenschappen Wie zich zorgen maakt over een stijgende zeespiegel, zo schrijft Salomon Kroonenberg in ‘Spiegelzee’, vergeet dat de mensheid zoiets al eerder heeft meegemaakt. Zo’n 120.000 jaar geleden stond de zeespiegel zes meter hoger dan nu, en lag Amersfoort aan zee. In het koudste deel van de laatste ijstijd, 20.000 jaar geleden, stond hij juist 120 meter lager, en lag de Noordzee droog. De stijging die door het afsmelten van de ijskappen daar weer op volgde ging soms wel twintig keer zo snel als nu. Onze voorouders hebben onvoorstelbare zeespiegelveranderingen meegemaakt, die grote gevolgen voor hun leefmilieu hadden. Kroonenberg vertelt op toegankelijke wijze welke oorzaken daaraan ten grondslag liggen en hoe we dat te weten zijn gekomen. De laatste zesduizend jaar is onze zeespiegel redelijk stabiel, en wereldwijde peilschaalmetingen van de laatste eeuw laten nog geen versnelling zien. Wie inziet hoe inventief onze voorouders zich met weinig middelen aan zeespiegelveranderingen aanpas

    • Dopamine Nation

      Anna Lembke

      Wetenschap en natuur 'Her stories have the power to transform your life' Lori Gottlieb, bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone 'Radically changes the way we think about mental illness, pleasure, pain, reward and stress' Daniel Levitin, bestselling author of The Organized Mind THE NEW YORK TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER We are a wired generation. In these fast-paced times we are constantly bombarded by high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli. From texting to social media, food to drugs, gambling to shopping, we have become addicted to fleeting and distracting pleasures that are making us sick. In Dopamine Nation , psychiatrist and bestselling author Dr Anna Lembke reveals why our relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain and what we can do about it. Bringing together cutting-edge neuroscience with the gripping real life experiences from her clinical practice, Lembke explores how contentment and connectedness are essential tools in keeping dopamine in check. This is an essential book for an

    • The Selfish Gene

      Richard Dawkins

      Levenswetenschappen The 40th anniversary edition of the million copy international bestseller, with a new epilogue from the author. As relevant and influential today as when it was first published, this classic exposition of evolutionary thought, widely hailed for its stylistic brilliance and deep scientific insights, stimulated whole new areas of research.

    • How Emotions Are Made

      Lisa Feldman Barrett

      Wetenschap en natuur ' How Emotions Are Made did what all great books do. It took a subject I thought I understood and turned my understanding upside down' – Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point When you feel anxious, angry, happy, or surprised, what's really going on inside of you? Uncover fascinating insights into the human mind with How Emotions Are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett, a pioneer in neuroscience and psychology. This profound book will dismantle and reconstruct your understanding of your own emotions. The world perceives our emotions as automatic and reactive, a response to the world around us. But How Emotions Are Made poses a compelling new perspective, suggesting emotions aren't universally pre-installed, rather they are unique psychological experiences constructed through our personal history, physiology, and environment. This new view of emotions has serious implications: - when judges issue lesser sentences for crimes of passion - when police officers fire at threatening suspec

    • Why We Sleep

      Matthew Walker

      Levenswetenschappen “ Why We Sleep is an important and fascinating book…Walker taught me a lot about this basic activity that every person on Earth needs. I suspect his book will do the same for you.” —Bill Gates A New York Times bestseller and international sensation, this “stimulating and important book” ( Financial Times ) is a fascinating dive into the purpose and power of slumber. With two appearances on CBS This Morning and Fresh Air 's most popular interview of 2017, Matthew Walker has made abundantly clear that sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life. Until very recently, science had no answer to the question of why we sleep, or what good it served, or why we suffer such devastating health consequences when it is absent. Compared to the other basic drives in life—eating, drinking, and reproducing—the purpose of sleep remains more elusive. Within the brain, sleep enriches a diversity of functions, including our ability to learn, memorize, and mak

    • Immune

      Philipp Dettmer

      Levenswetenschappen NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A gorgeously illustrated deep dive into the immune system that will forever change how you think about your body, from the creator of the popular science YouTube channel Kurzgesagt—In a Nutshell   “Through wonderful analogies and a genius for clarifying complex ideas, Immune is a truly brilliant introduction to the human body’s vast system for fighting infections and other threats.”—John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars You wake up and feel a tickle in your throat. Your head hurts. You’re mildly annoyed as you get the kids ready for school and dress for work yourself. Meanwhile, an epic war is being fought, just below your skin. Millions are fighting and dying for you to be able to complain as you head out the door.    But most of us never really stop to ask: What even is our immune system? Second only to the human brain in its complexity, it is one of the oldest and most critical facets

    • Sapiens and Homo Deus: The E-book Collection

      Yuval Noah Harari

      Levenswetenschappen Discover humanity’s past and its future in this in this special e-book collection featuring Sapiens—a reading pick of President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg—and its acclaimed companion Homo Deus.

    • Life 3.0

      Max Tegmark

      Levenswetenschappen Max Tegmark, MIT-wetenschapper en oprichter van het Future of Life Institute, geeft in Life 3.0 een toegankelijke, nuchtere en praktische beschrijving van de gevolgen van Kunstmatige Intelligentie (KI). Hij laat zien hoe onze banen, scholen, gezondheid, rechtspraak, politiek en talloze andere gebieden ingrijpend zullen veranderen en verkent de meest essentiële vragen van onze tijd: kunnen we onze welvaart laten groeien door automatisering? Kunnen we garanderen dat intelligente systemen doen wat wij willen zonder te crashen of gehackt te worden? Moeten we bang zijn voor een wedloop in autonome wapens? Zullen machines ons vervangen, of zal KI het leven op aarde doen bloeien als nooit tevoren?

    • Being You

      Anil Seth

      Wetenschap en natuur A GUARDIAN , ECONOMIST , NEW STATESMAN , FINANCIAL TIMES AND BLOOMBERG BOOK OF THE YEAR 'I loved it.' MICHAEL POLLAN 'Fascinating.' FINANCIAL TIMES 'Awe-inspring.' NEW STATESMAN 'Brilliant.' CLAIRE TOMALIN, NEW YORK TIMES 'A brilliant beast of a book.' DAVID BYRNE 'Hugely important.' JIM AL-KHALILI 'Gripping.' ALEX GARLAND 'Masterly . . . Vast-ranging, phenomenal.' GAIA VINCE, GUARDIAN Anil Seth's radical new theory of consciousness challenges our understanding of perception and reality, doing for brain science what Dawkins did for evolutionary biology. Being You is not as simple as it sounds. Somehow, within each of our brains, billions of neurons work to create our conscious experience. How does this happen? Why do we experience life in the first person? After over twenty years researching the brain, world-renowned neuroscientist Anil Seth puts forward a radical new theory of consciousness and self. His unique theory of what it means to 'be you' challenges our understanding of perce

    • Sakura

      Naoko Abe

      Levenswetenschappen Toen botanicus Collingwood Ingram in 1902 Japan bezocht werd hij verliefd op de kersenbloesem, de sakura. Tijdens een bezoek ruim twintig jaar later was hij geschokt door de achteruitgang in soortendiversiteit. Een gekloonde kers domineerde het landschap en was symbool van de expansiedrift van het land. Duizenden kilometers verderop, op het landgoed van Ingram in Kent, floreerde de oorspronkelijke bloesem nog steeds. De botanicus besloot de soort te repatriëren. Met de Transsiberië Express vervoerde hij een stek in een aardappel naar Japan. Ingram groeide uit tot een van 's werelds meest toonaangevende kersenexperts. Dit prachtige boek vertelt het verhaal van een opmerkelijke man, die getuige was van een beladen eeuw vol conflicten en verandering. De lezer volgt de sakura als symbool aan het keizerlijk hof, via de donkere dagen van de Tweede Wereldoorlog, tot aan de hedendaagse fascinatie voor deze iconische bloesem.

    • The Idiot Brain

      Dean Burnett

      Levenswetenschappen 'Compelling and wise and rational.' - Jon Ronson 'A wonderful introduction to neuroscience, and deserves to be widely read.' - Independent Motion sickness. Nightmares. Forgetting people's names. Why did I walk into this room?? For something supposedly so brilliant and evolutionarily advanced, the human brain is pretty messy, fallible and disorganised. In The Idiot Brain neuroscientist Dean Burnett celebrates the imperfections of the human brain in all their glory, and the impact of these quirks on our daily lives. Expertly researched and entertainingly written, this book is for anyone who has wondered why their brain seems to be sabotaging their life, and what on earth it is really up to.

    • The Brain That Changes Itself

      Norman Doidge

      Levenswetenschappen OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD 'A remarkable and hopeful portrait of the endless adaptability of the human brain' Oliver Sacks 'Utterly wonderful . . . without question one of the most important books about the brain you will ever read; yet it is beautifully written, immensely approachable, and full of humanity' Iain McGilchrist MA, author of The Master and His Emissary Meet the ninety-year-old doctor who is still practicing medicine, the stroke victim who learned to move and talk again and the woman with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole. All these people had their lives transformed by the remarkable discovery that our brains can repair themselves through the power of positive thinking. Here bestselling author, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Norman Doidge reveals the secrets of the cutting-edge science of 'neuroplasticity'. He introduces incredible case histories - blind people helped to see, IQs raised and memories sharpened - and tells the stories of the maverick sc

    • The Blind Watchmaker

      Richard Dawkins

      Levenswetenschappen Acclaimed as the most influential work on evolution written in the last hundred years, The Blind Watchmaker offers an inspiring and accessible introduction to one of the most important scientific discoveries of all time. A brilliant and controversial book which demonstrates that evolution by natural selection - the unconscious, automatic, blind yet essentially non-random process discovered by Darwin - is the only answer to the biggest question of all: why do we exist?

    • Homo Deus

      Yuval Noah Harari

      Levenswetenschappen Official U.S. edition with full color illustrations throughout. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Yuval Noah Harari, author of the critically-acclaimed New York Times bestseller and international phenomenon Sapiens, returns with an equally original, compelling, and provocative book, turning his focus toward humanity’s future, and our quest to upgrade humans into gods. Over the past century humankind has managed to do the impossible and rein in famine, plague, and war. This may seem hard to accept, but, as Harari explains in his trademark style—thorough, yet riveting—famine, plague and war have been transformed from incomprehensible and uncontrollable forces of nature into manageable challenges. For the first time ever, more people die from eating too much than from eating too little; more people die from old age than from infectious diseases; and more people commit suicide than are killed by soldiers, terrorists and criminals put together. The average American is a thousand times more l

    • De binnenplaats van Babel

      Salomon Kroonenberg

      Levenswetenschappen Taal is de prachtigste gave van de evolutie aan de mensheid. Maar waarom zijn er zesduizend verschillende talen? Een geoloog op zoek naar de oorsprong van onze talen Taal is de prachtigste gave van de evolutie aan de mensheid. Maar waarom zijn er zesduizend verschillende talen? Salomon Kroonenberg maakt in De binnenplaats van Babel een ontdekkingstocht naar de bron van onze veeltaligheid. Begon het spreken met klappertanden of met klikjes? Was er ooit één taal voor alle mensen? Waarom zijn er meer talen in de bergen dan in de vlakte? Hij neemt ons mee naar de Kaukasus en de indianen, naar de wieg van Homo sapiens en de resten van de Toren van Babel. De held van het boek is Kroonenbergs grootvader, die maar liefst veertien talen kende. Zelfs in het concentratiekamp Theresienstadt zat hij nog Russisch te leren. De binnenplaats van Babel is inspirerende wetenschap, literair reisverhaal én indrukwekkende familiegeschiedenis ineen.

    • Entangled Life

      Merlin Sheldrake

      Levenswetenschappen The smash-hit Sunday Times bestseller that will transform your understanding of our planet and life itself. 'Astonishing ... it seems somehow to tip the natural world upside down' Observer 'Completely mind-blowing ... reads like an adventure story' Sunday Times *WINNER OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY BOOK PRIZE 2021* *WINNER OF THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR CONSERVATION WRITING 2021* The more we learn about fungi, the less makes sense without them. They can change our minds, heal our bodies and even help us avoid environmental disaster; they are metabolic masters, earth-makers and key players in most of nature's processes. In Entangled Life , Merlin Sheldrake takes us on a mind-altering journey into their spectacular world, and reveals how these extraordinary organisms transform our understanding of our planet and life itself. 'Dazzling, vibrant, vision-changing' Robert Macfarlane 'Urgent, astounding and necessary' Helen Macdonald ' Gorgeous!' Margaret Atwood (on Twitter) 'Wonderful' Nigella Lawson '

    • Lifespan

      David A. Sinclair

      Levenswetenschappen A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Brilliant and enthralling.”​ —The Wall Street Journal A paradigm-shifting book from an acclaimed Harvard Medical School scientist and one of Time ’s most influential people. It’s a seemingly undeniable truth that aging is inevitable. But what if everything we’ve been taught to believe about aging is wrong? What if we could choose our lifespan? In this groundbreaking book, Dr. David Sinclair, leading world authority on genetics and longevity, reveals a bold new theory for why we age. As he writes: “Aging is a disease, and that disease is treatable.” This eye-opening and provocative work takes us to the frontlines of research that is pushing the boundaries on our perceived scientific limitations, revealing incredible breakthroughs—many from Dr. David Sinclair’s own lab at Harvard—that demonstrate how we can slow down, or even reverse, aging. The key is activating newly discovered vitality genes, the descendants of an ancient genetic s

    • The Greatest Show on Earth

      Richard Dawkins

      Levenswetenschappen Richard Dawkins transformed our view of God in his blockbuster, The God Delusion, which sold millions of copies in English alone. He revolutionized the way we see natural selection in the seminal bestseller The Selfish Gene . Now, he launches a fierce counterattack against proponents of "Intelligent Design" in his New York Times bestseller, The Greatest Show on Earth . "Intelligent Design" is being taught in our schools; educators are being asked to "teach the controversy" behind evolutionary theory. There is no controversy. Dawkins sifts through rich layers of scientific evidence—from living examples of natural selection to clues in the fossil record; from natural clocks that mark the vast epochs wherein evolution ran its course to the intricacies of developing embryos; from plate tectonics to molecular genetics—to make the airtight case that "we find ourselves perched on one tiny twig in the midst of a blossoming and flourishing tree of life and it is no accident, but the direct

    • Gut

      Giulia Enders

      Wetenschap en natuur WINNER OF THE 2016 AUSTRALIAN BOOK INDUSTRY AWARDS, INTERNATIONAL BOOK OF THE YEAR SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2016 BRITISH BOOK INDUSTRY AWARDS, NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR LONGLISTED FOR THE 2015 GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS 'BEST SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY BOOK' A Sunday Times bestseller The key to living a happier, healthier life is inside us. Our gut is almost as important to us as our brain or our heart, yet we know very little about how it works. In Gut , Giulia Enders shows that rather than the utilitarian and — let’s be honest — somewhat embarrassing body part we imagine it to be, it is one of the most complex, important, and even miraculous parts of our anatomy. And scientists are only just discovering quite how much it has to offer; new research shows that gut bacteria can play a role in everything from obesity and allergies to Alzheimer’s.  Beginning with the personal experience of illness that inspired her research, and going on to explain everything from the basics of nut

    • Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic

      David Quammen

      Levenswetenschappen A masterpiece of science reporting that tracks the animal origins of emerging human diseases, Spillover is “fascinating and terrifying … a real-life thriller with an outcome that affects us all” (Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction). In 2020, the novel coronavirus gripped the world in a global pandemic and led to the death of hundreds of thousands. The source of the previously unknown virus? Bats. This phenomenon—in which a new pathogen comes to humans from wildlife—is known as spillover, and it may not be long before it happens again. Prior to the emergence of our latest health crisis, renowned science writer David Quammen was traveling the globe to better understand spillover’s devastating potential. For five years he followed scientists to a rooftop in Bangladesh, a forest in the Congo, a Chinese rat farm, and a suburban woodland in New York, and through high-biosecurity laboratories. He interviewed survivors and gathered stories of the dead. He found surp

    • The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism Among the Primates

      Frans de Waal

      Levenswetenschappen In this lively and illuminating discussion of his landmark research, esteemed primatologist Frans de Waal argues that human morality is not imposed from above but instead comes from within. Moral behavior does not begin and end with religion but is in fact a product of evolution. For many years, de Waal has observed chimpanzees soothe distressed neighbors and bonobos share their food. Now he delivers fascinating fresh evidence for the seeds of ethical behavior in primate societies that further cements the case for the biological origins of human fairness. Interweaving vivid tales from the animal kingdom with thoughtful philosophical analysis, de Waal seeks a bottom-up explanation of morality that emphasizes our connection with animals. In doing so, de Waal explores for the first time the implications of his work for our understanding of modern religion. Whatever the role of religious moral imperatives, he sees it as a “Johnny-come-lately” role that emerged only as an addition to o

    • Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist

      Frans de Waal

      Levenswetenschappen Longlisted for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award "Every new book by Frans de Waal is a cause for excitement, and this one is no different. A breath of fresh air in the cramped debate about the differences between men and women. Fascinating, nuanced, and very timely." —Rutger Bregman, author of Humankind: A Hopeful History In Different, world-renowned primatologist Frans de Waal draws on decades of observation and studies of both human and animal behavior to argue that despite the linkage between gender and biological sex, biology does not automatically support the traditional gender roles in human societies. While humans and other primates do share some behavioral differences, biology offers no justification for existing gender inequalities. Using chimpanzees and bonobos to illustrate this point—two ape relatives that are genetically equally close to humans—de Waal challenges widely held beliefs about masculinity and femininity, and common assumptions about auth

    • Head Strong

      Dave Asprey

      Levenswetenschappen From the creator of Bulletproof Coffee and author of the bestselling The Bulletproof Diet comes a revolutionary plan to upgrade your brainpower—in two weeks or less. For the last decade, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dave Asprey has worked with world-renowned doctors and scientists to uncover the latest, most innovative methods for making humans perform better—a process known as "biohacking." In his first book, The Bulletproof Diet, he shared his biohacking tips for taking control of your own biology. Now, in Head Strong, Asprey shows readers how to biohack their way to a sharper, smarter, faster, more resilient brain. Imagine feeling like your mind is operating at its clearest and sharpest, and being able—possibly for the first time in your life—to do more in less time? What it suddenly became easier to do the very hardest things you do? Or if you could feel 100% confident about your intellect, and never again fear being the person in the room who just isn’t smart enough, or

    • Transformer

      Nick Lane

      Levenswetenschappen 'One of my favourite science writers' Bill Gates 'Hugely important' Jim Al-Khalili 'A profound meditation on metabolism, the Krebs cycle & the origin of life' Anil Seth For decades, biology has been dominated by information - the power of genes. Yet there is no difference in information content between a living cell and one that died a moment ago. A better question goes back to the formative years of biology: what processes animate cells and set them apart from lifeless matter? In Transformer, Nick Lane turns the standard view upside down, capturing an extraordinary scientific renaissance that is hiding in plain sight. At its core is an amazing cycle of reactions that uses energy to transform inorganic molecules into the building blocks of life - and the reverse. To understand this cycle is to fathom the deep coherence of the living world. It connects the origin of life with the devastation of cancer, the first photosynthetic bacteria with our own mitochondria, sulphurous sludges

    • Who We Are and How We Got Here

      David Reich

      Levenswetenschappen A groundbreaking book about how ancient DNA has profoundly changed our understanding of human history.   Geneticists like David Reich have made astounding advances in the field of genomics, which is proving to be as important as archeology, linguistics, and written records as a means to understand our ancestry.    In  Who We Are and How We Got Here , Reich allows readers to discover how the human genome provides not only all the information a human embryo needs to develop but also the hidden story of our species. Reich delves into how the genomic revolution is transforming our understanding of modern humans and how DNA studies reveal deep inequalities among different populations, between the sexes, and among individuals. Provocatively, Reich’s book suggests that there might very well be biological differences among human populations but that these differences are unlikely to conform to common stereotypes.   Drawing upon revolutionary findings and unparallele

    • Allemaal beestjes

      Jop de Vrieze

      Levenswetenschappen Ons lichaam bevat zon 1,5 kilo beestjes. En dat is maar goed ook: ze reguleren onze spijsvertering, maken deel uit van ons immuunsysteem, verzorgen onze huid, produceren vitamines en beïnvloeden zelfs ons gedrag. In Allemaal Beestjes gaat Jop de Vrieze op safari langs de miljarden bacteriën van het menselijk lichaam. Op heldere wijze beschrijft hij hoe lichaam en micro-organismen vanaf de geboorte met elkaar samenwerken en hoezeer onze gezondheid van deze samenwerking afhangt. Het onderzoek op dit gebied bevindt zich in een stroomversnelling: er zijn opzienbarende wetenschappelijke ontdekkingen gedaan over hoe voeding, sport, medicijnen, leefomgeving en probiotica de gezondheid van ons microbioom beïnvloeden. De Vrieze brengt deze nieuwe ontwikkelingen in beeld en vertaalt ze naar inzichten voor het dagelijks leven. Het zal je kijk op je lichaam voorgoed veranderen.

    • Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?

      Frans de Waal

      Levenswetenschappen A New York Times bestseller: "A passionate and convincing case for the sophistication of nonhuman minds." —Alison Gopnik, The Atlantic Hailed as a classic, Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? explores the oddities and complexities of animal cognition—in crows, dolphins, parrots, sheep, wasps, bats, chimpanzees, and bonobos—to reveal how smart animals really are, and how we’ve underestimated their abilities for too long. Did you know that octopuses use coconut shells as tools, that elephants classify humans by gender and language, and that there is a young male chimpanzee at Kyoto University whose flash memory puts that of humans to shame? Fascinating, entertaining, and deeply informed, de Waal’s landmark work will convince you to rethink everything you thought you knew about animal—and human—intelligence.

    • The Ancestor's Tale

      Richard Dawkins & Yan Wong

      Wetenschap en natuur A fully updated edition of one of the most original accounts of evolution ever written, featuring new fractal diagrams, six new 'tales' and the latest scientific developments. THE ANCESTOR'S TALE is a dazzling, four-billion-year pilgrimage to the origins of life: Richard Dawkins and Yan Wong take us on an exhilarating reverse journey through evolution, from present-day humans back to the microbial beginnings of life. It is a journey happily interrupted by meetings of fellow modern animals (as well as plants, fungi and bacteria) similarly tracing their evolutionary path back through history. As each evolutionary pilgrim tells their tale, Dawkins and Wong shed light on topics such as speciation, sexual selection and extinction. Written with unparalleled wit, clarity and intelligence; taking in new scientific discoveries of the past decade; and including new 'tales', illustrations and fractal diagrams, THE ANCESTOR'S TALE shows us how remarkable we are, how astonishing our history, and h

    • The Future of the Mind

      Michio Kaku

      Levenswetenschappen Recording memories, mind reading, videotaping our dreams, mind control, avatars, and telekinesis - no longer are these feats of the mind solely the province of overheated science fiction. As Michio Kaku reveals, not only are they possible, but with the latest advances in brain science and recent astonishing breakthroughs in technology, they already exist. In The Future of the Mind , the New York Times -bestselling author takes us on a stunning, provocative and exhilarating tour of the top laboratories around the world to meet the scientists who are already revolutionising the way we think about the brain - and ourselves.

    • Memoires van een verslaafd brein

      Marc Lewis

      Levenswetenschappen De briljante student Marc Lewis stond op het punt zijn studie psychologie af te ronden, toen hij werd betrapt op het stelen van drugs uit een apotheek. Hij bleek al vijftien jaar verslaafd te zijn. De arrestatie markeerde het begin van een opmerkelijke ommekeer: hij overwon niet alleen zijn verslaving, maar slaagde er ook in een succesvol hersenwetenschapper te worden. Inmiddels is hij hoogleraar aan de Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen en expert op het gebied van verslaving. In Memoires van een verslaafd brein beschrijft Lewis op eerlijke en meeslepende wijze zijn ervaringen met drugs. Aan de hand van de wisselwerking tussen zijn persoonlijke verhaal en zijn inzichten als wetenschapper geeft hij een onthullende analyse van het psychologische en neurologische verloop van zijn verslaving. Hij vertelt over zijn jeugd, zijn carrière, zijn liefdesleven, maar ook over hoe hij elke soort drugs ervoer - van wiet tot heroïne. En hij beschrijft helder en begrijpelijk de werking van verschillende

    • Self Comes to Mind

      António Damásio

      Levenswetenschappen ‘Will give pleasure to anyone interested in original thinking about the brain…Breathtakingly original’ Financial Times The trailblazing investigation of a question that has confounded us for centuries: how is consciousness created? In Self Comes to Mind , world-renowned neuroscientist Antonio Damasio goes against the long-standing idea that consciousness is separate from the body, presenting compelling new scientific evidence that consciousness - what we think of as a mind with a self - is in fact a biological process created by a living organism. His view entails a radical change in the way the history of the conscious mind is viewed and told, suggesting that the brain’s development of a human self is a challenge to nature’s indifference. Groundbreaking ideas and beautifully written, this is essential reading for anyone curious about the foundations of mind and self.

    • The Official Dopamine Nation Workbook

      Anna Lembke

      Wetenschap en natuur A practical companion to the international bestseller Dopamine Nation , for individuals, families, counsellors, teachers, and anyone who wants to go beyond the narrative and engage in practices that will reset reward pathways for a more flourishing life. In Dopamine Nation , Dr. Lembke introduced readers to her ground-breaking research that demonstrates how abundance itself is a stressor, contributing to rising rates of addiction, depression, and anxiety. Now, she's written the workbook that we've all been waiting for. Full of specific exercises, fill-in tables, and inspiring examples, readers will be able to more clearly identify the substances and behaviors they struggle to moderate. With the warm, authoritative voice we know and love, Dr. Lembke will share her valuable advice on how to undertake your own dopamine fast, reset your own pathways, and live a happier and more fulfilling life. Praise for Dopamine Nation : 'Anna Lembke's stories of guiding people to find a healthy balance

    • Een kleine geschiedenis van iedereen die ooit heeft geleefd

      Adam Rutherford

      Levenswetenschappen Een kleine geschiedenis van iedereen die ooit heeft geleefd van Adam Rutherford is een adembenemende ontdekkingsreis door de menselijke geschiedenis, voor iedereen die Harari’s Sapiens heeft gelezen. Een kleine geschiedenis van iedereen die ooit heeft geleefd van Adam Rutherford is een adembenemende ontdekkingsreis door de menselijke geschiedenis, voor iedereen die Harari’s Sapiens heeft gelezen. In onze unieke genomen dragen we allemaal de geschiedenis van onze soort – geboorte, dood, ziekte, oorlog, hongersnood, migratie en héél veel seks. Maar die verhalen zijn altijd verborgen gebleven – tot nu. Wie waren onze voorouders? Waar kwamen ze vandaan? Genetici zijn plotseling historici geworden en het harde bewijs in ons DNA heeft alles we dachten te weten over de afgelopen 100.000 jaar in een ander daglicht gesteld. De bejubelde wetenschapper en schrijver Adam Rutherford zal je anders doen denken over neanderthalers, evolutie, royalty, ras en zelfs roodharigen.

    • What Do Women Want?

      Daniel Bergner

      Levenswetenschappen In this headline-making book, Daniel Bergner turns everything we thought we knew about women's desire on its head. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with renowned behavioural scientists, sexologists, psychologists and everyday women, Daniel Bergner asks: - Do women really crave intimacy and emotional connection? - Are women more disposed to sex with strangers or multiple partners than either science or society have ever let on? - And is 'the fairer sex' actually more sexually aggressive and anarchic than men?

    • The Trouble With Testosterone

      Robert M. Sapolsky

      Levenswetenschappen Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize From the man who Oliver Sacks hailed as “one of the best scientist/writers of our time,” a collection of sharply observed, uproariously funny essays on the biology of human culture and behavior. In the tradition of Stephen Jay Gould and Oliver Sacks, Robert Sapolsky offers a sparkling and erudite collection of essays about science, the world, and our relation to both. “The Trouble with Testosterone” explores the influence of that notorious hormone on male aggression. “Curious George’s Pharmacy” reexamines recent exciting claims that wild primates know how to medicate themselves with forest plants. “Junk Food Monkeys” relates the adventures of a troop of baboons who stumble upon a tourist garbage dump. And “Circling the Blanket for God” examines the neurobiological roots underlying religious belief. Drawing on his career as an evolutionary biologist and neurobiologist, Robert Sapolsky writes about the natural world viv

    • In Praise of Walking

      Shane O'Mara

      Levenswetenschappen 'Informative and persuasive enough to rouse the most ardent couch pototo' New Scientist Walking upright on two feet is a uniquely human skill. It defines us as a species. It enabled us to walk out of Africa and to spread as far as Alaska and Australia. It freed our hands and freed our minds. We put one foot in front of the other without thinking - yet how many of us know how we do that, or appreciate the advantages it gives us? In this hymn to walking, neuroscientist Shane O'Mara invites us to marvel at the benefits it confers on our bodies and minds, and urges us to appreciate - and exercise - our miraculous ability. 'Will leave you itching to go out for a good old-fashioned stroll' Mail on Sunday *A Sunday Independent Book of the Week*

    • The Story of the Human Body

      Daniel Lieberman

      Levenswetenschappen Story of the Human Body explores how the way we use our bodies is all wrong. From an evolutionary perspective, if normal is defined as what most people have done for millions of years, then it's normal to walk and run 9 -15 kilometers a day to hunt and gather fresh food which is high in fibre, low in sugar, and barely processed. It's also normal to spend much of your time nursing, napping, making stone tools, and gossiping with a small band of people. Our 21st-century lifestyles, argues Dan Lieberman, are out of synch with our stone-age bodies. Never have we been so healthy and long-lived - but never, too, have we been so prone to a slew of problems that were, until recently, rare or unknown, from asthma, to diabetes, to - scariest of all - overpopulation. Story of the Human Body asks how our bodies got to be the way they are, and considers how that evolutionary history - both ancient and recent - can help us evaluate how we use our bodies. How is the present-day state of the human bo

    • The Greatest Show on Earth

      Richard Dawkins

      Levenswetenschappen Charles Darwin's masterpiece, On the Origin of Species , shook society to its core on publication in 1859. Darwin was only too aware of the storm his theory of evolution would provoke but he would surely have raised an incredulous eyebrow at the controversy still raging a century and a half later. Evolution is accepted as scientific fact by all reputable scientists and indeed theologians, yet millions of people continue to question its veracity. In The Greatest Show on Earth Richard Dawkins takes on creationists, including followers of 'Intelligent Design' and all those who question the fact of evolution through natural selection. Like a detective arriving on the scene of a crime, he sifts through fascinating layers of scientific facts and disciplines to build a cast-iron case: from the living examples of natural selection in birds and insects; the 'time clocks' of trees and radioactive dating that calibrate a timescale for evolution; the fossil record and the traces of our earliest a

    • Other Minds

      Peter Godfrey-Smith

      Levenswetenschappen Philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith dons a wet suit and journeys into the depths of consciousness in Other Minds Although mammals and birds are widely regarded as the smartest creatures on earth, it has lately become clear that a very distant branch of the tree of life has also sprouted higher intelligence: the cephalopods, consisting of the squid, the cuttlefish, and above all the octopus. In captivity, octopuses have been known to identify individual human keepers, raid neighboring tanks for food, turn off lightbulbs by spouting jets of water, plug drains, and make daring escapes. How is it that a creature with such gifts evolved through an evolutionary lineage so radically distant from our own? What does it mean that evolution built minds not once but at least twice? The octopus is the closest we will come to meeting an intelligent alien. What can we learn from the encounter? In Other Minds , Peter Godfrey-Smith, a distinguished philosopher of science and a skilled scuba diver, tells a

    • A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived

      Adam Rutherford

      Wetenschap en natuur 'A brilliant, authoritative, surprising, captivating introduction to human genetics. You'll be spellbound' Brian Cox This is a story about you. It is the history of who you are and how you came to be. It is unique to you, as it is to each of the 100 billion modern humans who have ever drawn breath. But it is also our collective story, because in every one of our genomes we each carry the history of our species - births, deaths, disease, war, famine, migration and a lot of sex. In this captivating journey through the expanding landscape of genetics, Adam Rutherford reveals what our genes now tell us about human history, and what history can now tell us about our genes. From Neanderthals to murder, from redheads to race, dead kings to plague, evolution to epigenetics, this is a demystifying and illuminating new portrait of who we are and how we came to be. *** 'A thoroughly entertaining history of Homo sapiens and its DNA in a manner that displays popular science writing at its best' Ob

    • Elsevier Speciale Editie Evolutie

      Simon Rozendaal

      Levenswetenschappen Speciale Editie Evolutie Alles wat u moet weten over Darwin, de oorsprong van de mens en het creationisme De inzichten uit de evolutiekennis beïnvloeden alle aspecten van ons denken. Want evolutie behelst veel meer dan alleen de theorie van Charles Darwin. De moderne biologie is dankzij de inzichten over evolutie op weg de belangrijkste kennisbron van de 21ste eeuw te worden.

    • Darwin's Dangerous Idea

      Daniel C. Dennett

      Levenswetenschappen In Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life Daniel C. Dennett argues that the theory of evolution can demystify the miracles of life without devaluing our most cherished beliefs. From the moment it first appeared, Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection has been controversial: misrepresented, abused, denied and fiercely debated. In this powerful defence of Darwin, Daniel C. Dennett explores every aspect of evolutionary thinking to show why it is so fundamental to our existence, and why it affirms - not threatens - our convictions about the meaning of life. 'Essential and pleasurable for any thinking person' Stephen Pinker 'A surpassingly brilliant book. Where creative, it lifts the reader to new intellectual heights. Where critical, it is devastating' Richard Dawkins 'A brilliant piece of persuasion, excitingly argued and compulsively readable' The Times Higher Education Supplement 'Superb ... This is the best single-author overview of all the impl

    • The Hacking of the American Mind

      Robert H. Lustig

      Levenswetenschappen "Explores how industry has manipulated our most deep-seated survival instincts." —David Perlmutter, MD, Author, #1 New York Times bestseller,  Grain Brain  and  Brain Maker The New York Times –bestselling author of Fat Chance reveals the corporate scheme to sell pleasure, driving the international epidemic of addiction, depression, and chronic disease.   While researching the toxic and addictive properties of sugar for his New York Times bestseller Fat Chance , Robert Lustig made an alarming discovery—our pursuit of happiness is being subverted by a culture of addiction and depression from which we may never recover.             Dopamine is the “reward” neurotransmitter that tells our brains we want more; yet every substance or behavior that releases dopamine in the extreme leads to addiction. Serotonin is the “contentment” neurotransmitter that tells our brains we don’t need any more; yet its d

    • Climbing Mount Improbable

      Richard Dawkins

      Levenswetenschappen How could such an intricate object as the human eye - so complex and so precise - have come about by chance? In this masterful piece of popular science, Richard Dawkins builds a powerful and carefully reasoned argument for evolutionary adapatation as the force behind all life on earth. The metaphor of 'Mount Improbable' represents the combination of perfection and improbability that we find in the seemingly 'designed' complexity of living things. And through it all runs the thread of DNA, the molecule of life, responsible for its own destiny on an unending pilgrimage through time. Evocative illustrations accompany Dawkins' eloquent descriptions of astonishing adaptations in the living world.

    • The Brain

      David Eagleman

      Levenswetenschappen 'This is the story of how your life shapes your brain, and how your brain shapes your life.' Locked in the silence and darkness of your skull, the brain fashions the rich narratives of your reality and your identity. Join renowned neuroscientist David Eagleman for a journey into the questions at the heart of our existence. What is reality? Who are 'you'? How do you make decisions? Why does your brain need other people? How is technology poised to change what it means to be human? In the course of his investigations, Eagleman guides us through the world of extreme sports, criminal justice, facial expressions, genocide, brain surgery, gut feelings, robotics, and the search for immortality. Strap in for a whistle-stop tour into the inner cosmos. In the infinitely dense tangle of billions of brain cells and their trillions of connections, something emerges that you might not have expected to see in there: you.

    • NEUROSCIENCE, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, NEUROPSYCHIATRY, BRAIN & MIND: Primer, Overview & Introduction

      R. Joseph

      Levenswetenschappen NEUROSCIENCE, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, NEUROPSYCHIATRY, BRAIN & MIND:  Primer, Overview & Introduction 14  Overview of the Brain and Mind: Functional Localization 14 Localization & Functional Neuroanatomy Of The Brain 18 The Old Cortex & the New Cortex 20 Primary Receiving Areas 23 Frontal Lobe Monitoring of Activity 27 Knowing Yet Not Knowing: Disconnected Consciousness 28 The Visual Mind: Denial of Blindness 29 “Blind Sight” 32 Body Consciousness: Denial of the Body, and Phantom Limbs 35 Summary: Brain & Mind. 38 The Brainstem 41 Brainstem Cranial Nerves 46 The Cerebellum 49 The Diencaphalon: Hypothalamus, Thalamus 54 The Limbic System: Emotion & Motivation 59 Limbic System Sexuality 60 Social Behavior & The Limbic System 63 Amygdala, Hippocampus & Memory 64 Long Term Potentiation & Memory 65 Hippocampus, Memory & Amnesia 68 The Cingulate & Entorhinal Cortex 70 The Limbic And Corpus Striatum 71 The Limbic System Vs Neocortex: Conscio

    • Blueprint

      Robert Plomin

      Levenswetenschappen 'A clear and engaging explanation of one of the hottest fields in science' Steven Pinker 'A hugely important book' Matt Ridley, The Times One of the world's top behavioural geneticists argues that we need a radical rethink about what makes us who we are The blueprint for our individuality lies in the 1% of DNA that differs between people. Our intellectual capacity, our introversion or extraversion, our vulnerability to mental illness, even whether we are a morning person - all of these aspects of our personality are profoundly shaped by our inherited DNA differences. In Blueprint , Robert Plomin, a pioneer in the field of behavioural genetics, draws on a lifetime's worth of research to make the case that DNA is the most important factor shaping who we are. Our families, schools and the environment around us are important, but they are not as influential as our genes. This is why, he argues, teachers and parents should accept children for who they are, rather than trying to mould them

    • The Tell-Tale Brain

      V. S. Ramachandran

      Levenswetenschappen John, aged sixty, suffered a stroke and recovered fully, except in one respect: although he can see perfectly, he can no longer recognise faces, even his own reflection in a mirror. Whenever Francesca touches a particular texture, she experiences a vivid emotion: denim = extreme sadness; wax = embarrassment; orange peel = shock. Jimmie, whose left arm was recently amputated, can still feel it - and it's itchy. Our brains are the most enchanting and complex things in the known universe - but what happens when they go wrong? Dr V. S. Ramachandran, 'the Sherlock Holmes of brain science' and one of the world's leading neuroscientists, has spent a lifetime working with patients who suffer from rare and baffling brain conditions. In The Tell-Tale Brain , he tells their stories, and explores what they reveal about the greatest mystery of them all: how our minds work, and what makes each of us so uniquely human.

    • Your Brain on Art

      Susan Magsamen & Ivy Ross

      Levenswetenschappen NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A life-altering journey through the science of neuroaesthetics, which offers proof for how our brains and bodies transform when we participate in the arts—and how this knowledge can improve our health, enable us to flourish, and build stronger communities. “This book blew my mind!”—Angela Duckworth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Grit A BLOOMBERG BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • Finalist for the Inc. Non-Obvious Book Award and the Porchlight Business Book Award What is art? Many of us think of the arts as entertainment—a luxury of some kind. In Your Brain on Art, authors Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross show how activities from painting and dancing to expressive writing, architecture, and more are essential to our lives. We’re on the verge of a cultural shift in which the arts can deliver potent, accessible, and proven solutions for the well-being of everyone. Magsamen and Ross offer compelling research that shows how engaging in an art project f

    • The Contagion Myth

      Thomas S. Cowan & Sally Fallon Morell

      Levenswetenschappen For readers of Plague of Corruption , Thomas S. Cowan, MD, and Sally Fallon Morell ask the question: are there really such things as "viruses"? Or are electro smog, toxic living conditions, and 5G actually to blame for COVID-19? The official explanation for today’s COVID-19 pandemic is a “dangerous, infectious virus.” This is the rationale for isolating a large portion of the world’s population in their homes so as to curb its spread.  From face masks to social distancing, from antivirals to vaccines, these measures are predicated on the assumption that tiny viruses can cause serious illness and that such illness is transmissible person-to-person. It was Louis Pasteur who convinced a skeptical medical community that contagious germs cause disease; his “germ theory” now serves as the official explanation for most illness. However, in his private diaries he states unequivocally that in his entire career he was not once able to transfer disease with a pure culture o

    • Darwin in het nieuws

      Mark Nelissen

      Levenswetenschappen Het nieuwe boek van gedragsbioloog Mark Nelissen Waarom raken veel mensen zo gemakkelijk verslaafd aan hun smartphone? Wat hebben de vele kookprogramma's op tv met porno te maken? Waarom laten vrouwen hun borsten vergroten? En waarom zijn vrijwel alle humoristen mannen? We geloven maar al te graag dat ons gedrag gedirigeerd wordt door bewuste, rationele argumenten. We noemen onszelf toch niet voor niets Homo sapiens, de wetende mens? In Darwin in het nieuws toont Mark Nelissen op overtuigende wijze aan dat onze ratio slechts het topje van de ijsberg is. Aan de hand van opmerkelijke krantenberichten en in het oog springende nieuwsfeiten geeft hij een verhelderend inzicht in wat zich onder water allemaal afspeelt. Een must voor iedereen die zijn eigen gedrag en dat van anderen beter wil begrijpen.

    • Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

      Mary Roach

      Levenswetenschappen Beloved, best-selling science writer Mary Roach’s “acutely entertaining, morbidly fascinating” (Susan Adams, Forbes) classic, now with a new epilogue. For two thousand years, cadavers – some willingly, some unwittingly – have been involved in science’s boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. They’ve tested France’s first guillotines, ridden the NASA Space Shuttle, been crucified in a Parisian laboratory to test the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, and helped solve the mystery of TWA Flight 800. For every new surgical procedure, from heart transplants to gender confirmation surgery, cadavers have helped make history in their quiet way. “Delightful—though never disrespectful” (Les Simpson, Time Out New York), Stiff investigates the strange lives of our bodies postmortem and answers the question: What should we do after we die? “This quirky, funny read offers perspective and insight about life, death and the medical profession. . . . You can close this book

    • Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain

      Lisa Feldman Barrett

      Levenswetenschappen 'Highly accessible, content-rich and eminently readable . . . Fascinating and informative . . . popular science at its best.' - The Observer Have you ever wondered why you have a brain? Let renowned neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett, bestselling author of How Emotions Are Made , demystify that big grey blob between your ears . . . In seven short chapters (plus a brief history of how brains evolved), this slim, entertaining, and accessible book reveals mind-expanding lessons from the front lines of neuroscience research. You’ll learn where brains came from, how they’re structured (and why it matters), and how yours works in tandem with other brains to create everything you experience. Along the way, you’ll also learn to dismiss popular myths such as the idea of a 'lizard brain' and the alleged battle between thoughts and emotions, or even between nature and nurture, to determine your behaviour. Sure to intrigue casual readers and scientific veterans alike, Seven and a Half Less

    • The Cosmic Serpent

      Jeremy Narby

      Wetenschap en natuur 'Cutting edge' - GUARDIAN 'Thoroughly enjoyable' - SUNDAY TELEGRAPH While living among Peruvian Indians, anthropologist Jeremy Narby became intrigued by their claim that their phenomenal knowledge of plants and biochemistry was communicated to them directly while under the influence of hallucinogens. Despite his initial scepticism, Narby found himself engaged in an increasingly obsessive personal quest. The evidence he collected - on subjects as diverse as molecular biology, shamanism, neurology and ancient mythology - led inexorably to the conclusion that the Indians' claims were literally true: to a consciousness prepared with drugs, specific biochemical knowledge could indeed be directly transmitted through DNA itself. A gripping investigation that opens fresh perspectives on biology, anthropology and the limits of rationalism, The Cosmic Serpent is new science of the most exhilarating kind.

    • How to Create a Mind

      Ray Kurzweil

      Levenswetenschappen NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The bold futurist and renowned author of The Singularity Is Near explores the limitless potential of reverse-engineering the human brain. “This book is a Rosetta Stone for the mystery of human thought.”—Martine Rothblatt, chairman and CEO, United Therapeutics, and creator of Sirius XM Satellite Radio “Kurzweil’s vision of our super-enhanced future is completely sane and calmly reasoned, and his book should nicely smooth the path for the earth’s robot overlords, who, it turns out, will be us.” —The New York Times   In How to Create a Mind, Ray Kurzweil presents a provocative exploration of the most important project in human-machine civilization: reverse-engineering the brain to understand precisely how it works and using that knowledge to create even more intelligent machines.   Kurzweil discusses how the brain functions, how the mind emerges, brain-computer interfaces, and the implications of vastly increasing the powers of

    • Asap SCIENCE

      Mitchell Moffit

      Wetenschap en natuur From the creators of the wildly popular and seriously scientific YouTube channel, AsapSCIENCE, comes entertaining, irreverent, and totally accessible answers to the questions you never got to ask in science class. Why do we get hung over? What would happen if you stopped sleeping? Is binge-watching TV actually bad for you? Why should I take a power nap? In their first-ever book, Mitchell Moffit and Greg Brown, the geniuses behind YouTube channel AsapSCIENCE, explain the true science of how things work in their trademark hilarious and fascinating fashion. Applying the fun, illustrated format of their addictive videos to topics ranging from brain freeze to hiccups to the science of the snooze button, AsapSCIENCE takes the underpinnings of biology, chemistry, physics, and other hard sciences and applies them to everyday life through quirky and relatable examples that will appeal to both science nerds and those who didn’t ace chemistry. This is the science that people actually want to l

    • Night School

      Richard Wiseman

      Levenswetenschappen Almost a third of your whole life is spent asleep. Every night you close your eyes, become oblivious to your surroundings and waste hours flying, being chased or watching all your teeth fall out – and then you wake up. What on earth is going on? Based on exciting new peer-reviewed research, mass-participation experiments and the world’s largest archive of dream reports, Night School uncovers the truth about the sleeping brain – and gives powerful tips on how you can use those hours of apparently ‘dead’ time to change your waking life. Along the way you will discover how to learn information while you sleep, the creative potential of a six-minute nap, and what your dreams really mean. Studies show that even a small lack of sleep can have a detrimental effect on health and happiness. It’s time to banish nightmares, make the most of the missing third of your days, and get the best night’s sleep of your life.

    • A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century

      Heather Heying & Bret Weinstein

      Levenswetenschappen A bold, provocative history of our species finds the roots of civilization’s success and failure in our evolutionary biology. We are living through the most prosperous age in all of human history, yet people are more listless, divided and miserable than ever. Wealth and comfort are unparalleled, and yet our political landscape grows ever more toxic, and rates of suicide, loneliness, and chronic illness continue to skyrocket. How do we explain the gap between these two truths? What's more, what can we do to close it?   For evolutionary biologists Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein, the cause of our woes is clear: the modern world is out of sync with our ancient brains and bodies. We evolved to live in clans, but today most people don't even know their neighbors’ names. Traditional gender roles once served a necessary evolutionary purpose, but today we dismiss them as regressive.  The cognitive dissonance spawned by trying to live in a society we're not built for is killing

    • The Strange Order of Things

      António Damásio

      Levenswetenschappen From one of our preeminent neuroscientists: a landmark reflection that spans the biological and social sciences, offering a new way of understanding the origins of life, feeling, and culture.   The Strange Order of Things is a pathbreaking investigation into homeostasis, the condition of that regulates human physiology within the range that makes possible not only the survival but also the flourishing of life. Antonio Damasio makes clear that we descend biologically, psychologically, and even socially from a long lineage that begins with single living cells; that our minds and cultures are linked by an invisible thread to the ways and means of ancient unicellular life and other primitive life-forms; and that inherent in our very chemistry is a powerful force, a striving toward life maintenance that governs life in all its guises, including the development of genes that help regulate and transmit life. In The Strange Order of Things, Damasio gives us a new way of comprehending the

    • Darwin in de supermarkt

      Mark Nelissen

      Levenswetenschappen Gedragsbioloog Mark Nelissen toont met veel humor aan dat Darwin om elke hoek loert. Waarom krijgen vrouwelijke obers grotere fooien dan hun mannelijke collega's? Wat is het nut van pijn? Zijn wij allen homo's? Discrimineren wij onze kinderen? En waarom klapt een tevreden publiek overal ter wereld in de handen? In Darwin in de supermarkt toont gedragsbioloog Mark Nelissen met veel humor aan dat de evolutietheorie om elke hoek loert. Op straat en in de winkel, in de krant en in e-mails: de sporen van Charles Darwin duiken overal op. In dit licht verteerbare, maar wetenschappelijk stevig onderbouwde boek opent Mark Nelissen onze ogen voor Darwins indrukwekkende erfenis en weet hij zo menselijk gedrag te verklaren. Waardoor je de persoon voor je aan de kassa nooit meer op dezelfde manier zult bekijken...

    • The Sense Of Being Stared At

      Rupert Sheldrake

      Levenswetenschappen Have you ever had a premonition, the feeling of being watched, or a telepathic experience? Renowned biologist Rupert Sheldrake explores the intricacies of the mind and discovers that our perceptive abilities are stronger than many of us could have imagined.

    • Bonk

      Mary Roach

      Levenswetenschappen Few things are as fundamental to human happiness as sex, and few writers are as entertaining about the subject as Mary Roach. Can a woman think herself to orgasm? Is your penis three inches longer than you think? Why doesn't Viagra help women - or, for that matter, pandas? Does orgasm boost fertility? Or cure hiccups? The study of sexual physiology - what happens, and why, and how to make it happen better - has been taking place behind closed doors for hundreds of years. In this fascinating and funny book, Mary Roach steps inside laboratories, brothels, pig farms, sex-toy R&D labs - even Alfred Kinsey's attic - to tell us everything we wanted to know about sex, and a lot we'd never even thought to ask.

    • Why We Remember

      Charan Ranganath, PhD

      Levenswetenschappen NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER • Memory is far more than a record of the past. In this groundbreaking tour of the mind and brain, one of the world’s top memory researchers reveals the powerful role memory plays in nearly every aspect of our lives, from recalling faces and names, to learning, decision-making, trauma and healing. A BEST SCIENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR: Financial Times, Smithsonian Magazine, The Telegraph, Waterstones, The Times, Marie Claire, Greater Good Magazine, Bookshop.org " Why We Remember offers a radically new and engaging explanation of how and why we remember." —Dr. Matthew Walker, author of Why We Sleep "Prominent neuroscientist and Guggenheim Fellow Charan Ranganath guides us through the science of our memories with incredible insight and clear science. He combines fascinating tales of the peculiarities of memory with practical, actionable steps. Not only will every reader remember better afterward, they’ll also ne

    • The Hidden Spring

      Mark Solms

      Levenswetenschappen 'Nobody bewitched by these mysteries can afford to ignore the solution proposed by Mark Solms' - Oliver Burkeman, Guardian 'A remarkable book. It changes everything' - Brian Eno How does the mind connect to the body? Why does it feel like something to be us? For one of the boldest thinkers in neuroscience, solving this puzzle has been a lifetime's quest. Now at last, the man who discovered the brain mechanism for dreaming appears to have made a breakthrough. The very idea that a solution is at hand may seem outrageous. Isn't consciousness intangible, beyond the reach of science? Yet Mark Solms shows how misguided fears and suppositions have concealed its true nature. Stick to the medical facts, pay close attention to the eerie testimony of hundreds of neurosurgery patients, and a way past our obstacles reveals itself. Join Solms on a voyage into the extraordinary realms beyond. More than just a philosophical argument, The Hidden Spring will forever alter how you understand your own ex

    • The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative

      Florence Williams

      Levenswetenschappen "Highly informative and remarkably entertaining." —Elle From forest trails in Korea, to islands in Finland, to eucalyptus groves in California, Florence Williams investigates the science behind nature’s positive effects on the brain. Delving into brand-new research, she uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation, and strengthen our relationships. As our modern lives shift dramatically indoors, these ideas—and the answers they yield—are more urgent than ever.

    • Storm in a Teacup

      Helen Czerski

      Levenswetenschappen 'A quite delightful book on the joys, and universality, of physics. Czerski's enthusiasm is infectious because she brings our humdrum everyday world to life, showing us that it is just as fascinating as anything that can be seen by the Hubble Telescope or created at the Large Hadron Collider.' - Jim Al-Khalili Our world is full of patterns. If you pour milk into your tea and give it a stir, you'll see a swirl, a spiral of two fluids, before the two liquids mix completely. The same pattern is found elsewhere too. Look down on the Earth from space, and you'll find similar swirls in the clouds, made where warm air and cold air waltz. In Storm in a Teacup , Helen Czerski links the little things we see every day with the big world we live in. Each chapter begins with something small - popcorn, coffee stains and refrigerator magnets - and uses it to explain some of the most important science and technology of our time. This is physics as the toolbox of science - a toolbox we need in order t

    • The Emotional Brain

      Joseph LeDoux

      Wetenschap en natuur What happens in our brains to make us feel fear, love, hate, anger, joy? Do we control our emotions, or do they control us? Do animals have emotions? How can traumatic experiences in early childhood influence adult behavior, even though we have no conscious memory of them? In The Emotional Brain, Joseph LeDoux investigates the origins of human emotions and explains that many exist as part of complex neural systems that evolved to enable us to survive. One of the principal researchers profiled in Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence, LeDoux is a leading authority in the field of neural science. In this provocative book, he explores the brain mechanisms underlying our emotions -- mechanisms that are only now being revealed.

    • River Out of Eden

      Richard Dawkins

      Wetenschap en natuur The No.1 SUNDAY TIMES bestseller. A fascinating explanation of how evolution works, from bestselling author of THE GOD DELUSION 'Dawkins is a brilliant communicator' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'A model of simplicity and power' Douglas Adams The river of Dawkins's title is a river of DNA, flowing through time from the beginning of life on earth to the present - and onwards. Dawkins explains that DNA must be thought of as the most sophisticated information system imaginable: 'Life is just bytes and bytes of information,' he writes. Using this perspective, he describes the mechanisms by which evolution has taken place, gradually but inexorably, over a period of three thousand million years. It is the story of how evolution happens, rather than a narrative of what has actually happened in evolution. He discusses current views on the process of human evolution, including the idea that we all trace back to a comparatively recent African 'Eve', and speculates that the 'information explosion' that was

    • The Social Conquest of Earth

      Edward O. Wilson

      Levenswetenschappen New York Times Bestseller and Notable Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Book of the Year (Nonfiction) Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence (Nonfiction) From the most celebrated heir to Darwin comes a groundbreaking book on evolution, the summa work of Edward O. Wilson's legendary career. Sparking vigorous debate in the sciences, The Social Conquest of Earth upends “the famous theory that evolution naturally encourages creatures to put family first” (Discover). Refashioning the story of human evolution, Wilson draws on his remarkable knowledge of biology and social behavior to demonstrate that group selection, not kin selection, is the premier driving force of human evolution. In a work that James D. Watson calls “a monumental exploration of the biological origins of the human condition,” Wilson explains how our innate drive to belong to a group is both a “great blessing and a terrible curse” (Smithsonian). Demonstrating that the sources of morality, reli

    • How the Mind Works

      Steven Pinker

      Levenswetenschappen "A model of scientific writing: erudite, witty, and clear." —New York Review of Books In this Pulitzer Prize finalist and national bestseller, one of the world's leading cognitive scientists tackles the workings of the human mind. What makes us rational—and why are we so often irrational? How do we see in three dimensions? What makes us happy, afraid, angry, disgusted, or sexually aroused? Why do we fall in love? And how do we grapple with the imponderables of morality, religion, and consciousness? How the Mind Works synthesizes the most satisfying explanations of our mental life from cognitive science, evolutionary biology, and other fields to explain what the mind is, how it evolved, and how it allows us to see, think, feel, laugh, interact, enjoy the arts, and contemplate the mysteries of life. This edition of Pinker's bold and buoyant classic is updated with a new foreword by the author.

    • Het menselijk lichaam voor Dummies

      Donna Rae Siegfried

      Levenswetenschappen Leer gemakkelijk anatomische termen, kenmerken en functies kennen Of je nu in de gezondheidszorg wilt werken, sportleraar wilt worden of gewoon een brede belangstelling hebt: iedereen zou enige kennis van het menselijk lichaam moeten hebben. Dit prettige leesbare boek gaat over alles van cellen en weefsels tot organen en de verschillende orgaanstelsels, en legt duidelijk uit wat de verschillende lichaamsdelen zijn en hoe ze samenwerken om ons in leven te houden. Donna Rae Siegfried schrijft over farmaceutische en medische onderwerpen in tijdschriften als Runner's World, Men's Health en Organic Gardening.

    • Eve

      Cat Bohannon

      Levenswetenschappen A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2024 SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY TRIVEDI SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2024 FOYLE'S NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 LONGLISTED FOR BLACKWELL'S NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 ONE OF THE GUARDIAN'S BEST IDEAS BOOKS OF 2023 ONE OF THE TELEGRAPH'S FIFTY BEST BOOKS OF 2023 ONE OF PROSPECT'S BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2023 ONE OF DUA LIPA'S SERVICE95 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR '5 INSPIRING READS TO KICK START THE NEW YEAR' 'Funny and very important' Chris van Tulleken, bestseling author of Ultra-Processed People 'Educates and emboldens' Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry 'Should revolutionise our understanding of human life' George Monbiot, bestselling author of Regenesis 'A vast and revolutionary history of female evolution' Sunday Times How did wet nurses drive civilization? Are women always the weaker sex? Is sexism useful for evolution? And are our bodies at war with our babies? In Eve, Cat Bohannon answ

    • Toen wij nog Neanderthaler waren

      Sang-Hee Lee & Shin-Young Yoon

      Levenswetenschappen Wanneer en waar verschenen onze vroegste voorouders voor het eerst? Wanneer liepen we voor het eerst rechtop? Hoe zijn wij vleeseters geworden? En wat hebben wij gemeen met de neanderthalers? Paleoantropoloog Sang-Hee Lee neemt ons mee op een bijzonder aanstekelijke ontdekkingsreis langs de grootste evolutionaire vraagstukken en belicht ze vanuit verrassende en onverwachte invalshoeken. Zo legt ze uit dat onze behoefte aan sociale interactie voortkomt uit het simpele feit dat grote hersenen, in combinatie met een smal geboortekanaal, ons dwongen hulp te zoeken bij anderen om succesvol te bevallen. Deze en andere inzichten maken Toen wij nog neanderthalers waren tot een must-read voor iedereen die nieuwsgierig is naar waar wij vandaan komen en wat ervoor nodig was om ons hier te krijgen.

    • The Tangled Tree

      David Quammen

      Levenswetenschappen In this New York Times bestseller and longlist nominee for the National Book Award, “our greatest living chronicler of the natural world” ( The New York Times ), David Quammen explains how recent discoveries in molecular biology affect our understanding of evolution and life’s history. In the mid-1970s, scientists began using DNA sequences to reexamine the history of all life. Perhaps the most startling discovery to come out of this new field—the study of life’s diversity and relatedness at the molecular level—is horizontal gene transfer (HGT), or the movement of genes across species lines. It turns out that HGT has been widespread and important; we now know that roughly eight percent of the human genome arrived sideways by viral infection—a type of HGT. In The Tangled Tree , “the grandest tale in biology….David Quammen presents the science—and the scientists involved—with patience, candor, and flair” ( Nature ). We learn about the major players, such as Carl W

    • Eindelijk oud

      Mark Nelissen

      Wetenschap en natuur In onze westerse samenleving is eeuwig jong het motto. Ouder worden boezemt angst in en oudere mensen worden al te vaak als 'niet meer nuttig' weggezet. Gedragsbioloog Mark Nelissen toont het tegendeel aan. Oma's en opa's zijn er omdat ouderdom evolutionair nuttig is. Sterker nog: het ontstaan van de mens is onlosmakelijk verbonden met het ontstaan van ouderdom.In Eindelijk oud herstelt Mark Nelissen de vijftigplusser in ere. Hij legt haarfijn uit waar de oudere mens evolutionair vandaan komt, wat ouder worden biologisch inhoudt, waarom de menopauze nut heeft en vooral: waarom we er moeten naar uitkijken om... eindelijk oud te worden.

    • Sapiens

      Юваль Ной Харари

      Levenswetenschappen Сто тысяч лет назад Homo sapiens был одним из как минимум шести видов человека, живших на этой планете, — ничем не примечательным животным, которое играло в экосистеме роль не большую, чем гориллы, светлячки или медузы. Но около семидесяти тысяч лет назад загадочное изменение когнитивных способностей Homo sapiens превратило его в хозяина планеты и кошмар экосистемы. Как человек разумный сумел покорить мир? Что стало с другими видами человека? Когда и почему появились деньги, государства и религия? Как возникали и рушились империи? Почему почти все общ

    • The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe without Design

      Richard Dawkins

      Levenswetenschappen Richard Dawkins’s classic remains the definitive argument for our modern understanding of evolution. The Blind Watchmaker is the seminal text for understanding evolution today. In the eighteenth century, theologian William Paley developed a famous metaphor for creationism: that of the skilled watchmaker. In The Blind Watchmaker, Richard Dawkins crafts an elegant riposte to show that the complex process of Darwinian natural selection is unconscious and automatic. If natural selection can be said to play the role of a watchmaker in nature, it is a blind one—working without foresight or purpose. In an eloquent, uniquely persuasive account of the theory of natural selection, Dawkins illustrates how simple organisms slowly change over time to create a world of enormous complexity, diversity, and beauty.

    • How We Feel

      Giovanni Frazzetto

      Levenswetenschappen What can a brain scan, or our reaction to a Caravaggio painting, reveal about the deep seat of guilt? How can reading Heidegger, or conducting experiments on rats, help us to cope with anxiety in the face of the world's economic crisis? Can ancient remedies fight sadness more effectively than anti-depressants? What does the neuroscience of acting tell us about how we feel empathy, and fall for an actor on stage? What can writing poetry tell us about how joy works? And how can a bizarre neurological syndrome or a Shakespearean sonnet explain love and intimacy? We live at a time when neuroscience is unlocking the secrets of our emotions. But is science ever enough to explain why we feel the way we feel? Giovanni Frazzetto takes us on a journey through our everyday lives and most common emotions. In each chapter, his scientific knowledge mixes with personal experience to offer a compelling account of the continual contrast between rationality and sentiment, science and poetry. And he sho

    • Darwin’s Journal: The Galapagos

      Charles Darwin

      Levenswetenschappen Charles Robert Darwin (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from a common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory with compelling evidence for evolution in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species , overcoming scientific rejection of earlier concepts of transmutation of species.  Darwin’s Journal and Remarks , was written during the expedition of the ship HMS Beagle , which set sail from Plymouth Sound on 27 December 1831.  Darwin’s Journal contains a vivid description of the creatures, geology, and geography he encountered.  The Galapagos, the archipelago of islands off the coast of Ecuador, are now synonymous with Darwin..  Darwin discovered that the mockingbird species varied from each island in the Galapagos, which served as the c

    • De oorsprong van onze soort

      Chris Stringer

      Levenswetenschappen In dit baanbrekende boek tracht Chris Stringer antwoord te geven op de grote vragen in het debat over onze oorsprong. Hebben modernemensen en neanderthalers elkaar ooit ontmoet en stroomt ermisschien zelfs neanderthalerbloed door onze aderen? Waren onze voorouders vervaarlijke kannibalen of bewerkten ze de overblijfselen van hun doden uit eerbetoon? Waren grotschilderingen en gestileerde voorwerpen puur functioneel of waren de makers ervan de eerste kunstliefhebbers? Was de oermens in Afrika alomtegenwoordig of leefde hij slechts in de marges van het landschap? Getuigen de overblijfselen van een achtjarig gehandicapt oerkind van sociale zorg en liefde bij neanderthalers? Stringer leidt de lezer door de felle debatten over de oorsprong van de mensheid en wat het betekent om mens te zijn. Hij kijkt naar de factoren die kunnen hebben geleid tot de evolutie van demoderne mens, en die wellicht ten grondslag liggen aan het verdwijnen van soorten, zoals de neanderthaler.

    • The Empathic Brain

      Christian Keysers

      Levenswetenschappen In Brief The discovery of mirror neurons has caused an unparalleled wave of excitement amongst scientists. The Empathic Brain makes you share this excitement. Its vivid and personal descriptions of key experiments make it a captivating and refreshing read. Through intellectually rigorous but powerfully accessible prose, Prof. Christian Keysers makes us realize just how deeply this discovery changes our understanding of human nature. You will start looking at yourselves differently - no longer as mere individual but as a deeply interconnected, social mind. About the Content ----------------- Your heart beats faster as you watch a tarantula crawl on James Bond’s chest in the movie Dr No, your hands sweat and your skin tingles under the spider’s legs. You feel scared, tense, and finally relieved when Bond manages to escape the danger. We are essentially empathic. But what is empathy? How does your brain enable you to feel so much of what 007 is feeling? How do you connect with people

    • The Male Brain

      Louann Brizendine, M.D.

      Levenswetenschappen From the author of the groundbreaking, international bestseller The Female Brain comes this eagerly awaited follow-up. Did you know that the male brain... ·is a lean, mean problem-solving machine that uses analytical brain structures, not emotional ones, to find solutions ·thrives under competition, instinctively plays rough, and is obsessed with rank and hierarchy ·has an area for sexual pursuit that is 2.5 times larger than that of the female brain, consuming him with sexual fantasies about female body parts As Dr Louann Brizendine's impeccably researched, irresistible guide follows the male brain from infancy to adulthood, it unlocks many secrets and offers fascinating insights into a range of subjects, including emotional intimacy, anger, agression, and winning. It also answers many baffling questions and exposes the often shocking gulf that exists between the sexes.

    • The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex

      Charles Darwin

      Levenswetenschappen According to Wikipedia: "Charles Robert Darwin (12 February 1809 - 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist. After becoming eminent among scientists for his field work and inquiries into geology, he proposed and provided scientific evidence that all species of life have evolved over time from one or a few common ancestors through the process of natural selection. The fact that evolution occurs became accepted by the scientific community and the general public in his lifetime, while his theory of natural selection came to be widely seen as the primary explanation of the process of evolution in the 1930s, and now forms the basis of modern evolutionary theory. In modified form, Darwin's scientific discovery remains the foundation of biology, as it provides a unifying logical explanation for the diversity of life."

    • The Emotion Machine

      Marvin Minsky

      Wetenschap en natuur In this mind-expanding book, scientific pioneer Marvin Minsky continues his groundbreaking research, offering a fascinating new model for how our minds work. He argues persuasively that emotions, intuitions, and feelings are not distinct things, but different ways of thinking. By examining these different forms of mind activity, Minsky says, we can explain why our thought sometimes takes the form of carefully reasoned analysis and at other times turns to emotion. He shows how our minds progress from simple, instinctive kinds of thought to more complex forms, such as consciousness or self-awareness. And he argues that because we tend to see our thinking as fragmented, we fail to appreciate what powerful thinkers we really are. Indeed, says Minsky, if thinking can be understood as the step-by-step process that it is, then we can build machines -- artificial intelligences -- that not only can assist with our thinking by thinking as we do but have the potential to be as conscious as we ar

    • The Song of the Cell

      Siddhartha Mukherjee

      Levenswetenschappen **Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize 2023** A NEW YORK TIMES , DAILY TELEGRAPH, ECONOMIST, MAIL ON SUNDAY and GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR From the dawn of life itself, every being that has ever lived owes its existence to the cell. 'Will leave you in awe' Guardian The discovery of this vital form led to a transformation in medicine but also in our understanding of ourselves - not as bodies or machines but as ecosystems. It has also given us the power to treat a vast array of mortal maladies...and even to create new kinds of human altogether. Rich with stories of scientists, doctors and the patients whose lives may be saved by their work, The Song of the Cell is a stunning ode to the building blocks of life and the cutting-edge science harnessing their power for the better. 'Profound...As big a topic as life itself' The Times 'Medical magic' Daily Telegraph 'Vast...important...optimistic' Mail on Sunday

    • Blueprint

      Nicholas A. Christakis

      Levenswetenschappen "A dazzlingly erudite synthesis of history, philosophy, anthropology, genetics, sociology, economics, epidemiology, statistics, and more" (Frank Bruni, The New York Times ), Blueprint shows why evolution has placed us on a humane path -- and how we are united by our common humanity. For too long, scientists have focused on the dark side of our biological heritage: our capacity for aggression, cruelty, prejudice, and self-interest. But natural selection has given us a suite of beneficial social features, including our capacity for love, friendship, cooperation, and learning. Beneath all of our inventions -- our tools, farms, machines, cities, nations -- we carry with us innate proclivities to make a good society. In Blueprint , Nicholas A. Christakis introduces the compelling idea that our genes affect not only our bodies and behaviors, but also the ways in which we make societies, ones that are surprisingly similar worldwide. With many vivid examples -- including diverse historical an

    • Belangrijkste vraag van het leven

      Nick Lane

      Levenswetenschappen 'Dit is een boek voor mensen die geen tijd hebben voor koetjes en kalfjes. Het is een boek voor mensen die geen zin hebben om altijd maar weer te lezen over voorbijgaande zaken en modeverschijnselen. Dit is een boek voor mensen die schaamteloos willen doorstomen naar de meest fundamentele tijdloze vragen van dit bestaan: waar komen wij vandaan? Wie zijn wij, en waarom zien wij eruit zoals we eruitzien? Waarom worden we oud? Waarom hebben we seks? Waarom gaan we dood? En hoe kon er ooit leven ontstaan uit de dode materie van de vroege aarde?' Rosanne Hertzberger Overal om ons heen is leven. We komen het tegen in simpele vormen, zoals bacteriën, of in complexe vormen - paardenbloemen, spreeuwen, mensen. Maar waarom bestaat die tweedeling eigenlijk? Na het begin van het leven, 4 miljard jaar geleden, duurde het 2,5 miljard jaar voordat sommige simpele organismen de sprong maakten naar complexiteit. Hoe kwam dat? En hoe is het leven begonnen? De belangrijkste vraag van het leven geeft ee

    • The Systems View of Life

      Fritjof Capra & Pier Luigi Luisi

      Levenswetenschappen Over the past thirty years, a new systemic conception of life has emerged at the forefront of science. New emphasis has been given to complexity, networks, and patterns of organisation leading to a novel kind of 'systemic' thinking. This volume integrates the ideas, models, and theories underlying the systems view of life into a single coherent framework. Taking a broad sweep through history and across scientific disciplines, the authors examine the appearance of key concepts such as autopoiesis, dissipative structures, social networks, and a systemic understanding of evolution. The implications of the systems view of life for health care, management, and our global ecological and economic crises are also discussed. Written primarily for undergraduates, it is also essential reading for graduate students and researchers interested in understanding the new systemic conception of life and its implications for a broad range of professions - from economics and politics to medicine, psychol

    • We Are Our Brains

      D. F. Swaab & Jane Hedley-Prole

      Wetenschap en natuur A vivid account of what makes us human.   Based groundbreaking new research, We Are Our Brains is a sweeping biography of the human brain, from infancy to adulthood to old age. Renowned neuroscientist D. F. Swaab takes us on a guided tour of the intricate inner workings that determine our potential, our limitations, and our desires, with each chapter serving as an eye-opening window on a different stage of brain development: the gender differences that develop in the embryonic brain, what goes on in the heads of adolescents, how parenthood permanently changes the brain.   Moving beyond pure biological understanding, Swaab presents a controversial and multilayered ethical argument surrounding the brain. Far from possessing true free will, Swaab argues, we have very little control over our everyday decisions, or who we will become, because our brains predetermine everything about us, long before we are born, from our moral character to our religious leanings to whom we fall in

    • De zin van het bestaan

      Rene de Vreng

      Wetenschap en natuur Hoofdstuk 1 over waarvan de mens zich in de loop van zijn evolutie bewust moet zijn geworden. De volgorde daarvan zegt veel over hoe het denken van de moderne mens in elkaar zit. Hoofdstuk 2 legt uit hoe bewustzijn er is door daadwerkelijke verbindingen tussen hersencellen en hoe en waarom het uitschiften van verschillende hersendelen in de loop van de evolutie het verschil maakte tussen reptielen, zoogdieren en mensen. Hoofdstuk 3 maakt inzichtelijk dat de zin van alle leven gaat over genen. Hoofdstuk 4 laat zien dat, en hoe software een computer of robot zelfbewust kan laten worden. Of dat ook ‘levend’ is is een tweede en wat het gebrek aan genen en een noodzaak tot moraal daarmee te maken heeft komt ook aan de orde. Hoofdstuk 5 beredeneert dat het universum, inclusief tijd, beweging en zwaartekracht, zich horizontaal afspeelt tussen enkele verticale krachten vanuit non-dimensionale singulariteit. Hoofdstuk 6 bekijkt hoe horizontale tijd geen effect heeft op de verticale quantum

    • This Is Your Mind On Plants

      Michael Pollan

      Levenswetenschappen THE INSPIRATION FOR THE MAJOR NEW NETFLIX SERIES, HOW TO CHANGE YOUR MIND 'It's a trip - engrossing, eye-opening, mind altering' New Statesman 'Fascinating. Pollan is the perfect guide ... curious, careful, open minded' The Guardian Of all the many things humans rely on plants for, surely the most curious is our use of them to change consciousness: to stimulate, calm, or completely alter the qualities of our mental experience. In This Is Your Mind On Plants , Michael Pollan explores three very different drugs - opium, caffeine and mescaline - and throws the fundamental strangeness of our thinking about them into sharp relief. Exploring and participating in the cultures that have grown up around these drugs, while consuming (or in the case of caffeine, trying not to consume) them, Pollan reckons with the powerful human attraction to psychoactive plants, and the equally powerful taboos. In a unique blend of history, science, memoir and reportage, Pollan shines a fresh light on a subject

    • Scale

      Geoffrey West

      Levenswetenschappen "This is science writing as wonder and as inspiration." — The Wall Street Journal Wall Street Journal From one of the most influential scientists of our time, a dazzling exploration of the hidden laws that govern the life cycle of everything from plants and animals to the cities we live in. Visionary physicist Geoffrey West is a pioneer in the field of complexity science, the science of emergent systems and networks. The term “complexity” can be misleading, however, because what makes West’s discoveries so beautiful is that he has found an underlying simplicity that unites the seemingly complex and diverse phenomena of living systems, including our bodies, our cities and our businesses. Fascinated by aging and mortality, West applied the rigor of a physicist to the biological question of why we live as long as we do and no longer. The result was astonishing, and changed science: West found that despite the riotous diversity in mammals, they are all, to a large degree, sca

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