Physics of Societal Issues

Physics of Societal Issues PDF

Author: David Hafemeister

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-12-12

Total Pages: 677

ISBN-13: 1461492726

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This book provides the reader with essential tools needed to analyze complex societal issues and demonstrates the transition from physics to modern-day laws and treaties. This second edition features new equation-oriented material and extensive data sets drawing upon current information from experts in their fields. Problems to challenge the reader and extend discussion are presented on three timely issues: • National Security: Weapons, Offense, Defense, Verification, Nuclear Proliferation, Terrorism • Environment: Air/Water, Nuclear, Climate Change, EM Fields/Epidemiology • Energy: Current Energy Situation, Buildings, Solar Buildings, Renewable Energy, Enhanced End-Use Efficiency, Transportation, Economics Praise for the first edition: "This insight is needed in Congress and the Executive Branch. Hafemeister, a former Congressional fellow with wide Washington experience, has written a book for physicists, chemists and engineers who want to learn science and policy on weapons, energy, and the environment. Scientists who want to make a difference will want this book." Richard Scribner, first Director, Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow Program, AAAS "Hafemeister shows how much one can understand about nuclear weapons and missile issues through simple back-of-the-envelope calculations. He also provides compact explanations of the partially successful attempts that have been made over the past 60 years to control these weapons of mass destruction. Hopefully, Physics of Societal Issues will help interest a new generation of physicists in continuing this work." Frank von Hippel, Professor, Princeton, former Assistant Director, National Security, White House, OSTP "Energy policy must be quantitative. People who don't calculate economic tradeoffs often champion simplistic hardware. ‘The solution is more... nuclear power, or electric cars, or photovoltaics, etc.’ Some simple physics will show that the true solution matches supply and demand as an ‘integrated resource plan.’ Physics of Societal Issues is a good place to begin this journey." Arthur Rosenfeld, former California Energy Commissioner, Professor-emeritus, U. of California-Berkeley

Physics of Societal Issues

Physics of Societal Issues PDF

Author: David Hafemeister

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2010-10-29

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781441930569

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Physics of Societal Issues is a textbook those who seek to understand fundamental issues of energy use, nuclear weapons, and the environment using facts and figures instead of slogans and postures. Taking inspiration from Fermi's famous "back of the envelope" calculations, author David Hafemeister shows how to capture the essence of a problem with rough estimates of important parameters, and use those estimates to gauge the effects of policy decisions.

Physics of Societal Issues

Physics of Societal Issues PDF

Author: David Hafemeister

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2007-05-04

Total Pages: 487

ISBN-13: 9780387955605

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Physics of Societal Issues is a textbook those who seek to understand fundamental issues of energy use, nuclear weapons, and the environment using facts and figures instead of slogans and postures. Taking inspiration from Fermi's famous "back of the envelope" calculations, author David Hafemeister shows how to capture the essence of a problem with rough estimates of important parameters, and use those estimates to gauge the effects of policy decisions.

Physics of Societal Issues

Physics of Societal Issues PDF

Author: David Hafemeister

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2007-08-10

Total Pages: 498

ISBN-13: 0387689095

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Physics of Societal Issues is a textbook those who seek to understand fundamental issues of energy use, nuclear weapons, and the environment using facts and figures instead of slogans and postures. Taking inspiration from Fermi's famous "back of the envelope" calculations, author David Hafemeister shows how to capture the essence of a problem with rough estimates of important parameters, and use those estimates to gauge the effects of policy decisions.

Social Physics

Social Physics PDF

Author: Alex Pentland

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 322

ISBN-13: 1594205655

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

A landmark tour of the new science of "idea flow" outlines revolutionary insights into the mysteries of collective intelligence and social influence, explaining the virtually unlimited data sets of today's digital technologies and the considerable accuracy of information from social networks.

Critical Mass

Critical Mass PDF

Author: Philip Ball

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Published: 2006-05-16

Total Pages: 532

ISBN-13: 1466806834

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Are there any "laws of nature" that influence the ways in which humans behave and organize themselves? In the seventeenth century, tired of the civil war ravaging England, Thomas Hobbes decided that he would work out what kind of government was needed for a stable society. His approach was based not on utopian wishful thinking but rather on Galileo's mechanics to construct a theory of government from first principles. His solution is unappealing to today's society, yet Hobbes had sparked a new way of thinking about human behavior in looking for the "scientific" rules of society. Adam Smith, Immanuel Kant, Auguste Comte, and John Stuart Mill pursued this idea from different political perspectives. Little by little, however, social and political philosophy abandoned a "scientific" approach. Today, physics is enjoying a revival in the social, political and economic sciences. Ball shows how much we can understand of human behavior when we cease to try to predict and analyze the behavior of individuals and instead look to the impact of individual decisions-whether in circumstances of cooperation or conflict-can have on our laws, institutions and customs. Lively and compelling, Critical Mass is the first book to bring these new ideas together and to show how they fit within the broader historical context of a rational search for better ways to live.

An Overview

An Overview PDF

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1986-02-01

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 0309035813

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

An Overview: Physics Through the 1990's is part of an eight-volume research assessment of the major fields of physics that reviews the developments that have taken place and highlights research opportunities. An Overview summarizes the findings of the panels discussed in the other seven volumes and addresses issues that broadly concern physics.

Nuclear Physics

Nuclear Physics PDF

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1999-03-31

Total Pages: 222

ISBN-13: 0309173663

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Dramatic progress has been made in all branches of physics since the National Research Council's 1986 decadal survey of the field. The Physics in a New Era series explores these advances and looks ahead to future goals. The series includes assessments of the major subfields and reports on several smaller subfields, and preparation has begun on an overview volume on the unity of physics, its relationships to other fields, and its contributions to national needs. Nuclear Physics is the latest volume of the series. The book describes current activity in understanding nuclear structure and symmetries, the behavior of matter at extreme densities, the role of nuclear physics in astrophysics and cosmology, and the instrumentation and facilities used by the field. It makes recommendations on the resources needed for experimental and theoretical advances in the coming decade.

Physics in a New Era

Physics in a New Era PDF

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2001-07-15

Total Pages: 203

ISBN-13: 0309073421

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Physics at the beginning of the twenty-first century has reached new levels of accomplishment and impact in a society and nation that are changing rapidly. Accomplishments have led us into the information age and fueled broad technological and economic development. The pace of discovery is quickening and stronger links with other fields such as the biological sciences are being developed. The intellectual reach has never been greater, and the questions being asked are more ambitious than ever before. Physics in a New Era is the final report of the NRC's six-volume decadal physics survey. The book reviews the frontiers of physics research, examines the role of physics in our society, and makes recommendations designed to strengthen physics and its ability to serve important needs such as national security, the economy, information technology, and education.