Smelling the virtual flowers and counting the road-kill on the digital superhighway are just a couple of things that Kroker/Weinstein explains. Others include: the theory of the virtual class; virtual ideology; the will to virtuality; the political economy
of virtual reality; prime time reports; virtual (photographic) culture; and the virtual history file.

During the technology boom of the 1980s and 1990s, computers seemed set to revolutionize education. Do any of these promises sound familiar?

-Technology would help all students learn better, thanks to multimedia programs capable of adapting to individual needs, learning styles, and skill levels.
-Technology would transform the teacher’s role from a purveyor of a one-size-fits-all curriculum to a facilitator of student exploration.
-Technology would replace static textbooks with dynamic, interactive learning resources that were always up-to-date.
-Technology would boost test scores, as engaged and motivated students acquired advanced skills, problem-solving abilities, and a growing thirst for knowledge.

The 20 papers in this volume are a selection from those presented at the 34th LSRL, held in Salt Lake City, in 2004. The papers deal with a wide range of theoretical issues in Romance Linguistics and include several from the conference parasession, which focused on experimental approaches to problems in Romance Linguistics. The book will be of interest to anyone interested in current issues in theoretical Romance Linguistics.

Skeptics have cast doubt on the idea that scientific theories give us a true picture of an objective world. Lawrence Sklar examines three kinds of skeptical arguments about scientific truth, and explores the important role that these play within foundational science itself, especially physics. First, doubts have been expressed about the legitimacy of claiming truth for assertions about the realm of the unobservable. Second, scientific theories have been characterized as relying heavily on idealization of the physical systems they seek to describe. Third, it is noted that scientific theories tend to be transient, and even the best currently available are expected to be replaced in the future. Sklar demonstrates that these kinds of philosophical critique are employed within science itself, and reveals the clear difference between how they operate in a scientific and in a more abstract philosophical context. The underlying theme of Theory and Truth is that science and philosophy are essential to, and inextricable from, each other. One cannot understand the methods of science except by understanding philosophy, and one cannot fruitfully pursue philosophy of science without understanding foundational science as well.

Imagine peering over the edge of a live volcano in the black of night, or standing face to face with a roaring, 800-pound silverback gorilla. Science is a dynamic and vital field of study that involves not merely observation and discovery, but also a very real element of danger. This book presents the thrilling stories of 40 female scientists who have faced daunting challenges in the field, in the science lab, and even in the academic community. The women represent a wide range of scientific disciplines, including physical, earth, and life sciences–from ecologists, biologists, and astronomers to volcanologists, speleologists, and crystallographers. Amazing scientists such as Marta Aznar and Dian Fossey are profiled and exciting vignettes describe about their work, passions, struggles, and accomplishments. Discussion questions and references for further study are also included. Grades 4-9. Inspiring to students who are pursuing science as a field of study.

A child can't be owned, but parents are legally responsible for their child's care. A painting and a dog can be owned; both fall under the jurisdiction of the law and in particular, property rights. But why should a dog, man's best friend, an animal with a mind and emotions, fall under the same category as a painting? How could the law be so foolish? Requiring legal guardianship for animals would have radical consequences for how we live our lives.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Front matter i-xvi Summary 1-12 Introduction 13-16 1. Tools for monitoring environmental health 17-25 2. Moving beyond compliance: can industry get ahead of the curve? 26-43 3. Global implication of environmental standards 44-64 4. Improving community health globally 65-77 5. Corporate social responsibility 78-87 6. Panel discussion 88-95 References 96-98 Appendix A - Workshop agenda 99-105 Appendix B - Speakers and panelists 106-107 Appendix C - Worksnop participants 108-110

Environmental health decision making can be a complex undertaking, as there is the need to navigate and find balance among three core elements: science, policy, and the needs of the American public. Policy makers often grapple with how to make appropriate decisions when the research is uncertain. The challenge for the policy maker is to make the right decision with the best available data in a transparent process.

"Science and Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Sciences" represents the National Academy of Sciences' official position regarding the teaching of evolution in science classrooms. It is a terse, yet quite important, document which should be read by teachers, education officials and parents interested in saving excellent science education from devious advocates of Intelligent Design and other flavors of creationism who claim to seek "balance in the classroom" but actually would prefer a science curriculum which emphasized irrational supernational, not rational empirical means of understanding the physical universe. The authors offer an elegant review of what is known to be scientifically true with respect to evolution, beginning with the origins of the universe to Darwin's Theory of Evolution via Natural Selection, and reviewing the ample evidence - from molecular biology to systematic biology, ecology and paleobiology - which does support it.