The Psychology of Religious Behaviour, Belief and Experience

by Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi, Michael Argyle

2014 · Routledge

Because society is increasingly secular, it may seem irrelevant to consider the psychology of religion. But the diversity of our multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society in fact makes religion more important to the social sciences than it has ever been before. What are the social consequences of religion? Every day the news is full of events that can be blamed on religion perpetrated by a range of groups from whole societies to individuals. Beit-Hallami and Argyle are renowned for their clear, analytical approach to topics and this new, state-of-the-art study of psychology and religion is no exception. It will be welcomed as an update to their previous work in the area by social psychologists, sociologists and theologians worldwide.

Introduction to Coastal Processes and Geomorphology

by Gerd Masselink

2014 · Routledge

The world's coastlines represent a myriad of dynamic and constantly changing environments. Heavily settled and intensely used areas, they are of enormous importance to humans and understanding how they are shaped and change is crucial to our future. Introduction to Coastal Processes and Geomorphologybegins by discussing coastal systems and shows how these systems link to the processes examined in detail throughout the book. These include the morphodynamic paradigm, tides, waves and sediment transport. Later chapters explore fluvial deltas, estuaries, beaches and barriers, coastal sand dunes and geologically-influenced coasts such as cliffs, coral reefs and atolls. A new chapter addresses the forward-facing aspect of coastal morphodynamics, including the ways in which coasts respond to rapid climate changes such as present day global warming. Also new to this second edition is a chapter on future coasts which considers the wider effects of coastal change on other important aspects of coastal systems, including ecology, management, socio-cultural activities, built and natural heritage, and archaeology. Case studies using examples from around the world illustrate theory in practice and bring the subject to life. Each chapter starts by outlining the 'aims' and questions at the end allow you to track your progress. This book is accompanied by additional resources online at www.hodderplus.com/geography including: Answers to the questions available to download as MP3 files Expanded case studies with colour photos, links to relevant websites and a map link to pinpoint the case study location Interactive multiple choice questions and worked examples The ebook edition is in VitalBookTM Bookshelf - an ebook reader which allows you to: download the ebook to your computer or access it anywhere with an internet browser search the full text of all of the ebooks that you hold on your bookshelf for instant access to the information you need make and share notes and highlights on your ebooks copy and print text and figures customize your view by changing font size and layout.

The Sun, Solar Analogs and the Climate

by Joanna Dorothy Haigh, Michael Lockwood, Mark S. Giampapa

2006 · Springer Science & Business Media

The 34th Saas-Fee advanced course of the Swiss Society of Astronomy and Astrophysics (SSAA) took place from March 15 to 20, 2004, in Davos, on the subject of The Sun, Solar Analogs and the Climate. PresentlytheSwissmountainresortofDavosisprobablymostwellknown for hosting an event on globalization. However, it is because Davos also happens to be the seat of the Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos and World Radiation Center, that this course on a “global” subject was hosted here. Exceptionally, the topic of this course was not purely astrophysical, but themembersoftheSSAAdecidedtosupportitallthesameduetothetimely topic of global warming and its possible link to solar variations. In these times of concern about global warming, it is important to und- stand solar variability and its interaction with the atmosphere. Only in this way can we distinguish between the solar and anthropogenic contributions to the rising temperatures. Therefore, this course addressed the observed va- ability of the Sun and the present understanding of the variability’s origin and its impact on the Earth’s climate. Comparing the solar variability with that of solar analog stars leads to a better understanding of the solar activity cycle and magnetic activity in general, and helps us to estimate how large the solar variations could be on longer time scales. Inspiteofthefantasticweatherandsnowconditionswhichreignedduring this week, the participants assiduously took part in the lectures. This is proof ofthehighqualityofthelecturesthatthethreespeakers,JoannaHaigh,Mike Lockwood and David Soderblom, delivered. We deeply thank them for their contributions and e?orts and hope that the readers will enjoy the book as much as we enjoyed their lectures.

Practical Handbook of Estuarine and Marine Pollution

by Michael J. Kennish

2017 · CRC Press

This extensive handbook presents up-to-date coverage of significant developments in estuarine and marine pollution. Multidisciplinary in approach, Practical Handbook of Estuarine and Marine Pollution is an essential resource for anyone involved in the study or management of coastal and marine pollution problems. The book examines in detail anthropogenic effects on estuarine and marine ecosystems from local, regional, and global perspectives. A truly international collection of data is presented in an organized framework on a wide range of subject areas, including eutrophication, organic loading, oil pollution, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, trace metals, radioactive waste, dredging and dredged-spoil disposal, and effects of electric generating stations. Whether you are a student, a scientist, a policy maker, or an administrator, you no longer need to spend countless hours rounding up information and data - Practical Handbook of Estuarine and Marine Pollution has already done it for you.

The Myth of an Afterlife

by Michael Martin, Keith Augustine

2015 · Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Because every single one of us will die, most of us would like to know what—if anything—awaits us afterward, not to mention the fate of lost loved ones. Given the nearly universal vested interest in deciding this question in favor of an afterlife, it is no surprise that the vast majority of books on the topic affirm the reality of life after death without a backward glance. But the evidence of our senses and the ever-gaining strength of scientific evidence strongly suggest otherwise. In The Myth of an Afterlife: The Case against Life after Death, Michael Martin and Keith Augustine collect a series of contributions that redress this imbalance in the literature by providing a strong, comprehensive, and up-to-date casebook of the chief arguments against an afterlife. Divided into four separate sections, this collection opens with a broad overview of the issues, as contributors consider the strongest evidence of whether or not we survive death—in particular the biological basis of all mental states and their grounding in brain activity that ceases to function at death. Next, contributors consider a host of conceptual and empirical difficulties that confront the various ways of “surviving” death—from bodiless minds to bodily resurrection to any form of posthumous survival. Then essayists turn to internal inconsistencies between traditional theological conceptions of an afterlife—heaven, hell, karmic rebirth—and widely held ethical principles central to the belief systems supporting those notions. In the final section, authors offer critical evaluations of the main types of evidence for an afterlife. Fully interdisciplinary, The Myth of an Afterlife: The Case against Life after Death brings together a variety of fields of research to make that case, including cognitiveneuroscience, philosophy of mind, personal identity, philosophy of religion, moralphilosophy, psychical research, and anomalistic psychology. As the definitive casebookof arguments against life after death, this collection is required reading for anyinstructor, researcher, and student of philosophy, religious studies, or theology. It issure to raise provocative issues new to readers, regardless of background, from thosewho believe fervently in the reality of an afterlife to those who do not or are undecidedon the matter.