social aspects

Points out the importance of the world's energy supply in shaping global politics, and argues that the energy source of the future should be natural gas in the form of shale deposits.

Featuring conversations with leading figures in other fields, a renowned physicist discusses the latest technological breakthroughs and examines the role of risk, creativity, uncertainty, beauty, and truth in scientific thinking.

"In her foreword to Science Next, Elizabeth Edwards wrote of science as a tool for social progress: "Innovation is not simply the abstract victory of knowledge [or] the research that gave me years to live; the next science can advance human flourishing and serve the common good. That's the kind of world I want to leave for my children, and for yours." With these words, she joined a tradition that goes back to America's founders, who saw America itself as a "great experiment." Yet while no one can deny that science undergirds the American Dream, it has long been fertile terrain for the "culture wars." Along with arguing the pros and cons of abortion and healthcare, policymakers must now grapple with advancements that raise questions about what it means to be human: we've decoded the genome, but should we modify it to enhance certain "desirable" traits? If we can, should we prolong life at any cost? Will we soon be counting robots, cyborgs, and chimeras among our friends and family?The first book to unpack our love/hate relationship with science from our country's origins to today, The Body Politic is essential reading for science buffs and concerned citizens alike.Jonathan D. Moreno is editor of the Center for American Progress' online magazine Science Progress and professor of bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. Author and editor of many seminal books and articles on science and science policy, he divides his time between Philadelphia, PA, and Washington, DC"--.

This book is a collection of articles in which authors debate whether gambling should be restricted, whether sports betting should be legal, whether dog racing should be banned, whether the federal ban on online gambling is warranted, and other controversies on gambling.

This book is a collection of articles in which authors debate whether television promotes torture, whether reality television debases society, whether infomercials are an effective way of advertising, whether the government should strictly regulate television violence, and more.

Makes recommendations for meeting four major challenges currently facing the United States, including globalization, the information technology revolution, chronic deficits, and unbalanced energy consumption.