Books published by Springer

This book convenes peer-reviewed, selected papers presented at the Ninth International Conference New Trends in the Applications of Differential Equations in Sciences (NTADES) held in Sozopol, Bulgaria, June 17-20, 2022. The works are devoted to many applications of differential equations in different fields of science. A number of phenomena in nature (physics, chemistry, biology) and in society (economics) result in problems leading to the study of linear and nonlinear differential equations, stochastic equations, statistics, analysis, numerical analysis, optimization, and more. The main topics are presented in the five parts of the book - applications in mathematical physics, mathematical biology, financial mathematics, neuroscience, and fractional analysis.In this volume, the reader will find a wide range of problems concerning recent achievements in both theoretical and applied mathematics. The main goal is to promote the exchange of new ideas and research between scientists, who develop and study differential equations, and researchers, who apply them for solving real-life problems. The book promotes basic research in mathematics leading to new methods and techniques useful for applications of differential equations.The NTADES 2022 conference was organized in cooperation with the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), the major international organization for Industrial and Applied Mathematics and for the promotion of interdisciplinary collaboration between applied mathematics and science, engineering, finance, and neuroscience.

In this book the editors and authors provide a comprehensive overview on basic research and clinical aspects of hereditary breast and gastric tumors. In particular, this updated editorial work aims to suggest guidelines for the clinical management of patients with hereditary diffuse gastric and lobular breast cancer. Special attention is given to E-cadherin (CDH1 gene) germline mutations, genetic screening approaches, the underlying molecular mechanisms and pathological and microscopic features. In addition, the book aims to define clinical criteria for genetic screening, and highlights current surgical treatment and clinical approaches for asymptomatic mutation carriers. Other inherited predispositions involving gastric and breast carcinoma are discussed as well. Divided into eight sections, the book starts by providing an epidemiological overview of gastric and breast cancers, followed by a section dealing with new descriptions of genetic pathways in hereditary cancer predispositions. The third section focuses on pathological features of the diseases, in an effort to bridge the gap between discovery and cancer therapy development. Subsequent sections of the book are dedicated to endoscopy and breast imaging, as well as risk-reducing surgeries to curb the risk of developing cancer. The sixth section focuses on the generation of ideas for the identification of targets and novel treatment strategies. Finally, in the seventh section the authors share the story of two patients and their experiences with the diagnosis and treatment of hereditary cancer.This multidisciplinary book brings together multiple disciplines in science and technology; specifically, medicine, surgery and biology. The majority of authors are members of the International Gastric Cancer Linkage Consortium (IGCLC) and of the European Cancer Prevention Organization (EJCPO), with relevant experience in this context. Offering in-depth insights into hereditary cancers, this book represents essential reading for students, researchers, and specialists who want to extend their knowledge on hereditary gastric and breast cancers.

The first edition of this book was published in 1994. Since then considerable progress has been made in both theoretical developments of percolation theory, and in its applications. The 2nd edition of this book is a response to such developments. Not only have all of the chapters of the 1st edition been completely rewritten, reorganized, and updated all the way to 2022, but also 8 new chapters have been added that describe extensive new applications, including biological materials, networks and graphs, directed percolation, earthquakes, geochemical processes, and large-scale real world problems, from spread of technology to ad-hoc mobile networks.

After providing a historical overview, this book highlights the current state of knowledge, gaps in our knowledge, recent findings and future prospects with regard to the biological, chemical, geological, and geographical specificities of the Plitvice lakes in Croatia. The Plitvice lakes are a unique environment and home to tufa - a type of calcium carbonate deposit that provides a substrate for living organisms. Its formation process has resulted in a vastly diverse environment of lakes, streams and riparian habitats. The Plitvice lakes have, therefore, historically been both an inspiration and a challenge for scientists, nature enthusiasts, artists, etc. Today, the lakes continue to offer an in-situ laboratory for new discoveries in all aspects of freshwater science.As in most habitats, global changes have become an important issue. Since the Plitvice lakes have remained largely untouched by direct human impacts and have a long historical tradition in research, they represent an ideal subject for assessing the effects of global changes in a temperate freshwater system. This book provides an ecological overview of the biogeochemical processes at work in a unique and virtually pristine European freshwater tufa-forming environment.

This book sheds new light on the history of exercise physiology and how it essentially grew, thanks to the work of a few major Schools. Analysing and interpreting the evolution of the field, the authors focus on the School of Milano, which was founded by Rodolfo Margaria and is one of the most prominent representatives, having played a central role in promoting and advancing this field of physiology. In turn, the authors trace Margaria's biography; under his influence, the school introduced new concepts with regard to both the energetics of muscular exercise and to human locomotion. These concepts were further developed by Margaria's pupils and by subsequent generations. Indeed, the course that was set in Milano greatly influenced the entire history of modern physiology. Readers with a keen interest in the origins of modern concepts and technologies in exercise physiology will find this book a fascinating and informative read.

This book argues that mathematical challenge can be found at any level and at every age and constitutes an essential characteristic of any mathematics classroom aimed at developing the students' mathematical knowledge and skills. Since each mathematics classroom is heterogeneous with respect to students' mathematical potential, quality mathematical instruction results from matching the level of mathematical challenge to different students' potential. Thus, effective integration of mathematical challenge in the instructional process is strongly connected to the equity principle of mathematics education. In the three sections in this volume readers can find diverse views on mathematical challenges in curriculum and instructional design, kinds and variation of mathematically challenging tasks and collections of mathematical problems. Evidence-based analysis is interwoven with theoretical positions expressed by the authors of the chapters. Cognitive, social and affective characteristicsof challenging mathematical activities are observed and analyzed. The volume opens new avenues of research in mathematics education, and pose multiple questions about mathematical instruction rich in mathematical challenge for all. The authors invite readers to explore and enjoy mathematical challenges at different levels.

This book summarizes the links between the evolution of sedimentary basins of Northern Africa and Peri-Mediterranean in different tectonic settings and the distribution of georesources in those basins. Georesources include fossil energy, geothermal energy, deep aquifers, minerals and deposits. This book also provides key information for energy resources in these important areas. The book is in part a compilation of selected papers from Atlas Georesources International Congress, Hammamet, Tunisia, (AGIC 2017) which were extended after the congress in addition to other contributions from geoscientists based at some universities and companies from the region. It is organized in a set of research studies focusing on the architecture, geodynamic evolution and modeling of sedimentary basins in the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean domain. Future developments in the exploration for water, energy and other georesources are very important in these regions. In this context, thisbook constitutes an important reference for a wide range of geoscientists and companies as it defines the distribution and potentialities of these resources.

This monograph, now in its 2nd edition with 31 new chapters and significant updates, is the first book of its kind written specifically for graduate students and clinicians. The monograph is based on the 4-volume treatise, Handbook of the Cerebellum and Cerebellar Disorders (Springer, 2013; 2nd edition: 2022), the definitive reference for scientists and neurologists in the field of cerebellar neurobiology and related areas. There have been fundamental advances in the basic science and clinical neurology of the cerebellum and its role in sensorimotor function and cognition. Essentials of the Cerebellum and Cerebellar Disorders makes this large and expanding body of knowledge readily accessible to trainees and clinicians alike. It is organized into easy to read and short chapters that are ideal for students and clinicians. The most common cerebellar disorders encountered in the clinic are covered. The editors are world leaders in the field, and the chapters are authored by an international panel of experts drawn from cerebellar laboratories and ataxia clinics throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Essentials provides a solid grounding in the field of cerebellar research and ataxiology from cerebellar cellular biology and circuity to clinical practice, and it serves as a springboard to a deeper appreciation of both the principles and the complexities of cerebellar neurobiology. Clinicians are expected to have a deep appreciation of cerebellar disorders, not only in specialized ataxia clinics but also in adult and pediatric neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry and neuropsychology practices, and in outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation settings. This book is an indispensable resource for students and practitioners navigating the evolving field of cerebellar motor and cognitive neurology. It also links to the more expansive Handbook for those who need to explore the topics in this monograph in greater depth.

This book 'Essays on Contemporary Psychometrics' provides an overview of contemporary psychometrics, the science devoted to the advancement of quantitative measurement practices in psychology, education and the social sciences. The volume consists of four parts, each having several chapters on cutting-edge work in the field. Part I, General Perspectives on Psychometrics, includes expert views on topics such as psychological models vs. measurement models, using tests in decision making, artificial intelligence, and psychometric network models. Part II, Factor Analysis and Classical Test Theory, the type of psychometrics that is still used most often in the social and behavioral sciences, includes state-of-the-art contributions on test-score reliability, change-score reliability, handling missing data in principal component analysis, test equating, and conditional standard errors of measurement. Part III, Item Response Theory, the leading form ofpsychometrics in modern educational measurement, includes discussions of sampling from many conditional distributions, transparent score reporting, nonparametric item response theory, and targeted testing. Part IV, New Psychometrics, discusses recently developed ideas beyond classical test theory and item response theory, including topics related to computer adaptive testing, response-time modelling, validity indices, diagnostic classification models, and the sparse latent class model for ordinal measurements.Together, these four parts provide an overview of the current state-of-the-art in psychometrics in educational measurement. They are a valuable source of information for graduate students who (intend to) study psychometrics and need an overview of the field, and for researchers interested in the current developments in the field. Chapters [3], [5], [8], [16] and [19] are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

This textbook provides an authoritative reference on one of the most problematic entities in the pathology of the knee. Throughout the text, esteemed international experts highlight their clinical insights for ensuring optimal non-surgical and surgical outcomes when treating anterior knee pain and patellar instability. The chapters are revised with the latest updates and new chapters are featured focusing upon robotic-assisted patellofemoral replacement, predictive diagnostic models in anterior knee pain patients based on artificial intelligence, brain network functional connectivity in anterior knee pain patients, and many other hot topics in the field. Anterior Knee Pain and Patellar Instability, 3rd Edition is an essential, multi-disciplinary textbook for all levels of orthopedic surgeons, physiotherapists, radiologists, biologists, pathologists, and bioengineers, who wish to learn more about this complex pathology that affects both young and olderpatients.

This textbook is written to thoroughly cover the topic of introductory chemistry in detail--with specific references to examples of topics in common or everyday life. It provides a major overview of topics typically found in first-year chemistry courses in the USA. The textbook is written in a conversational question-based format with a well-defined problem solving strategy and presented in a way to encourage readers to "think like a chemist" and to "think outside of the box." Numerous examples are presented in every chapter to aid students and provide helpful self-learning tools. The topics are arranged throughout the textbook in a "traditional approach" to the subject with the primary audience being undergraduate students and advanced high school students of chemistry.

How does artificial intelligence (AI) work and are there parallels to the human brain? What do natural and artificial intelligence have in common, and what are the differences? Is the brain nothing more than a biological computer? What are neural networks and how can the term deep learning be explained simply?Since the cognitive revolution in the middle of the last century, AI and brain research have been closely intertwined. There have been several spectacular breakthroughs in the field of AI in recent years, from alphaGo to DALL-E 2 and ChatGPT, which were completely unthinkable until recently. However, researchers are already working on the innovations of tomorrow, such as hybrid machine learning or neuro-symbolic AI. But what does this actually mean?Based on current research findings and exciting practical examples, this non-fiction book provides an understandable introduction to the basics and challenges of these fascinating disciplines. You will learn what neuroscience and psychology know about how the brain works and how artificial intelligence works. You will also learn how AI has revolutionized our understanding of the brain and how findings from brain research are used in computer science to further develop AI algorithms. Discover the fascinating world of these two disciplines. Find out why artificial intelligence and brain research are two sides of the same coin and how they will shape our future.

The expert knowledge on numerous established and innovative minimally invasive interventions on the spine is systematically and in detail summarized in this book. All chapters are consistently structured with special education, implementation of the intervention, complications, literature, reimbursement and a final conclusion with assessment of clinical relevance. The focus is on the practice: step-by-step the procedure is presented under the heading "carrying out the intervention".The book is ideal for practitioners who want to benefit from the know-how of experienced colleagues or who are interested in new innovative procedures and for referring physicians who want to get an overview.

This book introduces computing and programming with undergraduate engineering students in mind. It uses Python (Version 3) as the programming language, chosen for its simplicity, readability, wide applicability and large collection of libraries. After introducing engineering-related Python libraries, such as NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, Sci-kit, Programming with Python for Engineers shows how Python can be used to implement methods common in a wide spectrum of engineering-related problems drawn from (for example): design, control, decision-making, scheduling and planning. Important features of the book include the following: The book contains interactive content for illustration of important concepts, where the user can provide input and by clicking buttons, trace through the steps. Each chapter is also accessible as a Jupyter Notebook page and every code piece is executable. This allows the readers to run code examples in chapters immediately, to make changes and gain a better grasp of the concepts presented. The coverage of topics is complemented by illustrative examples and exercises. For instructors adopting the textbook, a solutions manual is provided.

This monograph explores the participation of women in alchemy, chemical crafts, and the early stages of modern chemistry. By contextualizing their achievements within the broader social, cultural, and scientific landscapes of their time, this book enables readers to seize the challenges these women confronted and the obstacles they triumphed over. Alongside narrating how they shaped the development of chemistry, including their contributions to the body of chemical literature, it also emphasizes pivotal moments and milestones in the history of women's emancipation. The book's comprehensive and integrative approach, complemented by engaging storytelling, renders it an indispensable resource for students, researchers, and general readers alike.

There has been an exponential growth in the number of research papers published in recent decades in the field of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, making it difficult to identify the key papers that have truly changed practice in plastic surgery. This book provides readers with a concise reference source for the key papers that underpin contemporary surgical practice and covers all aspects of the specialty, with the content being helpful for both trainees and specialists to understand the scientific developments and pioneering surgeries that allow expert surgeons to practice as they currently do. By exploring the ground-breaking papers in Plastic Surgery, readers can gain insights into the evolution of the field and learn valuable lessons on how to innovate. For trainees preparing for board or exit exams, such as the FRCS (Plast), this book serves as an invaluable reference source and revision guide, providing access to key landmark studies. It presents over 50 key research studieson plastic surgery along with full analysis and additional commentaries from experts and world-renowned authority figures in Plastic Surgery. It provides a valuable perspective on why the study is important, constituting essential reading for busy professionals as well as trainees, residents and fellows, and surgeons studying for professional examinations while distilling all the literature into a compact guide on the must-know scientific articles.

This comprehensive book portrays the long-overdue recognition of women's work in chemistry, which only materialized with their late access to universities. Besides describing their scientific triumphs, it unveils the human side of the characters involved, providing an intimate perspective, often supported by extracts from their correspondence. By delving into their personal stories, struggles, and successes, this book brings these women to life. Written with simplicity and rigor, it aims to inspire and educate readers of all backgrounds about the extraordinary scientific achievements of these trailblazing women.

This book is a solutions manual and study guide to the 3rd edition of Economic Growth and Development. It includes solutions to all end-of-chapter questions and model-based problems within the text. In addition, each chapter contains a reader's guide for students working through the main text, including objectives, discussion of sticking points, and main takeaways. These should prove useful to students and instructors using this book.

This book provides a comprehensive study of the work of M. David Merrill, a major pioneer in the field of instructional design. This book centers on his research on his second generation instructional design (ID2) theory, Instructional Transaction Theory, and First Principles of Instruction, which has had a substantial impact on the instructional design field. It's appealing to the instructional design research and practitioner-based communities who can draw on specific sections of this book to enhance their own work. It is also intended for those seeking to learn more about the relationship between the instructional design field, learning theory, curriculum studies, and lifelong learning/adult education studies. Through this critical, yet empathetic study of Merrill's 50+ year research agenda, this book provides an illuminating field of entry into a broad range of topics, both those that are central to Merrill's own research agenda, and into areas that extend well beyond his essentially cognitivist epistemological assumptions.

This book argues that Descartes' physics was a milestone on the road to modern mathematical physics. After Newton introduced a completely different approach to mathematical description of motion, Descartes' physics became obsolete and even difficult to comprehend. This text follows the language of Descartes and the means of which motion can be described. It argues that Descartes achieved almost everything that later Newton was able to do--to describe the motion of interacting bodies- by different (i.e. algebraic) means. This volume completely refutes the received view according to which Descartes' physics was merely a kind of discursive natural philosophy. To make this interpretation more plausible the book follows Descartes' ideas from his early work in mathematics, through his invention of the analytic method towards his mature physics. It shows that Descartes followed a similar heuristic pattern.The volume appeals to students and researchers; it invites the reader equippedwith minimal understanding of college mathematics to follow Descartes on his intellectual journey through the Scientific Revolution. The reader will gain a deeper understanding of the role of mathematical language in the creation of modern physics and a glimpse into the fascinating world of Descartes' scientific thought. Several of Descartes' philosophical ideas can be traced back to his scientific interests and thus the book elucidates the motivation behind some of Descartes' key positions in the area of epistemology and method. In the penultimate chapter the book presents four arguments in favor of seeing Descartes as a physicist on par with Galileo and Newton.

This book illustrates effective decision-making in complex socio-economic systems utilising system dynamics and agent-based simulation modelling approaches. It provides practical guidance on the application of conceptual and numerical modelling and simulation for analysing economic, strategic, regulatory, sociological and ethical questions from a complex systems perspective. Its theoretical, methodological and practical illustrations will enhance readers' understanding of the application of simulation modelling for effective systems management. By virtually experimenting with alternative management scenarios, it will help them improve decision-making and control mechanisms.The book explores practical examples from the fields of pharmaceuticals, healthcare, finance, sociology, education and culture from a strategic, regulatory and ethics perspective. As such, it offers a valuable resource for managers, both at for-profit corporations and non-profit organisations, public policymakers and regulators alike.

This book guides the reader through the process of graphic communication with a particular focus on representing data and processes. It considers a variety of common graphic communication scenarios among those that arise most frequently in practical applications. The book is organized in two parts: representing data (Part I) and representing processes (Part II). The first part deals with the graphical representation of data. It starts with an introductory chapter on the types of variables, then guides the reader through the most common data visualization scenarios - i.e.: representing magnitudes, proportions, one variable as a function of the other, groups, relations, bivariate, trivariate and geospatial data. The second part covers various tools for the visual representation of processes; these include timelines, flow-charts, Gantt charts and PERT diagrams. In addition, the book also features four appendices which cover cross-chapter topics: mathematics and statistics review, Matplotlib primer, color representation and usage, and representation of geospatial data. Aimed at junior and senior undergraduate students in various technical, scientific, and economic fields, this book is also a valuable aid for researchers and practitioners in data science, marketing, entertainment, media and other fields.

This book provides a modern pedagogical exposition of the mechanical approach to statistical mechanics initiated by Boltzmann with his early works (1866-1871). Despite the later contribution by Helmholtz, Boltzmann himself (1884-1887), Gibbs, P. Hertz, and Einstein, the mechanical approach remained almost unknown to the modern reader, in favour of the celebrated combinatorial approach, developed by Boltzmann himself during his probabilistic turn (1876-1884). The brief constitutes an ideal continuation of a graduate course of classical mechanics and requires knowledge of basic calculus in many dimensions (including differential forms), thermodynamics, and probability theory, besides Hamiltonian mechanics. The cornerstone of the whole presentation is the ergodic hypothesis. Special attention is devoted to Massieu potentials (the Legendre transforms of the entropy) which are most natural in statistical mechanics and also allow for a more direct treatment of the topic of ensemble equivalence. In this second edition, a chapter is added that addresses the long-debated question of how the second law of thermodynamics can be reconciled with mechanics, by using modern methods of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics.

This book presents selected peer-reviewed proceedings from the International Conference on Advanced Materials, Sustainable Energy, and Engineering (ICAMSEE2023), held at Ecole Normale Supérieure, University Moulay Ismail Meknes, Morocco, from November 27 to 29, 2023. The conference served as an exceptional platform for international and national scientists, professors, students, and industry professionals to convene and exchange knowledge in the fields of materials science, microscopy, engineering, technology, and energy. The book features contributions from researchers and experts, including keynote speakers, special sessions, posters, and tutorials, showcasing the latest advancements and developments in these areas of research.The topics covered in this book span a wide array of subjects within the realm of advanced materials, sustainable energy, and engineering. The forefront of materials science is explored, including nanomaterials, carbon nanotubes, graphene,materials for various applications, environmental protection, advanced optical materials, thermoelectric and magnetic materials, and additive manufacturing. Addressing the energy demands of today, the focus extends to novel materials for solar cells, energy storage, electronic devices, solar and wind energy, advanced thermal management materials, and materials for advanced water treatment and desalination. Sustainable energy and engineering topics encompass energy policy, clean energy production technologies, carbon capture and utilization, biomass energy, building energy efficiency, smart systems for climate change, and energy efficiency in mineral processing. Additionally, the book covers modeling and numerical simulations in material science, encompassing model development, computational techniques, and simulations in both material science and energy fields.

This book critically examines the concept of sexualised governmentalities, a framework for understanding the evolving discourse and power dynamics surrounding discrimination on the basis of sexual practices. Central to this exploration is the shift from traditional heteronormative perspectives to a more complex hetero/homonormative context, where the structure and organisation of sexual relationships gain prominence over the gender or sexual orientation of the participants. A key focus of the book is the concept of homosexism within the realm of gay masculinity studies. The author discusses homosexism as a form of discrimination experienced by gay men from other gay men, highlighting the influence of heteronormative patriarchal society on these interactions. It calls for a broader recognition and acceptance of diverse sexual expressions and challenges the reader to re-evaluate the societal norms around masculinity and sexual behaviour. Sexualised Governmentalities is an important contribution to the discourse on sexual identity and practice, offering insights for a more inclusive and empathetic understanding of sexual diversity.

This volume constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Second International Conference on Computing, Communication and Learning, CoCoLe 2023, held in Warangal, India, in August 29-31, 2023.The 25 full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 120 submissions. The CoCoLe conference focuses on Application of Supervised Learning in Computing; Application of Unsupervised Learning in Computing; and Computing in Communication Networks.

This book integrates for readers three areas of knowledge, pertaining to risk-based project decision making: project risk management (PRM), complexity theory, and decision-making under deep uncertainty (DMDU). Readers will appreciate that in practice, too often relevant complexity and uncertainty factors are either ignored or overlooked resulting in epic project failures. The author discusses a variety of methodologies and a decision-tree-type framework to determine why, when and how particular methodologies should be applied to ensure project success. These include nonlinear Monte Carlo techniques, a dynamic adaptive methodology to adapt to external environment changes, game theory for devising robust decision-making criteria, systems dynamics and cost escalation modelling, as well as risk-based & economic-based alternatives selection methodologies. This book will be an eye-opener for many PRM practitioners, helping to increase their chances of project success by properly handling inescapable project-complexity and deep-uncertainty implications in specific contexts.

This book entitled, The Pearl Millet Genome, is the first comprehensive compilation of deliberations on history, domestication, genetic and genomic resources, traditional breeding, genetic diversity, molecular maps and mapping of important biotic stress as well as nutritional quality traits, whole genome sequencing and comparative genomics, functional genomics, genetic transformation. The economic, nutritional, and health importance of the pearl millet is also discussed. It also presents the input use efficiency and wide adaptation of the crop. Altogether, the book will contain about 200 pages over 10 chapters authored by globally reputed experts on the relevant field in this crop. This book will be useful to the students, teachers, and scientists in the academia and relevant private companies interested in genetics, pathology, molecular genetics and breeding, genetic engineering, structural and functional genomics, and nutritional quality aspects of the crop. This book will also be also useful to seed and pharmaceutical industries.

The book is intended as a primer and discusses the main areas within judgment and decision making. However, these topics are not siloed. Instead, a narrative arc throughout the book has a higher level of critical appraisal of the key concepts and how they relate to some of the big questions about the nature of human rationality. The book begins by introducing two perspectives on rationality. The first describes how we decide on the goodness of a decision. This is a surprisingly recent concept called Rational Choice Theory, which was formed from a collection of books written around the time of the Second World War, that deal with how we think about risk as a probability and goodness as utility. In short, Rational Choice Theory argues that to be rational, people should always make the decision that maximizes subjective expected utility. The book goes on to describe the consensus view that emerged in the late 1960s and came to dominate our thinking about decision making, namely that people rarely make rational decisions. In fact, many Nobel prizes have been handed out for work showing that humans are not rational creatures (e.g. Daniel Kahneman, Richard Thaler, Robert Shiller). The book concludes with recent theoretical developments in our understanding of how people make decisions that reconcile Rational Choice Theory with human irrationality.Although aimed primarily at second year undergraduates studying judgement and decision making as a core component of cognitive psychology, the book will also be relevant to third year electives in and MSc programmes. The book will also interest undergraduates studying economics, and undergraduates studying more general degrees in liberal arts or natural science. As an introductory text the book assumes no prior knowledge of judgement and decision making, cognitive psychology or economics. However, the level of the book assumes that the reader is familiar with academic texts and has experience of critical thinking. A key requirement of the reader is a willingness to relate academic concepts to the real world, and to try and understand the bigger picture about human psychology and its place in society.

This book offers a comprehensive collection of introductory experiments in nuclear and cosmic ray physics utilizing Geiger counters. It features over 50 experiments with brief explanations of the physics involved, guidance on setting up educational and amateur experiments, and showcases actual results. The experiments cover the fundamentals of Geiger counters for detecting alpha, beta, gamma, and cosmic radiation, assessing detector performance, monitoring radiation in various environments and sources, conducting coincidence experiments, and applying counting statistics and analysis algorithms. Additionally, introductory chapters delve into radiation principles, interactions with matter, and the history of particle detectors, particularly Geiger counters. With the widespread availability of modern, affordable Geiger detectors and DIY devices, many experiments are suitable for high school and university students, aligning with modern physics curricula. The author has conducted some of these experiments himself over the past 20 years with third-year physics students. The book is also addressed to amateur scientists and a broad audience interested in exploring radiation phenomena. It features around 250 original illustrations and references to historical experiments and contemporary findings.