Springer Praxis Books

This book updates the first edition for the status of knowledge in the physics of lake ice and the interactions between the ice cover and the liquid water underneath. Since the first edition was written in 2013, there has been a lot of progress in the field, in particular concerning environmental questions and the impact of climate change. Life conditions in ice-covered lakes and practical matters are now brought more into the picture so that the revision also properly serves as a handbook for applications. The author has worked widely with boreal lakes, polar lakes and Central Asian lakes that provides a wide geographical spectrum.

Chapter 1 gives a brief overview and presents the research fields. The second chapter contains the classification of ice-covered lakes and observation techniques, especially remote sensing. In Chapter 3, the structure and properties of lake ice are presented including optics and geochemistry. Ice growth and melting are treated in Chapter 4, while the following chapter focuses on ice mechanics with applications to traffic on ice and ice loads. Chapter 6 goes into the exotic environment of pro-glacial lakes. Chapter 7 contains the stratification and circulation of the water body beneath lake ice, Chapter 8 presents the winter ecology of freezing lakes and discusses the lake ice interface toward the society, and Chapter 9 summarizes the climate change impact on lake ice seasons. The book ends into a brief closing chapter and list of references. Research problems for student learning are listed throughout the book. Annexes are included to provide numerical data of constants and standard formulae to help practical calculations and student tasks.

This book gives a detailed discussion of the initial enthusiasm triggered by the discovery of x-rays and radioactive radiation which later turned into fear and repulsion in a significant part of the global population up to the 21^st century.

The author concludes that low doses of radiation are safe and can even be beneficial (as known from medical radiation treatment); and also that the natural radiation background is necessary for the normal growth and development and well-being of a living organism. The author also discusses cases and effects of large doses, arguing, however, that dangerous doses of radiation are very unlikely. 

This book challenges radio-phobia. It not only offers arguments helping to overcome an unreasonable fear but, based on the latest understanding of science, argues to gradually move back, not to the former radio-euphoria, but to a new, conscious attitude towards radiation.

This highly praised textbook and reference work examines the basic elements of living systems: energy, chemistry, solvents, and habitats in crucial depth. These elements define the opportunities and limitations for life on other worlds. The book argues that life forms we would recognize may be more common in our solar system than many assume. It also considers, however, the possibility of exotic forms of life based on chemistries other than carbon, liquids other than water, and energy other than light. The authors offer an operational definition of life and summarize prevailing thoughts on plausible pathways for its origin on Earth and other worlds. They discuss remarkable adaptations to extreme environments, the nature and detection of biosignatures and possible technosignatures, the future and fate of living systems, and suggestions for the optimization of future exploratory space missions.

The entire text has been thoroughly updated in this fourth edition, with special focus on exoplanets, robotic exploration, synthetic life, detection of life, and life in extreme environments. New sections have been added on international space initiatives, updated plans for human missions to the Moon and Mars, the Fermi Paradox, and current controversies in astrobiology.

The growing impact of artificial intelligence on robotic exploration of the universe and the coevolution of organic and mechanical forms of life in the future are considered. While informed speculation in this emerging field cannot be avoided, the authors have clearly distinguished between known facts and reasonable expectations. They present an objective assessment of the plausibility of life on other worlds that is broad and deep enough for advanced students and experts in astrobiology, while avoiding scientific jargon as much as possible to make this intrinsically interdisciplinary subject understandable to a broad range of readers.