"Three Roads to Quantum Gravity" is a book written by physicist Lee Smolin, published in 2001. In this work, Smolin explores various approaches to developing a theory of quantum gravity—an area of theoretical physics that seeks to reconcile the principles of quantum mechanics with those of general relativity, which describes gravity.
Population models are mathematical and statistical frameworks used to describe and analyze the dynamics of population changes over time. These models help researchers and policymakers understand how populations grow, decline, and interact with their environment. Population models are widely used in various fields, including ecology, sociology, economics, and epidemiology. There are several types of population models, including: 1. **Exponential Growth Model**: This model represents a population that grows continuously without any limitations.
Age class structure, often referred to as age structure or age distribution, is a demographic representation of the population divided into different age groups or classes. This framework helps in understanding the population dynamics and the potential impact of different age groups on society, economics, and the environment.
Irruptive growth refers to a rapid and often temporary increase in the population size of a species, typically in response to favorable environmental conditions, such as an abundance of resources, decreased predation, or a lack of competition. This pattern of growth is characterized by swift increases in numbers that can lead to a population exceeding the normal carrying capacity of its environment.
As of my last knowledge update in October 2021, "Isodar" does not refer to a widely recognized term, brand, or concept in mainstream discourse. It is possible that it could be a name of a specific product, a company, or a term that has gained significance after that date.
A Metzler matrix is a special type of square matrix in which all of its off-diagonal elements are non-negative.
Hyperbolic growth refers to a specific type of growth in which a quantity increases rapidly and disproportionately over time, following a hyperbolic function. In mathematical terms, it typically represents growth that can be modeled by a hyperbola, resulting in a curve that approaches asymptotes but never actually meets them. In practical terms, hyperbolic growth is often characterized by: 1. **Rapid Increase**: The rate of growth accelerates quickly.
Rhodium (Rh) has several isotopes, but the most notable ones are: 1. **Rhodium-103 (Rh-103)**: This is the only stable isotope of rhodium and makes up nearly all naturally occurring rhodium. It has a nuclear spin of 1/2 and is commonly used in various applications, including catalytic converters and jewelry.
Relative species abundance refers to the proportion of different species in a given ecological community or environment. It measures how common or rare a species is relative to other species within the same community. This concept helps ecologists and biologists understand the structure and dynamics of ecosystems, as it provides insight into the diversity and health of a specific habitat. Relative species abundance can be expressed in various ways, often as a percentage or ratio.
Popular democracy is a political concept that emphasizes the direct participation of citizens in decision-making processes, rather than relying solely on elected representatives. It is often associated with grassroots movements and collective involvement in governance, aiming to empower individuals and communities in shaping policies and practices that affect their lives. Key features of popular democracy include: 1. **Direct Participation**: Citizens have opportunities to engage directly in political processes, such as through referendums, initiatives, and public assemblies.
Ideal Free Distribution (IFD) is a concept in ecology that describes how individuals distribute themselves among different habitats or patches of resources in a way that maximizes their fitness. The theory is based on the assumptions that individuals are free to move between patches and will do so based on the availability of resources, such as food or breeding sites. Key principles of the Ideal Free Distribution include: 1. **Resource Availability:** Individuals will preferentially exploit patches that offer more resources because these patches can support more individuals.
In the context of biology, particularly in biological statistics or ecology, the term "marginal distribution" often refers to the distribution of a particular variable while marginalizing or disregarding the effects of other variables. This concept is widely used in the analysis of complex biological data sets where multiple variables may interact or influence an outcome. Here's a more detailed breakdown of the concept: 1. **Distribution**: A distribution describes how values of a random variable are distributed, showing the likelihood of different outcomes.
Micromort is a software application that helps users understand and quantify risk, particularly related to health and safety. The term "micromort" itself refers to a unit of risk measurement, specifically the risk of death associated with a particular event, which is quantified as a one in a million chance of death. For example, certain activities, experiences, or medical procedures can be assigned a micromort value based on statistical data pertaining to their associated risks.
Moran's theorem is a result in the field of probability theory that pertains to random walks and, more generally, to stochastic processes. Named after the statistician Patrick A. P. Moran, the theorem addresses the convergence properties of a certain class of random walks on a mathematical structure called a "graph" or more specifically, on the integers or other types of lattices.
Mouse plagues in Australia refer to significant outbreaks of mouse populations that can occur in various regions, particularly in agricultural areas. These plagues are characterized by sudden and dramatic increases in mouse numbers, which can lead to widespread crop damage, economic loss, and challenges for farmers. Key features of mouse plagues include: 1. **Population Boom**: Mouse populations can explode due to favorable conditions, such as abundant food (often from crops), mild weather, and a lack of natural predators.
Overpopulation of domestic pets refers to a situation where the number of pets, particularly dogs and cats, exceeds the capacity of the environment or community to care for them adequately. This issue often leads to various problems, including: 1. **Stray Animals**: Many pets become abandoned or lost and end up living on the streets. This can lead to overcrowded animal shelters, where there are not enough resources to care for all the animals.
The "rescue effect" is a concept in ecology that describes a phenomenon where a population that has experienced a decline, due to various factors such as environmental change, habitat disturbance, or other threats, can receive support or "rescue" from neighboring populations. This can occur through mechanisms like immigration, where individuals from stable or thriving populations move into the area with declining numbers, thereby increasing the genetic diversity and population size of the affected group.
R/K selection theory is an ecological concept that describes two reproductive strategies that organisms use in response to their environments. It was developed by ecologists Robert MacArthur and Eric Pianka in the 1960s to explain the evolutionary strategies of different species in terms of their reproductive investment and population dynamics. - **R-selection** (or r-strategy): This strategy favors high reproductive rates and is typically seen in unstable or unpredictable environments.
Intelligent Governance for the 21st Century refers to a conceptual framework or approach that emphasizes the use of advanced technologies, data-driven decision-making, and innovative public policies to address complex social, economic, and environmental challenges. This approach recognizes that traditional governance models may struggle to cope with the rapid pace of change and complexity in today's world.
Polyphenism is a phenomenon in biology where a single genotype can produce multiple distinct phenotypes depending on environmental conditions. This means that the same genetic makeup can lead to different physical appearances, behaviors, or physiological traits based on external factors such as temperature, diet, social environment, or other environmental stimuli. Polyphenism is often observed in various species, particularly in insects, amphibians, and plants.

Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project

Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
We have two killer features:
  1. topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculus
    Articles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
    • a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
    • a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
    This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.
    Figure 1.
    Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page
    . View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivative
  2. local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:
    This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
    Figure 2.
    You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either https://OurBigBook.com or as a static website
    .
    Figure 3.
    Visual Studio Code extension installation
    .
    Figure 4.
    Visual Studio Code extension tree navigation
    .
    Figure 5.
    Web editor
    . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally.
    Video 3.
    Edit locally and publish demo
    . Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension.
    Video 4.
    OurBigBook Visual Studio Code extension editing and navigation demo
    . Source.
  3. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook-media/master/feature/x/hilbert-space-arrow.png
  4. Infinitely deep tables of contents:
    Figure 6.
    Dynamic article tree with infinitely deep table of contents
    .
    Descendant pages can also show up as toplevel e.g.: ourbigbook.com/cirosantilli/chordate-subclade
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact