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Im 1835 erschienenen Buch Systematische Zusammenstellung aller bis jetzt bekannten und anwendbaren Düngerarten von Franz Damance (ordentlichem Mitgliede des landwithschaftlichen Vereins vom Baden) finden sich alle bis dahin gebräuchlichen Düngeraten nebst Angabe ihrer Gewinnung, Zubereitung und Anwendung. Einige dieser Düngerarten sind heute befremdlich und verboten. So wird zum Beispiel das Düngen mit flüssigem Blut die meisten Hörer wohl eher an einen Horrorfilm erinnern. Andere Düngerarten, wie die vielen aufgeführten Gründünger, sind aber sicherlich auch heute noch für den ökologischen Gärtner von Interesse. So bietet das Buch aus heutiger Sicht nicht nur altes Fachwissen, sondern sicherlich auch einen gewissen Unterhaltungswert, wenn es darum geht zu erfahren, was anno dazumal alles auf den Acker aufgebracht wurde. (Einführung von Dirk Weber)...

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Science

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Der dreiteilige Aufsatz über Die Helden des Dampfes wurde mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit von Karl May verfaßt und veröffentlicht in Schacht und Hütte. Blätter zur Unterhaltung und Belehrung für Berg- Hütten- und Maschinenarbeiter. (Dresden 1875). Eine Zeitschrift, die 1875/76 etwa ein Jahr lang von Karl May als Redakteur konzipiert und betreut wurde und im Verlag H. G. Münchmeyer erschien. Der Aufsatz erschien im 1. Jahrgang aufgeteilt auf die Nummern 2, 4 und 7. Bereits in der Nummer 1 erschien zudem ein Aufsatz mit dem Titel Mit Dampf um den Erdball, welcher hier als Anhang mit aufgenommen wurde. (Zusammenfassung von Karl-May-Wiki und Wassermann)...

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Science

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Science, Nature, Instruction

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Being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration of the Ship Fram, 1893-96 and of a Fifteen Months' Sleigh Journey by Dr. Nansen and Lieut. Johansen / by Fridtjof Nansen ; with an Appendix by Otto Sverdrup (Summary by Fridtjof Nansen)...

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Memoirs, Science, Adventure

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Gene Stratton-Porter (August 17, 1863 - December 6, 1924) was an American author, amateur naturalist, wildlife photographer, specializing in the birds and moths in one of the last of the vanishing wetlands of the lower Great Lakes Basin. The Limberlost and Wildflower Woods of northeastern Indiana were the laboratory and inspiration for her stories, novels, essays, photography, and movies. She was an accomplished author, artist and photographer and is generally considered to be one of the first female authors to promulgate public positions; conserving the Limberlost Swamp in her case. Although Stratton-Porter wanted to focus on nature books, it was her romantic novels that made her famous and generated the finances that allowed her to pursue her nature studies. In Moths of the Limberlost , she shares her lifelong love of the moths she describes through a series of charming anecdotes and wonderfully descriptive passages, providing vivid detail of each stage of their life cycles. (Summary adapted from wikipedia and expanded by J. M. Smallheer)...

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Nature, Science

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This is a textbook on the science of blood and bloodwork by (1908) Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Paul Ehrlich. Should appeal to hematologists, phlebotomists, and just plain folks interested in how our bodies work. (Summary by BellonaTimes)...

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Science

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Do you know the difference between sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks? Are you interested in their geologic origin, chemical composition or how each type affects the landscape? Do you know the differences between limestone, granite and marble as building materials? You will find these and lots of other interesting facts about rocks in this second edition of Rocks and Their Origins published in 1922. The author, Grenville A. J. Cole, was an English geologist, Professor of Geology in the Royal College of Science for Ireland and an avid cyclist. (summary by J. M. Smallheer)...

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Science

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The golden section is a line segment sectioned into two according to the golden ratio. The total length a+b is to the longer segment a as a is to the shorter segment b. In mathematics and the arts, two quantities are in the golden ratio if the ratio between the sum of those quantities and the larger one is the same as the ratio between the larger one and the smaller. The golden ratio is a mathematical constant, approximately 1.6180339887.... At least since the Renaissance, many artists and architects have proportioned their works to approximate the golden ratio—especially in the form of the golden rectangle, in which the ratio of the longer side to the shorter is the golden ratio—believing this proportion to be aesthetically pleasing. Mathematicians have studied the golden ratio because of its unique and interesting properties. (From Wikipedia)...

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Science

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A recording of the first 2000 prime numbers (2-17389). Recommended listening for all math geeks and insomniacs!

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Science

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Astronomy is known as the oldest of the sciences, and it will be the longest-lived because it will always have arcana that have not been penetrated.-Excerpt from the Preface of Curiosities of the Sky by Garrett Serviss...

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Science

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The Book of the Damned was the first published nonfiction work of the author Charles Fort (first edition 1919). Dealing with various types of anomalous phenomena including UFOs, strange falls of both organic and inorganic materials from the sky, odd weather patterns, the possible existence of creatures generally held to be mythological, disappearances of people under strange circumstances, and many other phenomena, the book is historically considered to be the first written in the specific field of anomalistics. - Summary from Wikipedia...

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Science, Nature

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The famous physicist Sir Isaac Newton lectured on optics from 1670 - 1672. He worked on refraction of light into colored beams using prisms and discovered chromatic aberration. He also postulated the corpuscular form of light and an ether to transmit forces between the corpuscles. His Opticks, first published 1704 contains his postulates about the topic. This is the fourth edition in English, from 1730, which Newton corrected from the third edition before his death. (Summary by Availle)...

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Nature, Science

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A history of woman's role in science through the ages and the many contributions she has made. (summary by Guero)

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Science, History

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Plain speaking is necessary in any discussion of religion, for if the freethinker attacks the religious dogmas with hesitation, the orthodox believer assumes that it is with regret that the freethinker would remove the crutch that supports the orthodox. And all religious beliefs are crutches hindering the free locomotive efforts of an advancing humanity. There are no problems related to human progress and happiness in this age which any theology can solve, and which the teachings of freethought cannot do better and without the aid of encumbrances. (Summary from the preface)...

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Religion, Science

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Being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration of the Ship Fram, 1893-96 and of a Fifteen Months' Sleigh Journey by Dr. Nansen and Lieut. Johansen / by Fridtjof Nansen ; with an Appendix by Otto Sverdrup (Summary by Fridtjof Nansen)...

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Science, Adventure, History

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Through delightful outings with her students, a teacher introduces her class to the fascinating world of insects. She encourages her students to observe and ask questions. This is a wonderful science text for young children. (Summary by Laura Caldwell)...

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Children, Science

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In 1907 Wallace wrote the short book Is Mars Habitable? to criticize the claims made by Percival Lowell that there were Martian canals built by intelligent beings. Wallace did months of research, consulted various experts, and produced his own scientific analysis of the martian climate and atmospheric conditions. Among other things Wallace pointed out that spectroscopic analysis had shown no signs of water vapour in the Martian atmosphere, that Lowell's analysis of Mars's climate was seriously flawed and badly overestimated the surface temperature, and that low atmospheric pressure would make liquid water, let alone a planet girding irrigation system, impossible. (from Wikipedia)...

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Science, Essay/Short nonfiction

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How do you tell apart a parrot from a carrot? A plover from a clover? A bay from a jay? Although there are several ways of differentiating, R. W. Wood’s use of pun and rhyme is one of the most entertaining! (Summary by Andrea L.)...

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Comedy, Science, Children, Poetry

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While many scientific men now understand our place in the universe, we electrons are anxious that every person should know the very important part which we play in the workaday world. It was for this reason that my fellow-electrons urged me to write my own biography. I am pleased to say that my relationship with the scribe who has put down my story in the following pages has been of the most friendly description. I have allowed him to place what he calls The Scribe's Note at the beginning of each chapter, but it will be understood clearly that these are merely convenient embellishments, and that I am responsible for the story of my own experiences. (Introduction adapted from the text)...

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Children, Science

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The experiments herewith reported were undertaken with the view of introducing certain improvements into the oil-drop method of determining e and N and thus obtaining a higher accuracy than had before been possible in the evaluation of these most fundamental constants.Physical Review, Vol. II, No. 2...

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Essay/Short nonfiction, Science