How far back does the oldest human (hominid) date from?

A)     250,000 years
B)     500,000 years
C)     1,000,000 years
D)     2.3 million years
E)     4.4 million years

Before I give you the answer (and before you search it online), you might want to know that back in 2005, National Geographic launched its Genographic Project. National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Spencer Wells and his team of renowned international scientists began using the latest in genetic computational technologies to analyze historical patterns in DNA from participants around the globe to obtain further insight into our genetic origins.  The project is ongoing and you can participate and discover the migration paths your ancient ancestors followed thousands of years ago.

Ardipithecus ramidus

And the answer to question #1 is E. Named “Ardi,” (short for Ardipithecus ramidus) an international team of paleontologists discovered the oldest known skeleton of a potential human ancestor in Aramis, Ethiopia back in the early 1990’s. Some debate still remains whether Ardi is indeed the oldest human ancestor ever found. According to Tim White, paleontologist at the University of Berkeley’s Human Evolution Research Center, “It’s not a chimp. It’s not a human. “

Pop Quiz question #2.

What time period is generally considered the dawning of the Industrial Revolution?

A)     1760
B)     1780
C)     1800
D)     1820
E)      1840

Richard Trevithick (1771-1833)

Before we pick a date, let’s quickly remind ourselves of the one of the most influential and unsung heroes of the Industrial Revolution, Richard Trevithick.  A British inventor and mining engineer, it took years of experimentation and frustration for Trevithick to finally bring to life the world’s first high pressure cylindrical boiler and the first full-scale working railway steam locomotive, all around the turn of the 19^th century.

Did you answer question #2? It was Arnold Toynbee, famous 19^th century British economist and social reformer, who is first credited with describing England’s economic development from 1760 to 1840 as the “Industrial Revolution.” Answer A.

To encourage further study and learning on the major historical developments of humanity’s past, Questia is opening its doors to five of the top most researched history books and articles from our library. These books and articles were individually selected by our librarians and each one will spur you on as you plow into your history studies.

Prehistory: A Very Short Introduction

Author: Chris Gosden

This VSI to prehistory will introduce the reader to four and a half million years of human existence. Many of the familiar aspects of modern life are no more than a century or two old, yet our deep social structures and skills were in large measure developed by small bands of our prehistoric ancestors many millennia ago. Chris Gosden invites us to think seriously about who we are by considering who we have been.

Women’s Influence on Classical Civilization

Editors: Fiona Mchardy, Eireann Marshall

Written by an international range of renowned academics, this volume explores how women in antiquity influenced aspects of culture normally though of as male. Looking at politics, economics, science, law and the arts, the contributors examine examples from around the ancient world asking how far traditional definitions of culture describe male spheres of activity, and examining to what extent these spheres were actually created and perpetuated by women.

The Oxford History of Medieval Europe

Editor: George Holme

Covering a thousand years of history, this volume tells the story of the creation of Western civilization in Europe and the Mediterranean. Now available in a compact, more convenient format, it offers the same text and many of the illustrations which first appeared in the widely acclaimed Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe. Written by expert scholars and based on the latest research, the book explores a period of profound diversity and change, focusing on all aspects of medieval history

The Industrial Revolution in World History. Edition: 2nd

Author: Peter N. Stearns

This concise, accessible new edition from noted historian Peter N. Stearns examines the industrial revolution as a global phenomenon, in terms of causes and results extending through the 20th century and into the present.

The “New” Cold War History and the Origins of the Cold War

Author: Joseph M Siracusa

Siracusa writes his own analysis on the meaning and significance of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. In 1998, the United States Congress passed legislation recognizing the dates of the Cold War as starting in September 2, 1945 and lasting until December 26, 1991.

For more information on human history, check out Questia’s topic page on archeology. 

Science articles and science books

We at Questia know that college students will never want to be faced with such a drastic situation as poor Varvara, but it sure helps to know that as a resource, we’re able to offer you a bundle of excellent source materials to guide you in your research. Science students using Questia’s rich database can find the following:

• More than thirty four thousand online books that cover a wide range of scientific writings, case studies, popular culture
• More than five thousand academic journal articles taken from science trade books and journals
• More than seven thousand magazine articles
• Nearly twenty thousand newspaper articles ranging from quantum mechanics to scientific ethics

A sample of Questia’s top archived science books include: Connected Knowledge: Science, Philosophy, and Education; Science, Technology, and Society: An Encyclopedia; A House Built on Sand: Exposing Postmodernist Myths about Science, and The Einstein Paradox and Other Science Mysteries Solved by Sherlock Holmes by Colin Bruce. Readers of The Einstein Paradox are introduced to the bizarre concepts of modern physics as the only way to solve a casebook of otherwise impossibly paradoxical crimes.

Below is a snapshot of science books and articles taken from Questia’s archives. We’ve included short descriptions of each book to provide you with a preview of just what’s in store for you when you begin exploring Questia.

Disease and Medicine in World History

By Sheldon Watts

Publisher: Routledge. Place of publication: New York. Publication year: 2003

Drawing on case studies from ancient Egypt to present-day America, Asia and Europe, this survey discusses concepts of sickness and forms of treatment in many cultures. Author Sheldon Watts shows that many medical practices in the past were shaped as much by philosophers and metaphysicians as by university-trained doctors and other practitioners.

The Long Thaw: How Humans Are Changing the Next 100,000 Years of Earth’s Climate

By David Archer

Publisher: Princeton University Press. Place of publication: Princeton, NJ. Publication year: 2010.

In The Long Thaw, David Archer, one of the world’s leading climatologists, predicts that if we continue to emit carbon dioxide we may eventually cancel the next ice age and raise the oceans by 50 meters. The great ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland may take more than a century to melt, and the overall change in sea level will be one hundred times what is forecast for 2100.

How Mathematicians Think: Using Ambiguity, Contradiction, and Paradox to Create Mathematics

Contributors: William Byers – Author.

Publisher: Princeton University Press. Place of publication: Princeton, NJ. Publication year: 2010.

To many outsiders, mathematicians appear to think like computers, grimly grinding away with a strict formal logic and moving methodicallyfrom one black-and-white deduction to another. Yet mathematicians often describe their most important breakthroughs as creative, intuitive responses to ambiguity, contradiction, and paradox. A unique examination of this less-familiar aspect of mathematics, How Mathematicians Think reveals that mathematics is a profoundly creative activity and not just a body of formalized rules and results.

“Curiosity Goes to Mars: NASA’s Rover Looks for Life-Friendly Environments“

Contributors: Drake, Nadia – Author.

Magazine title: Science News. Volume: 182. Issue: 13 Publication date: December 29, 2012.

This is an essay on NASA’s recent feat of safely landing a rover, called Curiosity, on the planet Mars. Curiosity’s principle objective is to characterize habitable environments on the Martian landscape.

100 Greatest Science Inventions of All Time

Contributors: Kendall Haven – Editor.

Publisher: Libraries Unlimited. Place of publication: Westport, CT. Publication year: 2006.

This book presents fascinating facts about 100 amazing inventions, a panoramic overview of the history of science, and a collection of engaging reads. It is a useful tool for teachers and students to learn about inventions and their critical role in human development.

Before the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955, air pollution was not considered a national environmental problem. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Climate change is something the Earth has experienced since its creation. Scientists first started theorizing about the reasons for these changes in the 19th century. Over the past 200 years, studies have highlighted the negative causes and effects of changes to our planet’s weather and the resulting environmental issues. Environmental and Earth sciences have become very hot topics in the last several decades, particularly relating to energy and the environment. As people and governments debate about the future of our planet, how we will provide energy and fuel for our citizens, and the dramatic shifts in the climate and weather patterns, we have all have begun to see the need for cooperation and education.

To take part in this ongoing conversation about ways to halt further environmental damage and take advantage of some free reading, Questia is sharing the top five most researched books and articles on climate change from our library. Each has been hand-picked by our librarians, and any one of them will give you insight into your next research paper on environmental issues.

The Long Thaw: How Humans Are Changing the Next 100,000 Years of Earth’s Climate by David Archer

Think climate change means slightly hotter weather and a modest rise in sea levels? Think again. In The Long Thaw, David Archer, one of the world’s leading climatologists, predicts that if we continue to emit carbon dioxide, we may eventually cancel the next ice age and raise the oceans by 50 meters. Archer shows how just a few centuries of fossil-fuel use will cause not only a climate storm that will last a few hundred years, but also create dramatic climate changes that will last thousands of years. Archer argues that it is still not too late to avert dangerous climate change—if humans can find a way to work together.

WHO: Air Pollution a Continuing Health Threat in World’s Cities by Donya Currie

Air pollution is threatening health in many cities worldwide. According to World Health Organization data, in an article published in The Nation’s Health, more than 2 million people die yearly from breathing indoor and outdoor pollution. The WHO analyzed data from nearly 1,100 cities across 91 countries and found only a few meet the WHO air quality guideline for exposure to the most dangerous type of pollution particles. Calling for local action, national policies and international agreements to curb pollution, the agency believes the best way the information can be used is for cities to monitor their own trends in air pollution over time to identify and improve their interventions.

Fracking Fury by Janna Pallise

Hydraulic fracturing, also known as “fracking” or “hydrofracking,” has garnered a lot of attention from the media lately. Used first in the 1940s, hydraulic fracturing, or HF, has opened up new areas of gas development in natural gas reservoirs such as shale, coalbed and tight sands. Pallise’s article, published in Science Scope, focuses on HF in shale reservoirs and looks at the pros and cons of hydraulic fracturing in gas production, as well as the details behind the mechanics of the process.

Revisiting a Hazardous Waste Site 25 Years Later by Glenn Harris and Leah Nelson

In 1980, Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), which established the Superfund program to address the illegal disposal of hazardous waste. Two years after that, the Journal of Environmental Health published one of the earliest articles to report on a classic instance of “midnight dumping” and corporate abandonment leaving an orphaned hazardous waste site for others to deal with. Harris and Nelson take a look at what remedial actions were taken and what we can learn from the site, located in a rural area of the St. Lawrence River Valley in northern New York, adjacent to the Canadian border.

Genetically Modified Planet: Environmental Impacts of Genetically Engineered Plants by C. Neal Stewart Jr.

Genetically modified plants are currently causing controversy worldwide; a great deal has been written about their supposed environmental effects. However, the newspaper headlines and public debates often provide a level of reasoning akin to “this is your brain on genetically modified corn,” which is to say, they exclude or exaggerate the actual scientific research on the impacts of these plants. Genetically Modified Planet goes beyond the rhetoric to investigate for concerned consumers the actual state of scientific research on genetically modified plants. Stewart argues that while there are indeed real and potential risks of growing engineered crops, there are also real and overwhelmingly positive environmental benefits.

What are some of your environmental concerns? Let us know in the comments below.

As we all know, nutrition is a hot topic in the United States all year round and makes for fascinating research as more and more information is discovered on subjects from health and fitness to nutrition and dieting. To celebrate National Nutrition Month here at Questia, we’re sharing some of our best content on nutrition for free for a whole month! These books are all librarian-selected and approved for use in high-quality research papers. Check out the five below books to get your research started, and you’ll be ready to write and research like a pro.

The Nature of Nutrition: A Unifying Framework from Animal Adaptation to Human Obesity

Authors: Stephen J. Simpson and David Raubenheimer

Nutrition has long been considered more the domain of medicine and agriculture than of the biological sciences, yet it touches and shapes all aspects of the natural world. The need for nutrients determines whether wild animals thrive, how populations evolve and decline, and how ecological communities are structured. The Nature of Nutrition is the first book to address nutrition’s enormously complex role in biology, both at the level of individual organisms and in their broader ecological interactions.

Public Health Nutrition: From Principles to Practice

Editors: Mark Lawrence and Tony Worsley

A systematic, research-based overview of the central principles and practice issues in the growing field of public health nutrition. With chapters by leading international experts, this is essential reading for practitioners and students in public health, nutrition, health policy and related fields.

Controversies in Food and Nutrition

Authors: Myrna Chandler Goldstein and Mark A. Goldstein

You can never have too many vitamins, until they kill you. Eat meat, but avoid beef, chicken, turkey, and pork. Packaged foods are more efficiently preserved than they were 100 years ago — but should we actually eat the stuff? Consumers are besieged with conflicting messages about food and nutrition, making it difficult for the average customer to know what to believe. Is anything safe at McDonald’s? Do carbohydrates cause obesity? This provocative new resource explores 15 common controversies in the field of food and nutrition.

A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition

Authors: Arnold E. Bender and David A. Bender

This leading dictionary contains over 6,150 entries covering all aspects of food and nutrition, diet and health, including 150 entries new to this edition. From absinthe to zymogens, the volume offers jargon-free definitions that clearly explain even the most technical of nutritional terms, covering types of food (including everyday foods, little-known foods such as payusnaya, and dishes from around the world, from accoub and fair maids tomushy peas and zakuska), nutritional information, vitamins, minerals, and much more.

The Psychology of Eating and Drinking. Edition: 3rd

Author: A. W. Logue

Our fascination with eating and drinking behaviours and their causes has resulted in a huge industry of food-related pop science. Every bookstore and magazine stand is filled with publications promising to get your child to eat his vegetables, to tell you if someone you know has an eating disorder, or to show you how to lose weight. But the degree to which any of these works is based on scientific research is very limited: the information offered is at best incomplete and often simply incorrect. However, in contrast to this popular literature, the scientific research on eating and drinking behaviours is usually too technical for the general reader. Alexandra Logue’s The Psychology of Eating and Drinking, Third Edition, is unique in being a textbook that can also be comprehended by the educated general reader.

Visit Questia for even more research on Nutrition and the Psychology of Eating. Check out the National Nutrition Month page on Facebook for tips and info on nutrition.

We at Questia continue to pursue our goal of providing high quality, scholarly books, articles, journals and when it comes to quantitative research, we make no exception: 

• More than 11,000 full-text online books across a wide range of subjects
• Nearly seven thousand academic journal articles
• Nearly two thousand magazine articles
• More than one thousand newspaper articles

For example, on social sciences you’ll find 32 thousand books, 8,000 + academic journal articles, 4,000+ magazine articles, and 5,000+ newspaper articles, including more than 100 encyclopedia articles. If you’re studying quantitative models in marketing research, Questia has 8,000+ books, 7,000+ academic journals, 22,000+ magazine articles, and 25,000+ newspaper articles.

Sourcing qualitative and quantitative data can help you in your research. Today’s major brands are routinely conducting quantitative research in order to better understand their customers. For example, games giant Sega is currently monitoring the long-term brand performance and positioning for one of its games, looking at its strengths among its core target audience and the competition. According to Lucy Rolf, senior European research executive, “it’s important for us to move more towards quantitative research, ensuring we get a long-term detailed view of audiences.”

If you are in the midst of conducting quantitative research as part of your studies, you can find and cite high-quality, scholarly articles and books in the Questia digital library. We’re making available a list of excerpts from books below that tackle various topics through a quantitative methodology. Enjoy!

Social Sciences

Book title: A Tale of Two Cultures: Qualitative and Quantitative Research in the Social Sciences. Contributors: Gary Goertz – Author, James Mahoney – Author. Publisher: Princeton University Press. Place of publication: Princeton, NJ. Publication year: 2012.

This book analyzes quantitative and qualitative research in the social sciences as separate cultures. The authors repeatedly discovered ways in which qualitative and quantitative researchers vary in their methodological orientations and research practices.

History

Book title: Making History Count: A Primer in Quantitative Methods for Historians. Contributors: Charles H. Feinstein – Author, Mark Thomas – Author. Publisher: Cambridge University Press. Place of publication: Cambridge, England. Publication year: 2002.

Authors Charles H. Feinstein and Mark Thomas focus on three principal objectives: Provide an elementary and very informal introduction to the fundamental concepts and techniques of modern quantitative methods; help students understand and interpret the content and terminology of statistical packages available for computers; appreciate how using case studies and other examples of quantitative methods can open up new of an enquiry and can supplement and strengthen other methods of research.

Psychology

Book title: Mixing Methods in Psychology: The Integration of Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Theory and Practice. Contributors: Zazie Todd – Editor, Brigitte Nerlich – Editor, Suzanne McKeown – Editor, David D. Clarke – Editor. Publisher: Psychology Press. Place of publication: New York. Publication year: 2004.

Qualitative methods are a growth area in psychology. Few books have attempted to bridge the gulf between the newer qualitative methods and the older quantitative methods used in psychology and social sciences. It is the aim of the authors to explore some of these issues around the qualitative-quantitative divide in psychology, looking at both the theoretical and practical considerations of a mixed-method approach.

Marketing

Book title: Quantitative Models in Marketing Research. Contributors: Philip Hans Franses – Author, Richard Paap – Author. Publisher: Cambridge University Press. Place of publication: Cambridge, England. Publication year: 2001.

Authors Philip Hans Frances and Richard Paap present the most important and practically relevant quantitative models for marketing research. Each model includes a demonstration of the mechanics of the model, empirical analysis, real world examples, and an interpretation of results and findings.

Social Work

Book title: Social Work Research and Evaluation: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. Edition: 7th. Contributors: Richard M. Grinnell Jr. – Editor, Yvonne A. Unrau – Editor. Publisher: Oxford University Press. Place of publication: New York. Publication year: 2005.

Contributors Richard M. Grinnell Jr. and Yvotte A. Unrau continue to emphasize how the goals of social work are furthered by the research process.  This book is the longest standing and most widely adopted text in the field of social work research and evaluation. It provides social work students with a rock-solid foundation for future statistics courses, program evaluation courses, and case-level evaluation courses.

Communication Skills Lab (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most liberal arts colleges, but not all, have core requirements — classes that you’re required to take before graduation. These requirements typically include a little bit of everything (English, math, science) to give you a well-rounded foundation of academic knowledge from which to base the rest of your college years. In these classes you’ll study history books, science books, economic articles, modern literature and even perhaps an art journal — all to help give you an education in a field that might not be your major. Learn what classes are essential for your major and for college graduation from liberal arts colleges.

Here is some advice from Patrick O’Connor, in the HuffingtonPost.com article “How Strong Is Your College Knowledge?” posted February 26, 2012: “Some colleges have graduation requirements, including specific core academic courses all students must take, while others have no core requirements at all. Make sure you know the expectations … and think about how much flexibility you want or need in your college experience — and remember, less structure isn’t always a good thing for everyone.”

What classes are included?

Introductory level courses in English and math are the most common. Basic English composition is necessary so you can compose papers and structure your thinking and writing. A course in public speaking prepares students to speak to peers, colleagues, teachers and community members intelligently and informatively. Proficiency in English and communication skills helps students studying humanities, arts, languages, business, social sciences and law.

Basic math courses in algebra and statistics help develop critical and analytical thinking. Proficiency in math skills is required for students pursuing engineering, science, finance, computer, business and medical studies. There may be other required classes, such as history, social sciences, economics, business, literature, philosophy and science. Usually you will be allowed to select one specific course in each subject (i.e. for a science requirement, you could choose between chemistry, biology, physics, etc.).

In “College Curriculum Competencies and Skills Former Students Found Essential to Their Careers” by Andrew A. Zekeri in the September 2004 issue of College Student Journal, a survey of former students revealed key college courses. “The key skills needed to improve their careers are oral communication, written communication, problem solving techniques, motivating and managing others, and setting personal and organizational goals. These competencies should be considered essential or basic skills for college graduates at the end of their general education requirements.”

Why are there core requirements?

Learn basic skills — Core requirements help freshmen develop the basic skills to function in college. Introductory classes in math, English and science prepare students to go on to more specific classes in a chosen major. It also helps new students get acclimated to college life, feel comfortable learning on a higher level and excel.

Well-rounded education — Even though college is a place to hone a specific skill in an academic major, it is also a place to take a variety of classes in many fields in order to get a well-rounded education of higher learning. Core curriculum, as reported by CollegeView.com in their post “Core Courses: Fulfilling your degree requirements,” “can vary depending on the school, program, or degree. At some schools, students must fulfill a foundation of basic, general core requirements such as reading, writing, and critical thinking, regardless of the major they plan to pursue.”

When to take required classes?

Consult your college guidebook, your career advisor and your major advisor for help with this one — they can tell you what needs to be taken when, whether it’s in a specific semester or year. Some classes, like prerequisite English composition and basic math, must be taken in the first semester, since they are skills you will need to master before going further in school. Other classes (such as science if you are a business major), can be taken any time before you graduate.

Some students prefer to take all their required classes the first year to get a taste of different academic fields. Others concentrate on their major first, then take a bunch of electives the last year before graduation. The year before you’re ready to graduate, check your transcript and list of required courses to make sure you haven’t missed any essential classes and ask your office of records about any required audits.

English: Some of the basic elements of the scientific method, arranged in a cycle to emphasize that it is an iterative process.

There’s so much information out there, how do you know what to believe? On the Internet, anyone can say anything about any subject. So consulting reputable sources is the best course of action when you’re conducting research for a science project or paper. First, learn to spot the difference between real science and “bad” science before citing Internet sources. Then look to science books, recent science articles from major magazines or websites or a science journal from a government agency for your information.

The scientific method: observation and experimentation

There’s a saying that if you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes truth. Propaganda experts exploit this failing in human nature to their advantage. “Sometimes you come across a piece of content that’s so compelling, you’re dying to use it, but you’re not 100% sure because you don’t know the source is credible,” remarked Markham Nolan in his TED Talk “How to Separate Fact and Fiction Online.” “You have to do that investigative work,” he said, as reported in Mashable.com, in “4 TED Talks Every Journalist Should Watch,” by Margaret Looney for International Journalists’ Network.

Science is not politically biased. It is not conservative or liberal. As stated in Merriam-Webster, science is: knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws especially as obtained and tested through scientific method. The scientific method is a systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses.

Good science, bad science

According to TED Talks, good science:

• can be tested and retested and verified
• is backed by experiments that generate enough data to convince other experts of its legitimacy
• is peer-reviewed by experts
• has been published in a reputable peer reviewed journal
• does not contradict the broad, accepted body of scientific knowledge

Bad science:

• is not based on repeated experimentation with similar results
• uses over-simplified interpretations of data
• explains results in imprecise or new-age language
• is generated by overconfident fringe participants who reveal the solution before the experimentation
• contradicts mainstream scientific fact

Bad science to watch out for

Watch out for science “facts” reported by people with an obvious political, religious or corporate bias. Their “scientific findings” tend to be created to further an agenda or increase profit, and their research is often funded by people or organizations expecting a certain result. Here are some examples of bad science that have been in the news lately:

• Organic food is no more healthy or nutritious than conventionally grown food, reported by researchers at Stanford University. The findings are being questioned because “the blogosphere is now filled with suspicions that Stanford downplayed the benefits of organic foods because they had received large donations from conventional agriculture giant Cargill,” reported Lynne Peeples in “Stanford Organics Study: Have Faulty Methods, Political Motivations Threatened Kids’ Health?,” September 13, 2012, in HuffingtonPost.com.
• Distortions of clinical trials for pharmaceutical drugs with company-funded researchers exaggerating the benefits or downplaying the dangers or inefficacies. Ben Goldacre, author of Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients advocates for clinical trial transparency.
• Despite what some political candidates say, women cannot “shut down” the process of conception if they are sexually assaulted. According to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, each instance of rape has a 5 percent chance of resulting in pregnancy. That compares to 3.1 percent for consensual sex, reported in the journal Human Nature.

Excellent sources for science projects

Research reputable sources such as science books, recent science articles, encyclopedias, and science presentations at conferences. Other sources include:

• Questia Science and Technology research library and paper writing resource, which has hundreds of sources for science, mathematics, astronomy, computer technology, energy, life sciences, health and medicine, and social science.
• Government agencies, such as the National Academy of Sciences, National Institutes of Health, NASA
• Science magazines, such as Popular Science, Scientific American, Sky & Telescope
• Science websites, such as ScienceDaily.com, Science.gov, HowStuffWorks.com, ScienceDirect.com, Discovery.com
• Encyclopedias, textbooks and science books in the library

Consulting reputable sources is the best course of action when you’re conducting research for a science project or paper. Use these helpful hints and you’ll be well on your way!

Giant squid photo by NASA 1999

It was once thought to be impossible, but the giant squid video released January 7, 2012 by the Discovery Channel and Japan’s National Science Museum showed that humans could actually capture film of the elusive creature in its natural habitat. In December, Discovery made the announcement that Japanese scientists had captured footage of the creature thought to have inspired the kraken of Greek Mythology, popularized in recent films such as Clash of the Titans.

“Since we’re inclined to take a ‘pics or it didn’t happen’ view of the world over here, it’s safe to say that we were all dubious of the claim, especially when past experience has shown that such overhyped discoveries are often run-of-the-mill colossal squid that don’t even merit a second glance,” wrote Steven Romano in his January 7, 2012 Geekosystem post “Giant Squid footage is actually of a giant squid, and its apparently silver.” The contributor was thrilled, however, that his cynicism was misplaced. The release of an image and a few seconds of film from the raw footage, taken by Tsunemi Kubodera and his team, proved without a doubt that humans had ventured into the giant squid’s domain and captured proof of their visit.

Years in the making

The film captured by Kubodera was the work of more than the 400 hours he and his team spent in their research sub. Dr. Clyde Roper, one of the world’s foremost authorities on the giant squid, has been looking for a living specimen in its natural habitat for years. In 1999, Roper wrapped up an expedition into New Zealand’s Kaikoura Canyon with no sightings, though the team was able to study corpses of the creature caught in fishing nets. The Smithsonian zoologist, also funded in part by the Discovery Channel, noted how inaccessible the creature’s habitat is.

In 2004, Japanese scientists were able to capture the first photographs of the giant squid in its habitat. The same team caught a live squid and hauled it to the surface, where they filmed it, in 2006.

“For hundreds of years, stories and legends and myths have been perpetuated about these huge animals, largely because we have no biological or behavioral information about them,” Roper said in an April 18, 1999 interview, “Smithsonian in search of a giant squid,” with Karen Goldberg Goff of the Washington Times. “Giant squids are portrayed in movies and books as being fearsome beasts that attack ships and eat people. It has always been my objective to try and learn the truth about giant squid, to learn the truth about where they live and how they live and what their behavior is so I can dispel these myths. I have always believed it is much more interesting to know about the real animals than to make up stories, especially horror stories.”

Architeuthis facts

The reasons giant squid, which have the scientific name architeuthis, are so hard to study is due in part to the depth of their home environments. Some fast facts about giant squid include:

• The giant squid lives between 660 feet and 3,300 feet below sea level.
• It can grow as long as 59 feet and weigh up to a ton.
• Its eyes run about 10 inches in diameter, or about the size of a human head.
• The scientific name comes from the Greek for “ruling squid.”
• After death, the body of a giant squid decomposes rapidly, making it difficult for scientists to study the anatomy.
• The beaks of giant squid have been found in the stomachs of sperm whales.

Kubodera’s team

Traveling via research submarine, Kubodera’s team spotted the squid more than a half mile below the surface of the ocean, 620 miles south of Tokyo. Knowing that the giant squid would avoid bright lights and a loud vehicle, the team avoided those usual flaws of research vessels trying to capture footage of the squid. The specimen they discovered was small – only about three meters long – but it was missing its two longest tentacles; with them, it might have been closer to eight meters, or over 26 feet in length.

In his January 8, 2013 article “All hail the kraken: Scientists capture live footage of giant squid” Nolan Feeney of Time magazine quoted the reaction of biologist Edie Widder, a member of Kubodera’s 2012 expedition. “It looked carved out of metal. And it would change from being silver to gold. It was just breathtaking.”

The full footage will be released on January 27, 2012, on the Discovery Channel’s Monster Squid: The Giant Is Real. For more information on ocean life, visit Questia’s topic page on marine biology.

UFO or a trick of the light?

Historical events have long been debated or explained as having secret plots and covert operations, but do these conspiracy theories have academic merit? Questia is home to a wealth of information and studies on a wide range of conspiracy theories involving everything from aliens to the supposed moon landing hoax theory. To offer insight on some of these topics Questia, the premier online research and paper-writing tool for students, is making the below books on conspiracy theories free for an entire month. For even more quality research, check out our topic page on conspiracy theories. Enjoy!

September 11

Fetzer, a founder of the “Scholars for 9/11 Truth” (a non-partisan organization of students, experts and scholars) examines the devastating events of 9/11 using scientific evidence to explain the mechanics of the twin towers falling. According to the 9/11 Commission Report (2004), the twin towers were destroyed from the combined effects of airplane impact and the ensuing jet-fuel based fires, which caused the steel in the towers to weaken and the floors to collapse. However, Frank DeMartini, the project manager mused that the buildings were designed to withstand this type of impact and the planes could not have caused enough damage to bring the buildings down.  Moreover, the melting point of steel is 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit, about 1,000 higher than the maximum burning of jet-fuel-based fires. [Fetzer, James H. The 9/11 Conspiracy: The Scamming of America. Open Court: 2007]

The notion that there is life beyond Earth has been around for years as well as the debate as to whether or not UFOs exist. Unidentified Flying Objects have been reported by people from all walks of life—from professional astronomers and pilots to truck drivers and students. Edward Ruppelt, who headed “Project Blue Book” or the U.S. Air Force UFO investigation, published his memoirs and included information on military encounters and the politics of the official UFO investigation. This piece offered a contemporary look at the UFO phenomenon and at official and unofficial attempts to handle the situation. [Denzler, Brenda. The Lure of the Edge: Scientific Passions, Religious Beliefs, and the Pursuit of UFOs. University of California Press: 2001]

JFK Assassination

Did Lee Harvey Oswald kill Kennedy? Many Americans have suspected a conspiracy was responsible for the late president’s death and that Oswald did not act alone. Rather, some suspect it was a cover up for a plot orchestrated by the Dallas Police, CIA, Cuban exiles, the Mafia or Texas oil millionaires, and carried out by assassins. The Warren Commission Report states that Kennedy was shot by Oswald, the lone gunman, who in turn was then murdered by Jack Ruby. However, theorists claim there are many questions left unanswered such as how there were only three gunshots yet four bullets and how Kennedy’s throat wound could not have been sustained from a gunshot from behind, since his wound to the back of his head would have propelled him forward, indicating he would have been caught in a crossfire from two different directions. [Knight, Peter. The Kennedy Assassination. Edinburgh University Press: 2007]

Alien Abduction

There is a vast amount of literature offering either personal accounts of alien abduction or those that debunk the phenomenon. A key study written in 1959 suggests the topic is merely a social-psychological phenomenon and is of the subconscious mental process. Another social psychologist, Lean Festinger, examined the theory but focused on cognitive dissonance the psychology of belief. Most recently, Psychologist Susan Clancy has argued that stories of alien abduction tend to serve a quasi-religious purpose. [Brown, Bridget. They Know Us Better Than We Know Ourselves: The History and Politics of Alien Abduction. New York University Press: 2007]

Moon Landing Hoax

Neil Armstrong took one giant leap for mankind with man’s first steps on the moon on July 20, 1969, but there are some people who believe NASA faked the whole Apollo Moon project. Bill Kaysing’s book We Never Went to the Moon details his findings that purported the NASA hoax theory. Most of his arguments result from the images NASA released from the mission such as that no stars are visible in the images. Another argument states that radiation from the Van Allen belts in space would have been lethal to the astronauts. [Plait, Philip C. Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Astrology to the Moon Landing ‘Hoax’. Wiley: 2002]

Influential 19th century psychologist and philosopher, William James

In life, there are no guarantees. While you can control much of what goes on in your life, there are instances when issues can arise, overwhelming our abilities to manage and control our responses to them. Counseling psychology is one of the largest specialty practices within the field of psychology. Counseling psychologists take a more generalized approach when helping patients with any one of their psychosomatic problems.

William James was an influential 19^th century psychologist and philosopher who wrote a pioneering paper called The Principles of Psychology, blending his own research and thoughts about psychology, philosophy and physiology. He offered ideas to practicing psychologists and counselors such as “stream of thought” and the theory that emotions occur as a result of physiological processes or reactions to events.

Today’s counselors and psychologists deal with a host of behavioral issues, some of which have only recently been identified, including binge eating disorder and attention deficit disorder. We at Questia wanted to open the doors to our digital library by granting access to reference works on five books that explore psychological and counseling topics such as addiction, bereavement and group ethics.

Addiction

Author Carlo C. Diclemente critically examines how the United States views the problem of addictive behavior in society, pointing out serious shortcomings in current perspectives and the efforts at interdiction, prevention, criminalization, and treatment that they support. Diclemente offers a new approach in the form of an alternative, integrative perspective for understanding addiction and recovery. It is his premise that addiction and recovery should be viewed as a process of behavior change.

[Diclemente, C. C. (2003). Addiction and Change: How Addictions Develop and Addicted People Recover. New York: Guilford Press. Retrieved from http://www.questia.com]

Eating Disorders

In this second volume, a series of clinicians and scientists update the latest thinking, knowledge and understanding on the subject of eating disorders. New conditions such as binge eating disorder have been introduced into the diagnostic system and many chapters have been updated to reflect the new thinking surrounding the relationship between food and the human nervous system. Editors included a paper by Professor Gerald Russell examining the history of anorexia nervosa.

[Treasure, J., Schmidt, U., & Furth, E. V. (Eds.). (2003). Handbook of Eating Disorders (2nd ed.). Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from http://www.questia.com]

Bereavement

Authors Susan Lendrum (physiologist) and Gabrielle Syme (linguist), provide a practical approach to loss and bereavement in counseling and psychotherapy. Both experienced the loss of loved ones in their lives and when they met, it became an opportunity for them to explore and eventually create courses to train those who work with the grieving. In this book, Lendrum and Syme share what they have learned in the areas of depression and bereavement and encourage readers of their approach to work with others, in a group as part of a training program, or in counseling supervision, or with a trusted colleague or friend.

[Lendrum, S., & Syme, G. (2004). Gift of Tears: A Practical Approach to Loss and Bereavement in Counselling and Psychotherapy (2nd ed.). Hove, England: Brunner-Routledge. Retrieved from http://www.questia.com]

Group Counseling

This book is intended to present some of the basic information about groups, and their leaders to help educate and guide those in understanding the structure, needs, dynamics, and specific techniques for leading these groups. With a focus on psychoeducational group leadership, Author Nina W. Brown includes personal development exercises designed to help the reader become more self-aware and to seek out other avenues for personal growth and development

[Brown, N. W. (2004). Psychoeducational Groups: Process and Practice (2nd ed.). New York: Brunner-Routledge. Retrieved from http://www.questia.com]

Counseling Ethics

This book explores the intersection of therapy and philosophical ethics. The discrepancy between the ethical standards expected of a profession and the realities of psychotherapeutic work is a crucial theme for therapists. Patients challenge therapists in ways that raise issues that cannot be considered simply as technical. Questions of therapists concerning their religious beliefs, or how a patient can expect to justify going into therapy to friends who view it merely as self-indulgence force therapists to think clearly about such issues and how it impacts their work.

[Barnes, F. P., & Murdin, L. (Eds.). (2001). Values and Ethics in the Practice of Psychotherapy and Counselling. Philadelphia: Open University Press. Retrieved from http://www.questia.com]

Visit Questia’s topic page on psychology and counseling for more information. If not already a member, you can try Questia free for one day and conduct research into counseling and development in our books and journals.