Life is an enduring mystery. Yet, science tells us that living beings are merely sophisticated structures of lifeless molecules. If this view is correct, where do the seemingly purposeful motions of cells and organisms originate? In Life's Ratchet, physicist Peter M. Hoffmann locates the answer to this age-old question at the nanoscale.Below the calm, ordered exterior of a living organism lies microscopic chaos, or what Hoffmann calls the molecular storm -- specialized mol...

Praise for the prior edition"The author has done a magnificent job… this book is highly recommended for introducing biophysics to the motivated and curious undergraduate student."―Contemporary Physics"a terrific text … will enable students to understand the significance of biological parameters through quantitative examples―a modern way of learning biophysics." ―American Journal of Physics"A superb pedagogical textbook… Full-color illustrati...

UV radiation is recognized as the major risk factor for skin can cer. For the last three decades the incidence and mortality of skin cancer have been increasing steadily in almost all parts of the world. Unfortunately, there have been very few advances in the management and treatment of skin cancer. In comparison to other malignant tumors, skin cancer offers the unique opportuni ty to identify this tumor at an early stage. Thus, there is strong interest in preventing death by early diagnos...

The world of climate politics is increasingly no longer confined to the activities of national governments and international negotiations. Critical to this transformation of the politics of climate change has been the emergence of new forms of transnational governance that cut across traditional state-based jurisdictions and operate across public and private divides. This book provides the first comprehensive, cutting-edge account of the world of transnational climate change governance. Co...

The attempt to assassinate Hitler is widely acknowledged, but few are aware of the individuals involved. In this detailed family history Peter Hoffmann reveals the tragic and heroic life of Claus, Count Stauffenberg, German aristocrat and would-be assassin of Adolph Hitler. Hoffmann details Stauffenberg's formative years, showing how his relationship with his brothers Berthold and Alexander, their association with the circle of the poet Stefan George, and their professional and political d...

While the "Valkyrie" plot by Nazi officers to kill Adolf Hitler is the best known instance of German opposition to his dictatorship, there were many other significant acts of resistance. Behind Valkyrie collects documents, letters, and testimonies of Germans who fought Hitler from within, making many of them available in their entirety and in English for the first time.Peter Hoffmann assembles the words of citizens protesting the National Socialists' dismantling of the fir...

The development of the internet, particularly the World Wide Web, is currently hitting its limits—both technically and socio-culturally, as well as economically. A new internet is promised as a solution, one that aims to overcome the boundaries between the real and the virtual world, merging reality and digitality—the metaverse. Technical, semantic, and organizational details are closely intertwined in this context.But what does this mean upon closer examination? What technical and...

In the 1930s, Carl Goerdeler, the mayor of Leipzig and, as prices commissioner, a cabinet-level official, engaged in active opposition against the persecution of the Jews in Germany and in Eastern Europe. He did this openly until 1938 and then secretly in contact with the British Foreign Office. Having failed to change Hitler's policy against the Jews, Goerdeler joined forces with military and civil conspirators against the regime. He was hanged for treason on 2 February 1945. This book de...

The development of the Internet, particularly the World Wide Web, is currently reaching its limits – both technically and in socio-cultural and economic terms. As a solution, a new form of the Internet is being promised: one that aims to overcome the boundaries between the real and virtual worlds and merge reality with digitality – the metaverse. Technical, semantic, and organizational aspects are closely intertwined in this vision. But what does this mean upon closer examination? What tec...

How hydrogen—nonpolluting and easy to produce—could become the fuel of the future.Hydrogen is the quintessential eco-fuel. This invisible, tasteless gas is the most abundant element in the universe. It is the basic building block and fuel of stars and an essential raw material in innumerable biological and chemical processes. As a completely nonpolluting fuel, it may hold the answer to growing environmental concerns about atmospheric accumulation of carbon dioxide ...

While the "Valkyrie" plot by Nazi officers to kill Adolf Hitler is the best known instance of German opposition to his dictatorship, there were many other significant acts of resistance. Behind Valkyrie collects documents, letters, and testimonies of Germans who fought Hitler from within, making many of them available in their entirety and in English for the first time.Peter Hoffmann assembles the words of citizens protesting the National Socialists' dismantling of the fir...

How the use of nonpolluting, zero-emission hydrogen as fuel could be the cornerstone of a new energy economy.Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. An invisible, tasteless, colorless gas, it can be converted to nonpolluting, zero-emission, renewable energy. When burned in an internal combustion engine, hydrogen produces mostly harmless water vapor. It performs even better in fuel cells, which can be 2.5 times as efficient as internal-combustion engi...