Differentiation from animals helped to establish the notion of a human being, but the disappearance of animals now threatens that identity. This is the argument underlying Electric Animal, a probing exploration of the figure of the animal in modern culture. Akira Mizuta Lippit shows us the animal as a crucial figure in the definition of modernity -- essential to developments in the natural sciences and technology, radical transformations in modern philosophy and literature, and the advent of psychoanalysis and the cinema. Moving beyond the dialectical framework that has traditionally bound animal and human being, Electric Animal raises a series of questions regarding the idea of animality in Western thought. Can animals communicate? Do they have consciousness? Are they aware of death? By tracing questions such as these through a wide range of texts by writers ranging from Friedrich Nietzsche to Jacques Derrida, Sigmund Freud to Vicki Heame, Lewis Carroll to Franz Kafka, and Sergei Eisenstein to Gilles Deleuze, Lippit arrives at a remarkable thesis, revealing an extraordinary logical consensus in Western thought: animals do not have language and hence cannot die. The animal has, accordingly, haunted thought as a form of spectral and undead being. Lippit demonstrates how, in the late nineteenth century; this phantasmic concept of animal being reached the proportions of an epistemological crisis, engendering the disciplines and media of psychoanalysis, modern literature, and cinema, among others. Against the prohibitive logic of Western philosophy, these fields opened a space for rethinking animality. Technology, usually thought of in opposition to nature, came to serve as therepository for an unmournable animality -- a kind of vast wildlife museum. A highly original work that charts new territory in current debates over language and mortality, subjectivity and technology, Electric Animal brings to light fundamental questions about the status of representation -- of the animal and of ourselves -- in the age of biomechanical reproduction.

Introduces the way animals use electricity to survive in the wild.

Like all cellular organisms humans run on electricity. Cells work like batteries: slight imbalances of electric charge across cell membranes, caused by ions moving in and out of cells, result in sensation, movement, awareness, and thinking—the things we associate with being alive. Robert Campenot offers an accessible overview of animal electricity.

Do some animals really have the power to kill by zapping their prey with electricity? The shocking answer is yes. And that’s not all that electric animals can do with their super-charged powers. Some can target their victims in near-total darkness while others "talk" to each other using electricity. These are just some of the surprising facts kids will discover as they enter the world of these amazing animals. Eye-popping photos and clear, simple text bring these one-of-a-kind creatures to vivid life.

Readers tag along with scientists as they uncover intriguing adaptations that help animals survive in their environments. This colorful book explains the electric eel’s hunting tactics and an unexpected defense strategy, why some fish sleep in mucous cocoons, how jumping spiders hear from across a room, what the shape of a European eel’s head reveals about its diet, and why midshipman fish sing only at night. Based largely on primary sources, including interviews with the scientists, illustrated with original research and stock photographs, and complemented with a hands-on activity, this volume opens a window into the world of scientists as they uncover animal secrets that vividly complement basic biological principles.

In Electric Animals, early fluent readers learn about animals such as the stargazer fish, electric eel, and torpedo ray that protect themselves against predators with electric shocks. Vibrant, full-color photos and carefully leveled text engage young readers as they explore the unique adaptations of these electric animals. An infographic compares the voltage of some electric animals with common appliances, and an activity offers kids an opportunity to extend discovery. Children can learn more about electric animals using our safe search engine that provides relevant, age-appropriate websites. Electric Animals also features reading tips for teachers and parents, a table of contents, a glossary, and an index. Electric Animals is part of Jump!'s Back Off! Animal Defenses series.