Archives de catégorie : Popular Science

HOMO EX MACHINA de Bernd Kleine-Gunk & Stefan Lorenz Sorgner

A compelling dialogue between a medic and a philosopher about the opportunities and risks associated with combining man and machine – and about its limits.

HOMO EX MACHINA
by Bernd Kleine-Gunk & Stefan Lorenz Sorgner
Goldmann/PRH Germany, June 2023

Pacemakers, running blades, stem cell research, life-prolonging medicine: these achievements might sound normal, but they are all part of what is called transhumanism. Transhumanism stipulates that humanity’s next evolutionary step will come about through the use of modern science and technology, but many people see it as a dangerous endeavour. They fear that it will dehumanise us, that we’ll become « cyborgised » and open ourselves up to ethically questionable genetic experiments and state-sponsored eugenics.
Medic Kleine-Gunk and philosopher Sorgner dive into the complex world of transhumanism, and dispel some of the myths surrounding it. They introduce the relevant theories and academic disciplines involved in the transhumanist movement, examine its history and critique its opportunities and risks. Among other things, they explain why it’s unrealistic to expect that we’ll be able to digitise our personalities within the next 20 years, and that modern technology doesn’t exceed « natural » humanity: rather, it can serve to improve our lives – but only if we want it to.

Bernd Kleine-Gunk is a professor of medicine and a leading anti-ageing expert. He is the president of the German Society for Preventative and Anti-Aging Medicine, and has published numerous academic and non-academic articles and books on the subject. He is a globally sought-after speaker, and advises several companies and institutions.
Stefan Lorenz Sorgner is a professor of philosophy at the John Cabot University in Rome, director and co-founder of the Beyond Humanism Network, research fellow at the Ewha Womens’ University Institute for the Humanities in Seoul and fellow at the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies think-tank. He is one of the world’s leading post- and trans-humanist philosophers, and has published several monographs and co-authored books.

POWER AND PREDICTION d’Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans & Avi Goldfarb

Disruption resulting from the proliferation of AI is coming. The authors of the bestselling Prediction Machines can help you prepare.

POWER AND PREDICTION:
The Disruptive Economics of Artificial Intelligence
by Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans & Avi Goldfarb
Harvard Business Review Press, November 2022
(via Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary)

Artificial intelligence (AI) has impacted many industries around the world—banking and finance, pharmaceuticals, automotive, medical technology, manufacturing, and retail. But it has only just begun its odyssey toward cheaper, better, and faster predictions that drive strategic business decisions. When prediction is taken to the max, industries transform, and with such transformation comes disruption.
What is at the root of this? In their bestselling first book, Prediction Machines, eminent economists Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans, and Avi Goldfarb explained the simple yet game-changing economics of AI. Now, in POWER AND PREDICTION , they go deeper, examining the most basic unit of analysis: the decision. The authors explain that the two key decision-making ingredients are prediction and judgment, and we perform both together in our minds, often without realizing it. The rise of AI is shifting prediction from humans to machines, relieving people from this cognitive load while increasing the speed and accuracy of decisions.
This sets the stage for a flourishing of new decisions and has profound implications for system-level innovation. Redesigning systems of interdependent decisions takes time—many industries are in the quiet before the storm—but when these new systems emerge, they can be disruptive on a global scale. Decision-making confers power. In industry, power confers profits; in society, power confers control. This process will have winners and losers, and the authors show how businesses can leverage opportunities, as well as protect their positions.
Filled with illuminating insights, rich examples, and practical advice, POWER AND PREDICTION is the must-read guide for any business leader or policymaker on how to make the coming AI disruptions work for you rather than against you.

Ajay Agrawal is Professor of Strategic Management and the Geoffrey Taber Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. He is founder of the Creative Destruction Lab and the Metaverse Mind Lab and cofounder of NEXT Canada and Sanctuary.
Joshua Gans is the Jeffrey S. Skoll Chair of Technical Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Professor of Strategic Management at Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. He is Chief Economist of the Creative Destruction Lab, department editor (Strategy) at Management Science, and cofounder and managing director of Core Economic Research.
Avi Goldfarb is the Rotman Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare and Professor of Marketing at Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. He is also Chief Data Scientist at the Creative Destruction Lab, a fellow at Behavioral Economics in Action at Rotman, and a faculty affiliate at the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence.

THE DESTINY GRIMOIRES & COMIC COLLECTION de Bungie Inc.

Two different format of companion books for fans of the Destiny video game by Bungie, a game development studio that created some of the most celebrated video game franchises, including Marathon, Myth, Halo, and Destiny.

THE DESTINY GRIMOIRES & COMIC COLLECTION
by Bungie Inc.
Bungie/Abrams, 2018 – 2021

DESTINY GRIMOIRES VOLUMES I-IV (published 2018 – 2021):
Bungie presents the Destiny Grimoire Anthology, a must-have collectible lore compendium designed and assembled for Destiny’s devoted and enlightened scholars and lore lovers, as well as fans of fantasy and science fiction storytelling. The DESTINY GRIMOIRE ANTHOLOGY weaves tales from multiple sources together for the first time, casting new light on Destiny’s most legendary heroes, infamous villains, and their greatest moments of triumph and tragedy. Until now, the myths, mysteries, and machinations of the Destiny universe were found hidden throughout the worlds – enticing threads that hinted at a greater tapestry.
Each unique volume intends to illuminate a facet of the world, and the complete anthology will confirm and challenge players’ thoughts and assumptions on what it means to be a Guardian (players), offering new and differing perspectives on the cosmic war that rages between the Traveler and its ancient enemies.

THE DESTINY COMIC COLLECTION VOL. ONE (July 2019):
An essential collection of comic stories for Destiny fans. This 144-page volume includes Bungie’s comic collection plus never before seen stories, behind the scenes galleries, and exclusive content from featured artists! From Osiris’s exile to Ana Bray’s homecoming on Mars, uncover the legends behind Destiny 2’s iconic characters. Featuring stories written and illustrated in collaboration with Bungie by Ryan North (Dinosaur Comics, Marvel’s The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl), Kris Anka (Marvel’s X-Men and Star-Lord), Mark Waid (DC Comics’ The Flash and Marvel’s Captain America) plus a special introduction by Gerry Duggan (Marvel’s Deadpool). Includes one of two collectible bookmarks printed with the Destiny 2 « Heroes of the Light » emblem code inserted inside the book.

Bungie, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Bellevue, Washington. Established in 1991, they have developed the hit games, Destiny, Halo, Myth, and Destiny.

BIG MEG de Tim & Emma Flannery

Professor Tim Flannery, and his daughter, Emma Flannery, bring the Megalodon to life in this fascinating and engaging natural history.

BIG MEG:
The Story of the Rise and Fall of the Largest and Most Mysterious Predator that Ever Lived
by Tim & Emma Flannery
Text Publishing, August 2023

Its name means giant tooth but everything about it is gigantic, including its pull on the human imagination. Tim and Emma Flannery’s BIG MEG will not only tell the story of the Megalodon, the Great Shark itself—what we know about where and how it lived, bred, hunted and died, a shark whose size and ferocity are the stuff of nightmares and whose teeth are probably the most sought after fossils in the world—but also how it continues to fascinate us.
The great shark, aka Otodus megalodon, the big meg, was the largest predator that ever stalked the planet weighing somewhere between fifty and 100 tonnes. We know that this leviathan was warm blooded, that it had the most powerful bite of any animal ever to have lived and that it could open that mighty jaw to a gape of three metres, wide enough to take a killer whale whole.
BIG MEG will be not only the biography of a phenomenal animal, but a compelling exploration of the role it plays in the popular imagination. The Megalodon might have been extinct for more than three million years but it flourishes in the stories we tell about it, in our hunt for its relics, and our quest to uncover more of the mystery surrounding it.

Tim Flannery is a scientist, an explorer, a conservationist and a leading writer on climate change. He has held various academic positions including visiting Professor in Evolutionary and Organismic Biology at Harvard University, Director of the South Australian Museum, Principal Research Scientist at the Australian Museum, Professorial Fellow at the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, University of Melbourne, and Panasonic Professor of Environmental Sustainability, Macquarie University. His books include the award-winning international bestseller The Weather Makers, Here on Earth, Atmosphere of Hope and Europe: The First 100 Million Years.

Emma Flannery is a scientist and writer. She has explored caves, forests and oceans across most of the globe’s continents in search of the elusive fossils, animals and plants. With postgraduate experience in geology, chemistry and palaeontology, Emma’s research and writing has been published in scientific journals, children’s books and a number of museum-based adult education tours. She has worked for and with universities, government agencies and museums.

WHAT WE VALUE d’Emily Falk

An award-winning University of Pennsylvania neuroscientist reveals the hidden calculations that shape our daily decisions—and how to make more fulfilling, impactful choices in our work, relationships, and lives.

WHAT WE VALUE:
The Neuroscience of Choice and Change
by Dr. Emily Falk
Norton, April 2025
(via Park & Fine Literary and Media)

Why is it so hard to stick with the choices we want to make? We decide to be healthier, but we snack all afternoon. We resolve to prioritize family time, but we end up working late into the evening. Change is hard – even when we really want, or need, to make it. Amid the many competing priorities of our busy lives, it can feel difficult to make the right decisions―ones that feel aligned with the things we care about. In this book, award-winning researcher Emily Falk reveals how we can transform our relationship with the daily choices that define our lives by thinking like a neuroscientist about what we value.

Introducing us to three brain systems responsible for computing our everyday decisions in a process known as the value calculation, Falk shows how we can work more strategically with our brains to make more fulfilling choices. Whether deciding on lunch or a career, changing our routines or other people’s minds, we learn how changing what we think about can change what we think, connecting with our core values can make us less defensive, and broadening our curiosity about different perspectives can seed innovation. Based on cutting-edge research, WHAT WE VALUE is a groundbreaking guide to finding new possibilities in our choices―and the lives we ultimately make with them.

Emily Falk is a professor of communication, psychology, and marketing at the University of Pennsylvania, where she also directs the Communication Neuroscience Lab and serves as associate dean for research at the Annenberg School for Communication. Her work on the science of attitude and behavior change has been widely covered in the popular press and recognized with numerous awards, including early career awards from the Social & Affective Neuroscience Society and the Association for Psychological Science, the National Institute of Health Director’s New Innovator Award, and more. She lives in Philadelphia.