Films from the Future


Book Description

“Deftly shows how a seemingly frivolous film genre can guide us in shaping tomorrow’s world.” —Seth Shostak, senior astronomer, SETI Institute Artificial intelligence, gene manipulation, cloning, and interplanetary travel are all ideas that seemed like fairy tales but a few years ago. And now their possibilities are very much here. But are we ready to handle these advances? This book, by a physicist and expert on responsible technology development, reveals how science fiction movies can help us think about and prepare for the social consequences of technologies we don’t yet have, but that are coming faster than we imagine. Films from the Future looks at twelve movies that take us on a journey through the worlds of biological and genetic manipulation, human enhancement, cyber technologies, and nanotechnology. Readers will gain a broader understanding of the complex relationship between science and society. The movies mix old and new, and the familiar and unfamiliar, to provide a unique, entertaining, and ultimately transformative take on the power of emerging technologies, and the responsibilities they come with.




Homo Deus


Book Description

Official U.S. edition with full color illustrations throughout. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Yuval Noah Harari, author of the critically-acclaimed New York Times bestseller and international phenomenon Sapiens, returns with an equally original, compelling, and provocative book, turning his focus toward humanity’s future, and our quest to upgrade humans into gods. Over the past century humankind has managed to do the impossible and rein in famine, plague, and war. This may seem hard to accept, but, as Harari explains in his trademark style—thorough, yet riveting—famine, plague and war have been transformed from incomprehensible and uncontrollable forces of nature into manageable challenges. For the first time ever, more people die from eating too much than from eating too little; more people die from old age than from infectious diseases; and more people commit suicide than are killed by soldiers, terrorists and criminals put together. The average American is a thousand times more likely to die from binging at McDonalds than from being blown up by Al Qaeda. What then will replace famine, plague, and war at the top of the human agenda? As the self-made gods of planet earth, what destinies will we set ourselves, and which quests will we undertake? Homo Deus explores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the twenty-first century—from overcoming death to creating artificial life. It asks the fundamental questions: Where do we go from here? And how will we protect this fragile world from our own destructive powers? This is the next stage of evolution. This is Homo Deus. With the same insight and clarity that made Sapiens an international hit and a New York Times bestseller, Harari maps out our future.




Data Driven


Book Description

Your company's data has the potential to add enormous value to every facet of the organization -- from marketing and new product development to strategy to financial management. Yet if your company is like most, it's not using its data to create strategic advantage. Data sits around unused -- or incorrect data fouls up operations and decision making. In Data Driven, Thomas Redman, the "Data Doc," shows how to leverage and deploy data to sharpen your company's competitive edge and enhance its profitability. The author reveals: · The special properties that make data such a powerful asset · The hidden costs of flawed, outdated, or otherwise poor-quality data · How to improve data quality for competitive advantage · Strategies for exploiting your data to make better business decisions · The many ways to bring data to market · Ideas for dealing with political struggles over data and concerns about privacy rights Your company's data is a key business asset, and you need to manage it aggressively and professionally. Whether you're a top executive, an aspiring leader, or a product-line manager, this eye-opening book provides the tools and thinking you need to do that.




Bone Driven


Book Description

Book Two in the powerfully addictive fantasy series The Foundling, perfect for fans of Ilona Andrews, Jenn Stark and Helen Harper The bayou is burning, the battle is just beginning - and Luce Boudreau is smack in the middle of no-man's land . . . Life as a cop in Canton Town, Mississippi, is never dull - particularly when hiding deep within you is a demon bent on the apocalypse. Luce is doing her best to pretend her two worlds aren't crashing into each other, but what should be a routine arson investigation takes a shocking turn when Luce discovers a link between the suspects and her own dark secrets. There's no turning back, even though her search for the truth threatens to burn her old life down around her. Lines are being drawn in a war Luce barely understands, and she just might be on the wrong side of them. Now she must embrace her powerful destiny, or the ones she loves most will pay the ultimate price. Readers LOVE Hailey Edwards: 'Edwards creates amazing fantasy worlds' - (Goodreads reviewer) 'A fantasy of a five-star read!' (Amazon reviewer) 'Hailey Edwards has exceeded all expectation' (Goodreads) 'Well-plotted fantasy with intriguing characters, heart-pounding action, suspenseful intrigue and subtle romance' (RT Book Reviews) 'Edwards has this way of writing that makes you feel like the narrator is talking to you and that you're old friends' (Goodreads) 'The world building is fresh . . . The characters are well-drawn and easy to root for. And the romance really hits the spot' (Red Hot Books) 'She builds dynamic character bases, using common mythology but takes it one step further using previously unseen species or imbibing currently known species with skills and know how that offers readers something new in the paranormal world' (Smexybooks)




Drive


Book Description

The New York Times bestseller that gives readers a paradigm-shattering new way to think about motivation from the author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards like money—the carrot-and-stick approach. That's a mistake, says Daniel H. Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others). In this provocative and persuasive new book, he asserts that the secret to high performance and satisfaction-at work, at school, and at home—is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does—and how that affects every aspect of life. He examines the three elements of true motivation—autonomy, mastery, and purpose-and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action in a unique book that will change how we think and transform how we live.




Tomorrow's Learning: Involving Everyone. Learning with and about Technologies and Computing


Book Description

This book constitutes the refereed post-conference proceedings of the 11th IFIP TC 3 World Conference on Computers in Education, WCCE 2017, held in Dublin, Ireland, in July 2017. The 57 revised full papers and 10 short papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 116 submissions during two rounds of reviewing and improvement. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: futures of technology for learning and education; innovative practices with learning technologies; and computer science education and its future focus and development. Also included is "The Dublin Declaration" which identifies key aspects of innovation, development successes, concerns and interests in relation to ICT and education.




The Nature of Tomorrow


Book Description

An examination of how Western visions of endless future growth have contributed to the global environmental crisis "This book does something that is worth doing and that no other scholarly book I know of comes close to doing: tracing the history of imagined environmental futures in the Western world."--William Meyer, Colgate University For centuries, the West has produced stories about the future in which humans use advanced science and technology to transform the earth. Michael Rawson uses a wide range of works that include Francis Bacon's New Atlantis, the science fiction novels of Jules Verne, and even the speculations of think tanks like the RAND Corporation to reveal the environmental paradox at the heart of these narratives: the single-minded expectation of unlimited growth on a finite planet. Rawson shows how these stories, which have long pervaded Western dreams about the future, have helped to enable an unprecedentedly abundant and technology-driven lifestyle for some while bringing the threat of environmental disaster to all. Adapting to ecological realities, he argues, hinges on the ability to create new visions of tomorrow that decouple growth from the idea of progress.




AI-Powered Tomorrow


Book Description

The Future of Work and Life Reimagined In a world where technology evolves at breakneck speed, one question remains pertinent: how will Artificial Intelligence reshape our future? AI-Powered Tomorrow: How Humanoid Robots Will Transform Labor and Daily Life provides an engrossing exploration into the transformative potential of AI and robotics. Dive into an enlightening narrative that sets the stage for a revolutionary shift, as humanoid robots rise to prominence. Uncover key breakthroughs in AI and robotics, and explore their burgeoning roles within the labor market. From automation in manufacturing to AI's influence in service industries, this book offers a panoramic view of current applications and future possibilities. Discover how these innovations redefine productivity, enhancing efficiency and decision-making while impacting job satisfaction and quality. As AI-powered robots embed themselves deeper into economic structures, industries worldwide brace for disruption. Navigate through riveting analyses of global GDP shifts, changing industry dynamics, and economic opportunities amidst challenges. Join the dialogue on workforce evolution, addressing skills essential in the AI age, and strategies to mitigate job displacement. Beyond economics, AI's influence permeates daily existence–from reshaping urban living to transforming domestic life and healthcare. Considerable ethical discussions arise regarding AI's societal role and the need for robust legal frameworks. Simultaneously, explore AI's potential in addressing global challenges, from climate change mitigation to humanitarian efforts. Dive into the psychological effects of human-robot interaction, and ponder the emotional and cultural shifts anticipated in this AI-driven landscape. This insightful guide aims to prepare readers for the imminent AI revolution. Embark on a fascinating journey to understand strategic planning for businesses, education's role in fostering AI literacy, and how societies worldwide can adapt for a sustainable, technologically integrated future.




Data-Driven HR


Book Description

FINALIST: Business Book Awards 2019 - HR and Management Category Traditionally seen as a purely people function unconcerned with numbers, HR is now uniquely placed to use company data to drive performance, both of the people in the organization and the organization as a whole. Data-Driven HR is a practical guide which enables HR professionals to leverage the value of the vast amount of data available at their fingertips. Covering how to identify the most useful sources of data, collect information in a transparent way that is in line with data protection requirements and turn this data into tangible insights, this book marks a turning point for the HR profession. Covering all the key elements of HR including recruitment, employee engagement, performance management, wellbeing and training, Data-Driven HR examines the ways data can contribute to organizational success by, among other things, optimizing processes, driving performance and improving HR decision making. Packed with case studies and real-life examples, this is essential reading for all HR professionals looking to make a measurable difference in their organizations.




The Horseless Age


Book Description