The Media Equation


Book Description

According to popular wisdom, humans never relate to a computer or a television program in the same way they relate to another human being. Or do they? The psychological and sociological complexities of the relationship could be greater than you think. In an extraordinary revision of received wisdom, Byron Reeves and Clifford Nass demonstrate convincingly in The Media Equation that interactions with computers, television, and new communication technologies are identical to real social relationships and to the navigation of real physical spaces. Using everyday language, the authors explain their novel ideas in a way that will engage general readers with an interest in cutting-edge research at the intersection of psychology, communication and computer technology. The result is an accessible summary of exciting ideas for modern times. As Bill Gates says, '(they) ... have shown us some amazing things'.




The Ten Equations That Rule the World


Book Description

Is there a secret formula for getting rich? For going viral? For deciding how long to stick with your current job, Netflix series, or even relationship? This book is all about the equations that make our world go round. Ten of them, in fact. They are integral to everything from investment banking to betting companies and social media giants. And they can help you to increase your chance of success, guard against financial loss, live more healthfully, and see through scaremongering. They are known by only the privileged few - until now. With wit and clarity, mathematician David Sumpter shows that it isn't the technical details that make these formulas so successful. It is the way they allow mathematicians to view problems from a different angle - a way of seeing the world that anyone can learn. Empowering and illuminating, The Ten Equations shows how math really can change your life.




The Impact Equation


Book Description

“Anyone can write a blog post, but not everyone can get it liked thirty-five thousand times, and not everyone can get seventy-five thousand subscribers. But the reason we’ve done these things isn’t because we’re special. It’s because we tried and failed, the same way you learn to ride a bike. We tried again and again, and now we have an idea how to get from point A to point B faster because of it.” Three short years ago, when Chris Brogan and Julien Smith wrote their bestseller, Trust Agents, being interesting and human on the Web was enough to build a significant audience. But now, everybody has a platform. The problem is that most of them are just making noise. In The Impact Equation, Brogan and Smith show that to make people truly care about what you have to say, you need more than just a good idea, trust among your audience, or a certain number of fol­lowers. You need a potent mix of all of the above and more. Use the Impact Equation to figure out what you’re doing right and wrong. Apply it to a blog, a tweet, a video, or a mainstream-media advertising cam­paign. Use it to explain why a feature in a national newspaper that reaches millions might have less impact than a blog post that reaches a thousand passionate subscribers. Consider the phenomenally successful British singer Adele. For most musicians, onstage banter basically consists of yelling “Hello, Cleveland!” But Adele connects with her audience, pausing between songs to discuss a falling-out with her friends, or the drama of a break up. Each of these moments comes off as if she were talking directly with you, and you can easily relate. Adele has Impact. As the traditional channels for marketing, selling, and influencing disappear and more people inter­act mainly online, the very nature of attention is changing. The Impact Equation will give you the tools and metrics that guarantee your message will be heard.




The Media and the Rwanda Genocide


Book Description

Explores the role of the media in the Rwandan genocide -- within the country and beyond.




The God Equation


Book Description

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The epic story of the greatest quest in all of science—the holy grail of physics that would explain the creation of the universe—from renowned theoretical physicist and author of The Future of the Mind and The Future of Humanity When Newton discovered the law of gravity, he unified the rules governing the heavens and the Earth. Since then, physicists have been placing new forces into ever-grander theories. But perhaps the ultimate challenge is achieving a monumental synthesis of the two remaining theories—relativity and the quantum theory. This would be the crowning achievement of science, a profound merging of all the forces of nature into one beautiful, magnificent equation to unlock the deepest mysteries in science: What happened before the Big Bang? What lies on the other side of a black hole? Are there other universes and dimensions? Is time travel possible? Why are we here? Kaku also explains the intense controversy swirling around this theory, with Nobel laureates taking opposite sides on this vital question. It is a captivating, gripping story; what’s at stake is nothing less than our conception of the universe. Written with Kaku’s trademark enthusiasm and clarity, this epic and engaging journey is the story of The God Equation.




Wave Fields in Real Media


Book Description

Authored by the internationally renowned José M. Carcione, Wave Fields in Real Media: Wave Propagation in Anisotropic, Anelastic, Porous and Electromagnetic Media examines the differences between an ideal and a real description of wave propagation, starting with the introduction of relevant stress-strain relations. The combination of this relation and the equations of momentum conservation lead to the equation of motion. The differential formulation is written in terms of memory variables, and Biot's theory is used to describe wave propagation in porous media. For each rheology, a plane-wave analysis is performed in order to understand the physics of wave propagation. This book contains a review of the main direct numerical methods for solving the equation of motion in the time and space domains. The emphasis is on geophysical applications for seismic exploration, but researchers in the fields of earthquake seismology, rock acoustics, and material science - including many branches of acoustics of fluids and solids - may also find this text useful. New to this edition: This new edition presents the fundamentals of wave propagation in Anisotropic, Anelastic, Porous Media while also incorporating the latest research from the past 7 years, including that of the author. The author presents all the equations and concepts necessary to understand the physics of wave propagation. These equations form the basis for modeling and inversion of seismic and electromagnetic data. Additionally, demonstrations are given, so the book can be used to teach post-graduate courses. Addition of new and revised content is approximately 30%. Examines the fundamentals of wave propagation in anisotropic, anelastic and porous media Presents all equations and concepts necessary to understand the physics of wave propagation, with examples Emphasizes geophysics, particularly, seismic exploration for hydrocarbon reservoirs, which is essential for exploration and production of oil




20th Century Media and the American Psyche


Book Description

This innovative text bridges media theory, psychology, and interpersonal communication by describing how our relationships with media emulate the relationships we develop with friends and romantic partners through their ability to replicate intimacy, regularity, and reciprocity. In research-rich, conversational chapters, the author applies psychological principles to understand how nine influential media technologies—theatrical film, recorded music, consumer market cameras, radio, network and cable television, tape cassettes, video gaming, and dial-up internet service providers—irreversibly changed the communication environment, culture, and psychological expectations that we then apply to future media technologies. With special attention to mediums absent from the traditional literature, including recorded music, cable television, and magnetic tape, this book encourages readers to critically reflect on their own past relationships with media and consider the present environment and the future of media given their own personal habits. 20th Century Media and the American Psyche is ideal for media studies, communication, and psychology students, scholars, and industry professionals, as well as anyone interested in a greater understanding of the psychological significance of media technology, usage, and adoption across the past 150 years.




The Social Media Business Equation


Book Description

Facebook®, Twitter, LinkedIn®, and YouTube(tm) have changed the way consumers communicate today and businesses today must be a part of this social phenomenon or risk losing significant marketing opportunities. THE SOCIAL MEDIA BUSINESS EQUATION: USING ONLINE CONNECTIONS TO GROW YOUR BOTTOM LINE clearly demonstrates how you and your organization can use social media to unlock exponential growth and immediate opportunities, no matter what your business size or industry.Author Eve Mayer Orsburn, CEO of one of the largest social media optimization companies in the world, introduces a proven, step-by-step methodology -- The Social Media Equation(tm) -- in this quick, practical read. Fourteen case studies highlight social media at work in companies large and small, including the Mayo Clinic and General Motors. This book focuses on results-oriented strategies as the author dispels the myths and reveals the true secrets of using social media for amazing business growth.




Your Customer Creation Equation


Book Description

Finally-a book that shows marketers how to truly achieve real results from their websites. Brian Massey, The Conversion Scientist, takes the mystery out of how to create high-performing sites. By walking the reader through five online formulas-aka "customer creation equations"-he shows you how to determine the best formula your own particular business structure and how to optimize it for stellar results. Key to this process is setting up a "digital conversion lab," and Brian shows you how. Jam-packed with easy-to-understand equations for things like increasing your conversion rate and decreasing your abandonment rate-as well as practical strategies for attracting prospects, turning buyers into triers, and morphing buyers into loyal brand advocates-this book will enable anyone to stop hoping for success and start enjoying higher profits. The Advanced Curriculum in Visitor Studies gives readers additional guidance on how to really understand their targets and customers-an understanding that is at the heart of all successful websites, and businesses, everywhere.




Shock Waves and Reaction—Diffusion Equations


Book Description

For this edition, a number of typographical errors and minor slip-ups have been corrected. In addition, following the persistent encouragement of Olga Oleinik, I have added a new chapter, Chapter 25, which I titled "Recent Results." This chapter is divided into four sections, and in these I have discussed what I consider to be some of the important developments which have come about since the writing of the first edition. Section I deals with reaction-diffusion equations, and in it are described both the work of C. Jones, on the stability of the travelling wave for the Fitz-Hugh-Nagumo equations, and symmetry-breaking bifurcations. Section II deals with some recent results in shock-wave theory. The main topics considered are L. Tartar's notion of compensated compactness, together with its application to pairs of conservation laws, and T.-P. Liu's work on the stability of viscous profiles for shock waves. In the next section, Conley's connection index and connection matrix are described; these general notions are useful in con structing travelling waves for systems of nonlinear equations. The final sec tion, Section IV, is devoted to the very recent results of C. Jones and R. Gardner, whereby they construct a general theory enabling them to locate the point spectrum of a wide class of linear operators which arise in stability problems for travelling waves. Their theory is general enough to be applica ble to many interesting reaction-diffusion systems.