Science & Technology Audiobooks

How to Create a Mind: The Secret of Human Thought Revealed

The bold futurist and bestselling author of The Singularity is Nearer explores the limitless potential of reverse-engineering the human brain Ray Kurzweil is arguably today's most influential-and often controversial-futurist. In How to Create a Mind, Kurzweil presents a provocative exploration of the most important project in human-machine civilization-reverse engineering the brain to understand precisely how it works and using that knowledge to create even more intelligent machines. Kurzweil discusses how the brain functions, how the mind emerges from the brain, and the implications of vastly increasing the powers of our intelligence in addressing the world's problems. He thoughtfully examines emotional and moral intelligence and the origins of consciousness and envisions the radical possibilities of our merging with the intelligent technology we are creating. Certain to be one of the most widely discussed and debated science books of the year, How to Create a Mind is sure to take its place alongside Kurzweil's previous classics which include Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever and The Age of Spiritual Machines.

Ray Kurzweil (Author), Christopher Lane (Narrator)

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Field Notes from a Waterborne Land: Bengal Beyond the Bhadralok

In the late 2000s, when the three-decade-long Left Front rule in West Bengal was crumbling, Parimal Bhattacharya began to travel outside the well-trodden urban centres to different parts of the region - from the Sundarbans to tribal Jangalmahal, from the outskirts of Kolkata to villages on the Bangladesh border, from the floodplains of the Hooghly to the forests of Simlipal in neighbouring Odisha. There, he encountered: a woman who was branded a witch because she was listed in the census as literate; an island that vanished famously, only to resurface; a paralysed communist who dreams about the death of a river; a forest community who believe they are descendants of the Harappans; an old millworker and his wife who fight the ghosts of a dead industrial town with laughter; a fisherman uprooted by a river eleven times in twenty years; and many more. This book documents the missing narratives of these 'other' Bengalis, the largely invisible majority beyond the bhadralok that the rest of India knows. Moving between the personal and the political, and between travelogue, journal and memoir, Field Notes from a Waterborne Land takes the reader on a journey across a fascinating land peopled with unforgettable characters.

Parimal Bhattacharya (Author), Anindya Chakravorty (Narrator)

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Infocracia: La digitalización y la crisis de la democracia

Un análisis sagaz del régimen de la información, el nuevo gobierno al que estamos sometidos, por el filósofo más leído del siglo XXI. La digitalización avanza inexorablemente. Aturdidos por el frenesí de la comunicación y la información, nos sentimos impotentes ante el tsunami de datos que despliega fuerzas destructivas y deformantes. Hoy la digitalización también afecta a la esfera política y provoca graves trastornos en el proceso democrático. Las campañas electorales son guerras de información que se libran con todos los medios técnicos y psicológicos imaginables. Los bots -las cuentas falsas automatizadas en las redes sociales- difunden noticias falsas y discursos de odio e influyen en la formación de la opinión pública. Los ejércitos de trolls intervienen en las campañas apuntalando la desinformación. Las teorías de la conspiración y la propaganda dominan el debate político. Por medio de la psicometría y la psicopolítica digital, se intenta influir en el comportamiento electoral y evitar las decisiones conscientes. El nuevo ensayo de Byung-Chul Han describe la crisis de la democracia y la atribuye al cambio estructural de la esfera pública en el mundo digital. También le da un nombre a este fenómeno: infocracia.

Byung-Chul Han (Author), Eugenio Barona (Narrator)

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Pon en forma de tu cerebro

El cerebro es una máquina muy poderosa y dinámica. Nunca deja de modificarse y adaptarse al contexto medioambiental. Lo necesitamos para casi todo lo que somos y seremos y, si empieza a fallar, las secuelas inmediatas harán que nuestra calidad de vida se resienta. ¿Sabes qué alimentos son los necesarios durante los primeros años de vida y posteriormente para mejorar tu capacidad intelectual, creativa, la calidad del sueño, el humor, la memoria, la concentración y un largo etcétera de funciones que dependen del cerebro? ¿Qué actividades contribuyen a potenciar las capacidades mentales y el equilibrio emocional? ¿Quieres disponer de programas específicos para estar al máximo de tu capacidad intelectual, con plena efervescencia creativa, para desintoxicar el cerebro, mejorar tu estado anímico decaído o prevenir que tu cerebro envejezca? Si estas preguntas suscitan tu interés, tienes en tus manos el libro apropiado. Su lectura te aportará lo que necesitas aprender, hacer y comer para tener una cabeza sana y una mente maravillosa. - Raquel Marín es neurocientífica y catedrática de Fisiología. Se doctoró en Biomedicina en la Universidad Laval de Quebec y ha dedicado su vida a la investigación científica, en particular a las enfermedades del cerebro en el envejecimiento y a los nutrientes para la salud cerebral. Tiene una amplia bibliografía científica y también ha consagrado parte de su actividad a la divulgación de la salud cerebral. Es autora de 127 publicaciones científicas internacionales y ha sido ponente invitada en más de cuarenta congresos internacionales. Ha impartido cientos de conferencias divulgativas en centros académicos, museos, centros de salud y de enseñanza. Ha recibido el Premio a la Mujer Investigadora en Biomedicina en la Universidad Laval (Canadá), el Premio de Investigación Agustín de Bethencourt de la Fundación CajaCanarias, la Medalla Europea al Trabajo de Economía y Competitividad, y la Medalla de Honor del Instituto de Ciencias Forenses de Barcelona. Además es la directora de la oficina de transferencia de la investigación en la Universidad de la Laguna (Tenerife). En su página web www.raquelmarin.net escribe un blog de divulgación sobre el cerebro y la nutrición, en el que aporta recetas neurosaludables. Es autora de Dale vida a tu cerebro y de Pon en forma tu cerebro.

Raquel Marín (Author), Angi Sansón (Narrator)

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CRYPTO AUTONOMIE - BLOCKCHAIN ET CRYPTOMONNAIE: Devenir Autonome, Comprendre et Gagner de l'argent e

Ceux qui comprennent les crypto-monnaies aujourd’hui seront l’un des gagnants de demain ! Le guide ultime du monde des Crypto-Monnaies! Fichier PDF avec recommandation incluse ! Apprenez-en plus sur la technologie blockchain et investissez stratégiquement dans les crypto-monnaies ! Découvrez comment le bitcoin et les crypto-monnaies révolutionnent l'économie mondiale et comment vous pouvez changer votre vie en investissant dans les crypto-monnaies et leurs dérivés! Le manuel est adapté aux débutants et à toutes les personnes qui abordent le sujet pour la première fois. En faisant défiler les chapitres, vous entrerez dans des domaines de plus en plus spécifiques, qui accompagnent progressivement le lecteur dans des sujets de plus en plus avancés, pour finalement offrir une vue d'ensemble complète. Ce que vous trouverez dans ce manuel: - L'histoire de la Blockchain et du Bitcoin - Achat, vente et mining - Les paiements en Crypto-monnaies - Sécurité des transactions - Les types de Crypto-monnaies et leurs prix - Сomment évaluer les crypto et les Digital Token - Et bien d'autres choses encore... Découvrez les risques et les mesures d'atténuation, apprenez à identifier les arnaques et comprenez les échanges de crypto-monnaies, les portefeuilles numériques et les réglementations avec ce livre. Achetez maintenant et commencez à générer vos premiers profits dans le monde des monnaies numériques dès maintenant !

Herman Gross (Author), Yoan Fournier-Moreau (Narrator)

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Is Science Enough?: Forty Critical Questions About Climate Justice

Why social, racial, and economic justice are just as crucial as science in determining how humans can reverse climate catastrophe We are facing a climate catastrophe. A plethora of studies describe the damage we've already done, the droughts, the wildfires, the super-storms, the melting glaciers, the heat waves, and the displaced people fleeing lands that are becoming uninhabitable. Many people understand that we are facing a climate emergency, but may be fuzzy on technical, policy, and social justice aspects. In Is Science Enough?, Aviva Chomsky breaks down the concepts, terminology, and debates for activists, students, and anyone concerned about climate change. She argues that science is not enough to change course: we need put social, racial, and economic justice front and center and overhaul the global growth economy. Chomsky's accessible primer focuses on 5 key issues: 1.) Technical questions: What exactly are "clean," "renewable," and "zero-emission" energy sources? How much do different sectors (power generation, transportation, agriculture, industry, etc.) contribute to climate change? Can forests serve as a carbon sink? 2.) Policy questions: What is the Green New Deal? How does a cap-and-trade system work? How does the United States subsidize the fossil fuel industry? 3.) What can I do as an individual?: Do we need to consume less? What kinds of individual actions can make the most difference? Should we all be vegetarians? 4.) Social, racial, and economic justice: What's the relationship of inequality to climate change? What do race and racism have to do with climate change? How are pandemics related to climate change? 5.) Broadening the lens: What is economic growth? How important is it, and how does it affect the environment? What is degrowth?

Aviva Chomsky (Author), Moe Egan (Narrator)

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Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy

Brought to you by Penguin. In this New York Times bestseller, Cathy O'Neil, one of the first champions of algorithmic accountability, sounds an alarm on the mathematical models that pervade modern life -- and threaten to rip apart our social fabric. We live in the age of the algorithm. Increasingly, the decisions that affect our lives - where we go to school, whether we get a loan, how much we pay for insurance - are being made not by humans, but by mathematical models. In theory, this should lead to greater fairness: everyone is judged according to the same rules, and bias is eliminated. And yet, as Cathy O'Neil reveals in this urgent and necessary book, the opposite is true. The models being used today are opaque, unregulated, and incontestable, even when they're wrong. Most troubling, they reinforce discrimination. Tracing the arc of a person's life, O'Neil exposes the black box models that shape our future, both as individuals and as a society. These 'weapons of math destruction' score teachers and students, sort CVs, grant or deny loans, evaluate workers, target voters, and monitor our health. O'Neil calls on modellers to take more responsibility for their algorithms and on policy makers to regulate their use. But in the end, it's up to us to become more savvy about the models that govern our lives. This important book empowers us to ask the tough questions, uncover the truth, and demand change. 'A manual for the 21st-century citizen... accessible, refreshingly critical, relevant and urgent' - Financial Times 'Fascinating and deeply disturbing' - Yuval Noah Harari, Guardian Books of the Year © Cathy O'Neil 2016 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Cathy O'neil (Author), Cathy O'neil (Narrator)

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Pandemic Perspectives: A filmmaker's journey in 10 essays

Directly inspired by award-winning author, physician and self-professed “biology watcher” Lewis Thomas, Howard Burton takes us on a thought-provoking tour of a wide range of social and scientific issues which he encountered through the process of making the documentary film, Pandemic Perspectives. Howard provides unique and fresh insights into a wide range of issues ranging from biology to politics to contemporary morality weaving together his interaction with a diverse array of international experts who participated in his film and his personal experiences as a physicist-turned-filmmaker.

Howard Burton (Author), Howard Burton (Narrator)

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Fire and Flood: A People's History of Climate Change, from 1979 to the Present

Brought to you by Penguin. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter was presented with the findings of scientists who had been investigating whether human activities might change the climate in harmful ways. 'A wait-and-see policy may mean waiting until it is too late,' their report said. They were right -- but no one was listening. Four decades later, we are haunted by the consequences of this inattention, and the years of complacency, obfuscation and denialism that followed. Today, the staggering scale and scope of what we have done to the planet is impossible to ignore: the seasons of fire and flood have crossed into plain view. Fire and Flood is a comprehensive, compulsively readable history of climate change from veteran environmental journalist Eugene Linden. Linden retells the story of the modern climate change era decade by decade, tracking the progress of four ticking clocks: first, the reality of climate change itself; second, advances in scientific understanding; third, the spread of public awareness; and fourth, the business and finance response. Like no previous writer, Linden has drawn together the elements of the biggest story in the world, in a book that it is gripping as history, as economic investigation, and as scientific thriller. © Eugene Linden 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Eugene Linden (Author), Paul Bellantoni (Narrator)

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Confronting Climate Gridlock: How Diplomacy, Technology, and Policy Can Unlock a Clean Energy Future

An atmospheric scientist explains why global climate change mitigation and energy decarbonization demand American diplomacy, technology, and policy Professor of environmental engineering Daniel Cohan argues that escaping the gravest perils of climate change will first require American diplomacy, technological innovation, and policy to catalyze decarbonization globally. Combining his own expertise along with insights from more than a hundred interviews with diplomats, scholars, and clean-technology pioneers, Cohan identifies flaws in previous efforts to combat climate change. He highlights opportunities for more successful strategies, including international 'climate clubs' and accelerated development of clean energy technologies. Grounded in history and emerging scholarship, this book offers a forward-looking vision of solutions to confronting climate gridlock and a clear-eyed recognition of the challenges to enacting them.

Daniel S. Cohan (Author), Ray Greenley (Narrator)

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A Christian's Guide to Planet Earth: Why It Matters and How to Care for It

From conservation to protecting endangered species to sustainable living, A Christian's Guide to Planet Earth offers a faith-based framework for viewing our responsibility to the natural world as well as practical, biblical ways we can care for the magnificent creation around us. Drawing on science and Scripture, this hope-filled and accessible guide helps us navigate questions about caring for and respecting God's world. With a focus on real-life solutions, this book explores answers to questions such as: - What does the Bible say about food shortages, forests, and pollution? - How can we make ethical choices about what we eat and what we wear? - Why is reducing our carbon footprint a way of loving others? - What do animals tell us about God's design for the earth? - What simple choices can we make to help recover God's beauty in creation? A Christian's Guide to Planet Earth highlights the inherent grandeur of the natural world, stirring our hearts to care about the wild and wondrous things God has made. Each chapter concludes with practical tips on how to become better stewards of the Earth, including how to support efforts that make a positive difference in the world. A Christian's Guide to Planet Earth is ideal for: - Anyone who wants to make a difference for the planet but doesn't know where to start - People interested in how stewardship of the water, air, land, and gardens relates to serving God and our neighbor - Bible studies and church small groups - Homeschooling families and networks - Anyone who loves God's beauty in nature - People with questions about how changes to our earth affect the planet and our lives Equal parts philosophical and practical, this guide provides us a deeper understanding of God's love for His creation and the delightful, God-given privilege we have to enjoy it and care for it well. Accompanying infographics are available in the audiobook companion PDF download.

Betsy Painter (Author), Chloe Dolandis, John Behrens (Narrator)

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Preventable: How a Pandemic Changed the World & How to Stop the Next One

Brought to you by Penguin. Preventable uses the spellbinding story of the COVID-19 pandemic to show how global politics shape our health. Professor Devi Sridhar has risen to prominence for her vital roles in communicating science to the public and speaking truth to power. In Preventable she highlights lessons learned from outbreaks past and present in a narrative that traces the COVID-19 pandemic - including her personal experience as a scientist - and sets out a vision for how we can better protect ourselves from the inevitable health crises to come. In gripping and heartfelt prose, Sridhar exposes the varied realities of those affected (from the jailed doctor in Wuhan who sounded the alarm, and the bored passengers marooned on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, to the daily nightmares of exhausted healthcare workers), and puts you in the room with key decision makers at crucial moments (from over-confident heads of states and their hesitant scientific advisors, to the beleaguered leaders of global health organisations). Sridhar vibrantly conveys the twists and turns of a plot that saw: deadlier variants emerge (contrary to the predictions of social media pundits who argued it would mutate to a milder form); the Pyrrhic victory in many countries of the false narrative of health versus the economy (those countries which controlled the virus, like Taiwan and Denmark, had a steadier recovery); countries with weak health systems like Senegal and Vietnam fare better than countries like the US and UK (which were consistently ranked as the most prepared); and the quickest development of game-changing vaccines in history (and their unfair distribution). Combining science, politics, ethics and economics, this definitive book dissects the global structures that determine our fate, and reveals the deep-seated economic and social inequalities at their heart - it will challenge, outrage and inspire. © Devi Sridhar 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022 THIS AUDIOBOOK MAY INCLUDE INFORMATION REGARDING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. INFORMATION RELATED TO COVID-19 CONTINUES TO EVOLVE. AUDIOBOOKS.COM ENCOURAGES YOU TO SEEK UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE FROM YOUR LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH UNIT.

Devi Sridhar (Author), Devi Sridhar (Narrator)

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