The Next Fifty Years

Author : John Brockman
Publisher : Vintage
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 2007-12-18
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780307429070

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The Next Fifty Years by John Brockman Pdf

A brilliant ensemble of the world’s most visionary scientists provides twenty-five original never-before-published essays about the advances in science and technology that we may see within our lifetimes. Theoretical physicist and bestselling author Paul Davies examines the likelihood that by the year 2050 we will be able to establish a continuing human presence on Mars. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi investigates the ramifications of engineering high-IQ, geneticially happy babies. Psychiatrist Nancy Etcoff explains current research into the creation of emotion-sensing jewelry that could gauge our moods and tell us when to take an anti-depressant pill. And evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins explores the probability that we will soon be able to obtain a genome printout that predicts our natural end for the same cost as a chest x-ray. (Will we want to read it? And will insurance companies and governments have access to it?) This fascinating and unprecedented book explores not only the practical possibilities of the near future, but also the social and political ramifications of the developments of the strange new world to come. Also includes original essays by: Lee Smolin Martin Rees Ian Stewart Brian Goodwin Marc D. Hauser Alison Gopnik Paul Bloom Geoffrey Miller Robert M. Sapolsky Steven Strogatz Stuart Kauffman John H. Holland Rodney Brooks Peter Atkins Roger C. Schank Jaron Lanier David Gelernter Joseph LeDoux Judith Rich Harris Samuel Barondes Paul W. Ewald

Author : Mark Hertsgaard
Publisher : HMH
Page : 357 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2011-01-19
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780547504445

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Hot by Mark Hertsgaard Pdf

An “informative and vividly reported book” that goes beyond the politics of climate change to explore practical ways we can adapt and survive (San Francisco Chronicle). Journalist Mark Hertsgaard has reported on global warming for outlets including the New Yorker, NPR, Time, and Vanity Fair. But it was only after he became a father that he started thinking about the two billion young people worldwide who will spend the rest of their lives coping with mounting climate disruption. In Hot, he presents a well-researched blueprint for how all of us―parents, communities, companies, and countries―can navigate this unavoidable new era. Reporting from across the nation and around the world, Hertsgaard provides examples of ambitious attempts to mitigate the effects of sea-level rise, mega-storms, famine, and other threats—and an “urgent message . . . that citizens and governments cannot afford to ignore” (The Boston Globe). “This readable, passionate book is surprisingly optimistic: Seattle, Chicago, and New York are making long-term, comprehensive plans for flooding and drought. Impoverished farmers in the already drought-stricken African Sahel have discovered how to substantially improve yields and decrease malnutrition by growing trees among their crops, and the technique has spread across the region; Bangladeshis, some of the poorest and most flood-vulnerable yet resilient people on earth, are developing imaginative innovations such as weaving floating gardens from water hyacinth that lift with rising water. Contrasting the Netherlands’ 200-year flood plans to the New Orleans Katrina disaster, Hertsgaard points out that social structures, even more than technology, will determine success, and persuasively argues that human survival depends on bottom-up, citizen-driven government action.” —Publishers Weekly “His analysis of the impact of global warming on industries as different as winemaking and insurance is intriguing, and his well-supported conclusion that social change can beat back climate change is inspiring . . . an exceptionally productive approach to a confounding reality.” —Booklist “This is an important book.” —Bill McKibben

Author : Michael P. Murphy,Luke A. J. O'Neill
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 212 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 1997-03-13
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 0521599393

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What is Life? The Next Fifty Years by Michael P. Murphy,Luke A. J. O'Neill Pdf

Erwin Schrödinger's book What is Life? had a tremendous influence on the development of molecular biology, stimulating scientists such as Watson and Crick to explore the physical basis of life. Much of the appeal of Schrödinger's book lay in its approach to the central problems in biology - heredity and how organisms use energy to maintain order - from a physicist's perspective. At Trinity College, Dublin a number of outstanding scientists from a range of disciplines gathered to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of What is Life? and following Schrödinger's example fifty years previously, presented their views on the current central problems in biology. The contributors to this volume include Stephen Jay Gould, Roger Penrose, Jared Diamond, Manfred Eigen, John Maynard Smith, Christien de Duve and Lewis Wolpert. This collection is essential reading for anyone interested in biology and its future.

Author : Bruce Sterling
Publisher : Random House
Page : 369 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2008-12-10
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9780307491992

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Tomorrow Now by Bruce Sterling Pdf

“Nobody knows better than Bruce Sterling how thin the membrane between science fiction and real life has become, a state he correctly depicts as both thrilling and terrifying in this frisky, literate, clear-eyed sketch of the next half-century. Like all of the most interesting futurists, Sterling isn’t just talking about machines and biochemistry: what he really cares about are the interstices of technology with culture and human history.” -Kurt Andersen, author of Turn of the Century Visionary author Bruce Sterling views the future like no other writer. In his first nonfiction book since his classic The Hacker Crackdown, Sterling describes the world our children might be living in over the next fifty years and what to expect next in culture, geopolitics, and business. Time calls Bruce Sterling “one of America’s best-known science fiction writers and perhaps the sharpest observer of our media-choked culture working today in any genre.” Tomorrow Now is, as Sterling wryly describes it, “an ambitious, sprawling effort in thundering futurist punditry, in the pulsing vein of the futurists I’ve read and admired over the years: H. G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, and Alvin Toffler; Lewis Mumford, Reyner Banham, Peter Drucker, and Michael Dertouzos. This book asks the future two questions: What does it mean? and How does it feel? ” Taking a cue from one of William Shakespeare’s greatest soliloquies, Sterling devotes one chapter to each of the seven stages of humanity: birth, school, love, war, politics, business, and old age. As our children progress through Sterling’s Shakespearean life cycle, they will encounter new products; new weapons; new crimes; new moral conundrums, such as cloning and genetic alteration; and new political movements, which will augur the way wars of the future will be fought. Here are some of the author’s predictions: • Human clone babies will grow into the bitterest and surliest adolescents ever. • Microbes will be more important than the family farm. • Consumer items will look more and more like cuddly, squeezable pets. • Tomorrow’s kids will learn more from randomly clicking the Internet than they ever will from their textbooks. • Enemy governments will be nice to you and will badly want your tourist money, but global outlaws will scheme to kill you, loudly and publicly, on their Jihad TVs. • The future of politics is blandness punctuated with insanity. The future of activism belongs to a sophisticated, urbane global network that can make money—the Disney World version of Al Qaeda. Tomorrow Now will change the way you think about the future and our place in it. From the Hardcover edition.

Author : Vaclav Smil
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 323 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2012-09-21
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780262291620

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Global Catastrophes and Trends by Vaclav Smil Pdf

A wide-ranging, interdisciplinary look at global changes that may occur over the next fifty years—whether sudden and cataclysmic world-changing events or gradually unfolding trends. Fundamental change occurs most often in one of two ways: as a “fatal discontinuity,” a sudden catastrophic event that is potentially world changing, or as a persistent, gradual trend. Global catastrophes include volcanic eruptions, viral pandemics, wars, and large-scale terrorist attacks; trends are demographic, environmental, economic, and political shifts that unfold over time. In this provocative book, scientist Vaclav Smil takes a wide-ranging, interdisciplinary look at the catastrophes and trends the next fifty years may bring. Smil first looks at rare but cataclysmic events, both natural and human-produced, then at trends of global importance, including the transition from fossil fuels to other energy sources and growing economic and social inequality. He also considers environmental change—in some ways an amalgam of sudden discontinuities and gradual change—and assesses the often misunderstood complexities of global warming. Global Catastrophes and Trends does not come down on the side of either doom-and-gloom scenarios or techno-euphoria. Instead, Smil argues that understanding change will help us reverse negative trends and minimize the risk of catastrophe.

Author : Peter J. Denning,Robert M. Metcalfe
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 319 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2012-12-06
Category : Computers
ISBN : 9781461206859

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Beyond Calculation by Peter J. Denning,Robert M. Metcalfe Pdf

In March 1997, the Association for Computing Machinery celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the electronic computer. Computers are everywhere: in our cars, our homes, our supermarkets, at the office, and at the local hospital. But as the contributors to this volume make clear, the scientific, social and economic impact of computers is only now beginning to be felt. These sixteen invited essays on the future of computing take on a dazzling variety of topics, with opinions from such experts as Gordon Bell, Sherry Turkle, Edsger W. Dijkstra, Paul Abraham, Donald Norman, Franz Alt, and David Gelernter. This brilliantly eclectic collection will fascinate everybody with an interest in computers and where they are leading us.

Author : Peter Lemesurier
Publisher : Piatkus
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 2014-12-04
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 9780349408446

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Nostradamus: The Next 50 Years by Peter Lemesurier Pdf

Peter Lemesurier presents a gripping, blow-by-blow account of what we must expect for the next 50 years. He confronts the controversies surrounding Nostradamus and the seer's dating system, and shows that the prophecies retain their potency at the dawning of a new era. For this new edition, Lemesurier includes many verses dealing specifically with the threat of invasion. Predictions include: The rise of a massive military power destined to move out of Asia via the Middle East into Europe; The apathy and incompetence of European leaders, with disastrous consequences for their countries; The resulting occupation and devastation of many parts of Europe, including Greece, Italy, Spain and France; Repression of Christianity and persecution of the Church; Severe flooding in various parts of the world, including Britain; A successful counter attack against the Asiatic invaders starting from British shores

Author : Lyndon LaRouche
Publisher : Executive Intelligence Review
Page : 492 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2016-09-04
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Earth's Next Fifty Years by Lyndon LaRouche Pdf

“Where do they get the money?” China and India are going to the Moon and Mars. Modern railroads are cutting across the empty expanses of Eurasia and Africa. “Poor countries” are doing amazing things while the “rich countries” of Europe and North America are in constant crisis or struggling. America used to have the world’s leading space program, a leading research program to develop the power source of the stars--thermonuclear fusion power. What happened to steel and auto? --family farms? What is different abroad? The difference abroad is not to be found in anything to do with money! More and more governments have decided that Lyndon LaRouche was right all along. Wealth does not derive from money but from the application of the human mind and body with the assistance of Hamiltonian credit to the physical building of a better future. In America where these concepts were developed, they have been suppressed in favor of “the magic of markets.” The concepts in the studies comprising this book, originally published around the turn of the 21st century, are now alive and growing among governing circles responsible for 80% of the world’s population. Isn’t it time that governing policy in America too should implement the ideas in this book and join hands with those nations who would love to work together with America to create a bright future for all? Read this book!

Author : OECD
Publisher : OECD Publishing
Page : 164 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 1999-07-07
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 9789264173163

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Energy: The Next Fifty Years by OECD Pdf

This book reviews the options likely to shape the energy picture over the next half-century, and assesses some of the key issues -- economic, social, technological, environmental -- that decision-makers in government and corporations will need to address in the very near future.

Author : National Academy of Engineering
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 64 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2014-01-01
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9780309312653

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Making a World of Difference by National Academy of Engineering Pdf

Fifty years ago, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) was founded by the stroke of a pen when the National Academy of Sciences Council approved the NAE's articles of organization. Making a World of Difference commemorates the NAE anniversary with a collection of essays that highlight the prodigious changes in people's lives that have been created by engineering over the past half century and consider how the future will be similarly shaped. Over the past 50 years, engineering has transformed our lives literally every day, and it will continue to do so going forward, utilizing new capabilities, creating new applications, and providing ever-expanding services to people. The essays of Making a World of Difference discuss the seamless integration of engineering into both our society and our daily lives, and present a vision of what engineering may deliver in the next half century.

Author : Robert Shapiro
Publisher : Light Technology Publishing
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 1998-03-01
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 9781622335503

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Origins and the Next Fifty Years by Robert Shapiro Pdf

This volume focuses on humanity's origins and the near future. It covers the origins of this creation, why negative attributes were needed and how various races came to be. It also delves into the physical bodies -- the masculine, the feminine and the body of the child.

Author : Kwon Ping Ho
Publisher : World Scientific
Page : 156 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2015-10-26
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9789814730204

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The Ocean in a Drop by Kwon Ping Ho Pdf

' The IPS-Nathan Lectures series was launched by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) in 2014. It is part of the S R Nathan Fellowship for the Study of Singapore. The Fellowship was set up to fund further research into public policy, with the S R Nathan Fellow, who is appointed annually, delivering between four and six lectures each year. These lectures aim to advance public understanding and discussion of issues of critical national interest. Ho Kwon Ping was the 2014/15 S R Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore. This book contains the five IPS-Nathan Lectures he gave between October 2014 and April 2015, as well as highlights of the accompanying dialogue with the audience. In his lectures, Ho looks forward to the next 50 years, offering innovative ideas and robust views on how governance and key institutions can evolve to ensure the sustainable continuation of Singapore — the "improbable nation". This book illuminates Ho''s vision of a cohesively diverse Singapore lasting beyond the lifespan of his generation, and aims to get the young to ponder and discuss the kind of home, and future, they wish for. Contents: Politics and GovernanceEconomy and BusinessSecurity and SustainabilityDemography and FamilySociety and Identity Readership: General public, professionals, students, researchers, diplomats, and foreign visitors interested in knowing more about Singapore and what lies ahead for the city-state. Key Features:The lectures cover the breadth of social issues facing Singapore today and specifically picks apart the most pertinent topics within each broad categoryHo Kwon Ping is known for his independent thought and speechThe lectures are deliberately accessible to the lay person, and shies away from the technical terms of academiaKeywords:IPS-Nathan;Singapore;Future;Ho Kwon Ping;Politics;Governance;Demography;Family;Society;Identity;Security;Sustainability;Economy;Business "The book is not so much a scholarly treatise as it is a general interest book." Suhaile Md Author of The Middle Ground '

Author : Max Page,Marla R. Miller
Publisher : Public History in Historical P
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2016
Category : Architecture
ISBN : 1625342152

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Bending the Future by Max Page,Marla R. Miller Pdf

"The year 2016 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act, the cornerstone of historic preservation policy and practice in the United States. The act established the National Register of Historic Places, a national system of state preservation offices and local commissions, set up federal partnerships between states and tribes, and led to the formation of the standards for preservation and rehabilitation of historic structures. This book marks its fiftieth anniversary by collecting fifty new and provocative essays that chart the future of preservation. The commentators include leading preservation professionals, historians, writers, activists, journalists, architects, and urbanists. The essays offer a distinct vision for the future and address related questions, including: Who is a preservationist? What should be preserved? Why? How? What stories do we tell in preservation? How does preservation contribute to the financial, environmental, social, and cultural well-being of communities? And if the 'arc of the moral universe...bends towards justice,' how can preservation be a tool for achieving a more just society and world?"--Provided by publishe

Author : Adam Carolla
Publisher : Crown
Page : 274 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2011-05-17
Category : Humor
ISBN : 9780307717382

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In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks by Adam Carolla Pdf

A couple years back, I was at the Phoenix airport bar. It was empty except for one heavy-set, gray bearded, grizzled guy who looked like he just rode his donkey into town after a long day of panning for silver in them thar hills. He ordered a Jack Daniels straight up, and that's when I overheard the young guy with the earring behind the bar asking him if he had ID. At first the old sea captain just laughed. But the guy with the twinkle in his ear asked again. At this point it became apparent that he was serious. Dan Haggerty's dad fired back, "You've got to be kidding me, son." The bartender replied, "New policy. Everyone has to show their ID." Then I watched Burl Ives reluctantly reach into his dungarees and pull out his military identification card from World War II. It's a sad and eerie harbinger of our times that the Oprah-watching, crystal-rubbing, Whole Foods-shopping moms and their whipped attorney husbands have taken the ability to reason away from the poor schlub who makes the Bloody Marys. What we used to settle with common sense or a fist, we now settle with hand sanitizer and lawyers. Adam Carolla has had enough of this insanity and he's here to help us get our collective balls back. In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks is Adam's comedic gospel of modern America. He rips into the absurdity of the culture that demonized the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, turned the nation's bathrooms into a lawless free-for-all of urine and fecal matter, and put its citizens at the mercy of a bunch of minimum wagers with axes to grind. Peppered between complaints Carolla shares candid anecdotes from his day to day life as well as his past—Sunday football at Jimmy Kimmel's house, his attempts to raise his kids in a society that he mostly disagrees with, his big showbiz break, and much, much more. Brilliantly showcasing Adam's spot-on sense of humor, this book cements his status as a cultural commentator/comedian/complainer extraordinaire.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 324 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 2010
Category : Aeronautics
ISBN : UOM:39015079503903

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Chart Supplement, Pacific by Anonim Pdf