Philosophy Technology

Simply put, an algorithm is a set of instructions-it's the code that makes computers run. A basic idea that proved elusive for hundreds of years and bent the minds of the greatest thinkers in the world, the algorithm is what made the modern world possible. Without the algorithm, there would have been no computer, no Internet, no virtual reality, no e-mail, or any other technological advance that we rely on every day.

Einstein and the Quantum reveals for the first time the full significance of Albert Einstein's contributions to quantum theory. Einstein famously rejected quantum mechanics, observing that God does not play dice. But, in fact, he thought more about the nature of atoms, molecules, and the emission and absorption of light - the core of what we now know as quantum theory - than he did about relativity.

Bill McKibben, examines the dangers inherent in an array of technologies that threaten not just our survival, but our identity. Imagine a future where lab workers can reprogram human embryos to make our children "smarter" or "more sociable" or "happier." Enough examines such possibilities, and explains how we can avoid their worst consequences while still enjoying the fruits of our new scientific understandings.

When Dr. David Hosack tilled the country's first botanical garden in the Manhattan soil more than 200 years ago, he didn't just dramatically alter the New York landscape; he left a monumental legacy of advocacy for public health and wide-ranging support for the sciences. In melodic prose, historian Victoria Johnson eloquently chronicles Hosack's tireless career to reveal the breadth of his impact. The result is a lush portrait of the man who gave voice to a new, deeply American understanding of the powers and perils of nature.

In December 1929, in a cave near Peking, a group of anthropologists and archaeologists that included a young French Jesuit priest named Pierre Teilhard de Chardin uncovered a prehuman skull. The find quickly became known around the world as Peking Man and was acclaimed as the missing link between erect hunting apes and our Cro-Magnon ancestors. It also became a provocative piece of evidence in the roiling debate over creationism versus evolution.

Mill's thinking about freedom in civic and social life examines fundamental principles shared among conservative, liberal, and radical politicians. The life of true philosophy stands outside the political battles that are rampant in society and seeks the political wisdom that is necessary for a good life in any age. Mill's philosophical presentation and analysis of those principles stand alongside the reflections of Plato, Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Science and violence converge in modern warfare. While the finest minds of the 20th century have improved human life, they have also produced human injury. They engineered radar, developed electronic computers, and helped mass produce penicillin all in the context of military mobilization. Scientists also developed chemical weapons, atomic bombs, and psychological warfare strategies. Rational Fog explores the quandary of scientific and technological productivity in an era of perpetual war.

Every prime minister of independent India has guided, if not personally overseen, one prized portfolio: technology. If, in the early years, Nehru and his scientist advisors retained an iron grip on it, subsequent governments created a bureaucracy that managed everything from the country's crown jewels - its nuclear and space programs - to solar stoves and mechanized bullock carts. But a lesser-known political project began on August 15, 1947: the Indian state's undertaking to influence what the citizens thought about technology and its place in society.

In the 24 centuries that have passed since the Athenians put Socrates to death, every generation has interpreted the meaning of Plato's work differently. Joseph Uemura guides us through six dialogues in an effort to promote a dialectical quest rather than seek a final resting place. Plato's dialogues treat the big questions that confront any thoughtful person.

David Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion had not yet been published when he died in 1776. Even though the manuscript was mostly written during the 1750s, it did not appear until 1779. The subject itself was too delicate and controversial, and Hume's dialectical examination of religious knowledge was especially provocative. What should we teach young people about religion? The characters Demea, Cleanthes, and Philo passionately present and defend three sharply different answers to that question.

Kant published this work in 1795, during the aftermath of the American Revolution and the French Revolution. The high hopes of the European Enlightenment had been dampened by the Reign of Terror in which tens of thousands of people died, and the perpetual cycle of war and temporary armistice seemed to be inescapable. Kant's essay is best known as an early articulation of the idea of a league of nations that could bring an end to all hostilities. Today, the United Nations continues to pursue that dream, but lasting peace still seems to be wishful thinking.

A thrilling scientific investigation and the portrait of an extraordinary genius, The Seashell on the Mountaintop gives us new insight into our planet, revealing how we learned to read the story told to us by the Earth itself, written in rock and stone.

Just 150 years ago, most of our world was an unexplored wilderness. Our sense of its age was vastly off the mark. And what we believed to be the history of our own species consisted of fantastic myths and fairy tales; fossils, known for millennia, were seen as the bones of dragons and other imagined creatures. How did we learn so much so quickly? Remarkable Creatures celebrates the pioneers who replaced our fancies with the even more remarkable real story of how our world evolved.

On May 10, 1998, biologist Craig Venter, director of the Institute for Genomic Research, announced that he was forming a private company that within three years would unravel the complete genetic code of human life, seven years before the projected finish of the U.S. government's Human Genome Project. Venter hoped that by decoding the genome ahead of schedule, he would speed up the pace of biomedical research and save the lives of thousands of people. He also hoped to become very famous and very rich.

In a world that is more connected than ever before, it may come as a surprise to learn that feelings of loneliness and disconnection are on the rise. We live in an age where technology has revolutionized the way we communicate and interact with one another. Social media platforms, instant messaging, and video calls have made it possible to connect with people from all corners of the globe at the touch of a button.

In Simply Hegel, Robert L. Wicks presents Hegel’s revolutionary philosophy in clear and simple language, illuminating not only his basic ideas, but also the deeper meanings hidden within the book. Wicks’s analysis also contextualizes Hegel’s thought by providing a vivid chronology of his times, which included such earth-shaking events as the French Revolution and Napoleon’s invasion of Prussia.

Istorija primenenija Lean-tehnologij - tak nazyvaemye tehnologii berezhlivogo proizvodstva - naschityvaet uzhe neskol'ko desjatiletij. Nesmotrja na jeto, povsjudu, osobenno v nashej strane, sistemu Lean vosprinimajut kak iskljuchitel'no novuju i ne vpolne primenimuju dlja evropejskih i amerikanskih, a tem bolee rossijskih, realij. Chasto govorjat, chto tol'ko japonskie rabotniki, privykshie k odnoobraznoj dejatel'nosti i poslushaniju, sposobny osvoit' rabotu po tehnologijam Lean: ritmichnuju, akkuratnuju, osnovannuju na komandnom vzaimodejstvii.

Wie politisch darf Wissenschaft sein? Harald Lesch gibt Antworten. Coronapandemie, Klimakrise - wir leben in einer Zeit vielschichtiger Probleme. Täglich neue Erkenntnisse erschweren uns die Antwort auf die Frage: "Was sollen wir tun?" Hier sind vor allem auch die Naturwissenschaften gefragt: Sie können erklären, Fakten liefern, Orientierung geben, Lösungen bieten. Doch gerade sie stehen neuerdings fundamental in der Kritik. Von Anmaßung der Forscher und Ideologie ist die Rede. Der bekannte Physiker Harald Lesch und der Publizist Klaus Kamphausen appellieren an uns alle.

On May 10, 1998, biologist Craig Venter, director of the Institute for Genomic Research, announced that he was forming a private company that within three years would unravel the complete genetic code of human life, seven years before the projected finish of the U.S. government's Human Genome Project. Venter hoped that by decoding the genome ahead of schedule, he would speed up the pace of biomedical research and save the lives of thousands of people. He also hoped to become very famous and very rich.

De toute éternité, les communications à distance, les télécommunications, se sont avérées essentielles pour les humains. Selon les époques, elles ont fait appel à l'imagination ou à l'ingénierie, et toujours de manière industrieuse. Ainsi, les trompettes, les tambours, la fumée ou le langage sifflé transmettaient des messages aux populations locales bien avant l'avènement du télégraphe optique, du télex ou de la téléphonie.