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book review | Apocalyptic AI: Visions of heaven in robotics, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality

March 31, 2010

Apocalyptic AI

Source: Giulio Prisco's Blog — March 13, 2010 | Giulio Prisco

Geraci defines Apocalyptic AI as a modern cultural and religious trend originating in the popular science press: “Popular science authors in robotics and artificial intelligence have become the most influential spokespeople for apocalyptic theology in the Western world. Apocalyptic AI advocates promise that in the very near future technological progress will allow us to build…

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Topics: AI/Robotics | Social/Ethical/Legal | Survival/Defense

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book review | The Hidden Brain

January 18, 2010

hidden brain

Source: The New York Times — January 14, 2010 | Susan Pinker

In The Hidden Brain, writer Shankar Vedantam explores the unconscious mind, focusing on covert influences on human behavior. Invisible forces that control our behavior have inspired our best story­tellers, from Euripides to Steven Spielberg. Whether we’re yanked around by jealous gods, Oedipal…

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Topics: Cognitive Science/Neuroscience

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book review | The Department of Mad Scientists

January 14, 2010

Source: The New York Times — December 24, 2009 | William Saletan

“The Body Electric” | Two years ago, in his book Rocketeers, Michael Belfiore celebrated the pioneers of the budding private space industry. Now he has returned to explore a frontier closer to home. The heroes of his new book, The Department of Mad Scientists, work for the…

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Topics: AI/Robotics | Biomed/Longevity | Biotech | Cognitive Science/Neuroscience | Computers/Infotech/UI | Electronics | Human Enhancement | Internet/Telecom | Nanotech/Materials Science

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book review | Whole Earth Discipline

September 23, 2009

whole earth discipline

Source: Wired — Sep 21, 2009 | Douglas McGray

“Stewart Brand: Save the Slums” | In his new book Whole Earth Discipline, Stewart Brand defends genetic engineering, nuclear power, and other longtime nemeses of the green left as good for the planet.

Some people see a squatter city in Nigeria or India and the desperation overwhelms them: rickety shelters, little kids working or…

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Topics: Energy | Environment/Climate | Singularity/Futures | Social/Ethical/Legal

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book review | Rainbows End

August 26, 2008
rainbows_end

Source: The New York Times — August 25, 2008 | John Tierney

In Vernor Vinge’s version of Southern California in 2025, there is a school named Fairmont High with the motto, “Trying hard not to become obsolete.” It may not sound inspiring, but to the many fans of Dr. Vinge, this is a most ambitious — and perhaps unattainable — goal for any member of our species.…

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Topics: Singularity/Futures

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book review | Year Million: Science at the Far Edge of Knowledge

August 8, 2008
year-million

Source: Nature — August 7, 2008

In Year Million: Science at the Far Edge of Knowledge (edited by Damien Broderick, Atlas, 2008), 15 futurists explore long-range posthuman extraterrestrial futures.

One thread in the book is launch of an expanding wavefront of intelligence, converting matter into nano-engineered computronium that is then assembled into M-brains. These then send out…

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Topics: AI/Robotics | Computers/Infotech/UI | Internet/Telecom | Nanotech/Materials Science | Singularity/Futures | Space | Survival/Defense

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book review | Mind as Machine: A History of Cognitive Science

December 10, 2007
mind_as_machine

Source: American Scientist — February 2008

In Mind as Machine: A History of Cognitive Science, Margaret A. Boden’s goal, she says, is to show how cognitive scientists have tried to find computational or informational answers to frequently asked questions about the mind — “what it is, what it does, how it works, how it evolved, and how it’s even possible.”…

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Topics: AI/Robotics | Cognitive Science/Neuroscience

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BOOK REVIEW | Almost Human: Making Robots Think

March 19, 2007
almost_human

Source: Los Angeles Times — Mar 18, 2007

“Making Robots Think” is an entertaining peek behind the scenes at engineers of the groundbreaking Robotics Institute, much of whose research is funded by NASA, the National Science Foundation and the Defense Department.

The book, however, is more about frustration than achievement. Despite the round-the-clock efforts of the best and the brightest, today’s…

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Topics: AI/Robotics

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BOOK REVIEW | The Cosmic Landscape

March 12, 2006
cosmic_landscape

Source: Fourmilog: None Dare Call It Reason — March 12, 2006

Leonard Susskind’s new book, The Cosmic Landscape, pits intelligent design against string theory and the megaverse.

Surprisingly, Autodesk founder John Walker sides with intelligent design, but not by a deity — by post-Singularity intelligences creating a reality simulation: “What would we expect to see if we inhabited a simulation? Well, there would probably…

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Topics: Physics/Cosmology | Quantum | Singularity/Futures | VR/Augmented Reality/Computer Graphics

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BOOK REVIEW | How to Survive a Robot Uprising

October 31, 2005
how_to_survive_a_robot_uprising

Source: Post-Gazette — October 30, 2005

A guidebook for battling a robot takeover of Earth subtly educates about robots and technology while coming across as humor.

The book was written by roboticist Daniel H. Wilson, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute. Paramount has bought movie rights.

What makes the book cool — and unlike some other…

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Topics: AI/Robotics | Entertainment/New Media

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