| Europe: A natural history by Tim FlanneryWelcome to: Europe, the tropical archipelago that formed 100 million years ago and, following floods, ice ages, and other events, transformed into the geographically and biologically diverse region we know today.
Look for: the "hell pigs" of the Oligocene period, the two-foot long proto-hedgehog Deinogalerix, and Europe's first hominids -- the human-Neanderthal hybrids that colonized the continent 38,000 years ago.
What's next? Confronting the existential threats of climate change, according to Australian author and paleontologist Tim Flannery. |
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| Figuring by Maria PopovaWhat it is: a lyrical exploration of the connections between great minds throughout history.
Why you might like it: Starting with Johannes Kepler and concluding with Rachel Carson, Figuring's discursive narrative follows an idiosyncratic, erudite path that blends science and art.
About the author: Maria Popova is the creator of the popular and expansively multidisciplinary Brain Pickings blog. |
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| Book of humans: The story of how we became usby Adam RutherfordWhat it is: a thought-provoking look at human evolution that examines similarities and differences between humans and other species. (Published in the US as "Humanimal")
Reviewers say: "a refreshing and perspective-altering view of the complex history of life on Earth" (Publishers Weekly).
About the author: Geneticist and science journalist Adam Rutherford is the author of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived. |
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Focus on: Artificial Intelligence
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How smart machines think by Sean GerrishIn this book, Sean Gerrish offers an engaging and accessible overview of the breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and machine learning that have made today's machines so smart. Gerrish outlines some of the key ideas that enable intelligent machines to perceive and interact with the world.
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| Deep thinking: Where machine intelligence ends and human creativity begins by Garry KasparovBackstory: In 1997, world chess champion Garry Kasparov played against IBM's Deep Blue supercomputer -- and lost.
And now? Kasparov examines the development of machine intelligence through the lens of chess, including a detailed and insightful post-mortem of his match with Deep Blue.
Reviewers say: this book reads like "an absorbing, page-turning thriller" (The Guardian). |
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| Life 3.0: Being human in the age of Artificial Intelligence by Max TegmarkWhat it is: an MIT professor's largely optimistic take on the future of AI -- and the ultimate fate of humans.
What sets it apart: In conversational style, Life 3.0 presents an overview of the field of artificial intelligence, while addressing some of the social and ethical issues that accompany it.
Supplementary materials: flowcharts, diagrams, and explanatory sidebars. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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