Search results for ""Author Andrew Maynard""

Hard Science Fiction Films that Predict Future Technology“As the breakneck advance of technology takes us into a world that is both exciting and menacing, sci-fi films give us an inkling of what is to come, and what we should avoid.” —Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute, and host of Big Picture Science#1 Best Seller in Nanotechnology, Computers & Technology, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mechanical Engineering, and Robotics & Automation, Cybernetics, and Experiments & ProjectsDr. Andrew Maynard, physicist and leading expert on socially responsible development of emerging and converging technologies, examines hard science fiction movies and brings them to life.Science and technology are radically changing our world. Films from the Future is an essential guide to navigating a future dominated by complex and powerful new technologies. The jump from room-filling processors to pocket-size super computers is just the beginning. Artificial intelligence, gene manipulation, cloning, and inter-planet travel are all ideas that seemed like fairy tales but a few years ago. And now their possibility is very much here. But are we ready to handle these advances? As Maynard explains, “Viewed in the right way―and with a good dose of critical thinking―science fiction movies can help us think about and prepare for the social consequences of technologies we don’t yet have, but that are coming faster than we imagine.”Dr. Maynard looks at twelve sci-fi movies and takes us on a journey through the worlds of biological and genetic manipulation, human enhancement, cyber technologies, and nanotechnology. Gain a broader understanding of the complex relationship between science and society. The movies include old and new, and the familiar and unfamiliar, providing a unique, entertaining, and ultimately transformative take on the power and responsibilities of emerging technologies.Read books such as The Book of Why, The Science of Interstellar, or The Future of Humanity? Then you’ll love Films from the Future!

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A Compelling Vision of the Future“Maynard has written a thoughtful and thought-provoking response to the moment we’re in, chronicling how we got here, where we’re going, and what role we have in that journey” ―Ramona Pringle, Director of Creative Innovation Studio and Associate Professor, Ryerson University#1 New Release in Science & Math and Physics of TimeHuman beings can―and do―change the future. Humanity has gained the ability not only to imagine the future, but to design and engineer it. At times entertaining, and at others profound, Future Rising provides an original perspective on our relationship with the future.We have a responsibility to change the future for the better. As a species, we have become talented architects of our future. And yet, we so often struggle to come to terms with what this means. As innovation and rapidly shifting norms and expectations drive our world at breakneck speed, we sometimes need to find a still, quiet place to pause and think. Future Rising sets out to create such a quiet place, where we can take advantage of our species' knowledge of world history, and the importance of science to piece together a positive future.To create a good future, rediscover the past. Our relationship with the future is inextricably intertwined with where we've come from, who we are, and what we aspire to. Written to be easy to pick up and hard to put down, Future Rising starts at the beginning of all things with the Big Bang and traces a pathway along the emergence of intelligent life, through what makes humans uniquely capable of imagining and creating different futures.If you enjoy nonfiction science and history books like Life 3.0, The Future of Humanity, or Superintelligence, then you'll love Future Rising. In a series of sixty short reflections, Future Rising will take you on a journey into: What "the future" actually is How it molds and guides our lives How we can use the history of the world to change our future

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An awareness of one’s own ethical assumptions and how these inform everyday practice is crucial for all student social workers. Social workers who genuinely wish to do the right thing by their services users have no alternative but to constantly think and rethink the principles and assumptions that inform their actions, and this book supports them on their journey to do just that. This third edition is set out in two parts: Part I deals with broad ideas about values and ethics in general, looking at philosophy, religion and politics, as well as the duty of realism. Part II takes the discussion further, looking at how these general principles are relevant to everyday practice, with chapters on the use and misuse of power, the idea of self-determination, and the challenges of working with people whose experience and outlook are different to one’s own.

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