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Rivers of power : how a natural force raised kingdoms, destroyed civilizations, and shapes our world / by Smith, Laurence C.,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index.From a renowned geographer and professor of earth, planetary and space sciences, a sweeping natural history of rivers and their complex and ancient relationship with human civilization. Rivers, more than any road, technology, or political leader, have shaped the course of civilization. They have opened frontiers, founded cities, settled borders, and fed billions. They promote life, forge peace, grant power, and capriciously destroy everything in their path. And even as they have become increasingly domesticated, rivers remain a powerful global force, one that is more critical than ever to our future. In Rivers of Power, geographer Laurence Smith takes a deep dive into the timeless and vastly underappreciated relationship between rivers and civilization as we know it. Rivers are of course important to us in all the obvious ways (like water supply, sanitation, transport, etc.). But they also shape us in less obvious ways. Massive amounts of river water support the global food trade; huge volumes are consumed to provide the world's electricity -- not just by hydropower, but by coal, nuclear, and natural gas power plants too; most of our globally important cities are positioned on the banks of rivers or river deltas. The territories of nations, their cultural and economic ties to one another, and the migrations of people trace to rivers and the topographic divides they carve on the world. Beautifully told and expansive in scope, Rivers of Power, reveals how and why rivers have so profoundly shaped civilization, and examines the importance this vast, arterial power holds for our present, past, and future.
Subjects: Rivers.; Rivers; Water and civilization.; Science.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Unmasking AI : my mission to protect what is human in a world of machines / by Buolamwini, Joy,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."Dr. Joy Buolamwini is the self-described "Poet of Code" who has had a lifelong passion for computer science, engineering, and art -- disciplines that, she felt, pushed the boundaries of reality. After tinkering with robotics as a high school student in Tennessee, to developing mobile apps in Zambia as a Fulbright fellow, Buolamwini eventually found herself at MIT. As a graduate student at the "Future Factory," Buolamwini's groundbreaking research revealed that AI systems -- from leading tech companies -- were consistently failing on non-male, non-white bodies. In Unmasking AI, Buolamwini goes beyond the news headlines about racism, colorism, and sexism in Big Tech to tell the remarkable story of how she uncovered what she calls "the coded gaze" -- evidence of racial and gender bias in tech -- and galvanized the movement to prevent AI harms by founding the Algorithmic Justice League. Applying an intersectional lens to both tech industry and research sector, Buolamwini shows how race, gender, and ability bias can overlap and render broad swaths of humanity vulnerable in our AI-dependent world. Computers, she reminds us, are reflections of both the aspirations and the limitations of the people who create them"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Personal narratives.; Buolamwini, Joy.; Artificial intelligence; Artificial intelligence; Discrimination in science.; Sex discrimination in science.; Artificial intelligence;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Proxima / by Baxter, Stephen.;
"Mankind's future in this galaxy could be all but infinite.... There are hundreds of billions of red dwarf stars, lasting trillions of years--and their planets can be habitable for humans. Such is the world of Proxima Centauri. And its promise could mean the never-ending existence of humanity. But first it must be colonized, and no one wants to be a settler. There is no glamor that accompanies it, like being the first man on the moon, nor is there the ease of becoming a citizen of an already-tamed world. There is only hardship...loneliness...emptiness. But that's where Yuri comes in. Because sometimes exploration isn't voluntary. It must be coerced..."--Provided by publisher.LSC
Subjects: Science fiction.; Space colonies;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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Life 3.0 : being human in the age of artificial intelligence / by Tegmark, Max,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."What jobs should be automated? How should our legal systems handle autonomous systems? How likely is the emergence of suprahuman intelligence? A.I. is the future of science, technology, and business--and there is no person better qualified or situated to explore that future than Max Tegmark. What has A.I. brought us? Where will it lead us? The story of A.I. is the story of intelligence--of life processes as they evolve from bacteria (1.0) to humans (2.0), where life processes define their own software, to technology (3.0), where life processes design both their hardware and software. We know that A.I. is transforming work, laws, and weapons, as well as the dark side of computing (hacking and viral sabotage), raising questions that we all need to address: What jobs should be automated? How should our legal systems handle autonomous systems? How likely is the emergence of suprahuman intelligence? Is it possible to control suprahuman intelligence? How do we ensure that the uses of A.I. remain beneficial? These are the issues at the heart of this book and its unique perspective, which seeks a ground apart from techno-skepticism and digital utopia"--
Subjects: Artificial intelligence; Artificial intelligence; Automation; Artificial intelligence; Automation; Technological forecasting.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Counterweight / by Tyuna,author.; Hur, Anton,translator.; translation of:Tyuna.P'yŏnghyŏngch'u.English.;
"For fans of the worlds of Philip K. Dick, Squid Game, and Severance: An absorbing tale of corporate intrigue, political unrest, unsolved mysteries, and the havoc wreaked by one company's monomaniacal endeavor to build the world's first space elevator-from one of South Korea's most revered science fiction writers, whose identity remains unknown. On the fictional island of Patusan-and much to the ire of the Patusan natives-the Korean conglomerate LK is constructing an elevator into Earth's orbit, gradually turning this one-time tropical resort town into a teeming travel hub: a gateway to and from our planet. Up in space, holding the elevator's "spider cable" taut, is a mass of space junk known as the counterweight. And it's here that lies the key-a trove of personal data left by LK's former CEO, of dire consequence to the company's, and humanity's, future. Racing up the elevator to retrieve the data is a host of rival forces: Mac, the novel's narrator and LK's Chief of External Affairs, increasingly disillusioned with his employer; the everyman Choi Gangwu, unwittingly at the center of Mac's investigations; the former CEO's brilliant niece and his power-hungry son; and a violent officer from LK's Security Division, Rex Tamaki-all caught in a labyrinth of fake identities, neuro-implant "Worms," and old political grievances held by the Patusan Liberation Front, the army of island natives determined to protect their sovereignty. Conceived by Djuna as a low-budget science fiction film, with literary references as wide-ranging as Joseph Conrad and the Marquis de Sade, The Counterweight is part cyberpunk, part hardboiled detective fiction, and part parable of Korea's neocolonial ambition and its rippling effects"--
Subjects: Science fiction.; Novels.; Artificial intelligence; Corporations; Indigenous peoples;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Theatre Girls. by Pollack, Claire,film director.; Longinotto, Kim,film director.; Royal Anthropological Institute (Firm),dst; Kanopy (Firm),dst;
Originally produced by Royal Anthropological Institute in 1979.The “Theatre Girls Club” is a hostel for homeless, destitute and alcoholic women in Soho, London. It is run by six paid workers and it is the only hostel in London which takes any women at any time. The filmmakers lived in the hostel for more than two months, establishing an extraordinary level of trust with their “cast” —from the home’s feisty cook to an elderly resident who was a terminal alcoholic. In what will later be recognized as a signature style, Longinotto films without judgement and finds the humor and humanity in situations and characters that might otherwise be seen as tragic.Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Subjects: Documentary films.; Social sciences.; Sociology.; Gender identity.; Documentary films.; Women's studies.; London (England).; Homeless persons.; Housing.; Alcoholism.; Substance abuse.;
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Dancing in A-Yard. by Dalle, Manuela,film director.; Under the Milky Way (Firm),dst; Kanopy (Firm),dst;
Originally produced by Under the Milky Way in 2023.In prisons ruled by toxic masculinity, dancing is an absolute taboo. But at Lancaster's A-Yard, near Los Angeles, a group of young men, willing to take a chance to be mocked in the yard, start a dance class led by French choreographer Dimitri Chamblas. This class quickly becomes an intoxicating escape from their grim reality, so they decide to create a dance show. In this exceptional context, the inmates engage with overwhelming sincerity, evoking their childhood, gang life, the crimes, the prison, and their desire for transformation. Beyond damaged lives and a prison system on the edge of the abyss, DANCING IN A-YARD explores redemption and the capacity of human beings to reinvent themselves, when given a chance. And more importantly, how art and introspection can help see the light.Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Subjects: Documentary films.; Arts.; Criminal law.; Social sciences.; Dance.; Americans.; Foreign study.; Gender identity.; Documentary films.; Artists.; Current affairs.; California.; Prisons.; Art therapy.; Modern dance.; Men's studies.; United States.; Masculinity.; Choreographers.; Performing arts.;
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Mass effect [electronic resource]. by Sony Computer Entertainment.;
Game.The mass Effect legendary Edition includes single-player base content and over 40 DLC from the highly acclaimed mass Effect, mass Effect 2, and mass Effect 3 games, including promo weapons, armors, and packs - remastered and optimized for 4K Ultra HD. One person is all that stands between humanity and the greatest threat it's ever faced. Relive the Legend of Commander Shepard in the highly acclaimed mass Effect trilogy with the mass Effect legendary Edition. Includes single-player base content and over 40 DLC from mass Effect, mass Effect 2, and mass Effect 3 games, including promo weapons, armors, and packs - remastered and optimized for 4K Ultra HD.ESRB Content Rating: M, Mature, 17+ (Blood, drug reference, partial nudity, sexual content, strong language, use of alcohol, violence).Blu-ray disc compatible with Playstation 4 console ; HDTV 720p/1080i/1080p ; in game surround sound ; 100 GB storage required ; PS4 Pro enhanced.
Subjects: Action adventure video games.; Science fiction video games.; Video games.; Sony video games.; Role playing video games.; Playstation 4 (Video game console); Video games.; Computer games.; Computer adventure games; Life on other planets; Mass effect (Game); Mass effect 2 (Game); Mass effect 3 (Game); Space warfare;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Mass effect [electronic resource]. by Microsoft Corporation.;
Game.The mass Effect legendary Edition includes single-player base content and over 40 DLC from the highly acclaimed mass Effect, mass Effect 2, and mass Effect 3 games, including promo weapons, armors, and packs - remastered and optimized for 4K Ultra HD. One person is all that stands between humanity and the greatest threat it's ever faced. Relive the Legend of Commander Shepard in the highly acclaimed mass Effect trilogy with the mass Effect legendary Edition. Includes single-player base content and over 40 DLC from mass Effect, mass Effect 2, and mass Effect 3 games, including promo weapons, armors, and packs - remastered and optimized for 4K Ultra HD.ESRB Content Rating: M, Mature, 17+ (Blood, drug reference, partial nudity, sexual content, strong language, use of alcohol, violence).Ultra HD Blu-ray disc compatible with Xbox Series X console ; HDTV 720p/1080i/1080p/4K/8K/HDR 10 video ; Spatial audio, Dolby Atmos in game surround sound ; 100 GB storage required ; Cross-generation play ; Optimized for Xbox Series X ; Smart delivery compatible.
Subjects: Action adventure video games.; Science fiction video games.; Video games.; Role playing video games.; Xbox Series X (Video game console); Video games.; Computer games.; Computer adventure games; Life on other planets; Mass effect (Game); Mass effect 2 (Game); Mass effect 3 (Game); Space warfare;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Lands of lost borders : out of bounds on the Silk Road / by Harris, Kate,1982-author.;
"In the spirit of The Places in Between and Into the Silence, this is a transcendent memoir about travelling wildly out of bounds on the fabled Silk Road. "Carried me up into a state of excitement I haven't felt for years. It's a modern classic."--Pico Iyer. As a teenager, Kate Harris realized that the career she most craved--that of a generalist explorer, equal parts swashbuckler and metaphysician, with a flair for basic science and endless slogging--had gone extinct. From what she could tell of the world from small-town Ontario, the likes of Marco Polo and Magellan had mapped the whole earth. So she looked beyond this planet, vowing to become a scientist and go to Mars. Well along this path, Harris set off by bicycle down a short section of the fabled Silk Road with her childhood friend Mel Yule. This trip was just a simulacrum of exploration, she thought, not the thing itself--a little adventure to pass the time until she could launch for outer space. But somewhere in between sneaking illegally across Tibet, studying the history of science and exploration at Oxford, and staring down a microscope for a doctorate at MIT, she realized that an explorer, in any day and age, is by definition the kind of person who refuses to live between the lines. Forget charting maps, naming peaks, leaving footprints on another planet: what she yearned for was the feeling of soaring completely out of bounds. And where she'd felt that most intensely was on a bicycle, on a bygone trading route. So Harris quit the laboratory and hit the Silk Road again with Yule, this time determined to bike it from beginning to end. Like Rebecca Solnit and Pico Iyer, Kate Harris offers a travel account at once exuberant and meditative, wry and rapturous, and above all full of hope. Lands of Lost Borders explores the nature of limits and the wildness of the self that, like our planet, can never be fully mapped. Weaving adventure and deep reflection with the history of science and exploration, Lands of Lost Borders celebrates our connection as humans to the natural world, and ultimately to each other--a belonging that transcends any fences or stories that may divide us."--
Subjects: Harris, Kate, 1982-; Cycling;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Results 291 to 300 of 585 | « previous |