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The contact paradox : challenging our assumptions in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence / by Cooper, Keith(Journalist),author.;
Includes bibliographical references (pages 322-326) and index.What will happen if humanity makes contact with another civilization on a different planet? In The Contact Paradox, space journalist Keith Cooper tackles some of the myths and assumptions that underlie SETI-- the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. In 1974 a message was beamed towards the stars by the giant Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico, a brief blast of radio waves designed to alert extraterrestrial civilizations to our existence. Of course, we don't know if such civilizations really exist. But for the past six decades a small cadre of researchers have been on a quest to find out, as part of SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The silence from the stars is prompting some researchers, inspired by the Arecibo transmission, to transmit more messages into space, in an effort to provoke a response from any civilizations out there that might otherwise be staying quiet. However, the act of transmitting raises troubling questions about the process of contact. We look for qualities such as altruism and intelligence in extraterrestrial life, but what do these mean to humankind? Can we learn something about our own history when we explore what happens when two civilizations come into contact? Finally, do the answers tell us that it is safe to transmit, even though we know nothing about extraterrestrial life, or as Stephen Hawking argued, are we placing humanity in jeopardy by doing so? In The Contact Paradox, author Keith Cooper looks at how far SETI has come since its modest beginnings, and where it is going, by speaking to the leading names in the field and beyond. SETI forces us to confront our nature in a way that we seldom have before-- where did we come from, where are we going, and who are we in the cosmic context of things? This book considers the assumptions that we make in our search for extraterrestrial life, and explores how those assumptions can teach us about ourselves.
Subjects: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (Study group : U.S.); Life on other planets.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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How to win friends and influence fungi : collected quirks of science, tech, engineering, and math from nerd nite / by Balakrishnan, Chris,author.; Balakrishnan, Chris,editor.; Orr, Kristen,illustrator.; Wasowski, Matt,editor.;
"In the vein of acclaimed popular-science bestsellers such as Atlas Obscura, Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry, The Way Things Work, What If?, and Undeniable, the co-founders of the global science organization Nerd Nite bring readers a collection of wacky, yet fascinating STEM topics. For 20 years, Nerd Nite has delivered to live audiences around the world, the most interesting, fun, and informative presentations about science, history, the arts, pop culture, you name it. There hasn't been a rabbit hole that their army of presenters hasn't been afraid to explore. Finally, after countless requests to bring Nerd Nite to more fans across the globe, co-founders and college pals Matt Wasowski and Chris Balakrishnan are bringing readers the quirky and accessible science content that they crave in book form, focused on STEM and paired with detailed illustrations that make the content pop. The resulting range of topics is quirky and vast, from kinky, spring-loaded spiders to the Webb telescope's influence on movie special effects. Hilariously named after Dale Carnegie's iconic book, How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi features narratives, bursts, and infographics on all things STEM from scientists around the world. Chapters are sure to make you laugh-out-loud, with titles such as "The Science of the Hangover," "What Birds Can Teach Us About the Impending Zombie Apocalypse," and "Lessons from the Oregon Trail." With fascinating details, facts, and illustrations, combined with Chris and Matt's incredible connections to organizations such as the Discovery Network and the Smithsonian Institution, How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi is sure to reach joyful STEM enthusiasts of all ages around the world. About Nerd Nite: Started in 2003, Nerd Nite is a monthly event held in 100+ cities worldwide during which folks give 20-minute fun-yet-informative presentations across all disciplines, while the audience drinks along!"--
Subjects: Trivia and miscellanea.; Humor.; Medicine; Medicine; Science; Science; Technology; Technology;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The quiet zone : unraveling the mystery of a town suspended in silence / by Kurczy, Stephen,author.;
Deep in the Appalachian Mountains lies the last truly quiet town in America. Green Bank, West Virginia, is a place at once futuristic and old-fashioned: It's home to the Green Bank Observatory, where astronomers search the depths of the universe using the latest technology, while schoolchildren go without WiFi or iPads. With a ban on all devices emanating radio frequencies that might interfere with the observatory's telescopes, Quiet Zone residents live a life free from constant digital connectivity. But a community that on the surface seems idyllic is a place of contradictions, where the provincial meets the seemingly supernatural and quiet can serve as a cover for something darker. Stephen Kurczy embedded in Green Bank, making the residents of this small Appalachian village his neighbors. He shopped at the town's general store, attended church services, went target shooting with a seven-year-old, square-danced with the locals, sampled the local moonshine. In The Quiet Zone, he introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters. There is a tech buster patrolling the area for illegal radio waves; "electrosensitives" who claim that WiFi is deadly; a sheriff's department with a string of unsolved murder cases dating back decades; a camp of neo-Nazis plotting their resurgence from a nearby mountain hollow. Amongst them all are the ordinary citizens seeking a simpler way of living. Kurczy asks: Is a less connected life desirable? Is it even possible? The Quiet Zone is a remarkable work of investigative journalism--at once a stirring ode to place, a tautly-wound tale of mystery, and a clarion call to reexamine the role technology plays in our lives.
Subjects: Kurczy, Stephen; Technology; Telecommunication; Radio waves.;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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Le loup qui avait la tête dans les étoiles / by Lallemand, Orianne.; Thuillier, Éléonore,1979-;
LSC
Subjects: Loup (Personnage fictif de Lallemand); Wolf (Fictitious character from Lallemand); Loups; Télescopes; Astronomie; Wolves; Telescopes; Astronomy;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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2/Duo. by Suwa, Nobuhiro,film director.; Yu, Eri,actor.; Nishijima, Hidetoshi,actor.; Watanabe, Makiko,actor.; Arbelos Films (Firm),dst; Kanopy (Firm),dst;
Eri Yu, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Makiko WatanabeOriginally produced by Arbelos Films in 1997.Nobuhiro Suwa’s second feature and breakout film, 2/DUO telescopes in on the seemingly mannered, domestic life of a young couple and finds a quiet storm of high stakes affection and alienation. An under-seen masterstroke of recent Japanese cinema lensed by Masaki Tamura, Suwa and his cast deftly conjure the emotional range and improvised precision of Jacques Rivette and Mike Leigh to inhabit a story that incrementally evokes the most universal sentient from the most quotidian detail.Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Subjects: Feature films.; Foreign films.; Motion pictures.; Drama.;
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