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The hype machine : how social media disrupts our elections, our economy, and our health - and how we must adapt / by Aral, Sinan,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Social media connected the world--and gave rise to fake news and increasing polarization. Now a leading researcher at MIT draws on 20 years of research to show how these trends threaten our political, economic, and emotional health in this eye-opening exploration of the dark side of technological progress. Today we have the ability, unprecedented in human history, to amplify our interactions with each other through social media. It is paramount, MIT social media expert Sinan Aral says, that we recognize the outsized impact social media has on our culture, our democracy, and our lives in order to steer today's social technology toward good, while avoiding the ways it can pull us apart. Otherwise, we could fall victim to what Aral calls "The Hype Machine." As a senior researcher of the longest-running study of fake news ever conducted, Aral found that lies spread online farther and faster than the truth--a harrowing conclusion that was featured on the cover of Science magazine. Among the questions Aral explores following twenty years of field research: Did Russian interference change the 2016 election? And how is it affecting the vote in 2020? Why does fake news travel faster than the truth online? How do social ratings and automated sharing determine which products succeed and fail? How does social media affect our kids? First, Aral links alarming data and statistics to three accelerating social media shifts: hyper-socialization, personalized mass persuasion, and the tyranny of trends. Next, he grapples with the consequences of the Hype Machine for elections, businesses, dating, and health. Finally, he maps out strategies for navigating the Hype Machine, offering his singular guidance for managing social media to fulfill its promise going forward. Rarely has a book so directly wrestled with the secret forces that drive the news cycle every day"--
Subjects: Information society.; Common fallacies.; Propaganda.; Social interaction.; Social media;

Panic in Year Zero!. by Milland, Ray,film director.; Avalon, Frankie,actor.; Hagen, Jean,actor.; Freeman, Joan,actor.; Mitchel, Mary,actor.; Milland, Ray,actor.; MGM (Firm),dst; Kanopy (Firm),dst;
Frankie Avalon, Jean Hagen, Joan Freeman, Mary Mitchel, Ray MillandOriginally produced by MGM in 1962.In this chiller-thriller, Harry Baldwin (Ray Milland), his wife (Jean Hagen) and their two kids (Frankie Avalon, Mary Mitchel) are heading to the mountain for a weekend of fishing as they see a mushroom cloud forming over the Los Angeles skyline. With the highways and towns jammed by panicking motorists, rampaging looters, heavily armed survivalist and doped-up punks, Milland and his family must battle their way to the shelter of their fishing spot to await more news about nuclear disaster.Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Subjects: Feature films.; Action and adventure films.; Film noir.; Science fiction.; Thrillers (Motion pictures, television, etc.).; Motion Pictures.; War films.; Motion pictures.; Horror films.;

The life-changing science of detecting bullshit / by Petrocelli, John V.,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Expanding upon his viral TEDx Talk, psychology professor and social scientist John V. Petrocelli reveals the critical thinking habits you can develop to recognize and combat pervasive false information that harms society in The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit. Bullshit is the foundation of contaminated thinking and bad decisions leading to health consequences, financial losses, legal consequences, broken relationships, and wasted time and resources. No matter how smart we believe ourselves to be, we're all susceptible to bullshit-and we all engage in it. While we may brush it off as harmless marketing sales speak or as humorous, embellished claims, it's actually much more dangerous and insidious. It's how Bernie Madoff successfully swindled billions of dollars from even the most experienced financial experts with his Ponzi scheme. It's how the protocols of Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward resulted in the deaths of 36 million people from starvation. Presented as truths by authority figures and credentialed experts, bullshit appears legitimate, and we accept their words as gospel. If we don't question the information we receive from bullshit artists to prove their thoughts and theories, we allow these falsehoods to take root in our memories and beliefs. This faulty data affects our decision making capabilities, sometimes resulting in regrettable life choices. But with a little dose of skepticism and a commitment to truth seeking, you can build your critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills to evaluate information, separate fact from fiction, and see through bullshitter spin. In The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit, experimental social psychologist John V. Petrocelli provides invaluable strategies not only to recognize and protect yourself from everyday bullshit, but to accept your own lack of knowledge about subjects and avoid in engaging in bullshit just for societal conformity. With real world examples from people versed in bullshit who work in the used car, real estate, wine, and diamond industries, Petrocelli exposes the red-flag warning signs found in the anecdotal stories, emotional language, and buzzwords used by bullshitters that persuade our decisions. By using his critical thinking defensive tactics against those motivated by profit, we will also learn how to stop the toxic misinformation spread from the social media influencers, fake news, and op-eds that permeate our culture and call out bullshit whenever we see it"--
Subjects: Critical thinking.; Reasoning.; Decision making.;

Surrounded by liars : how to stop half-truths, deception, and gaslighting from ruining your life / by Erikson, Thomas,1965-author.; translation of:Erikson, Thomas,1965-Omgiven av lögnore.English.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Protect yourself against lies and deception with bestselling author Thomas Erikson's proven behavioral science methods Do you ever have the feeling that your friend isn't telling you the whole story? Or that your colleague's answer doesn't quite add up? Whether in your personal or social life, professional life, or on the news or media, sorting the lies from the truth can be exhausting and make you feel constantly on edge. In the next installment of the Surrounded by Idiots series, Thomas Erikson shows you how to identify and deal with the liars in your life. With the help of the simple, four-color behavioral model made famous in Surrounded by Idiots, readers will learn to protect themselves against deception and insincerity. Filled with sophisticated wisdom and Erikson's trademark humor, SURROUNDED BY LIARS arms readers with the practical knowledge needed to feel confident in their ability to discern the truth and live a calmer, more reliable life"--
Subjects: Communication; Communication; Communicative competence.; Truthfulness and falsehood.;

The dream daughter / by Chamberlain, Diane,1950-author.;
"When Caroline Sears receives the news that her unborn baby girl has a heart defect, she is devastated. It is 1970 and there seems to be little that can be done. But her brother-in-law, a physicist, tells her that perhaps there is. Hunter appeared in their lives just a few years before--and his appearance was as mysterious as his past. With no family, no friends, and a background shrouded in secrets, Hunter embraced the Sears family and never looked back. Now, Hunter is telling her that something can be done about her baby's heart. Something that will shatter every preconceived notion that Caroline has. Something that will require a kind of strength and courage that Caroline never knew existed. Something that will mean a mind-bending leap of faith on Caroline's part. And all for the love of her unborn child. A rich, genre-spanning, breathtaking novel about one mother's quest to save her child, unite her family, and believe in the unbelievable. Diane Chamberlain pushes the boundaries of faith and science to deliver a novel that you will never forget."--
Subjects: Domestic fiction.; Mothers and daughters;

Cataclysm / by Kang, Lydia,author.;
"After five years of conflict, the planets Eiram and E'ronoh are on the cusp of real peace. But when news breaks of a disaster at the treaty signing on Jedha, violence reignites on the beleaguered worlds. Together, the royal heirs of both planets--Phan-tu Zenn and Xiri A'lbaran--working alongside the Jedi, have uncovered evidence that the conflict is being orchestrated by outside forces, and all signs point to the mysterious Path of the Open Hand, whom the Jedi also suspect of causing the disaster on Jedha. With time--and answers--in short supply, the Jedi must divide their focus between helping quell the renewed violence on Eiram and E'ronoh and investigating the Path. Among them is Gella Nattai, who turns to the one person she believes can unravel the mystery but the last person she wants to trust: Axel Greylark. The chancellor's son, imprisoned for his crimes, has always sought to unburden himself of the weight of his family name. Will he reconcile with the Jedi and aid in their quest for justice and peace, or embrace the Path's promise of true freedom? As all roads lead to Dalna, Gella and her allies prepare to take on a foe unlike any they've ever faced. And it will take all of their trust in the Force, and in one another, to survive"--
Subjects: Science fiction.; Novels.; Jedi (Fictitious characters); Life on other planets; Man-woman relationships; Space warfare;

For the first time, again / by Neuvel, Sylvain,1973-author.;
Includes bibliographical references."For the First Time, Again is the closing chapter in Sylvain Neuvel's acclaimed Take Them to the Stars trilogy. When you don't know The Rules it's hard to stay safe. After a traumatic incident, Aster finds that her blood work comes back with some unusual readings. Unsurprising, as she's the last of an alien race called the Kibsu, though she doesn't know it. She becomes the focus of a hunt, with her mortal enemies, the Trackers, on one side, and the American government on the other. But help has come from a most unexpected quarter. Whoever finds her first, it won't be good news for Aster. Or for the world! Also Available by Sylvain Neuvel: Take Them to the Stars series: 1. A History of What Comes Next 2. Until the Last of Me The Test"--
Subjects: Science fiction.; Novels.; Extraterrestrial beings; Human-alien encounters;

The future of truth / by Herzog, Werner,1942-author.; translation of:Herzog, Werner,1942-Zukunft Der Wahrheit.English.; Hofmann, Michael,1957 August 25-translator.;
"From legendary filmmaker and author Werner Herzog, a compact, effervescent, and deeply personal exploration of art, philosophy, and history that unravels one of our most elusive and contested questions: what is truth -- and how to find it in our "post-truth" era? For over half a century, Werner Herzog has challenged, enriched, and expanded our understanding of the truth. His films and books have mixed fiction and nonfiction, documentary and drama, reality and imagination. Invariably, Herzog goes beyond the appearance of what is true in search of a higher truth, or what he has often referred to as the "ecstatic truth". But never before has he engaged so directly with the question of truth. In The Future of Truth, a great artist essays an answer to one of humanity's deepest, most eternal questions. At a moment when deepfake AI videos are proliferating, and most people have simply thrown up their hands in despair at the ubiquity of what we now know as fake news -- not to mention the constant lying and propagandizing from certain public figures -- Herzog seeks a remedy. Mixing memoir, history, politics, poetry, science, and fierce opinion, he writes with dazzling originality and panache, urging readers themselves to be unflagging and imaginative in the pursuit of truth, endless though the quest may be: I don't think truth is some kind of Pole star in the sky that we will one day get to. It's more like an incessant striving. A movement towards it, an uncertain journey, a seeking full of futile endeavor. But it is this journey into the unknown, into a vast twilit forest, that gives our lives meaning and purpose; it's what distinguishes us from the beasts in the fields"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Herzog, Werner, 1942-; Motion picture producers and directors; Truth.;

The innocent dead / by Anderson, Lin,author.;
The present day discovery of a child's remains in a peat bog south of Glasgow looks to finally solve the decades old mystery of ten year old Mary McInally's disappearance. Karen Marshall had been devastated by her best pal's abduction on the day of her confirmation. Questioned by the police but traumatised by the loss of her friend, nothing Karen remembered back then had helped. Now decades later, the news of the possible discovery of Mary's body brings the nightmares back, but added to that are returning memories long buried by Karen. Memories that begin to reveal her role in her friend's disappearance and perhaps the identity of the killer. Are these memories the truth or just a figment of an aging brain? Called in to excavate the body on the moor, forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod uses the advances made in forensic science since Mary's death to unravel a horrific tale that encompasses more than just one child, and not only in the past.
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; MacLeod, Rhona (Fictitious character); Women forensic scientists; Cold cases (Criminal investigation); Missing persons; Murder;

Eat like a pig, run like a horse : how food fights hijacked our health and the new science of exercise / by Marx de Salcedo, Anastacia,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."There is no magic pill. There is no perfect diet. Could it be that our underlying assumption--that what we're eating is making us fat and sick--is just plain wrong? To address the rapid rise of "lifestyle diseases" like diabetes and heart disease, scientists have conducted a whopping 500,000 studies of diet and another 300,000 of obesity. Journalists have written close to 250 million news articles combined about these topics. Yet nothing seems to halt the epidemic. Anastacia Marx de Salcedo's Eat Like a Pig, Run Like a Horse looks not just to data-driven science, but to animals and the natural world around us for a new approach. What she finds will transform the national debate about the root causes of our most pervasive diseases and offer hope of dramatically reducing the number who suffer--no matter what they eat. It all began with her own medical miracle--she has multiple sclerosis but has discovered that daily exercise was key to keeping it from progressing. And now, new research backs up her own experience. This revelation prompted Marx de Salcedo to ask what would happen if people with lifestyle illnesses put physical activity front and center in their daily lives? Eat Like a Pig, Run Like a Horse takes us on a fascinating journey that weaves together true confessions, mad(ish) scientists, and beguiling animal stories. Marx de Salcedo shows that we need to move beyond our current diet-focused model to a new, dynamic concept of metabolism as regulated by exercise. Suddenly the answer to good health is almost embarrassingly simple. Don't worry about what you eat. Worry about how much you move. In a few years' time, adhering to a finicky Keto, Paleo, low-carb, or any other special diet to stay healthy will be as antiquated as using Daffy's Elixir or Dr. Bonker's Celebrated Egyptian Oil--popular "medicines" from the 1800s--to cure disease. And just as the 19th-century health revolution was based on a new understanding that the true cause of malaria, tuberculosis, and cholera was microorganisms, so the coming 21st-century one will be based on our new understanding that exercise is the only way to metabolic health. Fascinating and brilliant, Eat Like a Pig, Run Like a Horse is primed to usher in that new era" --
Subjects: Diet; Exercise; Exercise; Health.; Physical fitness;

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