In an era of the military space race, Erich von Däniken boldly proclaimed that Earth had been visited by more advanced beings early in our history. But prescientific man had no concept of space ships, so he called their vehicles “chariots,” and those driving the chariots became “gods.” Over the next five decades, von Däniken’s more than 40 books built an ever-stronger case for Earth being visited by extraterrestrial visitors. And Chariots became an international best seller, with 30 million copies sold in more than two dozen languages. Also during that time, the case for ET visitations millennia ago was being reexamined by contemporary UFO researchers, who found evidence of modern visitations. And von Däniken expanded his perspective to encompass the present. Now, he presents his long-awaited sequel to Chariots of the Gods, proclaiming that the gods never left us with all-new material to show that ancient aliens are still with us. The Gods Never Left Us contends that recent advancements in biotechnology, astrophysics, engineering, and artificial intelligence not only give us a fresh perspective on his ancient astronaut theory but actually validates it. We are—as a race—embarking on the exact same trajectory of our own interplanetary colonization, just as von Däniken suggested Earth itself was colonized. ETs are definitely at work today. And that affects all of us. Why do they do what they do? What could an extraterrestrial species possibly gain from observing us in the same way we look at ants? What have these strangers wanted for the past thousands of years? Can’t they leave us alone? And what makes it so difficult for us to acknowledge the existence of these extraterrestrials? That is what this book deals with. "Erich's newest book is a fascination journey from the ancient past into the present with a plethora of scientific evidence and documented research. As always, he ads his own "to the point" take on it all. Readers may also like that his newest work moves in a slightly different direction from his past books. A thoroughly enlightening and enjoyable Read." —Bruce Cunningham, Director, Ancient Mysteries International LLC & Publisher of Advanced Archaeology Review magazine

    Claims that climate change isn't settled science, that evolution is "only a theory," and that scientists are conspiring to keep the truth about vaccines from the public are staples of some politicians' rhetorical repertoire. Defenders of science often point to its discoveries (penicillin! relativity!) without explaining exactly why scientific claims are superior. In this book, Lee McIntyre argues that what distinguishes science from its rivals is what he calls "the scientific attitude"--caring about evidence and being willing to change theories on the basis of new evidence. The history of science is littered with theories that were scientific but turned out to be wrong; the scientific attitude reveals why even a failed theory can help us to understand what is special about science.McIntyre offers examples that illustrate both scientific success (a reduction in childbed fever in the nineteenth century) and failure (the flawed "discovery" of cold fusion in the twentieth century). He describes the transformation of medicine from a practice based largely on hunches into a science based on evidence; considers scientific fraud; examines the positions of ideology-driven denialists, pseudoscientists, and "skeptics" who reject scientific findings; and argues that social science, no less than natural science, should embrace the scientific attitude. McIntyre argues that the scientific attitude--the grounding of science in evidence--offers a uniquely powerful tool in the defense of science.

    . . McKibben goes beyond Marshall McLuhan’s theory that the medium is the message.”——The New York Times Imagine watching an entire day’s worth of television on every single channel. Acclaimed environmental writer and culture critic Bill McKibben subjected himself to this sensory overload in an experiment to verify whether we are truly better informed than previous generations. Bombarded with newscasts and fluff pieces, game shows and talk shows, ads and infomercials, televangelist pleas and Brady Bunch episodes, McKibben processed twenty-four hours of programming on all ninety-three Fairfax, Virginia, cable stations. Then, as a counterpoint, he spent a day atop a quiet and remote mountain in the Adirondacks, exploring the unmediated man and making small yet vital discoveries about himself and the world around him. As relevant now as it was when originally written in 1992–and with new material from the author on the impact of the Internet age–this witty and astute book is certain to change the way you look at television and perceive media as a whole.“By turns humorous, wise, and troubling . . . a penetrating critique of technological society.”–Cleveland Plain Dealer“Masterful . . . a unique, bizarre portrait of our life and times.”–Los Angeles Times“Do yourself a favor: Put down the remote and pick up this book.”–Houston Chronicle

    According to them, “intelligent machines” and big data will free us from work, educate our children, transform our environment, and even make religion more user-friendly. This is the story they’re telling us: that we should stop worrying and love our robot future. But just because you tell a story over and over again doesn’t make it true. Curtis White, one of our most brilliant and perceptive social critics, knows all about the danger of a seductive story, and in We, Robots, he tangles with the so-called thinkers who are convinced that the future is rose-colored and robotically enhanced. With tremendous erudition and a punchy wit, White argues that we must be skeptical of anyone who tries to sell us on technological inevitability. And he gives us an alternative set of stories: taking inspiration from artists as disparate as Sufjan Stevens, Lars von Trier, and François Rabelais, White shows us that by looking to art, we can imagine a different kind of future. No robots required.From the Hardcover edition.

    Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.And I'm ready to fight.The Rise of Nine: The stakes are higher than ever as John, Six, and Seven try desperately to find the rest of the Garde before it's too late. During the dangerous mission at the Mogadorian base in West Virginia, John found and rescued Nine. But even with their combined powers, special abilities known as Legacies, the pair barely escaped with their lives—and they lost Sam in the process. In order to save our world and their own, John and Nine must join forces with Six and Seven who have been battling the Mogadorians in Spain, and who are now trying to locate Number Eight in India.The Fall of Five: To defeat their enemy, the Garde must master their Legacies and learn to work together as a team. When the Garde receive a sign from Number Five—a crop circle in the shape of a Lorien symbol—they know they are close to being reunited. But could it be a trap? Time is running out, and the only thing they know for certain is that they have to get to Five before it's too late.The Revenge of Seven: The fifth book in the New York Times bestselling I Am Number Four series! The Garde have suffered an unbearable loss. Number Five has betrayed them. Eight is gone forever. Ella has been kidnapped. The others are now scattered. The Garde are broken and divided once again, but they will not be defeated. As long as one still stands, the battle for Earth's survival is not lost.

    Everything around us, including matter, is energy. A deep look into the mysteries of the subatomic world – the particles that make up the atom – provides answers to basic questions about how the universe works. To solve the future of mankind’s energy needs we need to understand the basic building blocks of the universe, including the atom and its parts. By exploring the subatomic world we’ll find more answers to our questions about time, forces like gravity and the matter that surrounds us. More importantly, we’ll find new ways to tap into the energy that exists around us to power our growing needs. In a new branch of particle physics, where tiny particles are thought of as energy waves, we find new answers that may help us in our quest to find alternative energy sources.

    It's extremely selfish to think we are the only existing intelligent life. Science and religion are on the verge of discovering the truth. Super ancient societies and their archaeological evidence uncovered to this day is a vault of stored information waiting to be unlocked. All we need to do is find the key. Help us uncover the truth by learning about Ancient Earth Mysteries.

     99.99% of the world’s mysteries are yet to be discovered and/or solved. Why not… It’s time for you to rediscover science? One of the most compelling draws of the sciences for many people is the potential of discovering something that was not known before. Whether someone’s doing it for fame, for fortune, or just for the fun of it, discovering something new, leaving your own personal mark for the rest of humanity’s time in the universe, is a tempting prospect for many. How would you feel about naming a star, and for others to know that you named it? That star would be visible in the sky for the rest of your lifetime, and more than likely for your great-great-great-grandchildren’s lifetimes. Your discovery would be immortalized above for the life of the star. Inside this book you will discover: -String theory and how it came about -Black holes and quantum gravity -If Schrödinger’s Cat is really a cat? -Disagreements between Einstein and Bohr -The double slit experiment Attention! Quantum Physics is NOT for everyone! This book is not for people: -Who doesn’t want to impress their girl with science -Who are not curious about the universe -Who isn’t inspired to name their own science theory If you are ready to learn about quantum physics, Scroll Up And Click On The “BUY NOW” Button Now!

    The book analyzes how differences could affect the plant, animal and human life on planet Earth.

    Si todos debemos movernos para sobrevivir, vale la pena preguntarse: ¿qué factores de nuestro entorno nos impulsan a movernos y cuáles, por el contrario, nos detienen? ¿Por qué algunas personas tienen la oportunidad de moverse hacia donde quieren y otras no? ¿Por qué ciertas sociedades evolucionan y otras no? Para responder a estas interrogantes, los autores del libro estudiaron los códigos culturales y el comportamiento Bio-Lógico de 71 países para desarrollar un índice de que permite medir la movilidad social dentro de estas sociedades.Andrés Roemer y Clotaire Rapaille señalan que las culturas más exitosas son aquellas que han sabido preservar los mejores aspectos de su tradición, al mismo tiempo que han estado dispuestas a innovar y buscar nuevos horizontes. Se trata de sociedades abiertas al cambio y sin temor al statu quo. Otra clave del éxito evolutivo de las sociedades es el equilibrio entre el aspecto biológico (determinado por cuatro factores: supervivencia, sexo, seguridad y superación) y el aspecto cultural. El reto, concluyen los autores, es aprender a armonizar nuestros instintos (nuestro cerebro reptiliano) con nuestras emociones (nuestro cerebro límbico) y nuestra lógica (el neocórtex).ENGLISH DESCRIPTION If we all know we must move to survive, shouldn’t we ask ourselves which factors in our environment propel us and which halt us? Why do certain societies evolve while others don’t? In this book, Andrés Roemer and Clotaire Rapaille point out that the most successful cultures are those that are not afraid of the status quo: they have learned to preserve the best qualities of their traditions while being open to innovation and to uncovering new horizons. Another key to the success of these societies is the equilibrium between biological and the cultural aspects. The challenge is to harmonize our instincts, our emotions, and our logic.

    Believable characters and situations' (Amazon US) 'Both a spy story, a sci-fi masterpiece as well as a thriller full of suspense and intrigue, the story rockets on ever forward with twists and turns.' (Amazon UK) 'This read like the golden age stuff I treasured as a youth, Arthur C. Clarke and co. have a worthy heir in Sedgwick. As much a spy adventure as a space caper, this story has plot and intrigue, and gripped me like nothing else in ages. I tore through it in very short time, and plan to re-read before long.' (Amazon UK) NOTE: This is the first of a two book series Description: Six years after its launch in 2050, Dr Aidan Lemaie makes a stunning discovery with the Helios space telescope array. The Helios array has, for the first time, made the surface features of exoplanets visible to human eyes. Green forests, mountain ranges and blue oceans all seem to be visible on Avendano-185f, ‘only’ fifteen light-years away. The find is hailed as the saviour of a languishing Earth, locked in the same old cycle of war, poverty and overpopulation that it always has been. But the potential second-Earth would take at least 150 years to reach using the best conventional propulsion methods. Then another 15 years for any message of what is found to reach Earth. Only recently has the Western Global Alliance unveiled the experimental technology that might bridge the fifteen light-year distance across interstellar space. The Faster-Than-Light drive is a revolutionary technology with origins steeped in mystery - it seems at least half a century ahead of its time. Although experimental and imperfect, the technology is of unparalleled strategic value and Russian spymaster, Sergei Bekov, will stop at nothing to acquire it. His beautiful, deep cover agent, Dasha Morozova, has infiltrated the lives of the people heading the project. Will her attempts to mercilessly betray them succeed and further her repressive regime’s cause? Meanwhile Yau Min, an eccentric former-SETI scientist, struggles for recognition. He wonders why the transmissions, that he thinks came from the Avendano system, went on for many years then mysteriously fell silent. What caused the signals and what made them stop? Should humanity set off for the promise of a new world, to provide a fresh start for the people of a crowded, ravished Earth? Is it a pristine second-Earth or a post-apocalyptic nightmare? Is there an intelligent civilization or will humankind become the apex species unopposed? The new space race is on and the rewards in land and resources could be huge - but so could be the risks. Astrobiologist, Professor Ken Hawkins, senses a trap that could doom humankind - but the human desire to explore is irresistible. How will the actions of Captain Chris Buick and his Special Space Service squad change the course of history forever? With their motto Fortitude in Stellis - ‘Bravery Among the Stars’ have they got what it takes to protect all they have ever known and loved on Earth? Immerse yourself in a future world of discovery, espionage and struggle in this stimulating epic tale. As the intelligent, interwoven plot unfolds to reveal the shocking truth about humanity’s future, you will find yourself hooked until its thrilling conclusion. Who will like this novel? - Readers who enjoy the fusion of hard sci-fi with political, military and espionage elements.

    This volume of fifteen new, specially commissioned essays by notable journalists and scholars such as Rudy Rucker, Jim Holt, and Gregory Benford presents a series of speculations on the most radical but well-grounded ideas they can conceive, projecting the universe as it might be in the year 1,000,000 C.E. Their collective effort--first attempted by H. G. Wells in his 1893 essay "The Man of the Year Million"--is an exploration into a barely conceivable distant future, where the authors confront far-flung possibilities, at times bordering on philosophy of science. How would the galaxy look if it were redesigned for optimal energy use and maximized intelligence? What is a universe bereft of stars? Contributors include Amara D. Angelica, Catherine Asaro, Gregory Benford, Robert Bradbury, Sean M. Carroll, Anne Corwin, Dougal Dixon, Robin Hanson, Steven B. Harris, Jim Holt, Lisa Kaltenegger, Wil McCarthy, Rudy Rucker, Pamela Sargent, and George Zebrowski.

    Without warning. Without a trace. Fleet command chalks the attacks up to pirates, but Captain Dryker of the UFC Johnston isn’t buying it. Defying command, he leads his misfit crew into hostile territory in search of answers. They encounter the mythical Void Wraith, an unstoppable legend whispered by the first race. After 26,000 years the Void Wraith have returned to begin the next Eradication. Their technology is superior, their motives unclear. Humanity cannot stop them. Not without help. Captain Dryker’s only hope is to forge an alliance with mankind’s greatest enemy, the savage Tigris. One maverick captain, an unlikely crew, and an aging vessel are all that stand between humanity and the Eradication. “It’s like Battlestar Galactica and Mass Effect had a baby, and that baby was raised by Starcraft. I read this book in one sitting, and immediately looked for the next.”- The author’s totally biased friend. Contains the Complete Trilogy: Destroyer Void Wraith Eradication Receive a complimentary copy of the prequel story Exiled by signing up to the mailing list: eepurl.com/bU1XyT

    Today’s "machine-learning" systems, trained by data, are so effective that we’ve invited them to see and hear for us?and to make decisions on our behalf. But alarm bells are ringing. Recent years have seen an eruption of concern as the field of machine learning advances. When the systems we attempt to teach will not, in the end, do what we want or what we expect, ethical and potentially existential risks emerge. Researchers call this the alignment problem.Systems cull résumés until, years later, we discover that they have inherent gender biases. Algorithms decide bail and parole?and appear to assess Black and White defendants differently. We can no longer assume that our mortgage application, or even our medical tests, will be seen by human eyes. And as autonomous vehicles share our streets, we are increasingly putting our lives in their hands.The mathematical and computational models driving these changes range in complexity from something that can fit on a spreadsheet to a complex system that might credibly be called “artificial intelligence.” They are steadily replacing both human judgment and explicitly programmed software.In best-selling author Brian Christian’s riveting account, we meet the alignment problem’s “first-responders,” and learn their ambitious plan to solve it before our hands are completely off the wheel. In a masterful blend of history and on-the ground reporting, Christian traces the explosive growth in the field of machine learning and surveys its current, sprawling frontier. Readers encounter a discipline finding its legs amid exhilarating and sometimes terrifying progress. Whether they—and we—succeed or fail in solving the alignment problem will be a defining human story.The Alignment Problem offers an unflinching reckoning with humanity’s biases and blind spots, our own unstated assumptions and often contradictory goals. A dazzlingly interdisciplinary work, it takes a hard look not only at our technology but at our culture—and finds a story by turns harrowing and hopeful.

    It was 2095 and Freighter Captain Dixon Cragg, (Craggy to his friends) was unhappy at having to take early retirement at only eighty four. But times were changing and he had to play his part, helping the youngsters take his place. Earth was dying, ravished by war and disease. Moon was a busy place and was the trading post between Earth and Mars. Convinced he was about to be sent off to Earth, his only alternative seemed to be to work as a toilet cleaner on Moon. But events were unfolding that would change the course of history for ever.