Popular Technology

From “one of America’s smartest and most charming writers” (NPR), an archaeological romp through the entire history of humankind—and through all five senses—from tropical Polynesian islands to forbidding arctic ice floes, and everywhere in between. Whether it’s the mighty pyramids of...

More than half of American adults and more than 75 percent of young Americans believe in intelligent extraterrestrial life. This level of belief rivals that of belief in God. American Cosmic examines the mechanisms at work behind the thriving belief system in extraterrestrial life, a system that is changing and even supplanting traditional religions.

Quantum physics has a reputation for being impossible. Equations, paradoxes, and jargon that sounds like science fiction have locked the strange rules running the universe behind a wall of mathematics that scares off curious readers. This book breaks the wall down. Written in plain, conversational English with no equations required, it walks you through the ideas that quietly power your phone, your medical scans, your solar panels, and every atom in your body. Inside this book, readers will learn how to: Understand why classical physics broke and what blackbody radiation and the ultraviolet...

NEW RELEASE ~ WITH PHOTOGRAPHS THROUGHOUT Is it true that an AI can copy your voice from under a minute of audio, convincingly enough to fool people who know you? Every fact is drawn from academic research and documented institutional data. This True Verified Facts book hands you 300+ researched answers about artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the race toward AGI, written to educate, entertain, and arm you with knowledge worth sharing at any table. Inside This Book: Why the very first neural network ran on motors and wires instead of a single line of code. The autonomous ...

Bloomsbury presents Sticky written and read by Laurie Winkless. You are surrounded by stickiness. With every step you take, air molecules cling to you and slow you down; the effect is harder to ignore in water. When you hit the road, whether powered by pedal or engine, you rely on grip to keep...

In AND WE PUTTIN IT ON WAX, delve into an absorbing odyssey that charts the transformation of music through the ever-evolving platforms on which it's experienced. From the grooves of vinyl records to the ephemeral world of streaming, this book reveals how shifts in technology don't merely change how we listen, but alter the very essence of the music itself. Through insights frommusicians, producers, and industry insiders across diverse genres, we explore how artistic choices are influenced by medium, and how these choices reverberate through culture. Immerse yourself in a rich narrative ...

What can a simple sequence of numbers reveal about the world? The Fibonacci sequence—1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13…—first appeared in 1202 when Leonardo of Pisa included a rabbit population puzzle in his book Liber Abaci. Over the centuries, mathematicians discovered that this elegant sequence connects to some of the most fascinating patterns in mathematics, nature, and modern technology. Fibonacci and the Science of Growth: A Guide to Mathematical Patterns in Nature, Technology, and Complex Systems explores how a simple rule—adding the two previous numbers—can generate rich and surprising...

Have you ever chatted with a computer that seemed to really get you? Asked it a question and, seconds later, it gave you an answer that was actually useful—or even surprisingly insightful? If you’ve had that experience recently, there’s a good chance you were talking to ChatGPT. It might feel a bit like science fiction—an artificial intelligence that can hold a conversation, write emails, draft stories, explain complex topics, and even tell you a joke or two. But ChatGPT isn’t a futuristic fantasy anymore.

Behind every Summer Olympic scoring soccer kick, tennis-ball bounce, and hard-hitting volleyball serve, science is at work. The type of kick used on a soccer ball affects its path. An equestrian leans forward during a jump to help the horse balance. Cyclists wear tight clothing to reduce drag. Find out how science is involved in several popular Summer Olympic events and how athletes take science into account in their quest for the gold medal.

A fascinating insider view into Reddit—the wildly popular, often misunderstood website that has changed the culture of the Internet. Reddit hails itself as "the front page of the Internet." It's the third most-visited website in the United States—and yet, millions of Americans have no idea...

In the modern information age, our brain’s coping mechanisms have been overloaded, and our irrationality turned up to eleven. Amanda Montell blends cultural criticism and personal narrative to explore our modern cognitive biases and the power, disadvantages and highlights of magical...

When was the last time you thought something through by yourself, without a screen? There is a version of you that has stopped thinking; you just haven’t noticed yet. It happens quietly. You stop drafting emails and start approving them. You cannot answer a question without checking your phone...

What is new about how teenagers communicate through services such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? Do social media affect the quality of teens' lives? In this eye-opening book, youth culture and technology expert Danah Boyd uncovers some of the major myths regarding teens' use of social media. She explores tropes about identity, privacy, safety, danger, and bullying. Ultimately, Boyd argues that society fails young people when paternalism and protectionism hinder teenagers' ability to become informed, thoughtful, and engaged citizens through their online interactions.

In Distracted, journalist Maggie Jackson ponders our increasingly cyber-centric world and fears we're entering a dark age of interruption that will render us unable to think critically, work creatively or cultivate meaningful relationships.

Ah, presbyopia—the unsung villain of the ophthalmic world, creeping up on you like a middle-aged ninja with an agenda to sabotage your vision just as you’re hitting your stride in life. One minute you’re breezing through your 30s, thinking you’re invincible, and the next, BAM! You’re in your forties, squinting at the menu like it’s written in hieroglyphics, all while fumbling for those reading glasses you swore you’d never need. But here’s the real kicker—presbyopia isn’t some sudden ambush that springs out of nowhere. Oh no, this crafty little devil started plotting ...

Get ready to step into the lush world of "The Blueberry Orchard Owner's Blueprint," your ultimate guide to setting foot in the blueberry cultivation industry. This eBook is a vast well of knowledge that will pave the path from novice to seasoned orchard owner, journeying through captivating chapters rooted in essential aspects of blueberry farming. Kickstart your venture by exploring the burgeoning superfood market and selecting the ideal location for your orchard. Delve into the nitty-gritty of soil quality and uncover the secrets of choosing the perfect blueberry variety. This guide ...

Your GPS runs a relativistic time correction of 38 microseconds a day. Without it, navigation puts you twelve kilometres from where you want to be. The soap in your bathroom has been solving the same molecular problem since 2800 BCE. The window you look through every morning took four thousand years to make flat. The non-stick pan on your stove came out of the nuclear weapons programme. The microwave oven exists because Percy Spencer was standing in front of a radar set when his chocolate bar melted. Every object in your home was made by someone who spent years on a problem you have never ...

"My First Encyclopedia Set: Animal World" introduces a diverse range of animals based on their physical characteristics, body temperature, and more. From the majestic lion, elegant giraffe, adorable koala, cumbersome bear, agile monkey, enormous blue whale, and clever dolphin, to our close companions like dogs and cats.

Bloomsbury presents Videotape by Oana Godeanu-Kenworthy by Noe Nishizawa Object Lessons is a series of short books about the hidden lives of ordinary things. Over the span of a single decade, VHS technology changed the relationship between privacy and entertainment, pried open the closed...

'Brilliant .. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough' - Henry Marsh, New Statesman (about The Idea of the Brain) A new gene editing technology, invented just seven years ago, has turned humanity into gods. Enabling us to manipulate the genes in virtually any organism with exquisite...