"In Mind and Mechanism, Drew McDermott takes a computational approach to the mind-body problem (how it is that a purely physical entity, the brain, can have experiences). He begins by demonstrating the falseness of dualist approaches, which separate the physical and mental realms. He then surveys what has been accomplished in artificial intelligence, clearly differentiating what we know how to …
The case for a smarter “prosumer law” approach to Internet regulation that would better protect online innovation, public safety, and fundamental democratic rights. Internet use has become ubiquitous in the past two decades, but governments, legislators, and their regulatory agencies have struggled to keep up with the rapidly changing Internet technologies and uses. In this groundbreakin…
This is not the usual kind of self-help book. Indeed, its major premise heeds a Zen master's advice to be less self-centered. Yes, it is "one more book of words about Zen," as the author concedes, yet this book explains meditative practices from the perspective of a " neural Zen." The latest findings in brain research inform its suggestions. In Meditating Selflessly, James Austin -- Zen practit…
"Wearable technology--whether a Walkman in the 1970s, an LED-illuminated gown in the 2000s, or Google Glass today--makes the wearer visible in a technologically literate environment. Twenty years ago, wearable technology reflected cultural preoccupations with cyborgs and augmented reality; today, it reflects our newer needs for mobility and connectedness. In this book, Susan Elizabeth Ryan exam…
The intellectual heritage of MIT: an account of "the flow of ideas" about science and education that shaped the Institute as it emerged and that inspires it today. The motto on the seal of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, "Mens et Manus"--"mind and hand"--signals the Institute's dedication to what MIT founder William Barton Rogers called "the most earnest cooperation of intelligent cu…
Leading scholars discuss Donald Davidson's work in relation to a wide range of contemporary philosophical issues and approaches.OCLC-licensed vendor bibliographic record.
A history of of the industrial ecosystem that focuses on the biological sewage treatment plant as an early example. Biological sewage treatment, like electricity, power generation, telephones, and mass transit, has been a key technology and a major part of the urban infrastructure since the late nineteenth century. But sewage treatment plants are not only a ubiquitous component of the modern…
This title grows out of a conference hosted by the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in October 2009, and the book reflects the dynamic give-and-take of the event.OCLC-licensed vendor bibliographic record.
Erik Swyngedouw explores how water becomes part of the tumultuous processes of modernisation and development. Using the experience of Spain as a lens to view the interplay of modernity and environmental transformation, he shows that every political project is also an environmental project. Offering an innovative perspective on the relationship of nature and society, 'Liquid Power' illuminates t…
"In an age of global terrorism, can the pursuit of security be reconciled with liberal democratic values and legal principles? During its "global war on terrorism," the Bush administration argued that the United States was in a new kind of conflict, one in which peacetime domestic law was irrelevant and international law inapplicable. From 2001 to 2009, the United States thus waged war on terro…