The Demon in the Machine

The Demon in the Machine PDF Author: Paul Davies
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0241309603
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 299

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Book Description
'A gripping new drama in science ... if you want to understand how the concept of life is changing, read this' Professor Andrew Briggs, University of Oxford When Darwin set out to explain the origin of species, he made no attempt to answer the deeper question: what is life? For generations, scientists have struggled to make sense of this fundamental question. Life really does look like magic: even a humble bacterium accomplishes things so dazzling that no human engineer can match it. And yet, huge advances in molecular biology over the past few decades have served only to deepen the mystery. So can life be explained by known physics and chemistry, or do we need something fundamentally new? In this penetrating and wide-ranging new analysis, world-renowned physicist and science communicator Paul Davies searches for answers in a field so new and fast-moving that it lacks a name, a domain where computing, chemistry, quantum physics and nanotechnology intersect. At the heart of these diverse fields, Davies explains, is the concept of information: a quantity with the power to unify biology with physics, transform technology and medicine, and even to illuminate the age-old question of whether we are alone in the universe. From life's murky origins to the microscopic engines that run the cells of our bodies, The Demon in the Machine is a breath-taking journey across the landscape of physics, biology, logic and computing. Weaving together cancer and consciousness, two-headed worms and bird navigation, Davies reveals how biological organisms garner and process information to conjure order out of chaos, opening a window on the secret of life itself.

The Demon in the Machine

The Demon in the Machine PDF Author: Paul Davies
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0241309603
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 299

Get Book Here

Book Description
'A gripping new drama in science ... if you want to understand how the concept of life is changing, read this' Professor Andrew Briggs, University of Oxford When Darwin set out to explain the origin of species, he made no attempt to answer the deeper question: what is life? For generations, scientists have struggled to make sense of this fundamental question. Life really does look like magic: even a humble bacterium accomplishes things so dazzling that no human engineer can match it. And yet, huge advances in molecular biology over the past few decades have served only to deepen the mystery. So can life be explained by known physics and chemistry, or do we need something fundamentally new? In this penetrating and wide-ranging new analysis, world-renowned physicist and science communicator Paul Davies searches for answers in a field so new and fast-moving that it lacks a name, a domain where computing, chemistry, quantum physics and nanotechnology intersect. At the heart of these diverse fields, Davies explains, is the concept of information: a quantity with the power to unify biology with physics, transform technology and medicine, and even to illuminate the age-old question of whether we are alone in the universe. From life's murky origins to the microscopic engines that run the cells of our bodies, The Demon in the Machine is a breath-taking journey across the landscape of physics, biology, logic and computing. Weaving together cancer and consciousness, two-headed worms and bird navigation, Davies reveals how biological organisms garner and process information to conjure order out of chaos, opening a window on the secret of life itself.

The Worldwound

The Worldwound PDF Author: Jonathan Keith
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781601255327
Category : Pathfinder (Game)
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This rift is known as the Worldwound, and through it, the demon horde has infested an entire region. While the demon armies have been held in check by barbarians and crusaders alike, the region within that was once Sarkoris is now ruled by fiends. Worse, the Worldwound itself is slowly growing -- if something isn't done to halt this blight, it and the demons it spawns may one day swallow all of Golarion! This Pathfinder sourcebook explores the demon-blighted land of the Worldwound (site of the new Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path) in great detail. Ruined cities (such as the shattered capital city of Iz, the frozen city of Dyinglight, and the river city of Undarin), key historical sites (like the Circle of the Hierophants -- birthplace of the druidic sect known as the Green Faith), and more are presented, along with an exhaustive examination of the strange and otherworldly hazards of the region. The book also includes several adventure sites ready for exploration, along with a few locations like the holdout town of Gundrun, which can serve heroes as (relatively) safe harbor in a deadly land. Finally, an extensive bestiary presents more than a dozen new monsters and demons and enemy NPCs along with two new monster templates, ensuring your PCs will never lack for foes in this devastated realm.

Demon Seed

Demon Seed PDF Author: Dean Ray Koontz
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 9780425158593
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 324

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Book Description
A computer with human-like qualities of artificial intelligence develops criminal obsessions and takes over the completely automated home of Susan Harris

The Demon's Lexicon

The Demon's Lexicon PDF Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0857070045
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
Nick and his brother Alan are on the run with their mother, who was once the lover of a powerful magician. When she left him, she stole an important charm - and he will stop at nothing to reclaim it. Now Alan has been marked with the sign of death by the magician's demon, and only Nick can save him. But to do so he must face those he has fled from all his life - the magicians - and kill them. So the hunted becomes the hunter… but in saving his brother, Nick discovers something that will unravel his whole past… "The Demon's Lexicon is full of shimmery marvels and bountiful thunder." - Scott Westerfeld "Sarah Rees Brennan crafts a twisty tale full of surprises." - Holly Black "Witty, dark, and moving, this novel will keep your eyes glued to the pages." - Cassandra Clare Nonstop action, nail-biting supsense, clever rapartee, and a knockout secret involving the two brothers will keep readers on the edges of their seats. Fans of the paranormal and the Supernatural television series are going to enjoy the adventures of these demon-fighting brothers, but so will aficionados of sharp writing, complex characters, fast-paced plots, teen angst, and the struggle between good and evil. For fans of Supernatural comes a read-until-3am-book, the first in the series by acclaimed author Sarah Rees Brennan

The Noonday Demon

The Noonday Demon PDF Author: Andrew Solomon
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 145161103X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 576

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Book Description
The author offers a look at depression in which he draws on his own battle with the illness and interviews with fellow sufferers, researchers, doctors, and others to assess the complexities of the disease, its causes and symptoms, and available therapies. This book examines depression in personal, cultural, and scientific terms. He confronts the challenge of defining the illness and describes the vast range of available medications, the efficacy of alternative treatments, and the impact the malady has on various demographic populations, around the world and throughout history. He also explores the thorny patch of moral and ethical questions posed by emerging biological explanations for mental illness. He takes readers on a journey into the most pervasive of family secrets and contributes to our understanding not only of mental illness but also of the human condition.

The Demon-haunted World

The Demon-haunted World PDF Author: Carl Sagan
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781439505281
Category : Literacy
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Are we on the brink of a new Dark Age of irrationality and superstition? In this book, the writer shows how scientific thinking is necessary to safeguard our democratic institutions and our technical civilization. This book is more personal and richer in moving and revealing human stories than anything the author has previously written. With illustrations from his own childhood experience as well as engrossing tales of discovery, he shows how the method of scientific thought can cut through prejudice and hysteria to uncover the often surprising truth. He convincingly debunks "alien abduction," "channelers," faith-healer fraud, the "face" on Mars, and much else. Along the way, he refutes the arguments that science destroys spirituality or is just another arbitrary belief system, asks why scientific study is often stigmatized, discusses the dangers of the misuse of science, and provides a "baloney detection kit" for thinking through political, social, religious, and other issues. -- Jacket

Daughter of the Sword

Daughter of the Sword PDF Author: Steve Bein
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 045141635X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 466

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Book Description
As the only female detective in Tokyo's most elite police unit, Mariko Oshiro has to fight for every ounce of respect, especially from her new boss. But when he gives her the least promising case possible, the attempted theft of an old samurai sword, it proves more dangerous than anyone on the force could have imagined. Mariko's investigation has put her on a collision course with a curse centuries old and as bloodthirsty as ever. She is only the latest in a long line of warriors and soldiers to confront this power, and even the sword she wields could turn against her.

The Demon King

The Demon King PDF Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 1423136144
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 510

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Book Description
New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima presents the first installment in a thrilling new fantasy series, in which the lives of Han Alister and the brave Princess Raisa collide in a magical and dangerous adventure. One day Han Alister catches three young wizard setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. Han takes an amulet away from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won't use it against him. The amulet once belonged to the Demon King, who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece so powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back. Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana'Marianna has her own battle to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of riding and hunting with her father's family. Raia aspires to be like Hanalea, the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems that her mother has other plans for her-plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for. The Seven Realms will tremble when the lives of Han and Raisa collide in this stunning page-turner from best-selling author Cinda Williams Chima.

A Children's Book of Demons

A Children's Book of Demons PDF Author: Aaron Leighton
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781927668665
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 48

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Book Description
With this handy Necronomicon for kids, and its easy to follow how-to steps, summoning demons has never been so much fun!

The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons

The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons PDF Author: Matthew Meyer
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780985218423
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
From the mists of prehistory to the present day, Japan has always had stories of fantastic monsters. There are women with extra mouths in the backs of their heads, water goblins whose favorite food is inside the human anus, elephant-dragons which feed solely on bad dreams, baby zombies, talking foxes, fire-breathing chickens, animated blobs of rotten flesh that run about the streets at night, and the dreaded "hyakki yagyo" "the night parade of one hundred demons"-when all of the yokai leave their homes and parade through the streets of Japan in one massive spectacle of utter pandemonium. What are yokai? Put simply, they are supernatural creatures of Japanese folklore. The word in Japanese is a combination of "yo," meaning "bewitching," and "kai," meaning "strange." The term encompasses monsters, demons, gods ("kami"), ghosts ("bakemono"), magical animals, transformed humans, urban legends, and other strange phenomena. It is a broad and vague term. Nothing exists in the English language that quite does the trick of capturing the essence of yokai. This field guide contains over 100 illustrated entries covering a wide variety of Japanese yokai. Each yokai is described in detail-including its habitat, diet, origin, and legends-based on translations from centuries-old Japanese texts. This book was first funded on Kickstarter in 2011 and then revised in 2015.