Alien Universe

Alien Universe PDF Author: Don Lincoln
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421410737
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 293

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Book Description
Are alien civilizations really possible? If extraterrestrials exist, where are they? How likely is it that somewhere in the universe an Earth-like planet supports an advanced culture? Why do so many people claim to have encountered Aliens? In this gripping exploration, scientist Don Lincoln exposes and explains the truths about the belief in and the search for life on other planets. In the first half of Alien Universe, Lincoln looks to Western civilization's collective image of Aliens, showing how our perceptions of extraterrestrials have evolved over time. The roots of this belief can be traced as far back as our earliest recognition of other planets in the universe—the idea of them supporting life was a natural progression of thinking that has fascinated us ever since. Our captivation with Aliens has, however, led to mixed results. The world was fooled in the nineteenth century during the Great Moon Hoax of 1835, and many people misunderstood Orson Welles's 1938 radio broadcast, The War of the Worlds, leading to significant anxiety among some listeners. Our continuing interest in Aliens is reflected in entertainment successes such as E.T., The X-Files, and Star Trek. The second half of the book explores the scientific possibility of whether advanced Alien civilizations do exist. For many years, researchers have sought to answer Enrico Fermi’s great paradox—if there are so many planets in the universe and there is a high probability that many of those can support life, then why have we not actually encountered any Aliens? Lincoln describes how modern science teaches us what is possible and what is not in our search for extraterrestrial civilizations. Whether you are drawn to the psychological belief in Aliens, the history of our interest in life on other planets, or the scientific possibility of Alien existence, Alien Universe is sure to hold you spellbound.

Alien Universe

Alien Universe PDF Author: Don Lincoln
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421410737
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 293

Get Book Here

Book Description
Are alien civilizations really possible? If extraterrestrials exist, where are they? How likely is it that somewhere in the universe an Earth-like planet supports an advanced culture? Why do so many people claim to have encountered Aliens? In this gripping exploration, scientist Don Lincoln exposes and explains the truths about the belief in and the search for life on other planets. In the first half of Alien Universe, Lincoln looks to Western civilization's collective image of Aliens, showing how our perceptions of extraterrestrials have evolved over time. The roots of this belief can be traced as far back as our earliest recognition of other planets in the universe—the idea of them supporting life was a natural progression of thinking that has fascinated us ever since. Our captivation with Aliens has, however, led to mixed results. The world was fooled in the nineteenth century during the Great Moon Hoax of 1835, and many people misunderstood Orson Welles's 1938 radio broadcast, The War of the Worlds, leading to significant anxiety among some listeners. Our continuing interest in Aliens is reflected in entertainment successes such as E.T., The X-Files, and Star Trek. The second half of the book explores the scientific possibility of whether advanced Alien civilizations do exist. For many years, researchers have sought to answer Enrico Fermi’s great paradox—if there are so many planets in the universe and there is a high probability that many of those can support life, then why have we not actually encountered any Aliens? Lincoln describes how modern science teaches us what is possible and what is not in our search for extraterrestrial civilizations. Whether you are drawn to the psychological belief in Aliens, the history of our interest in life on other planets, or the scientific possibility of Alien existence, Alien Universe is sure to hold you spellbound.

Alien Landscapes?

Alien Landscapes? PDF Author: Jonathan Glover
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674744713
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 448

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Book Description
We have made huge progress in understanding the biology of mental illnesses, but comparatively little in interpreting them at the psychological level. The eminent philosopher Jonathan Glover believes that there is real hope of progress in the human interpretation of disordered minds. The challenge is that the inner worlds of people with psychiatric disorders can seem strange, like alien landscapes, and this strangeness can deter attempts at understanding. Do people with disorders share enough psychology with other people to make interpretation possible? To explore this question, Glover tackles the hard cases—the inner worlds of hospitalized violent criminals, of people with delusions, and of those diagnosed with autism or schizophrenia. Their first-person accounts offer glimpses of inner worlds behind apparently bizarre psychiatric conditions and allow us to begin to learn the “language” used to express psychiatric disturbance. Art by psychiatric patients, or by such complex figures as van Gogh and William Blake, give insight when interpreted from Glover’s unique perspective. He also draws on dark chapters in psychiatry’s past to show the importance of not medicalizing behavior that merely transgresses social norms. And finally, Glover suggests values, especially those linked with agency and identity, to guide how the boundaries of psychiatry should be drawn. Seamlessly blending philosophy, science, literature, and art, Alien Landscapes? is both a sustained defense of humanistic psychological interpretation and a compelling example of the rich and generous approach to mental life for which it argues.

The Book of Minds

The Book of Minds PDF Author: Philip Ball
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022679587X
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 513

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Book Description
Minds and where to find them -- The space of possible minds -- All the things you are -- Waking up to the world -- Solomon's secret -- Aliens on the doorstep -- Machine minds -- Out of this world -- Free to choose -- How to know it all.

The Impact of Discovering Life Beyond Earth

The Impact of Discovering Life Beyond Earth PDF Author: Steven J. Dick
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107109981
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 367

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Book Description
This book discusses the big questions about how the discovery of extraterrestrial life, whether intelligent or microbial, would impact society and humankind.

Science Fiction and Philosophy

Science Fiction and Philosophy PDF Author: Susan Schneider
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1444327909
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 361

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Book Description
A timely volume that uses science fiction as a springboard to meaningful philosophical discussions, especially at points of contact between science fiction and new scientific developments. Raises questions and examines timely themes concerning the nature of the mind, time travel, artificial intelligence, neural enhancement, free will, the nature of persons, transhumanism, virtual reality, and neuroethics Draws on a broad range of books, films and television series, including The Matrix, Star Trek, Blade Runner, Frankenstein, Brave New World, The Time Machine, and Back to the Future Considers the classic philosophical puzzles that appeal to the general reader, while also exploring new topics of interest to the more seasoned academic

Alien Minds

Alien Minds PDF Author: Christina Bauer
Publisher: Monster House Books
ISBN: 1945723254
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
“The layers of the dimension created pulls you in and lures you further… a thrilling adventure!” – The Book Junkie On my seventeenth birthday, I wake up in the hospital to find I just survived a sketchy-but-terrible accident. My perfect-looking parents say I live an ideal life inside the Boston dome. And although my swoon-worthy guard, Thorne, looks totally familiar, he says we don’t have a history. What a bunch of crap. I don’t remember anything—not even my real name—but I can still tell when someone’s lying. From what I figure out, my dystopian overlords wiped my memory, leaving only my super science skills behind. Now, instead of expecting me to scream for revenge, the government demands that I build new tech that will launch an apocalypse against anyone who isn’t perfect. So I nod. Say yes. And scheme to blow the whole thing up. My memory may be gone, but my sass remains intact. I round up a team of teenage scientists to take down the nasty-ass government without getting ourselves killed. Only trouble is, I must accomplish all this while avoiding my growing attraction to Thorne, who may or may not be an alien. Something tells me that protecting my heart from my hottie guard might be the most dangerous adventure of all … From the author: Please know that of the forty-plus books I've published, Alien Minds holds a special place in my heart. Why? I'm a woman on the autism spectrum, so I absolutely adored writing in the voice of a female engineer and MIT student. Before I became a full-time author, I co-wrote a patent with Dr. Constantine Papageorgiou from MIT's Artificial Intelligence lab, so there's that, too. I hope you enjoy reading Alien Minds as much as I did writing it! Dimension Drift Series 1. Scythe 2. Umbra 3. Alien Minds 4. ECHO Academy

Alien Mind

Alien Mind PDF Author: George LoBuono
Publisher: Qc Press
ISBN: 9780615365688
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
Alien Mind begins where other books usually leave off. Rather than debate whether UFO's and aliens exist, the updated edition V of Alien Mind quotes human witnesses and informative aliens in a startling, new exploration of the thoughts and assumptions of our extraterrestrial neighbors. Sixty-five years after Roswell, evidence suggests that aliens are trying to get humans to step beyond elite greed and failed ecology in order to develop a more mature kind of cosmic citizenship. Although some content may be unsettling, this book should help to fill in some of the blanks in public knowledge about aliens. Alien Mind introduces previously unreported sources and helps readers understand how aliens think and feel about their interactions with humans and other aliens. It discusses alien science and how humans can both detect and identify different types of aliens and their energy networks.

Guilty Robots, Happy Dogs

Guilty Robots, Happy Dogs PDF Author: David McFarland
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191578746
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
When we interact with animals, we intuitively read thoughts and feelings into their expressions and actions - it is easy to suppose that they have minds like ours. And as technology grows more sophisticated, we might soon find ourselves interpreting the behaviour of robots too in human terms. It is natural for us to humanize other beings in this way, but is it philosophically or scientifically justifiable? How different might the minds of animals or machines be to ours? As David McFarland asks here, could robots ever feel guilty, and is it correct to suppose your dog can truly be happy? Can we ever know what non-human minds might be like, or will the answer be forever out of our reach? These are central and important questions in the philosophy of mind, and this book is an accessible exploration of the differing philosophical positions that can be taken on the issue. McFarland looks not only at philosophy, but also examines new evidence from the science of animal behaviour plus the latest developments in robotics and artificial intelligence, to show how many different - and sometimes surprising - conclusions we can draw about the nature of 'alien minds'.

Other Minds: The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life

Other Minds: The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life PDF Author: Peter Godfrey-Smith
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
ISBN: 0008226288
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
BBC R4 Book of the Week ‘Brilliant’ Guardian ‘Fascinating and often delightful’ The Times What if intelligent life on Earth evolved not once, but twice? The octopus is the closest we will come to meeting an intelligent alien. What can we learn from the encounter?

World Without Weight

World Without Weight PDF Author: Daniel Povinelli
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0198570961
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 374

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Book Description
In every domain of reasoning humans deploy an wide range of intuitive 'theories' about how the world works. So are we alone in trying to make sense of the world by postulating theoretical entities to explain how the world works, or do we share this ability with other species. This is the focus of this new book from Daniel Povinelli