Science & Technolgy

This is for those rare times that I touch on the subjects of science and technology. I’m an avid reader of scientific and technological advancements; therefore, I occasionally like to post a little something of my thoughts about them.

I, Robot

I, Robot

Isaac Asimov’s book is one of those that you must read at some point in your life. First, because of his storytelling abilitiy. Then, because the time of machines is upon us.
To some readers this collection of nine short stories may seem like just that — another collection of stories. It’s so [...]

The World Is Flat

The World Is Flat

I started reading Thomas L. Friedman’s book sometime in late December or early January. It was a bit of a long book. Well, I read a lot of other things since then and now. But, I’m finally finished and am astounded. The book has opened my eyes to the situation America [...]

Maximum Ride: School’s Out — Forever

Maximum Ride: School’s Out — Forever

It’s hard not to like James Patterson’s easy-to-read, fast-paced Maximum Ride series. He keeps the chapters short, and you find yourself turning the pages at a fast rate, keeping in line with the novel’s pace.
Since I’ve just come off a streak of reading nonfiction books about genetic engineering, Patterson’s pageturner was a relief.
Max, [...]

Citizen Cyborg

Citizen Cyborg

Anyone who’s kept up with some of my book reviews knows that I’ve been reading about biological enhancement and what the future holds for the human race. When I first saw the title of James Hughes’ book, I immediately thought I would read about further proof that we are on the brink of a biological uplifting of our society—a social change so vast that the world as we know it will be redefined.

New Phone: iPhone or BlackJack or Treo?

I’ve been peeking around the market for a new cell phone lately. I have service with Cingular, and I’ve narrowed my choices down to the Apple iPhone, Samsung BlackJack, and the Palm Treo 680.
I’ve been so out of touch with certain parts of the technological world lately that I can’t decide [...]

Web 2.0 … The Machine is Us/ing Us

I saw this video a few days ago, and I keep forgetting to post it. It really makes you feel good about being a part of the Web.

More Than Human

Embracing the Promise of Biological Enhancement
I don’t know if it’s the sheer number of books that I’ve read on human enhancement recently or what, but the contents of this book seem to have blended with every other thing about the subject.
Ramez Naam is an optimist about the future of biological enhancement, but he calls himself [...]

Radical Evolution

The Promise and Peril of Enhancing Our Minds, Our Bodies — and What It Means to Be Human
I admit it. I’m a sucker for reading books about upcoming scientific breakthroughs. Yes, that may make me a bit of a nerd, but I like reading them anyway.
Joel Garreau has written one of the easier-to-read [...]

The Singularity Is Near

When Humans Transcend Biology
This is a long overdue review, especially since it’s been almost two months since I finished reading Ray Kurzweil’s signature piece. Kurzweil has been bashed, laughed at, and called a lunatic many times over, but his book speaks for itself. There are facts, statistics, and scientific laws that provide plentiful [...]

Kurzweil Debates Gelernter On Machine Consciousness

This is an interesting debate for those who are interested in AI.