Great Books

This fascinating and highly accessible book presents fantastic but totally feasible projections of what your brain may be capable of in the near future. It shows how scientific breakthroughs and amazing research are turning science fiction into science fact. In this brave new book, you'll explore:How partnerships between biological sciences and technology are helping the deaf hear, the blind see, and the paralyzed communicate.How our brains can repair and improve themselves, erase traumatic memories How we can stay mentally alert longer--and how we may be able to halt or even reverse Alzheimers.

This fascinating and highly accessible book presents fantastic but totally feasible projections of what your brain may be capable of in the near future. It shows how scientific breakthroughs and amazing research are turning science fiction into science fact. In this brave new book, you'll explore: How partnerships between biological sciences and technology are helping the deaf hear, the blind see, and the paralyzed communicate. How our brains can repair and improve themselves, erase traumatic memories How we can stay mentally alert longer—and how we may be able to halt or even reverse Alzheimers How we can control technology with brain waves, including prosthetic devices, machinery, computers—and even spaceships or clones. Insights into how science may cure fatal diseases, and improve our intellectual and physical productivity Judith Horstman presents a highly informative and entertaining look at the future of your brain, based on articles from Scientific American and Scientific American Mind magazines, and the work of today’s visionary neuroscientists. Top Seven Predictions for the Future of the Brain Amazon-exclusive content from author Judith Horstman 1) Wi-Fi Everything Microchips in or on your brain will enhance memory, store data, and connect wirelessly to the internet, eliminating your cell phone and allowing you to control machines or even clones via mental wi-fi. See Chapter 7: Your Bionic Brain. 2) Cures for Dementia Advances in neuroscience and bioengineering will render Alzheimer's, some brain damage, depression and perhaps even mental retardation largely preventable, curable and possibly reversible for many. See Chapter 3: Manipulating Your Memory. 3) Better Brain Power Neuroenhancers - from smart pills to implants and devices––will improve thinking, enhance creativity, relieve depression, erase traumatic memories and boost mental endurance. See Chapter 2: Boosting Your Brain Power. 4) Bionic Brain Parts Merging humans and machines with bionic or biological spare parts that already restore hearing and give sight to the blind could restore movement and speech to the paralyzed––and give super powers to the healthy. See Chapter 7: Your Bionic Brain. 5) Mind-Reading Brain Scans Neuroimaging that now "reads" brains to detect disease will be able to accurately detect deception, antisocial tendencies, dangerous inclinations, your preference in sexual partners--and possibly predict your behavior. See Chapter 5: Looking Inside Your Brain. 6) Less Brain Surgery Nanotechnology – the science of small – will be used to float drugs, chemicals and minuscule surgical instruments into your brain to treat tumors, clots and other traumas, and defective genes and cells will be able to be replaced. See Chapter 8: The Possible Dreams. 7) An Ethical Avalanche The moral, legal and economic fallout from this amazing new technology will keep lawyers, lawmakers and the courts busy for decades dealing with issues of privacy, fairness, civil rights and even what it means to be human. See Chapter 9: Neuroethics; Facing the Dark Side.

Have you ever wondered what’s happening in your brain as you go through a typical day and night? This fascinating book presents an hour-by-hour round-the-clock journal of your brain’s activities. Drawing on the treasure trove of information from Scientific American and Scientific American Mind magazines as well as original material written specifically for this book, Judith Horstman weaves together a compelling description of your brain at work and at play. The Scientific American Day in the Life of Your Brain reveals what’s going on in there while you sleep and dream, how your brain makes memories and forms addictions and why we sometimes make bad decisions. The book also offers intriguing information about your emotional brain, and what’s happening when you’re feeling love, lust, fear and anxiety—and how sex, drugs and rock and roll tickle the same spots. Based on the latest scientific information, the book explores your brain’s remarkable ability to change, how your brain can make new neurons even into old age and why multitasking may be bad for you. Your brain is uniquely yours – but research is showing many of its day-to-day cycles are universal. This book gives you a look inside your brain and some insights into why you may feel and act as you do. The Scientific American Day in the Life of Your Brain is written in the entertaining, informative and easy-to-understand style that fans of Scientific American and Scientific American Mind magazine have come to expect.

Famous, fascinating Benjamin Franklin--he would be neither without his accomplishments in science. In this authoritative intellectual biography of America's most brilliant and cosmopolitan Founding Father, Joyce Chaplin considers Franklin's scientific work as a career in its own right as well as the basis of his political thought. The famous kite and other experiments with electricity were only part of Franklin's accomplishments. He charted the Gulf Stream, made important observations in meteorology, and used the burgeoning science of "political arithmetic" to make unprecedented statements about America's power. Even as he stepped onto the world stage as an illustrious statesman and diplomat in the years leading up to the American Revolution, his fascination with nature was unrelenting.

Arguably one of the most compelling and elusive territories of scientific research is the landscape of the human brain. From current research on the genetics of intelligence to new evidence being discovered in the battle against Parkinson's disease, the implications of the study of the human brain, and the equally fascinating human mind, are immense. The Scientific American Book of the Brain presents twenty-six cutting-edge articles on current brain research, by some of the biggest names working in the field: Is it true that most creative geniuses are plagued by a kind of madness? Kay Redfield Jamison reveals the link between creativity and mood disorders; are the brains of men and women equal in their capacity to learn and excel at cognitive tasks? Doreen Kimura puts forward scientific evidence that suggests men and women not only differ physically but also use different approaches to solve intellectual problems; how reliable is the human mind when it comes to memory? Elizabeth F. Loftus exposes how imagination and the power of suggestion can create "memories" of events that did not actually occur; why are certain children plagued by Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and what is the solution for such children? Russell A. Barkley posits that ADHD may arise when key brain circuits don't develop properly, perhaps because of an altered gene or genes. Introduced by Antonio R. Damasio and including chapters on mapping the brain; reasoning and intelligence; memory and learning; behavior; disease of the brain and disorder of the mind; and consciousness, The Scientific American Book of the Brain is a stimulating examination of today's most important and often controversial topics in brain research.

What's going on in there? If you want to get the latest in neural and behavioral science, there's no better place to turn than The Scientific American Book of the Brain. Thirty-two heavyweight researchers and science writers contribute thoughtful, often eloquent reviews of their own and others' neuroscience research, aiming to help the intelligent reader quickly grasp the current state of knowledge. Reading Elizabeth Loftus on false memories, Kay Redfield Jamison on manic-depressive illness, and Michael Gazzaniga on recent split-brain research is like attending a series of impressively cogent and engaging lectures, without any note-passing undergraduates to distract you. The articles are mostly from 1998, though a few go as far back as 1991; each represents the best, most current writing on its topic. Of particular interest to those who love a good debate are the side-by-side articles on the biological basis of homosexuality and the inclusion of consciousness within the domain of neurobiology by careful writers on opposing sides of each issue--it's a pleasant reminder that not all arguments need end in nationally televised fistfights. You may want to use The Scientific American Book of the Brain as a reference, but you'll find that the writing is so engrossing that minutes or hours will pass by inefficiently while you browse and take in the world of the brain as we know it. --Rob Lightner

This delightful collection from the magician of math introduces readers to magic squares, the Generalized Ham Sandwich Theorem, origami, digital roots, an update of the Induction Game of Eleusis, Dudeney puzzles, the maze at Hampton Court palace, and many more mathematical puzzles and principles. "Gardner is often the clown prince of science. . . . His Mathematical Games column in Scientific American is one of the few bridges over C. P. Snow's famous 'gulf of mutual incomprehension' that lies between the technical and literary cultures."—Time

UNDERSTANDING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE is one of the first four titles that launch an exciting new Pocket Science series, from the editors of America's leading popular science magazine, Scientific American. Comprised of critically acclaimed essays by the world's leading experts on each topic in the series, these collections will become definitive texts on crucial issues of our technological times. The authoritative and prestigious reputation of Scientific American puts these books at the top of any science fan's list. Called AI by followers and practitioners, the field of Artificial Intelligence is dedicated to the proposition that human brains are nothing more than machines, albeit extremely complicated ones, whose abilities will someday be duplicated-and surpassed-by computers. This collection of essays discusses the wide spectrum of knowledge compiled on the pursuit of this elusive goal. It includes a fascinating overview of the subject by Douglas B. Lenat, the president of Cycorp, Inc., and a forward-thinking essay on "The Rise of Robots" by Hans Marvec, the principal research scientists at the robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, which conservatively estimates that by 2050, robot brains based on computers will start rivaling human intelligence. Other articles include "Here's Looking at You," which profiles a robot who learns about itself and its environment through trial and error, as well as a profile on Marvin L. Minsky, the mastermind behind Artificial Intelligence. The book-like the entire series-is targeted to intelligent readers who want to expand their understanding of complex scientific subjects and contains essays from top scientists working in the field. Like the magazine, the book encompasses a spectrum of innovation through expert-authored articles that demonstrate the convergence of science, technology, and the world economy, challenging readers with fresh, new ideas and empowering them to make smart, strategic decisions.

How did the human brain with all its manifold capacities evolve from basic functions in simple organisms that lived nearly a billion years ago? John Allman addresses this question in Evolving Brains, a provocative study of brain evolution that introduces readers to some of the most exciting developments in science in recent years.

What's the big deal about big brains? They're a costly enhancement, says neurobiologist John Allman in Evolving Brains. "Animals with big brains are rare," he stresses. "If brains enable animals to adapt to changing environments, why is it that so few animals have large brains? The reason is that big brains are very expensive." He examines the whys and wherefores of large-brain evolution, and draws out the connections between large brains and long lives; shows why major evolutionary advances are often made by small predators; makes you appreciate why mammals, burdened by the cost of warm-bloodedness, were unable to unseat the dinosaurs; and more. So, while large brains such as the ones we humans enjoy may give survival advantages to individuals, some species have done (and did) just fine for millions of years with pea brains. Rather than talking only about cells, circuits, neurotransmitters, and genes, or gliding up to the ethereal regions of psychology and philosophy, Allman looks at the whole organism--the "middle-sized, middle-distanced objects," as Willard Van Orman Quine said. Evolving Brains is full of interesting scientific tidbits, only rarely becoming tangled in the thicket of jargon. --Mary Ellen Curtin

All the milestones in human ingenuity—from the discovery of fire to the invention of the microwave oven This Scientific American reference book is essential for anyone who wants to get a handle on the history of technology. More than 400 engagingly written entries explain the details and significance of each breakthrough, and numerous primary source sidebars add depth and immediacy. Divided into six chronological sections from early human history to the present and featuring scores of illustrations, this is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in history or technology. Rodney Carlisle, PhD, Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University, is the author of Encyclopedia of the Atomic Age and several works on the history of technology. Scientific American is the world's most prestigious science and technology magazine and has more than 3 million readers worldwide. Its books include Scientific American Science Desk Reference (0-471-35675-1).