"When Rosie Revere's Uncle Ned gets a little carried away wearing his famous helium pants, it's up to Ada and friends to chase him down. As Uncle Ned floats farther and farther away, Ada starts asking lots of questions: How high can a balloon float? Is it possible for Uncle Ned to float into outer space? And what's the best plan for getting him down?"--

A forward-thinking manifesto from three Stanford professors-experts who have worked at ground zero of the tech revolution for decades-which reveals how big tech's obsession with optimization and efficiency has sacrificed fundamental human values and outlines steps we can take to change course, renew our democracy, and save ourselves. In no more than the blink of an eye, a naïve optimism about technology's liberating potential has given way to a...

A provocative look at the new, digital landscape of childhood and how to navigate it. In The New Childhood, Jordan Shapiro provides a hopeful counterpoint to the fearful hand-wringing that has come to define our narrative around children and technology. Drawing on groundbreaking research in economics, psychology, philosophy, and education, The New Childhood shows how technology is guiding humanity toward a bright future in which our children will...

"We are approaching a critical threshold in the history of our species. Everything is about to change. Soon you will live surrounded by AIs. They will organise your life, operate your business, and run core government services. You will live in a world of DNA printers and quantum computers, engineered pathogens and autonomous weapons, robot assistants and abundant energy. None of us are prepared. As co-founder of the pioneering AI company DeepMind,...

What happens when a graduate of MIT, the bastion of technological advancement, and his bride move to a community so primitive in its technology that even Amish groups consider it antiquated? Eric Brende conceives a real-life experiment: to see if, in fact, all our cell phones, wide-screen TVs, and SUVs have made life easier and better or whether life would be preferable without them. By turns, the query narrows down to a single question: What is...

Publisher Annotation: Who could imagine an idea born on a space station would help sustain our planet? Astronauts, living on the International Space Station, have to protect their resources because their lives depend on it. They learn to conserve water, air, food, energy, and waste. These efforts have in turn lead to amazing and innovative ideas for air quality, food production, and water purification here on Earth. With vivid, energetic illustrations,...

.Millionaire George Morton is about to donate $10 million to the National Environmental Research Fund (NERF) when he suddenly decides against it. His lawyer, Peter Evans, is as surprised as anyone and is drawn into a web of intrigue after Morton's car careens off the road and Morton is presumed dead. Just before his "death," Morton was in contact with Dr. John Kenner, a researcher at the Center for Risk Analysis, who opposes NERF's agenda and presents...

"Bluetooth devices use radio waves to connect. It makes the things we do every day so much more convenient. No wires, cables, or cords, allows you to take computers, game controls, and many other objects from room to room. But how does it work? Learn about the signals these devices send to talk to each other and make your technology easier to use. This book will allow students to use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light...

"The Art of Tinkering is a collection of exhibits, artwork, and projects that celebrate a whole new way to learn, in which people create their own knowledge through making and doing, working with readily available materials, getting their hands dirty, collaborating with others, problem-solving in the most fun sense of the word, and, yes, oftentimes failing and bouncing back from getting stuck. Each artist featured in The Art of Tinkering goes through...

"Using the AASL Standards Framework for Learners, the Create and Share: Thinking Digitally series provides younger readers with the necessary tools to successfully and safely navigate the digital world. In Creating Slide Shows, readers learn how to create engaging and informative slide shows. Activities throughout the book prompt students to think more deeply, be creative, share information and resources, and grow their knowledge. Book includes a...