Publisher: Larry Slawson
This eBook examines and ranks the 10 hottest peppers in the world. It provides a brief overview of each pepper's characteristics, flavor, as well as overall heat level in terms of Scoville Heat Units.
A Wired senior editor and virtual reality expert presents a captivating, candid glimpse into the future ""realities"" of this emerging technology: how we will use it to form previously impossible relationships, explore new frontiers of intimacy, and how it will forever change human connection. Heralded as the most significant technological innovation since the smartphone, virtual reality is poised to transform our very notions of life and humanity. Though this tech is still in its infancy, to those on the inside, it is the future. VR will change how we work, how we experience entertainment, how we feel pleasure and other emotions, how we see ourselves, and most importantly, how we relate to each other in the real world. And we will never be the same. Peter Rubin, senior culture editor for Wired and the industry’s go-to authority on the subject, calls it an ""intimacy engine."" While once we needed another person to feel the sensations of closeness, trust, vulnerability, confidence, and titillation, VR will give us the ability to induce these sensations by ourselves for the first time in human history. This metamorphosis, Rubin argues, is going to have a powerful impact on relationships that will ripple throughout our society and our individual lives. A journey into this uncertain future and a glimpse at the cultural implications and promises of a new reality, Future Presence explores a host of complex questions about what makes us human, what connects us, and what is real. Offering a glimpse into the mind-blowing things happening in universities, labs, and tech companies around the world, Rubin leads readers on an entertaining tour of the weirdest, wildest corners of this fascinating new universe. Describing this book as ""half travelogue and half crystal ball"", Rubin will:Introduce readers to the creators and consumers of VR technologyShow readers what an experience is like inside the current VR devicesExplain how this technology will upend everything we know about human connection in the future At once the incredible, inevitable story of virtual reality’s rise and a look towards the future of our fantasies, Future Presence is a deeply personal examination of what connects us, and an analysis of what relationships, empathy, and sex could look like—sooner than we think.Show book
“The charisma of these huge, Amazonian ‘river people’ burns through even the most factual descriptions, emphasized by an abundance of photographs.” —BBC Wildlife The aptly named giant otter is exceptionally well adapted to life in rivers, lakes and wetlands in tropical South America. Known in Spanish as lobo del rio or ‘river wolf,’ it can be as long as a human is tall and is the most social of the world’s thirteen otter species. Each individual is identifiable from birth by its pale throat pattern, as unique as your fingerprint. Giant otters are top carnivores of the Amazon rainforest and have little to fear . . . except man. There are many reasons why scientists and tourists alike are fascinated by this charismatic species. Spend a day in the life of a close-knit giant otter family and you’ll realize why. Learn about their diet and hunting techniques, marking and denning behavior, and breeding and cub-rearing strategies, including shared care of the youngest members. Become familiar with the complex life histories of individual otters over their 15-year lifespans. And accompany a young disperser during the trials and tribulations of a year spent looking for a mate and a home of its own. “The descriptions of the otters, their habits and their homes along with tons of jaw dropping photographs, made me feel (almost) like I was there myself. Treat yourself to a book that will transport you to a place like nowhere else on earth, where you explore the wilds of the Amazon from your own garden.” —Cayocosta 72 “An intimate, educational and a dedicated love letter to the Giant Otter.” —Queen of GeekdomShow book
Cells can only thrive in community; they need to connect with one another, and will call on each other as allies. And, when a cell needs a certain molecule, it actually embraces that molecule; it actually reaches out and hugs the molecule. This embrace is a universal principle of design. Sondra Barrett speaks of the sacredness of our cells related to how humans evolved. “The divine spark needs a container. I began thinking, God had to be a biochemist, because how do you build the container? In one of the theories we were mud or we were hot seawater. To form the container the molecules had to come together (these fatty hydrocarbons) like mixing salad oil with water. You get droplets that contain some salt water. So way back when, in the molecular evolution of our cells, there had to be the container that creates a sanctuary. Since it is my inclination to translate [what I see] into sacred correspondences, I’m talking about life needing a place and that place is a sanctuary. [That, then begs the question] where do we create sanctuary in our own life?” This dialogue is a blending of the scientific study of cells with the mystical mystery they contain. We learn how they can be our teachers. (hosted by Justine Willis Toms)Show book
Artificial Intelligence has revolutionized and transformed Social Media in many innovative ways. With around 3 billion people connected to various social media platforms, they are generating a huge mass of data. Now the question is, “Why should social media be concerned about all this data floating around?” The answer to this question is that this ‘meta – data’ is of great value to social media platforms. One reason is that the social networks can keep themselves relevant with times only if they keep themselves abreast about the needs, wants and choices of the users from multiple geographical locations. Another reason is that they get to monetize this information when they share their platforms with advertisers and marketers. AI is one single solution for both these scenarios.Show book
Multi-award-winning scientific futurist Dr. Catherine Ball presents insights into how technology and science are providing answers to many of the challenges the world is facing today— food shortages, war and conflict, the decline in local manufacturing, health and ageing, and global warming— and asks why we are not embracing these technologies mo.re widely. The answer in many cases is, 'Because we don't know about them!' Well, now we do. Dr Catherine opens our eyes to the amazing, wide world of technological advancements and explores the role we all have in learning more, owning the conversations, and determining what we want technology to be. What is the role AI can play in the resurgence of local manufacturing and creating new jobs? Can we vaccinate against cancer? How can drones save lives and assist Mother Nature in her fight to stop humans destroying our beloved planet? And how can we utilise the best modern technologies to live longer, healthier, and happier lives? Written with wit, tenacity, and deeply personal experiences, Converge offers an optimistic, in-depth, and fascinating investigation into the possibilities of a world where humans fully embrace technology.Show book
For millennia, trees have offered renewal and inspiration. They have provided for humanity on every level, from spiritual sanctuary to the raw material for our homes, books, and food. In this beautiful and revealing book, National Geographic combines legendary photography with cutting-edge science to illuminate exactly how trees influence the life of planet Earth—from our personal lives to the weather cycle. Beautifully illustrated essays tell the stories of the world's most remarkable trees, from Tane Mahura in New Zealand, the ancient Maori "lord of the forest," to Pando, a single aspen spreading over 100 acres: Earth's largest living thing. You'll also discover how an astronaut carried tree seeds to the moon and back; the reason "microdosing" on tree gas is a sure way to boost your immune system; and why playing in the dirt boosts serotonin, happiness hormone. For nature and science enthusiasts, as well as photography lovers, Into the Forest is a beautiful and edifying gift to give or cherish.Show book
