excerpts
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How To Build Turing’s Universal Machine
Modern computers wouldn’t exist without the pioneering theories posited by Alan Turing, however the famed computer scientist was never quite able to make a working model of his hypothetical device. Turing’s Cathedral by George Dyson follows Hungarian mathematician John von Neumann’s efforts to build a computer based on Turing’s design and boasting a revolutionary feature:…
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How To Trust Neighbours In A Networked World
SARS, Bird Flu, terrorists, religious extremists, extreme religionists, DEMOCRATS — it seems that we find a new reason every week to mistrust those around us and yet our society has yet to implode in the orgy of fire and chaos that 24-hour-news networks would have you believe. Liars and Outliers by Bruce Schneier explains how…
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Floating To The North Pole In A Helium Balloon Is Not A Good Idea
Between the ship-crushing ice floes, polar bear attacks and maddening quiet, exploring the Great White North in the 19th century was not a recommended endeavour. Yet hundreds of intrepid adventurers tried — and many died. But one Swede thought he had the answer: simply float above the tundra in a gas-filled dirigible.
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What Does Evolutionary Biology Have To Do With Christmas In Binghamton?
David Sloan Wilson decided that Darwin’s evolution would never be taken seriously until it affected the world in a real and tangible way. In The neighbourhood Project he employs all the powers of biology, sociology, religion and economics to improve his hometown of Binghamton, New York.