Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence
Author: George F. Luger
Publisher: Pearson Higher Ed
Total Pages: 779
Release: 2011-11-21
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 0133001733

This is the eBook of the printed book and may not include any media, website access codes, or print supplements that may come packaged with the bound book. Artificial Intelligence: Structures and Strategies for Complex Problem Solving is ideal for a one- or two-semester undergraduate course on AI. In this accessible, comprehensive text, George Luger captures the essence of artificial intelligence–solving the complex problems that arise wherever computer technology is applied. Ideal for an undergraduate course in AI, the Sixth Edition presents the fundamental concepts of the discipline first then goes into detail with the practical information necessary to implement the algorithms and strategies discussed. Readers learn how to use a number of different software tools and techniques to address the many challenges faced by today’s computer scientists.

Cognition in the Wild

Cognition in the Wild
Author: Edwin Hutchins
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 403
Release: 1996-08-26
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0262581469

Edwin Hutchins combines his background as an anthropologist and an open ocean racing sailor and navigator in this account of how anthropological methods can be combined with cognitive theory to produce a new reading of cognitive science. His theoretical insights are grounded in an extended analysis of ship navigation—its computational basis, its historical roots, its social organization, and the details of its implementation in actual practice aboard large ships. The result is an unusual interdisciplinary approach to cognition in culturally constituted activities outside the laboratory—"in the wild." Hutchins examines a set of phenomena that have fallen in the cracks between the established disciplines of psychology and anthropology, bringing to light a new set of relationships between culture and cognition. The standard view is that culture affects the cognition of individuals. Hutchins argues instead that cultural activity systems have cognitive properties of their own that are different from the cognitive properties of the individuals who participate in them. Each action for bringing a large naval vessel into port, for example, is informed by culture: the navigation team can be seen as a cognitive and computational system. Introducing Navy life and work on the bridge, Hutchins makes a clear distinction between the cognitive properties of an individual and the cognitive properties of a system. In striking contrast to the usual laboratory tasks of research in cognitive science, he applies the principal metaphor of cognitive science—cognition as computation (adopting David Marr's paradigm)—to the navigation task. After comparing modern Western navigation with the method practiced in Micronesia, Hutchins explores the computational and cognitive properties of systems that are larger than an individual. He then turns to an analysis of learning or change in the organization of cognitive systems at several scales. Hutchins's conclusion illustrates the costs of ignoring the cultural nature of cognition, pointing to the ways in which contemporary cognitive science can be transformed by new meanings and interpretations. A Bradford Book

Rethink

Rethink
Author: Steven Poole
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2016-11-15
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1501145622

An “engaging and enlightening” (The Wall Street Journal) argument that innovation and progress are often achieved by revisiting and retooling ideas from the past rather than starting from scratch—from Guardian columnist and contributor to The Atlantic, Stephen Poole. Innovation is not always as innovative as it may seem. Rethink is the story of how old ideas that were mocked or ignored for centuries are now storming back to the cutting edge of science and technology, informing the way we lead our lives. This is the story of Lamarck and the modern-day epigeneticist whose research vindicated his mocked two hundred-year-old theory of evolution; of the return of cavalry use in the war in Afghanistan; of Tesla’s bringing back the electric car; and of the cognitive scientists who made breakthroughs by turning to ancient Greek philosophy. “An anecdote-rich tour through the centuries” (The New York Times), with examples from business to philosophy to science, Rethink shows what we can learn by revisiting old, discarded ideas and considering them from a novel perspective. From within all these rich anecdotes of overlooked ideas come good ones, helping us find new ways to think about ideas in our own time—including out-of-the-box proposals in the boardroom to grand projects for social and political change. “Clever and entertaining...a thoughtful and thought-provoking book” (The Sunday Times, London), Rethink helps you see the world differently. Armed with this picture of the surprising evolution of ideas and their triumphant second lives, and in the bestselling tradition of Malcolm Gladwell, Poole’s new approach to a familiar topic is fun, convincing, and brilliant—and offers a clear takeaway: if you want to affect the future, start by taking a look at the past.

A Passion for Ideas

A Passion for Ideas
Author: Heinrich von Pierer
Publisher: Purdue University Press
Total Pages: 382
Release: 2002
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9781557532091

Business and industry leaders are eager to find ways to spark the creative instinct in their work forces. The creation, implementation, and sustainability of new ideas is the lifeblood ensuring the growth and viability of any organization. Without continuing innovation, competitive advantage and global market share are endangered. Once-thriving organizations can find themselves unprepared for the future. This newly translated work examines the multi-layered environment of innovation by melding the thoughts of business management pundits like Peter Senge with the views of artist, politicians, and other non-traditional thinkers like Tao Ho, Peter Greenaway, and Wolfgang Rihm. These thought leaders share their insights and help us to understand the process of creativity and construction and the methods to move organizations forward in an ever-changing climate.

Medical Imaging Physics

Medical Imaging Physics
Author: William R. Hendee
Publisher: Wiley-Liss
Total Pages: 548
Release: 2002
Genre: Medical
ISBN:

William Hendee and Russell Ritenour's comprehensive text provides the tools necessary to be comfortable with the physical principles, technology concepts, equiment, and procedures used in diagnostic imaging, as well as to appreciate the technological capabilities and limitations of the discipline. Readers need not possess a background in physics. Broadly accessible, Medical Imaging Physics covers all aspects of image formation in modern medical imaging modalities, such as radiography, ultrasonography, computed tomopgraphy(CT), nuclear imaging, and magnetic resonance. Other topics covered include; Digital x-ray imaging Doppler ultrasound Helical CT scanning Accumulation and analysis of nuclear data Experimental radiobiology Radiation protection and safety

The One-Straw Revolution

The One-Straw Revolution
Author: Masanobu Fukuoka
Publisher: New York Review of Books
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2010-09-08
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1590173929

Call it “Zen and the Art of Farming” or a “Little Green Book,” Masanobu Fukuoka’s manifesto about farming, eating, and the limits of human knowledge presents a radical challenge to the global systems we rely on for our food. At the same time, it is a spiritual memoir of a man whose innovative system of cultivating the earth reflects a deep faith in the wholeness and balance of the natural world. As Wendell Berry writes in his preface, the book “is valuable to us because it is at once practical and philosophical. It is an inspiring, necessary book about agriculture because it is not just about agriculture.” Trained as a scientist, Fukuoka rejected both modern agribusiness and centuries of agricultural practice, deciding instead that the best forms of cultivation mirror nature’s own laws. Over the next three decades he perfected his so-called “do-nothing” technique: commonsense, sustainable practices that all but eliminate the use of pesticides, fertilizer, tillage, and perhaps most significantly, wasteful effort. Whether you’re a guerrilla gardener or a kitchen gardener, dedicated to slow food or simply looking to live a healthier life, you will find something here—you may even be moved to start a revolution of your own.

The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative

The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative
Author: Florence Williams
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Total Pages: 206
Release: 2017-02-07
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0393242722

"Highly informative and remarkably entertaining." —Elle From forest trails in Korea, to islands in Finland, to eucalyptus groves in California, Florence Williams investigates the science behind nature’s positive effects on the brain. Delving into brand-new research, she uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation, and strengthen our relationships. As our modern lives shift dramatically indoors, these ideas—and the answers they yield—are more urgent than ever.

The Improv Handbook

The Improv Handbook
Author: Tom Salinsky
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 521
Release: 2017-10-19
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1350026174

The Improv Handbook is the most comprehensive, smart, helpful and inspiring guide to improv available today. Applicable to comedians, actors, public speakers and anyone who needs to think on their toes, it features a range of games, interviews, descriptions and exercises that illuminate and illustrate the exciting world of improvised performance. First published in 2008, this second edition features a new foreword by comedian Mike McShane, as well as new exercises on endings, managing blind offers and master-servant games, plus new and expanded interviews with Keith Johnstone, Neil Mullarkey, Jeffrey Sweet and Paul Rogan. The Improv Handbook is a one-stop guide to the exciting world of improvisation. Whether you're a beginner, an expert, or would just love to try it if you weren't too scared, The Improv Handbook will guide you every step of the way.

Handbook of Poultry Science and Technology, Secondary Processing

Handbook of Poultry Science and Technology, Secondary Processing
Author: Isabel Guerrero-Legarreta
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
Total Pages: 632
Release: 2010-03-30
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0470504463

A comprehensive reference for the poultry industry—Volume 2 describes poultry processing from raw meat to final retail products With an unparalleled level of coverage, the Handbook of Poultry Science and Technology provides an up-to-date and comprehensive reference on poultry processing. Volume 2: Secondary Processing covers processing poultry from raw meat to uncooked, cooked or semi-cooked retail products. It includes the scientific, technical, and engineering principles of poultry processing, methods and product categories, product manufacturing and attributes, and sanitation and safety. Volume 2: Secondary Processing is divided into seven parts: Secondary processing of poultry products—an overview Methods in processing poultry products—includes emulsions and gelations; breading and battering; mechanical deboning; marination, cooking, and curing; and non-meat ingredients Product manufacturing—includes canned poultry meat, turkey bacon and sausage, breaded product (nuggets), paste product (pâté), poultry ham, luncheon meat, processed functional egg products, and special dietary products for the elderly, the ill, children, and infants Product quality and sensory attributes—includes texture and tenderness, protein and poultry meat quality, flavors, color, handling refrigerated poultry, and more Engineering principles, operations, and equipment—includes processing equipment, thermal processing, packaging, and more Contaminants, pathogens, analysis, and quality assurance—includes microbial ecology and spoilage in poultry and poultry products; campylobacter; microbiology of ready-to-eat poultry products; and chemical and microbial analysis Safety systems in the United States—includes U.S. sanitation requirements, HACCP, U.S. enforcement tools and mechanisms

Mobile Computing Principles

Mobile Computing Principles
Author: Reza B'Far
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 884
Release: 2004-11-01
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 9781139455565

Written to address technical concerns that mobile developers face regardless of the platform (J2ME, WAP, Windows CE, etc.), this 2005 book explores the differences between mobile and stationary applications and the architectural and software development concepts needed to build a mobile application. Using UML as a tool, Reza B'far guides the developer through the development process, showing how to document the design and implementation of the application. He focuses on general concepts, while using platforms as examples or as possible tools. After introducing UML, XML and derivative tools necessary for developing mobile software applications, B'far shows how to build user interfaces for mobile applications. He covers location sensitivity, wireless connectivity, mobile agents, data synchronization, security, and push-based technologies, and finally homes in on the practical issues of mobile application development including the development cycle for mobile applications, testing mobile applications, architectural concerns, and a case study.