Science Myths

Futurists insist that AI will soon eclipse the capacities of the most gifted human mind. What hope do we have against superintelligent machines? But we aren't really on the path to developing intelligent machines. In fact, we don't even know where that path might be. Erik Larson takes us on a tour of the landscape of AI to show how far we are from superintelligence and what it would take to get there.

Multiple myth-perceptions! M.Y.T.H. Inc. is experiencing growing pains. Everyone is trying to contribute and getting used to being partners instead of employees, but any time you fool around with business or magik, things can get dangerous. The Great Skeeve, the boss of the organization, has had many adventures with his scaly green demon mentor, Aahz, but each of the partners has his or her own take on the operation.

Everything you were taught about evolution is wrong. In this shocking book, Berkeley-educated doctor of biology Jonathan Wells lets you in on scientific discoveries you won't learn about from college and high-school textbooks - and reveals a dirty little secret known only to some of his fellow biologists.

For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

The fate of a kingdom rests on the shoulders of three young wizards. Bakari is a brilliant scholar wizard who's more at home in a library than a battlefield. Alli is a beautiful young battle wizard whose grace in battle is both enchanting and deadly. Roland is a counselor wizard with a seemingly limitless depth of untapped power - and the ego to match it. As the magical barrier protecting the kingdom of Alaris from dangerous outsiders begins to fail, and a fomenting rebellion threatens to divide the country in a civil war, the three wizards are in the middle....

The struggle of good versus evil continues as Bobby Pendragon follows Saint Dane to the territory of Zadaa. Saint Dane's influence has fueled the fire of discontent between two warring tribes: the Rokador and the Batu. This is also the territory where the Traveler Loor lives as a member of the Batu. Together she and Bobby must work to thwart Saint Dane's efforts to destroy Zadaa.

Aveen is the perfect lady, placid and well-mannered, concealing her discontentment beneath false smiles and gentle nods. As the eldest, her duty has always been to her family legacy and her sister's happiness. But when she finds herself forced into betrothal to a man she loathes, she swears she'll do anything to escape. Even if it means bargaining with a wicked fae prince.

All across the world, people look up at the moon and dream of gods. Gods of knowledge and wisdom, gods of tides and longevity. Over time, some of these moon gods incarnated into the human world alongside the other manifest natural concepts. Their job is to cross the sky above the Impossible City—the heart of all creation—to keep it connected to reality. And someone is killing them. There are so many of them that it's easy for a few disappearances to slip through the cracks. But they aren't limitless.

When a marauder destroys the underground sanctuary that Eva Nine was raised in by the robot Muthr, the she is forced to flee aboveground. Eva Nine is searching for anyone else like her, for she knows that other humans exist, because of an item she treasures a scrap of cardboard on which is depicted a young girl, an adult, and a robot, with the strange word, WondLa. Tony DiTerlizzi honors traditional childrens literature in this totally original space age adventure.

What if Anna and Elsa never knew each other? As the future queen of Arendelle, Princess Elsa leads a life full of expectations and responsibilities - not to mention questions. What type of ruler will she be? When will she have to pick a suitor? And why has she always harbored the feeling that some critical piece of her is missing? Following the unexpected death of her parents, Elsa is forced to answer those questions sooner than she'd hoped, becoming the sole ruler of her kingdom and growing lonelier than ever.

When Stephanie Kiser moves to New York City after college to pursue a career in writing, she quickly learns that her entry-level salary won't cover the cost of living. But there is one in-demand job that pays enough to allow Stephanie to stay in the city: nannying for the 1%. Desperate to escape the poverty of her own childhood, Stephanie falls into a job that hijacks her life for the next seven years: a glorified personal assistant to toddlers on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Thirteen-year-old Min comes from a long line of fox spirits. But you'd never know it by looking at her. To keep the family safe, Min's mother insists none of them use any fox-magic such as charm or shape-shifting. They must appear human at all times. Min feels hemmed in by the household rules and resents the endless chores, the cousins who crowd her, and the aunties who judge her. She would like nothing more than to escape Jinju, her neglected, dust-ridden, and impoverished planet. She's counting the days until she can follow her older brother, Jun, into the Space Forces.

Abby and Jonah fall through their magic mirror into the story of The Princess and the Pea. Abby spends a restless night atop a giant pile of mattresses - and in the morning, what does she discover but a smushed pea beneath the stack! The kingdom declares that she has passed their test, and is the new princess! But what will happen when the real princess shows up? Hilarity, adventures, and lots of girl power ensue!

Il quinto anno a Hogwarts si annuncia carico di sfide difficili. Harry non è mai stato così irrequieto: Lord Voldemort è tornato. Che cosa succederà ora che il Signore Oscuro è di nuovo in pieno possesso dei suoi terrificanti poteri? Al contrario di Silente, il Ministro della Magia sembra non prendere sul serio questa spaventosa minaccia. Toccherà a Harry organizzare la resistenza, con l'aiuto degli amici di sempre e il tumultuoso coraggio dell'adolescenza.

In this riveting sequel, Neff expands on the world of his first novel and pens a work of even greater scope and complexity. When evil forces conspire to wield the Book of Toth, chaos breaks out - leaving the only hope for the future in the hands of the Rowan Academy's Max McDaniels and his trusted friend David Menlo.

When a magic ritual goes disastrously wrong, Jaden is exiled to the heart of the desert and left to die. Battered and bruised, Jaden encounters the outcast Nomadwater Sect, who grant him a second chance at life as a mysterious arcane cultivator. With its savage beasts and cryptic mysteries, survival in the sprawling desert of Southfall is a dangerous game. Yet Jaden and the Nomadwater Sect persevere, growing closer and forming bonds over the course of a long summer.

Before Lily and Amon met, before the cosmos was in chaos and needed three brave brothers to fight off evil, there were four siblings who helped rule the Earth. Each sibling had a special gift. Osiris, the god of agriculture, helped mortals to grow and thrive in their natural environment. Isis, the goddess of creation, fostered health and wellness. Nephthys, the seer, was able to keep the balance between all living beings and the universe. But Seth, the youngest sibling, was left without any special powers.

Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen Angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean that they will always be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him. And yet their biggest challenge lies ahead. Can their love survive a seemingly insurmountable divide? The lines are drawn, but it's unclear which sides have been taken. And in the end, will there be enough trust left to rebuild what has been broken?

From the author of the best-selling Guardians of Ga'Hoole series comes the story of the wolves of Ga'Hoole. This is the inspiring story of an abandoned wolf pup, Faolan, who is determined to survive.

50 Great Myths of Human Evolution uses common misconceptions to explore basic theory and research in human evolution and strengthen critical thinking skills for lay audiences, listeners, and students. Includes myths such as: "Humans lived at the same time as dinosaurs"; "Lucy was so small because she was a child"; "Our ancestors have always made fire"; and "There is a strong relationship between brain size and intelligence."