In this eagerly-awaited new book from the author of the best-selling Nostalgia Nerd's Retro Tech, Peter Leigh takes a fun, informative and irreverent romp through the history of more than forty pieces of personal tech, charting the successes, failures and oddities from over five decades of our obsession with gadgetry.
Discover the human side to the discipline that is profoundly more than nuts and boltsFocusing on the impact of engineering on society and the world, McCarthy details the development of the discipline, explains what makes an engineering mind, and shows how every aspect of our lives has been engineered: from gadgets to our national infrastructure.
The Great Exhibition, Crystal Palace, 1851: James Chance, of the glass-making firm Chance Brothers, is nervously showcasing a new lens, that, unknown to him, will revolutionise lighthouse production, propel his family business into a position of world leadership, save countless lives and have far-reaching consequences for trade, empire and the map of the world.
Every time you chew a stick of Juicy Fruit, eat a hamburger, slip on a nylon, plug your phone into a wall socket, flick on a TV, withdraw money from an ATM, lick an ice-cream cone, switch on a computer, ride an escalator, play a DVR, watch a movie about dinosaurs, or pop a tranquilizer, youre doing something that originated at a worlds fair or trade expo.
Best Books of 2024, The EconomistFrom the codebreakers and problem solvers, to the engineers, mathematicians and other problem-solvers - what the secret world can teach us about performance and creativity How do you hire smart people who can work together to prevent terrorist attacks and decode encrypted technology?
The ThinkPad notebook computer has been at the center of the digital revolution that has transformed millions of lives around the world, allowing users to obtain access to their documents, pictures and other personal data from virtually anywhere at any time.
Thomas Edison closely following the alternative physics work of Albert Einstein and Max Planck, convincing him that there was an entire reality unseen by the human eye.
'The book is a house of wonders' The New York Times'Steven Johnson is the Darwin of technology' Walter Issacson, author of Steve JobsWhat connects Paleolithic bone flutes to the invention of computer software?
Conquering the Electron offers readers a true and engaging history of the world of electronics, beginning with the discoveries of static electricity and magnetism and ending with the creation of the smartphone and the iPad.
How culture shapes the design and use of technologyand how we can resist the one-size-fits-all approach to technology designRobots that encroach on your personal space, baffling emojis, a chatbot that gives you an answer that seems terribly rudedoes any of this sound familiar?
A timely and powerful must-read on how the big tech companies are damaging our culture and what we can do to fight their influenceFour titanic corporations are now the most powerful gatekeepers the world has ever known.
Daniel Brandau legt eine umfassend recherchierte Kulturgeschichte der deutschen Raumfahrtbegeisterung vor – und schildert, wie Technikenthusiasmus in Skepsis umschlug.
The Repair Shop's Dominic Chinea takes you on an exploration of 100 essential machines found in the workshops and studios of the world's finest artisans and heritage craftspeople.
New perspectives on digital scholarship that speak to today's computational realities Scholars across the humanities, social sciences, and information sciences are grappling with how best to study virtual environments, use computational tools in their research, and engage audiences with their results.
The Canal du Midi, which threads through southwestern France and links the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, was an astonishing feat of seventeenth-century engineering--in fact, it was technically impossible according to the standards of its day.
A landmark history of early radio in Germany and the quest for broadcast fidelityWhen we turn on a radio or stream a playlist, we can usually recognize the instrument we hear, whether it's a cello, a guitar, or an operatic voice.
Este libro se enfoca en las transformaciones de las políticas que afectaron al sistema público de investigación científica entre 1980 y 2021, ocupándose del análisis de organismos públicos e instrumentos transversales que permean a las distintas instituciones involucradas.
Implosion is a focused study of the history and uses of high-reliability, solid-state electronics, military standards, and space systems that support our national security and defense.
Implosion is a focused study of the history and uses of high-reliability, solid-state electronics, military standards, and space systems that support our national security and defense.
How culture shapes the design and use of technologyand how we can resist the one-size-fits-all approach to technology designRobots that encroach on your personal space, baffling emojis, a chatbot that gives you an answer that seems terribly rudedoes any of this sound familiar?
Stenciled on many of the deactivated facilities at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the evocative phrase ';abandoned in place' indicates the structures that have been deserted.
How War, Pornography, and Fast Food Have Shaped Modern TechnologyGuns, Germs, and Steel meets the age of technology in this rollicking history of how our pursuit of lust, gluttony, and rage has led to our greatest technological advancements.
Las memorias best seller que inspiraron la película Cielo de Octubre, Rocket Boys es una autobiografía poderosa y una historia luminosa de la vida en la década de 1960, del amor de una madre y del temor de un padre, de un grupo de jóvenes que soñaban con lanzar cohetes al espacio… y de hacer realidad los sueños.
The riveting quest to construct the machine that would take on the world's greatest human chess player-told by the man who built itOn May 11, 1997, millions worldwide heard news of a stunning victory, as a machine defeated the defending world chess champion, Garry Kasparov.
Leading technologists, historians, and journalists reveal the stories behind the computer coding that touches all aspects of life-for better or worseFew of us give much thought to computer code or how it comes to be.
The genesis of the digital idea and why it transformed civilizationA few short decades ago, we were informed by the smooth signals of analog television and radio; we communicated using our analog telephones; and we even computed with analog computers.
ORDER NONESUCH, THE NEW NOVEL FROM FRANCIS SPUFFORD, NOWA brilliant, beautiful account of how British boffins triumphed across the decades in creating everything from computer games to Martian landers.
A comprehensive and fascinating account of electrical and electronics history Much of the infrastructure of today's industrialized world arose in the period from the outbreak of World War I to the conclusion of World War II.
From Paul Kennedy, author of The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, one of the most acclaimed history books of recent decades, Engineers of Victory is a new account of how the tide was turned against the Nazis by the Allies in the Second World War.
This is the story of how paper, a simple Chinese invention, has wrapped itself around our world, with history's most momentous ideas etched upon its surface.
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2022 BARBELLION PRIZE**A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week*As seen on Sky Arts Book Club with Elizabeth Day and Andi OliverAn eye-opening account of disability, identity, and how robotics and technology are changing what it means to be human - from the bestselling author of Anatomy of a SoldierHarry Parker's life changed overnight, when he lost his legs to an IED in Afghanistan.
'A practical and positive guide to using tech to change women's lives for the better' -Caroline Criado Perez, author of Invisible Women: exposing data bias in a world designed for men'A powerful and inspiring call to action from one of Britain's brightest minds'- Yomi Adegoke, award-winning journalist, author of Slay in Your Lane etc.
A remarkable compendium of wild schemes, mad plans, crazy inventions, and truly glorious disastersEvery phenomenally bad idea seemed like a good idea to someone.
Power Trip is an adventurous, wonk-free, big-picture, solutions-oriented narrative by leading young journalist Amanda Little that maps out the history and future of America’s energy addiction.
