"Books about the origins of humanity dominate bestseller lists, while national newspapers present breathless accounts of new archaeological findings and speculate about what those findings tell us about our earliest ancestors. We are obsessed with prehistory-and, in this respect, our current era is no different from any other in the last three hundred years. In this coruscating work, acclaimed historian Stefanos Geroulanos demonstrates how claims...

One of the world's leading neuroscientists explores how best to understand the human condition by examining the biological, psychological, and highly social nature of our species within the social context of our lives. In Human, Gazzaniga explores a number of related issues, including what makes human brains unique, the importance of language and art in defining the human condition, the nature of human consciousness, and even artificial intelligence....

Can technology solve all our problems? Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, many of our most famous journalists, pundits, and economists seem to think so. According to them, "intelligent machines" and big data will free us from work, educate our children, transform our environment, and even make religion more user-friendly. This is the story they're telling us: that we should stop worrying and love our robot future. But just because you...

Facing impending extinction, an Intermediary decides to help the Human Colonies stop the Architects who are back consuming entire planets after eighty years of a fragile peace, in the second novel of the series, following Shards of Earth.

"Humanity's impact on the planet has been profound. From fire, intensive hunting, and agriculture, it has accelerated into rapid climate change, widespread pollution, plastic accumulation, and the mass extinction of species--changes that have left a mark in the geological record of the rocks. Yet, the proposal for a new unit of geological time--the Anthropocene Epoch--has raised debate far beyond geological circles. The Anthropocene has emerged as...

"The philosophy of mind is unique among contemporary philosophical subjects," writes John Searle, "in that all of the most famous and influential theories are false." One of the world's most eminent thinkers, Searle dismantles these theories as he presents a vividly written, comprehensive introduction to the mind. He begins with a look at the twelve problems of philosophy of mind--which he calls "Descartes and Other Disasters"--problems which he returns...

"It is 500 years in the future and Earth is no longer populated by humans. The new guardians of Earth, the genetically engineered Erta, have reversed climate change. They are now faced with a dilemma; if they reintroduce the rebellious and violent Homo Sapiens, all of their work will be undone. They decide to raise one final child; a sole human to help decide if humanity should again inherit the Earth. But the quiet and clinical Ima finds that there...

"In this book, Tim Dee tells the story of four green fields spread around the world: their grasses, their hedges, their birds, their skies, and both their natural and human histories. These four fields-walkable, mappable, man-made, mowable, knowable, but also secretive, mysterious, wild, contested, and changing-play central roles in the sweeping panorama of world history and in the lives of individuals. In Dee's telling, a field is never just a setting...

In recent years, the common perception of the Neanderthals has been transformed, thanks to new discoveries and paradigm-shattering scientific innovations. It turns out that the Neanderthals' behavior was surprisingly modern: they buried the dead, cared for the sick, hunted large animals in their prime, harvested seafood, and communicated with spoken language. Meanwhile, advances in DNA technologies are compelling us to reassess the Neanderthals' place...

"When Sergio Alm�ecija was a new assistant professor tasked with teaching human evolution, he found it nearly impossible to summarize the myriad scientific points of view. He began to wonder what other researchers felt were the most relevant aspects of their own research and what they thought was the meaning and impact of the work they did. So, he compiled a list of the top experts across paleontology, primatology, human genetics, behavior, and...