A brilliant ensemble of the world’s most visionary scientists provides twenty-five original never-before-published essays about the advances in science and technology that we may see within our lifetimes. Theoretical physicist and bestselling author Paul Davies examines the likelihood that by the year 2050 we will be able to establish a continuing human presence on Mars. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi investigates the ramifications of engineering high-IQ, geneticially happy babies. Psychiatrist Nancy Etcoff explains current research into the creation of emotion-sensing jewelry that could gauge our moods and tell us when to take an anti-depressant pill. And evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins explores the probability that we will soon be able to obtain a genome printout that predicts our natural end for the same cost as a chest x-ray. (Will we want to read it? And will insurance companies and governments have access to it?) This fascinating and unprecedented book explores not only the practical possibilities of the near future, but also the social and political ramifications of the developments of the strange new world to come. Also includes original essays by: Lee Smolin Martin Rees Ian Stewart Brian Goodwin Marc D. Hauser Alison Gopnik Paul Bloom Geoffrey Miller Robert M. Sapolsky Steven Strogatz Stuart Kauffman John H. Holland Rodney Brooks Peter Atkins Roger C. Schank Jaron Lanier David Gelernter Joseph LeDoux Judith Rich Harris Samuel Barondes Paul W. Ewald

The accounts given by extraterrestrials in this volume are about events that occurred in our solar system many millions of years ago. In that ancient time the solar system consisted of four planets and four "radiar systems" that orbited the central sun. The four planets of the solar system are known today as Venus, Earth, Mars and a now-totally shattered world that was called Maldec. The term "radiar" applies to the astronomical bodies we presently call Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The original satellites of these radiars are generally called moons by Earth astronomers, but the extraterrestrials prefer to call them planetoids. This book reflects the personal views of a number of different types of extraterrestrials regarding the state of the local solar system and the state of the Earth.

This book discusses the journey of Dr. K Kasturirangan, who shares his experience during his long tenure at ISRO including the Chairmanship of ISRO, subsequently membership of the Rajya Sabha, the Planning Commission and many other responsibilities. Over the past five decades of public and professional service to the nation, Dr. Kasturirangan has graduated from a young researcher in astrophysics working under Vikram Sarabhai to leading India’s space program (ISRO), being entrusted by five successive Prime Ministers, besides dealing with several other domains of responsibilities beyond space, all of which have significantly impacted India’s development. This book centers around select 12 public invited lectures, Dr. Kasturirangan delivered ranging from developing hi-tech space systems, to managing an organization as intricate as ISRO which was guided by the wisdom of mentors, including Vikram Sarabhai, M G K Menon, Satish Dhawan and U. R. Rao, to tackling multi-faceted socio-economic issues, including India’s nuclear deal, report headed by him on the Western Ghats ecosystem, and the new National Education Policy 2020. Scientists, historians, policy makers, management strategists, journalists, or anyone with a keen interest in understanding the processes behind such large-scale science, technology and socio-economic endeavors – right from planning, creating appropriate institutional mechanisms, working with multiple stakeholders to ensure that these programs deliver tangible benefits to society, articulating these benefits with clarity to political leaders to assure public support – will find this book deeply instructive and illuminating. It will be of interest to the scientific, education and management community as well as to policy makers and researchers affiliated with multifaceted developmental issues.

From the Publisher: Proceedings of October 2007 conference, sponsored by the NASA History Division and the National Air and Space Museum, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Sputnik 1 launch in October 1957 and the dawn of the space age.

Papers presented at the Conference on Space Security, organized by the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis, New Delhi in collaboration with the Center for Defence and International Security Studies (CDiSS), United Kingdom, held at New Delhi during 13-14 November 2007.

Erwin Schrödinger's book What is Life? had a tremendous influence on the development of molecular biology, stimulating scientists such as Watson and Crick to explore the physical basis of life. Much of the appeal of Schrödinger's book lay in its approach to the central problems in biology - heredity and how organisms use energy to maintain order - from a physicist's perspective. At Trinity College, Dublin a number of outstanding scientists from a range of disciplines gathered to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of What is Life? and following Schrödinger's example fifty years previously, presented their views on the current central problems in biology. The contributors to this volume include Stephen Jay Gould, Roger Penrose, Jared Diamond, Manfred Eigen, John Maynard Smith, Christien de Duve and Lewis Wolpert. This collection is essential reading for anyone interested in biology and its future.

In 2503, the World Council re-elects Samuels as Director of Space Research. He is tasked with developing a reply to the message delivered by the alien robot Interface. After many stops and starts, the Directors decide to send a robot, Nuwoman, to track and follow Interface, who they believe is returning to his alien civilisation. The twenty-sixth century has seen rapid development in space technology and robotics. Habitats have been developed on the Moon and Mars, all in an attempt to set up ways to track the spaceships of both Interface and Nuwoman. However, Interface does not behave as expected. Instead of returning to his alien civilisation, he makes a detour. He lingers in the shadows of the Alpha Centauri triple star system, waiting for Nuwoman. Interface becomes infatuated with the development of Nuwoman. This incredible meeting of two like minds is both intellectual and romantic—and not at all what the Directors expected. Nevertheless Earth’s reply to the message from the neighbours is a success.