Animal Machines

For most of human history the world was a magical and enchanted place ruled by forces beyond our understanding. The rise of science and Descartes's division of mind from world made materialism our ruling paradigm, in the process asking whether our own consciousness—i.e., souls—might be illusions. Now the inexorable rise of technology, with artificial intelligences that surpass our comprehension and control, and the spread of digital metaphors for self-understanding, the core questions of existence urgently require rethinking.

Artist, technologist, and philosopher James Bridle’s Ways of Being is a brilliant, searching exploration of different kinds of intelligence—plant, animal, human, artificial—and how they transform our understanding of humans’ place in the cosmos. What does it mean to be intelligent? Is it something unique to humans, or shared with other beings—beings of flesh, wood, stone, and silicon? The last few years have seen rapid advances in “artificial” intelligence.

Boys and girls ages 3 to 7 will love this awesome adventure starring Blaze as a flying falcon monster machine competing in the race of his life on Animal Island! Race into action with Blaze and the Monster Machines! Preschoolers will learn about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) as they help Axle City’s greatest hero overcome Crusher’s cheating ways and save the day with Blazing Speed, spectacular stunts, and awesome transformations!

Recent years have seen rapid advances in 'artificial' intelligence, which increasingly appears to be something stranger than we ever imagined. At the same time, we are becoming more aware of the other intelligences which have been with us all along, unrecognised. These other beings are the animals, plants and natural systems that surround us, and are slowly revealing their complexity and knowledge - just as the new technologies we've built are threatening to cause their extinction, and ours.

There has been a lot of ink devoted to discussions of how robots will replace us and take our jobs. But MIT Media Lab researcher and technology policy expert Kate Darling argues just the opposite, and that treating robots with a bit of humanity, more like the way we treat animals, will actually serve us better.

One winter morning in 1998, Alex Martin inherits a mysterious invention from her late father. The Finding Machine solves mysteries. But the biggest mystery of all lies deep within its wiring — the unsolved disappearance of a little girl, dating back seventy years. What happened to the girl, all those years ago? Who was she? Alex and her handsome housemate, Antony, must follow the dots to solve the mystery. But, as dark family secrets are revealed, will the Finding Machine bring them together…or push them further apart?

Sixth book in the Arthur series - Arthur's Cars, Trucks and Monster Machines.

Rainbow the Chameleon was very happy with her friends at the zoo. Every day she got to change colors for all of the kids, and they laughed and giggled at all of the different colors of the rainbow that she could change into. Then one evening while sneaking around the zoo (as the animals did when all of the humans went home for the day) her friend Casey the Frilled Lizard found a secret room hidden below one of the buildings, and inside that room was an Amazing Machine! This crazy contraption was able to duplicate things - even animals! But when two different animals went in, out came one ...

Marcus is in trouble. He didn’t think his friend Laurence would actually believe him when he said that his super brainy aunt built the very first time machine. He only made up the story in a spur-of-the-moment bid to win a silly argument! Now how on earth will he make the story come true?

When Ace is wearing his magical yellow wellies, he’s able to talk to animals. So when the weather starts acting up, he knows the farm squad aren’t happy. There’s snow, hail, rain and sun – and that’s just in one day! Now Ace and his best friend Bear need to come up with a plan to solve the mystery of the wacky weather. But will they be able to fix it in time for the farm’s first festival?

In a faraway land lived a village of the most peculiar dinosaurs you've ever seen. These dinos weren't just any ordinary dinosaurs—they all wore outrageous, mismatched wigs that covered their faces and made them stand out from the rest. Join J-Bit, K-Bit, J-Bit, and T-Bit, the youngest and most curious of the wig-wearing dinos, as they stumble upon the adventure of a lifetime. When a strange light atop a mountain rock leads them to a mysterious black-and-white TV, the four friends find themselves facing the unknown

In a faraway land lived a village of the most peculiar dinosaurs you've ever seen. These dinos weren't just any ordinary dinosaurs—they all wore outrageous, mismatched wigs that covered their faces and made them stand out from the rest. Join J-Bit, K-Bit, J-Bit, and T-Bit, the youngest and most curious of the wig-wearing dinos, as they stumble upon the adventure of a lifetime. When a strange light atop a mountain rock leads them to a mysterious black-and-white TV, the four friends find themselves facing the unknown.

Goldilocks, the curious explorer, is a homewrecker no more. She must learn to use six simple machines in order to leave the three bears' home better than she found it, but some tools are too big, and some tools are too small. Will Goldilocks ever be able to figure it out so she can go back home?

Life is hard in the poverty-stricken village of Rabylon, where rabbits work every day from sunup to sundown, earning just enough carrots to survive - except for Mayor Monty Cottonsworth III, who lives in the lap of luxury as his villagers starve. Twin bunnies Remy and Rhea, fed up with working so long and so hard with nothing to show for it, desperately desire a better life, but don't know how to achieve it. Just when they are about to give up hope, they are inspired by the story of a mythical carrot paradise that may exist on the other side of a big, green hill outside of their village.