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The MANIAC

Name: The MANIAC
Price: 25.98 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.5 (150 reviews)

4.5 of 5 Stars: Computer Science - The MANIAC

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$25.98

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Description

Book Synopsis: The author of When We Cease to Understand the World: a dazzling, kaleidoscopic book about the destructive chaos lurking in the history of computing and AI‘Monstrously good… Reads like a dark foundation myth about modern technology but told with the pace of a thriller’ - Mark Haddon

John von Neumann was a titan of science. A Hungarian wunderkind who revolutionized every field he touched, his mathematical powers were so exceptional that Hans Bethe – a Nobel Prize-winning physicist – thought he might represent the next step in human evolution.

After seeking the foundations of mathematics during his youth in Germany, von Neumann emigrated to the United States, where he became entangled in the power games of the Cold War; he designed the world’s first programmable computer, invented game theory, pioneered AI and digital life, and helped create the atomic bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He was the darling of the military industrial complex, but when illness unmoored his mind, his work pushed further into areas beyond human comprehension and control.

The MANIAC places von Neumann at the center of a literary triptych about the dark foundations of our modern world and the nascent era of AI. It begins with Paul Ehrenfest, an Austrian physicist and close friend of Einstein, who fell into despair when he saw science and technology become tyrannical forces; it ends a hundred years later, in the showdown between the South Korean Go Master, Lee Sedol, and the AI program AlphaGo.

Braiding fact with fiction, Benjamín Labatut takes us on a journey to the frontiers of rational thought, where invention outpaces human understanding and offers godlike power, but takes us to the brink of Armageddon.

Details

Are you ready to delve into the dark and captivating history of computing and artificial intelligence? Introducing The MANIAC Book, a mesmerizing masterpiece by Benjamín Labatut. Experience the thrill of a dark foundation myth about modern technology unfolded with the pace of a gripping thriller. Dive into the world of John von Neumann, a genius scientist who revolutionized multiple fields and was hailed as the next evolutionary step for humankind. Discover the intertwining stories of power games in the Cold War, the creation of the world's first programmable computer, the inception of game theory, and the birth of AI and digital life.

The MANIAC Book is not just a mere retelling of historical events; it is a thought-provoking journey into the depths of our modern world and the rise of AI. Through a literary triptych, witness the despair of Paul Ehrenfest, a brilliant physicist, as science and technology become tyrannical forces. Experience the unease as von Neumann's mind unfolds, pushing the boundaries of human comprehension and control. Braiding fact and fiction, author Benjamín Labatut takes you to the very forefront of rational thought, where invention surpasses our understanding, offering godlike power but also threatening to bring us to the edge of Armageddon.

Don't miss out on this monstrously good book that combines history, science, and technology with the excitement of a gripping thriller. Brace yourself; The MANIAC Book will leave you questioning the foundations of our modern world and the potential perils of AI domination. Get your copy today and embark on an intellectual adventure that will leave you spellbound.

Grab your copy of The MANIAC Book now and experience the enthralling tale of John von Neumann, the birth of AI, and the dark secrets hidden within the foundations of our modern society.

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