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Ways of Being: Animals, Plants, Machines: The Search for a Planetary Intelligence

Name: Ways of Being: Animals, Plants, Machines: The Search for a Planetary Intelligence
Price: 12.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.5 (214 reviews)

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Book Synopsis: 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. But rather than a friend or companion, AI increasingly appears to be something stranger than we ever imagined, an alien invention that threatens to decenter and supplant us. At the same time, we’re only just becoming aware of the other intelligences that have been with us all along, even if we’ve failed to recognize or acknowledge them. These others—the animals, plants, and natural systems that surround us—are slowly revealing their complexity, agency, and knowledge, just as the technologies we’ve built to sustain ourselves are threatening to cause their extinction and ours. What can we learn from them, and how can we change ourselves, our technologies, our societies, and our politics to live better and more equitably with one another and the nonhuman world? The artist and maverick thinker James Bridle draws on biology and physics, computation, literature, art, and philosophy to answer these unsettling questions. Startling and bold, Ways of Being explores the fascinating, strange, and multitudinous forms of knowing, doing, and being that make up the world, and that are essential for our survival. Includes illustrations

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Enter the fascinating world of intelligence beyond human understanding with "Ways of Being: Animals, Plants, Machines: The Search for a Planetary Intelligence" by James Bridle. This brilliant book delves into the various forms of intelligence present in plants, animals, humans, and artificial entities, challenging our perception of what it means to be intelligent. Explore the transformative power of different intelligences and their impact on our place in the universe.

Discover the paradoxical relationship between artificial intelligence and our own existence. Are machines becoming more than just tools, evolving into entities that could potentially surpass humanity? While we contemplate the future of AI, we are urged to also recognize the intelligence existing in the natural world around us. Animals, plants, and ecosystems hold profound knowledge that we have yet to fully comprehend, presenting an opportunity for us to learn and adapt in harmony with the non-human world.

James Bridle's interdisciplinary approach to exploring intelligence spans biology, physics, literature, art, and philosophy, providing a thought-provoking and eye-opening journey into the essence of being. "Ways of Being" challenges conventional wisdom and invites readers to reconsider their place in a world filled with diverse forms of knowing and existence. With captivating illustrations enhancing the exploration, this book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of our interconnected world.

Are you ready to expand your perception of intelligence and embrace the complexity of life in all its forms? Dive into "Ways of Being" and embark on a journey of discovery that will revolutionize your perspective on what it means to truly understand the world around us.