Subject: Artificial Intelligence and Robots
Life: 3.0 Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Max Tegmark
Our Reader found this book a little hard to read and did not finish it.
The Hammer of God by Arthur C. Clarke
After the discovery of an asteroid about to hit earth, scientists search for a way to prevent disaster.
3001, The Final Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
After the disaster of 2001, Frank Poole is brought back to life. A third monolith is discovered and must be confronted to make sure humans survive. Thrilling stories.
Brave New Arctic: The untold Story of the Melting North by Mark C. Serreze
The polar ice cap is melting with subsequent flooding of our coastlands. As waters rise, how do we survive. With the warming of the permafrost in the Artic there are many changes that we must determine the outcome of for survival.
Meteorite: How Stones from Outer Space Made Our World by Tim Gregory
A more technical Hammer of God. Study of these asteroids and meteorites are being determined as to the origin of our earth and what is actually in space.
Mockingbird by Walter Tevis
So, we invented Robots to take the tedium out of our life, and kept improving them and let them take over the world. What could go wrong? A lot! How do we fix it? Well, it takes a lot of work when humans no longer read, TV is color and patterns and college is smoking pot and popping pills. What more could we ask? If you don’t do anything, you get no satisfaction. This book, written in 1980, is out of print and every so often makes a comeback. It has a thought provoking plot.
Through all these books our discussions were about were we leaving generations with the foundation they needed to meet these catastrophes? Are we going to let the robots do it for us, or invent some other device? Are we shirking our duty by not teaching generations the basics to survive without so many conveniences? What do we wish our parents had done differently? Do we take the time to give them the attention to see them as individuals and acknowledge their differences? Why are some almost illiterate? Parents must encourage learning, not just observe it. Life, when it is too easy, is boring. Do we need a robot to live it for us? Can we think for ourselves, or must we manufacture it, and if we manufacture it what will the outcome be?
— Fran Strauser