Interior Design Towards the Sustainable Environment
This Reprint explores the contribution of interior design towards the building of a sustainable environment. New paradigms in the field of the sustainable environment set new challenges for designers and define new research areas. The studies presented inspire actions aimed at inclusive design and sustainable well-being. Attention is focused on four thematic groups: pro-life technical aspects, human beings and spatial satisfaction, pro-health actions, and sustainable society.
Artificial Intelligence and Algorithms with Their Applications
Marketing Rewired
Marketing RewiredWhy you need to think differently in the Age of AI-Driven MarketingThe rules of marketing have changed. Today's buyers behave more like researchers than recipients, AI is transforming how decisions are made, and trust is your most valuable currency.In Marketing Rewired Why you need to think differently in the Age of AI-Driven Marketing, you'll find a radically practical playbook for the modern marketer. Combining strategic insight, behavioural psychology, commercial fluency, and the latest marketing technologies, this guide shows how to reframe your thinking, realign your teams, and rebuild marketing around long-term value.Whether you're leading a global marketing function or scaling a startup team, this book will help you craft strategy with foresight, act with clarity, and thrive in a world where the only constant is change.Bold, insightful, and full of real-world examples - this is not just a book; it's a call to lead the future of marketing.Inside, you'll learn how to: - Move beyond vanity metrics and short-term campaigns- Understand the hidden forces driving buyer decisions- Align sales, marketing, and success around shared revenue impact- Use AI not as a replacement but as a force multiplier- Build long-term brand trust while still accelerating growth
More Makers of American Machinist's Tools
Here is the much-anticipated sequel to the author's Makers of American Machinist's Tools and American Machinist's Tools: An Illustrated Directory of Patents, pioneering works on machinist s tools and their makers. These books together provide the most comprehensive historical directory ever of the machinist tool industry and its technology. This volume covers hundreds of additional makers. There is also new material on the Big Five makers, with several of their previously unknown tools. The research and illustrations in this, and Cope s earlier volumes, provide a truly unique and incomparable reference source for collectors, dealers and researchers.
3D Computer Vision and Smart Building and City, 2nd Edition
This Topic is a continuation of the previous successful Topic, "3D Computer Vision and Smart Building and City". Three-dimensional computer vision is an interdisciplinary subject involving computer vision, computer graphics, artificial intelligence and other fields. Its main contents include 3D perception, 3D understanding and 3D modeling. In recent years, 3D computer vision technology has developed rapidly and has been widely used in unmanned aerial vehicles, robots, autonomous driving, AR, VR and other fields. Smart buildings and cities use various information technologies or innovative concepts to connect as well as various systems and services so as to improve the efficiency of resource utilization, optimize management and services and improve quality of life. Smart buildings and cities can involve some frontier techniques, such as 3D CV for building information models, digital twins, city information models, simultaneous localization and mapping robots. The application of 3D computer vision in smart buildings and cities is a valuable research direction, but it still faces many major challenges. This topic focuses on the theory and technology of 3D computer vision in smart buildings and cities.
The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding a Civilization
Don't Just Survive the Collapse. Rebuild It. The modern world hangs by a thread. We live in an era of complex, fragile systems that most of us don't understand. When the power grid fails, the supply chains shatter, and the internet goes dark, bushcraft skills alone won't save you. You don't just need to survive the first month; you need to rebuild for the next decade. Are you holding the blueprint for the future? The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding a Civilization is a dense, no-nonsense technical archive designed to bridge the gap between the Stone Age and the Industrial Revolution. Author and researcher James Evans has compiled the foundational knowledge necessary to restart society. This book focuses on the "hard skills" of civilization: the processes, chemistry, and engineering that separate a scavenging existence from a thriving community. Packed with detailed diagrams, step-by-step instructions, and critical scientific context, this manual covers 50 essential discoveries across six key domains. Inside this technical arsenal, you will learn how to: - FEED A COMMUNITY: Move beyond subsistence gardening with scalable agriculture, the heavy plow, four-field crop rotation, and long-term food preservation like canning. - MASTER MATERIALS: Stop relying on scavenging. Manufacture your own concrete, fire durable bricks, blow glass, and produce paper for record-keeping. - FORGE METALS: Build a bloomery furnace, smelt iron from raw ore, produce steel via the Bessemer process, and cast the tools needed for reconstruction. - HARNESS POWER: construct water wheels, windmills, double-action bellows, and even steam engines to automate labor. - SYNTHESIZE CHEMICALS: Create essential supplies from scratch, including soap for hygiene, lye for processing, sulfuric acid for industry, and black powder for defense. - RESTORE HEALTH: Understand the microscope, apply antisepsis to prevent infection, synthesize natural antibiotics, and utilize anesthesia. This book is an insurance policy for the knowledge we take for granted. Whether you are a serious prepper, a homesteader looking for deeper self-reliance, or simply someone who understands that knowledge is the only true security, this manual belongs on your shelf. When the lights go out, competence is the only currency. Secure your copy today and be ready to build.
Resilient Cities and Land Take Effective Management Through Sustainable Urban Planning Tools
The COVID-19 health emergency after the occurrence of the subprime crisis of 2007 has highlighted the economic, social, and environmental shortcomings of urban systems. The most difficult challenge of the 21st century is the ability to carry out effective interventions in cities to mitigate urban genetic anomalies (urban sprawl, urban sprinkling, etc.) and avoid land consumption. In this context, the active industrial sites that are subject to reclamation interventions, including reconversion and monitoring of the effects, are of national interest and play a crucial role in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by Agenda 2030. Since the "Stockholm Conference" of 1972, the European Union has brought to governments' attention the need to plan actions that aim to reduce the negative effects caused by impactful land use. The 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda, the recent "NextGenerationEU", and the New Green Deal targets represent the current global efforts that aim to improve the future of European urban development. It is, therefore, imperative to pursue the efficient management of existing real estate assets and adequate regulation of new building according to the current relevance of the ESG's criteria (Environmental, Social and Governance). With this Special Issue, we present papers that provide insights into the assessment and evaluation frameworks concerning the risks of economic, financial, social, health, and environmental issues generated by land consumption or industrial and production activities in the urban environment where both public and private subjects are involved.
God bless you!
'This little essay was written with the intention to share to my fellow men and women, some good ideas that I have had about technique, sustainability, and development.I hope that it might help you implement some new concepts, and remember some good old ways, in order to help you for preparing together a better human civilization.At my measure, this is how I can now contribute to tomorrow...T.B.
Theory and Technology of Water-Induced Geological Disaster Prevention and Water Resource Utilization in Mines
Deep underground mining and surface slope operations face complex geology, making them prone to water-related disasters like landslides and water inrush during extreme rainfall or intense mining activity. These disasters threaten safety, operational stability, and resource efficiency, often causing economic losses and environmental damage. Sustainable mining requires understanding disaster mechanisms, predictive methods, and prevention strategies to reduce waste.Modern technology is vital for disaster prevention and water management. Researchers use interdisciplinary methods to analyze risks. For example, studies on retaining structures in cold regions show prestressed concrete designs reduce dynamic loads, aiding debris flow prevention. Remote sensing and geospatial analysis monitor post-mining land movement and groundwater rebound, revealing links between climate-driven subsidence and mining-induced uplift. This informs environmental management in reclaimed areas. Research also explores groundwater seepage and uneven loading's effects on roadway stability. Scaled physical modeling, acoustic emission monitoring, and numerical simulations clarify deformation stages and failure mechanisms in waterlogged rock masses, helping predict failure zones and guide targeted reinforcement. Additionally, studies on external factors like impact speed and projectile shape quantify their effects on structural response, offering guidelines for protective designs.
Advances in Structural Design and Numerical Modelling of Composite Materials
This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to share their state-of-the-art findings, novel concepts, and innovative solutions addressing the challenges associated with the design and modelling of composite materials. Contributions are solicited on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to composite materials characterization, failure analysis, modeling techniques, multiscale modeling, and experimental validation.
The Pacific Circuit
Alexis Madrigal reveals how understanding Oakland explains the modern world. The award-winning journalist Alexis Madrigal sculpts an intricate tableau of the city of Oakland that is at once a groundbreaking big-idea book, a deeply researched work of social and political history, and a vivid rendering of the defining themes of the twenty-first century. The Pacific Circuit holds a magnifying glass to the legacies etched by generations of systemic segregation and the ceaseless march of technological advancement. These are not just abstract concepts; they are embedded in the very fabric of Oakland and its people, from dockworkers and community organizers to real estate developers and businesspeople chasing the highest possible profits. Madrigal delves into city hall politics, traces the intertwining arcs of venture capital and hedge funds, and offers unprecedented insight into Silicon Valley's genesis and growth, all against the backdrop of Oakland--a city vibrating with untold stories and unexplored connections that can, when read carefully, reveal exactly how our markets and our world really function.
Writing the Engineering Research Article
What do published engineering researchers actually do when they write? What they really do, sentence by sentence, section by section, across an entire paper.This book answers that question using a corpus of 163 engineering research articles comprising approximately 610,000 words; it reveals the patterns that define good engineering papers. One problem is most academic writing guides are built around the IMRDC model (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion) borrowed from the social sciences. But engineering papers don't work that way. Only 1.2% of the articles in this corpus follow a full IMRDC structure. The vast majority organise their content under technical headings such as Finite Element Analysis, Computational Domain, Experimental Programme. They blend methods, results, and interpretation into a single integrated flow. The corpus analysis spans nine engineering sub-disciplines, from aerospace to chemical engineering, and identifies five distinct paper structures (Theory + Experiment, Theory/Simulation, Experimental, Analysis/Evaluation, and Thematic), each with its own logic, its own section balance, and its own rhetorical demands. Whether you're writing a computational fluid dynamics paper or a structural testing study, you'll find your paper type here, along with specific, data-driven guidance for every section you need to write.Across 16 units, the book covers every stage of the engineering research article: macrostructure and headings, abstracts, introductions, mathematical and theoretical development, experimental and computational methods, results and interpretation, the validation move unique to engineering, discussion, and conclusions. It also examines cross-paper features that most writing guides ignore entirely - how tense shifts from section to section, where figure references cluster and why, how citation density changes across the paper, how hedging gives way to boosting as the argument builds, and how authorial presence strengthens from Introduction to Conclusion.This book is for graduate students writing their first journal article, postdocs refining their publication strategy, and experienced researchers who want to understand the conventions they've absorbed intuitively. It is also invaluable for non-native English speakers navigating the rhetorical expectations of international engineering journals. The approach is descriptive, not prescriptive: the corpus shows you what is common so you can decide what is right for your study.
Zone Policeman 88
Zone policeman 88: A close range study of the Panama Canal and its workers is a vivid exploration of one of the greatest engineering achievements of the modern age and the human stories behind it. The book provides an intimate portrayal of life in the Canal Zone, capturing the diversity, discipline, and determination that defined the workers who built the Panama Canal. Through firsthand observation, it reveals the social and cultural intersections that shaped the community, blending technical insight with the realities of daily labor and adaptation. The narrative examines the coexistence of ambition and hardship, showing how individuals from different nations contributed to a shared vision of progress. It reflects on the complexity of order, authority, and personal purpose within a rigid yet dynamic environment. Combining historical documentation with personal experience, the work offers both a record of human endurance and a meditation on cooperation, ambition, and the pursuit of monumental goals amid challenging circumstances.
Advances in Lithium-Ion Battery Safety and Fire
Lithium-ion batteries have become one of the most competitive forms of energy storage media for electric vehicles, energy storage power stations, novel energy storage systems, and so on. The safety issues associated with batteries, including thermal runaway, thermal runaway propagation, aging degradation, fire, and explosion, have caused widespread concern. These issues have not been satisfactorily unveiled and resolved. To this end, this Special Issue presents a collection of innovative research focused on battery safety and fire. It highlights key advances in the fundamental science and key technologies for thermal safety and management with regard to battery-related fires and explosions, including mechanisms, modeling, characteristics, monitoring technologies, and control strategies. Therefore, this Reprint was crafted to update the scientific community on recent advancements and future focus points in battery safety and battery fires, offering valuable insights for improving battery safety and performance.
Swarm Intelligence and Evolutionary Algorithms for Real World Applications
This reprint showcases recent advances in swarm intelligence (SI) and evolutionary computation (EC), emphasising their capacity to address complex, data-intensive, and noise-prone real-world problems where conventional methods often fall short. The collected works highlight how the self-organising and adaptive nature of SI and EC enables robust search, optimisation, and modeling across diverse domains.The contributions span finance, healthcare, hardware design, energy systems, molecular biology, and intelligent environments. They include hybrid neural-evolutionary strategies for portfolio optimisation, evolutionary approaches for identifying circadian-modulating molecules, and grammatical evolution for automatic generation of synthesizable hardware code. Bio-inspired multi-objective optimisation is applied to early voice-disorder detection, while particle swarm optimisation supports optimal placement of electric-vehicle parking infrastructure. New algorithmic developments-such as a swarm optimiser and symbiotic organism search-based unsupervised feature selection-advance global optimisation and data analytics. Finally, a QPSO-based hybrid technique enhances indoor positioning by fusing WLAN and WSN data.Together, these papers demonstrate the versatility and growing impact of SI and EC techniques, fostering dialogue among emerging and established researchers and advancing their application to pressing real-world challenges.
A Consultant's Story
This is a story of one civil engineer, working as a consultant on environmental, water relater issues. It covers public and private work, both domestically and internationally, with a deep dive into Mr. Moore's work in India.
GiveIQ
GiveIQ: Purpose & Philanthropy in the Age of AIArtificial intelligence is reshaping how we work, learn, and connect-but it is also quietly redefining how we care, contribute, and give. In GiveIQ, longtime nonprofit executive and social impact leader John Judge argues that the most important challenge of the AI era is not technological capability, but human agency.Drawing on three decades of leadership across national charities, conservation organizations, and youth movements, GiveIQ offers a new operating model for philanthropy-one that empowers individuals, strengthens institutions, and reimagines how purpose is activated in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms and automation.At the heart of the book is the GiveIQ Framework, built on three essential pillars: Empower - restoring agency to act with confidence and intentionInnovate - applying AI and emerging technologies to accelerate mission impactCollaborate - building trust-based networks across sectors and communitiesThrough original frameworks, real-world case studies, and future-forward scenarios, GiveIQ introduces ideas such as the Purpose Path, Charity Autonomy, Digital Twins for social impact, and the Global Charity Commons-offering practical guidance for nonprofit leaders, philanthropists, volunteers, policymakers, and technologists navigating rapid change.Written with clarity and optimism, GiveIQ does not treat AI as a replacement for human values, but as a force that-if designed and governed wisely-can amplify empathy, stewardship, and collective action.This book is both a call to responsibility and a blueprint for action for anyone committed to ensuring that the age of intelligent machines remains deeply human.
Artificial Intelligence for Seniors
Unfortunately, a lot of mature aged people, who didn't grow up with computers and the internet, may feel anxious about using technology and believe it's too late to learn about it. I understand that AI might seem complex and intimidating at first glance. However, here's the good news: accessing and using AI is not difficult at all, once you know how. And the benefits it can bring are truly life changing.This book aims to bridge that gap. It will show you how you can easily embrace AI to unlock new opportunities for learning, creativity, and fun. Written in easy to understand, non-technical language.Come with me on an exhilarating journey into the captivating world of AI. Together, we'll wonder at the fusion of AI and human creativity, unleashing endless inspiration and amusement. Brace yourself for an adventure filled with delightful surprises and whimsical activities, making your learning experience enjoyable, exciting and fun! With AI as your ally, you can enrich your life and make the most out of each day, regardless of your age or experience.Peter ThorpeAuthor
Gizmo
We live in a world where many aspects of late twentieth century science fiction have become technological reality. As gadgets and technology in general have become more miniaturised, sleek and capable, so too has an appetite for the sort of quirky, retro tech that wistfully reminds us of earlier times. Nintendo has enjoyed great success with the re-release of their console systems from the 1980s, and US brand Analogue has created a hardware emulator for Sega's classic Mega Drive games. Audio formats such as vinyl records and cassettes have seen a resurgence, along with the devices that can play them. This book sets out to provide a comprehensive survey of electronic and time-saving gadgets and devices, their evolution and genealogy, revealing where they come from, and how they are developed. In charting the diverse spectrum of gizmos by type and purpose, it uncovers the sometimes unexpected connections between them. Finally, we discover how these technologies have become the nexus of our interaction with each other and the world around us, shaping creativity and culture, storing memories, helping, guiding and, increasingly, thinking for us.
Empire of AI
A New York Times Notable Book - Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction - A New York Times Bestseller - Named a Best Book of the Year by Smithsonian, Scientific American, and Elle - Winner of the Porchlight Business Book Award "A bestselling page-turner that has made waves not just in Silicon Valley but around the world . . . With Empire of AI, Hao is fundamentally shaping many people's perceptions and understanding of the company at the center of the AI revolution." --TIME Magazine, "TIME100 AI 2025" "Excellent and deeply reported." --Tim Wu, The New York Times "Startling and intensely researched . . . an essential account of how OpenAI and ChatGPT came to be and the catastrophic places they will likely take us." --Vulture From a brilliant longtime AI insider with intimate access to the world of Sam Altman's OpenAI from the beginning, an eye-opening account of arguably the most fateful tech arms race in history, reshaping the planet in real time, from the cockpit of the company that is driving the frenzy When AI expert and investigative journalist Karen Hao first began covering OpenAI in 2019, she thought they were the good guys. Founded as a nonprofit with safety enshrined as its core mission, the organization was meant, its leader Sam Altman told us, to act as a check against more purely mercantile, and potentially dangerous, forces. What could go wrong? Over time, Hao began to wrestle ever more deeply with that question. Increasingly, she realized that the core truth of this massively disruptive sector is that its vision of success requires an almost unprecedented amount of resources: the "compute" power of high-end chips and the processing capacity to create massive large language models, the sheer volume of data that needs to be amassed at scale, the humans "cleaning up" that data for sweatshop wages throughout the Global South, and a truly alarming spike in the usage of energy and water underlying it all. The truth is that we have entered a new and ominous age of empire: only a small handful of globally scaled companies can even enter the field of play. At the head of the pack with its ChatGPT breakthrough, how would OpenAI resist such temptations? Spoiler alert: it didn't. Armed with Microsoft's billions, OpenAI is setting a breakneck pace, chased by a small group of the most valuable companies in human history--toward what end, not even they can define. All this time, Hao has maintained her deep sourcing within the company and the industry, and so she was in intimate contact with the story that shocked the entire tech industry--Altman's sudden firing and triumphant return. The behind-the-scenes story of what happened, told here in full for the first time, is revelatory of who the people controlling this technology really are. But this isn't just the story of a single company, however fascinating it is. The g forces pressing down on the people of OpenAI are deforming the judgment of everyone else too--as such forces do. Naked power finds the ideology to cloak itself; no one thinks they're the bad guy. But in the meantime, as Hao shows through intrepid reporting on the ground around the world, the enormous wheels of extraction grind on. By drawing on the viewpoints of Silicon Valley engineers, Kenyan data laborers, and Chilean water activists, Hao presents the fullest picture of AI and its impact we've seen to date, alongside a trenchant analysis of where things are headed. An astonishing eyewitness view from both up in the command capsule of the new economy and down where the real suffering happens, Empire of AI pierces the veil of the industry defining our era.
How It Works: Book of Amazing Cutaways
Delve deeper into the wonderful worlds of science, technology, transport, history, space and the environment with a selection of some of the best illustrations from the pages of How It Works magazine.Get under the skin of the human body as we find out what happens to our food on a journey through the digestive system and discover how our immune system protects us from harm.Check out the habitats that will help humans live and thrive on Mars and learn how NASA's legendary Space Shuttle worked.Explore some of the wonders of the natural world, including how tigers hunt their prey and the importance of trees on the environment around them.Go inside the smart homes of the future and learn about the amazing tech that shapes our world.And finally, take a look under the hood of a rally car, a Red Arrow and a superyacht, before discovering how the dome of Florence Cathedral was constructed and examine how Notre-Dame will be rebuilt following 2019's devastating fire- and so much more!Expert reviews of the book: "A quick, painless and fun way to discover everything you need to know about a host of subjects, from architecture and anatomy to dinosaurs, fighter planes and household appliances." - Dr Andrew May, Astrophysicist and Author "Brilliantly detailed and endlessly absorbing, Amazing Cutaways is a feast for the eyes. There are so many ways in for the reader - engaging cutaway artwork, to-the-point captions and longer blocks of well-judged text for those who want it. And such a wide range of topics are included, it's impossible not to learn loads." - Ben Hoare, Bestselling Science Author
Birth Tech The Fertility Technology Of The Future
Birth Tech explores the rapidly emerging technologies reshaping human reproduction, fertility, and gestation, examining how scientific innovation is beginning to transform one of the most intimate and socially consequential aspects of human life. From assisted reproductive technologies and fertility diagnostics to artificial wombs, synthetic gestation, and data-driven matchmaking systems, the book traces the expanding ecosystem now forming around birth itself.Rather than approaching fertility as a lifestyle issue or a clinical handbook, Birth Tech treats reproduction as a technological system. It situates modern fertility tools within a wider framework of biotechnology, platform economics, medical infrastructure, ethics, and long-term demographic change. The book considers how advances in automation, artificial intelligence, materials science, and biomedical engineering are converging to challenge long-standing assumptions about pregnancy, parenthood, and biological limitation.Written in a reflective, analytical style, the book moves fluidly between current commercial technologies and speculative developments that are moving rapidly from theory into early implementation. Topics include the evolution of IVF and fertility preservation, the rise of "femtech" platforms, emerging ectogenesis research, and the ethical pressures created when reproduction becomes partially decoupled from the human body.Birth Tech is intended for readers interested in the future of medicine, technology, and society rather than prescriptive guidance. It will appeal to those working or studying in biomedical engineering, health technology, policy, ethics, and investment, as well as general readers seeking a serious, accessible examination of how technological progress may redefine birth in the decades ahead.
Sustainable Rural Development
Sustainable development is the core principle for improving the quality of life. The policies discussed in this book apply to rural areas, including country towns, villages, and the wider, largely undeveloped countryside up to the fringes of larger urban regions. Rural sustainability can be defined as the ongoing pursuit of development approaches that protect and strengthen rural communities, ensuring that economic, sociocultural, and environmental values are well aligned and responsive to the needs of all these dimensions. This book presents various technology-based methods to address the challenges faced by rural communities. Technologies such as innovative irrigation systems, technology-based cooking methods, and new ways of harvesting energy are described to support sustainable rural development.For more details, please visit https: //centralwestpublishing.com
The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERNational Indie Bestseller"[Doctorow] resembles the great rock critics of an earlier era, a high-tech Greil Marcus or even a Lester Bangs." --Stephen Marche, The New York Times Book ReviewA short, provocative guide to what's good, bad, and stupid about AI and the discourse around AI, by the author of Enshittification. In modern tech parlance, a centaur is a person who is able to use technology to be a better, more productive version of themself. A reverse centaur is a person who is forced by technology to work at an inhuman pace--a driver made to deliver all day long, nonstop; a warehouse worker made to work without food or bathroom breaks; a programmer made to crank out impossible amounts of code. The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI is not another anti-AI screed. Cory Doctorow uses AI in his work every day. As a creative person, he has no moral or dogmatic issue with AI--he thinks the technology is useful, even exciting, and full of potential. And yet. AI has arrived surrounded by unprecedented hype driven by a tech industry desperate to maintain its unprecedented valuation based on its own promises of endless financial growth. Despite the fact that almost all of AI's real-world implementations have proved underwhelming, AI is projected to be worth more than $16 trillion--a number that only makes sense if AI replaces vast swathes of the wage-earning human workforce. To justify that level of "value," every story about AI must be presented as inevitable, world-changing disruption. Even the tales of the robot apocalypse are a calculated attempt to bolster the fearsome power of AI. For Doctorow, it is imperative to see through that hype to the real story, to understand the technology not just for what it does, but for who it does it to and who it does it for. From that point of view, the story of AI is indeed dramatic and unprecedented, having generated an investment bubble so big that it endangers the entire world economy. In The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI--as he so successfully did in Enshittification--Doctorow recounts both how we found ourselves in this dire situation and how we can get through it, to a life "after" AI in which the tools work for us, not the other way around.
Minds Before Machines
What if the most powerful innovations in history were not made of machines, but of pure thought? Long before engines, compasses, or modern laboratories, ancient minds cracked the code of survival and progress by relying on observation, philosophy, and bold imagination. They learned to cross vast oceans using Polynesian wayfinding, to build cities that still stand on the strength of Roman concrete, to master ancient agriculture and irrigation that fed millions, and to design weapons and fortresses through nothing more than mathematics and ingenuity. This book reveals how civilizations solved seemingly impossible problems with limited means, turning constraint into their greatest ally. It goes beyond artifacts to uncover the hidden reasoning-the frameworks of ancient engineering methods and the philosophy of invention-that made progress possible without electricity, engines, or digital tools. Written for curious readers who love history, science, and the hidden logic of innovation, this work bridges the gap between past and present. Whether you're a student of the history of technology, a professional seeking sharper problem-solving models, or simply fascinated by how the human mind shapes its world, you'll find ideas here that change how you think about invention itself. By the end, you'll see innovation differently: not as a product of gadgets, but as a mental discipline that thrives under limits. You'll discover how pre-industrial technology carries urgent lessons for today's complex, resource-strained world-and how adopting these ancient mental models can sharpen your own ability to tackle modern challenges. An exploration of human brilliance under constraint, this is a blueprint for rethinking progress-grounded in the timeless ingenuity of the mind.
Heat Transfer Analysis
This Special Issue presents recent developments and challenges in the field of applied heat transfer. Focus is placed on studying, modeling, and optimizing heat transfer processes in energy devices and installations, with particular attention paid to environmental protection. Included are original research articles of high scientific quality, applied studies offering practical solutions, and review papers. Special emphasis is given to approaches that enhance the thermal efficiency of energy machines and systems, contribute to reducing the use of conventional energy sources, and support sustainable technologies.
Designing Intelligence
In a world where artificial intelligence is no longer a distant promise but the very architecture of modern business, Designing Intelligence: The New Architecture of AI-Driven Business takes you on a visionary journey into the decade that will redefine how companies think, decide, and operate. Drawing on two years of research, cross-disciplinary collaborations, and candid conversations with industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators, this book distills the most important trends shaping the global economy from the rise of generative and agent-based AI to the decentralization of intelligence through edge computing, automation, and real-time analytics. Through evidence-based narratives and vivid case studies, it reveals how industries as diverse as finance, manufacturing, healthcare, and agriculture are reinventing themselves, and why India is emerging as a critical innovation hub in this transformation. More than a survey of technology, it is a practical blueprint for leaders determined to build organizations that are not only data-driven, but intelligence-driven-capable of autonomous decision-making, adaptive strategy, and rapid innovation in a volatile world. With strategic frameworks, future-proofing models, and actionable insights, Designing Intelligence equips executives, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to bridge the gap between today's capabilities and tomorrow's imperatives. It is a call to action for those ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities of an AI-first era, to move beyond reacting to change and begin designing it.
Forest Operations and Sustainability in Brazil
Dear forestry professional, This book was crafted especially for you-whether you work in the field, conduct research, or are simply passionate about the challenges and innovations shaping Brazil's forest sector. Forest Operations and Sustainability in Brazil: Ergonomic, Environmental, and Economic Insights brings together real-world case studies and critical reflections on productivity, occupational health, and sustainability in modern forestry. Brazil's forestry sector stands as a cornerstone of the national economy. With 9.94 million hectares of planted forests-76% of which are eucalyptus grown primarily for pulp and paper production-the industry generated USD 50.4 billion in 2022, accounting for 6.3% of Brazil's GDP. Pulp production alone reached an impressive 25 million tons, reaffirming the sector's strategic importance at both national and global levels. At the same time, the Brazilian Legal Amazon, covering over 5 million square kilometers, faces increasing environmental pressures. Forest fires, in particular, have become more frequent and intense, driven by a complex interplay of natural conditions and human activity. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing sustainable and resilient forestry strategies. Across its five chapters, this volume explores key topics such as the comparative performance and cost-efficiency of log loaders in Northeast Brazil, ergonomic conditions and workstation design in forest harvesting, and occupational exposure to noise and vibration in mechanized operations. It also addresses broader issues like timber traceability, market access for sustainable Amazonian wood, and the interrelationship between deforestation and forest fires. More than just a technical reference, this book invites you to reflect on safer, smarter, and more sustainable pathways for forestry in Brazil. We hope the knowledge shared here will support your work, inform your decisions, and contribute to a more responsible forest future. Happy reading!
Dear Future
Artificial intelligence is no longer a tool. It is becoming the force that will reshape work, money, power, identity and purpose. This book is a clear and compelling guide to the greatest transformation in human history and a wake up call for anyone who wants to stay ahead of what is coming.Blending storytelling with sharp analysis, it shows how AI is moving from convenience to dominance, quietly taking over the systems that run our lives. Factories, hospitals, classrooms, finance, media, government, even relationships are already being rewritten. What happens when machines do everything not just faster but better than we can The answers are as thrilling as they are unsettling.You will discover how automation is dismantling entire professions while creating new forms of inequality. How algorithms shape what we see and believe. How personalised AI tutoring will disrupt education. How medicine is being transformed through precision diagnosis, longevity science and robotic care. How creativity itself is being challenged by a technology that can write, paint and compose with flawless ease.The book also explores the rise of AI companions and the emotional risks of outsourcing connection. It asks whether machines may one day develop forms of awareness and what that would mean for law, religion and ethics. It investigates the global race between nations and tech giants who are competing to control the most powerful intelligence ever built.As AI pushes the cost of goods, energy and labour toward zero, we face a future where traditional money and traditional work may lose their meaning. What will define purpose when productivity no longer requires people And what will remain uniquely human in a world optimised by machinesThis is not a book about doom. It is a book about clarity. If you understand what is coming, you can adapt. If you move early, you can thrive. The final pages call on the reader to act rather than wait, to create rather than retreat, and to build a meaningful place for themselves in a future that is arriving faster than anyone expected.Bold, urgent and deeply engaging, this is essential reading for anyone who senses the world shifting beneath their feet and wants to understand the forces driving the change. Perfect for readers of AI, future of work, economics, psychology, technology and the human condition.
Design of Next-Generation Electrochemical Sensors for Smart Agriculture
Design of Next-Generation Electrochemical Sensors for Smart Agriculture begins with the rational design of a series of carbon-based nanocomposites, which are used to construct a new class of smart-agriculture electrochemical sensors. These sensors are applied to the low-cost, highly sensitive detection of hazardous contaminants in agricultural products and foods. Compared with conventional analytical methods, electrochemical sensing method as an emerging analytical technology offers a host of advantages, including simplicity, high efficiency, low cost, portability, and exceptional sensitivity. This novel sensing paradigm will drastically cut the analysis expense and time required for contaminant analysis, enable the on-site and outdoor measurements with handheld devices, and expand both the breadth and depth of hazardous-contaminant screening. It may help curb the overuse of banned or excessive agrochemicals, strengthen full-chain supervision of agricultural products "from field to fork", and fortify the food-safety barrier. The book therefore holds immediate practical significance for promoting the high-quality, green agriculture and safeguarding food security. Spanning fundamental principles to real-world engineering applications, it provides a systematic presentation of the relevant knowledge and technologies, and will serve as a valuable reference for researchers in several fields of nanomaterials, electrochemical sensing, and analytical chemistry.
Enhanced Heat Transfer Performance of an Automobile Radiator With GNP/H2O-EG Nanofluids
Radiators are used in automobiles to transfer heat from the engine coolant to ambient air. Despite the name, most radiators transfer bulk of their heat via convection. The demand to enhance the heat transfer rate can be addressed either by increasing the surface area or by increasing the convective heat transfer coefficient (CHTC). With regard to higher surface area many types of compact heat exchangers have been proposed. In order to increase the CHTC innovative heat transfer fluids are required in which conventional heat transfer fluids have lower thermal conductivity. In this regard, nanofluids show an enhanced thermal conductivity than that of the conventional heat transfer fluids which yields a higher CHTC. Over the past few decades, carbon based nano materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene nanoplatelets (GnP), graphene oxide, nano diamond were utilized in order to increase the thermal conductivity of conventional heat transfer fluids due to their high intrinsic thermal conductivity. Recently many research works have been performed with graphene based nanofluids due to its low interfacial thermal resistance and high aspect ratio resulting in higher thermal conductivity enhancement of nanofluids. The experiments on CHTC and overall heat transfer coefficient (OHTC) of an automobile radiator using various nanofluids as a coolant are reported by several researchers. Nowadays anti-freeze fluids (ethylene glycol and water-ethylene glycol mixture) are widely used in automobile radiators in order to avoid freezing during winter. The general recommendation is water-ethylene glycol mixture containing 30% (by volume) of ethylene glycol. In the present work, H2O-EG (70:30 by volume) seeded with GnP was used as the coolant. Few-layered GnP with an average thickness of 4-8 nm was selected due to the (1) high intrinsic thermal conductivity (2) high surface area (3) 2D structure (4) low interfacial thermal resistance (5) lower size nanoplatelets can carry more atoms in their surface which in turn higher heat transfer rate. This book will be useful for proposing the superior heat transfer fluids on automotive cooling applications.
Deep Reinforcement Learning for Orbital Pursuit-Evasion Game
This book investigates the orbital pursuit evasion game problem under continuous and impulsive maneuvers of spacecraft, integrating knowledge from multiple disciplines, such as aerospace dynamics, game theory, differential games, and artificial intelligence. It proposes the Nash-equilibrium solution and cooperative strategy for the two-spacecraft game and multi-spacecraft game based on deep reinforcement learning. Those modeling methods and intelligent training methods have certain reference value for subsequent researchers.
Smart Systems with IoT and AI
This book offers a unique journey into the world of real-world Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), where intelligent machines meet to solve urgent societal challenges. Written for engineers, researchers, and innovators- each chapter unveils a practical system built from the ground up, integrating edge computing, machine learning, and low-power design for smarter, safer environments. Explore an IoT connected ultra-low-power digital sticky note using an e-paper display that enables persistent, readable updates from smartphone - with long battery life Discover a deep learning-based gunshot detection system that operates indoors, transmits real-time alerts via secure IoT channels, and has been validated using realistic test scenarios. Learn how a smart fire detection system identifies not just the flames, but also the object on fire, and recommends the appropriate extinguisher using AI. Venture into the wild with a sustainable wildfire detection system that listens to nature, detects danger early, and transmits alerts using an ultra-low-power IoT architecture. This collection showcases the power of fusing intelligent algorithms with embedded systems to build solutions that are not just smart - but practical, tested, and ready for deployment. Whether you're an academic, entrepreneur, or technologist, this book will ignite your curiosity and equip you with real designs that bridge the lab and the real world.
Advanced Algorithms in Wireless Communication and Internet of Things (IoT)
The development of advanced algorithms for wireless communication and the Internet of Things (IoT) has become a central theme in recent research, and this Reprint highlights studies related to mathematical and computational methods applied in these domains. This Reprint contains theoretical contributions, applied models, and systematic analyses addressing algorithmic challenges in IoT and wireless systems. It covers topics such as optimization techniques, probabilistic models, resource allocation, secure transmission, energy-efficient communication, and real-time decision-making. The contributions span a wide range of approaches, including machine learning methods, distributed algorithms, and mathematical frameworks for next-generation wireless networks.
Advance Study on Digital Image Processing
This book delves into the fundamentals and cutting-edge developments in digital image processing, beginning with core concepts such as image formulation, acquisition, enhancement, and restoration. It guides readers through the scientific principles behind digital images-how they are formed, processed, and refined for improved interpretation. With practical examples ranging from gamma-ray and X-ray imaging to color and infrared processing, the book bridges theoretical foundations with real-world applications. Emphasizing both classical techniques and modern research trends, including machine learning-based methods, this work is ideal for students, researchers, and professionals aiming to master the complexities and innovations in visual data analysis.
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In the opulent yet stifling world of Edwardian England, where the grandeur of the British aristocracy masks a labyrinth of personal relationships and societal norms, this historical fiction novel unfolds with the elegance and depth that fans of Maurice Baring cherish. As we step into the early 20th century, the narrative reveals a time when appearances were everything, yet the heart yearned for authenticity and connection. This literary fiction, long out of print and now republished by Alpha Editions, has been lovingly restored for today's and future generations, offering readers a glimpse into a bygone era that still resonates with contemporary relevance. This classic literature piece is more than just a reprint; it stands as a collector's item and a cultural treasure, inviting both casual readers and avid collectors of Edwardian novels to immerse themselves in its timeless themes. Echoing the introspective quality of E.M. Forster and the emotional intensity of D.H. Lawrence, the story navigates the intricate dance of social expectations and personal desires, illuminating the universal struggle for self-discovery amidst external pressures. As a window into the past, it challenges us to reflect on how far we have come and how much remains unchanged. This edition is a testament to the enduring power of storytelling, a bridge connecting the past with the present, and a celebration of literary heritage.
Reaction Mechanism and Properties of Cement-Based Materials (2nd Edition)
Cement is a fundamental building material whose performance is governed by its complex, multi-scale microstructure. A thorough understanding of the relationship between the characteristics of hydration products, pore features, and the resulting macroscopic properties is crucial for designing more efficient, durable, and sustainable construction materials. This reprint brings together cutting-edge research across several key domains, including the modification of grouting materials using graphene oxide/nano-silica hybrids, the sustainable use of industrial by-products and agricultural wastes, and advanced material design enabled by the synergistic application of limestone powder and rice husk ash. It further addresses topics such as the incorporation of plant fibers in geopolymer concrete, performance optimization of fiber-reinforced lightweight aggregate concrete, and the influence of raw material fineness on clinker burnability and rheological behavior. It also covers critical advances in deformation control and strength enhancement through the combined use of MgO expansive agents and internal curing technology. By exploring diverse mechanisms from alkali migration in raw materials to the synthesis of high-belite cement from solid waste, the reprint provides a holistic perspective on emerging innovations that advances the construction materials field toward greater sustainability and resilience.
Game and Decision Theory Applied to Business, Economy and Finance
Game theory is the branch of Mathematics dedicated to the design of models that are able to make predictions, under the assumption that the agents under interaction (negotiation) are rational. Game theory can be applied to several different research fields, including computer and social sciences. It has been applied in business, financial decisions, presidential elections, jury decisions in trials, and biology in general. The origin of game theory is from the necessity of taking logical decisions inside conflicts and negotiations when several possible choices emerge. Within game theory, the information available for each player is crucial for making decisions. Besides game theory, Quantum Mechanics, oriented to finance, dubbed Quantum Finance, is a new branch of science where decision theories can be explored in a more logical way. This Special Issue is a combination of game theory and Quantum Finance, with the purpose of solving multiple problems related to individual and collective rational decisions.
Advanced Energy Harvesting Technology
Energy harvesting has been a promising technique for next-generation wireless and wearable electronic devices since it can deliver sustainable energy to power low-power electronic devices by capturing ambient forms of energy that would otherwise be lost, such as light, heat, sound, vibration, etc. Energy harvesting is a multi-disciplinary technology that combines a wide range of research fields, e.g., the development of advanced energy materials, smart structures, and circuits for power management to achieve sufficient harvesting efficiency and innovations in applications to broaden the potential of the energy harvesting technology.
Satellite Terrestrial Networks
This Reprint collects state-of-the-art contributions on Satellite Terrestrial Networks, presenting the latest advances in architectures, enabling technologies, and applications. With the rapid deployment of low-Earth-orbit constellations and the growing demand for seamless integration with terrestrial infrastructures, the research community is addressing complex challenges such as spectrum coexistence, interference coordination, routing in dynamic topologies, and secure access. The articles in this collection explore intelligent scheduling, beam management, and resource optimization, while also highlighting innovations in physical-layer security, edge computing, and cloud-native design. By combining theoretical insights with practical evaluation, the Reprint provides a comprehensive view of how emerging technologies can deliver global coverage, resilient connectivity, and scalable services. It is intended as a valuable reference for both academic researchers and industry practitioners seeking to advance the design and deployment of future satellite-terrestrial communication systems.
Trends and Prospects in Applied Electromagnetics
Applied electromagnetics, a crucial branch of electromagnetics, serves as a link between theoretical electromagnetics and engineering requirements. It focuses on applying the fundamental theories and principles of electromagnetic fields and waves (characterized by Maxwell's equations) to address practical engineering issues, design diverse devices and systems, and develop novel technologies. These applications span a wide range of fields, including electrical engineering, communication engineering, railway transportation engineering, nondestructive testing and evaluation, and biomedical engineering. This Special Issue reports significant progress in various domains, such as computational electromagnetics, Electromagnetic Compatibility and Interference (EMC & EMI), electromagnetic nondestructive testing and evaluation, electromagnetic wave propagation, and bio-electromagnetics.
Object Detection and Image Classification
In recent decades, rapid advancements in machine learning have significantly enhanced the ability to detect and classify objects within digital images. These technological developments have facilitated a wide range of applications, including the identification of malignant cells in histopathological images, the classification of flora and fauna in ecological studies, the recognition of astronomical bodies, and the differentiation between authentic and synthetically generated (deepfake) images. In certain domains, automated systems have demonstrated performance that surpasses that of human experts. Despite these promising outcomes, several critical challenges must be addressed before such systems can be reliably and widely adopted. Key issues include the need for improved accuracy and robustness, the development of interpretable and transparent models, and the cultivation of user trust and societal acceptance. This Special Issue, "Object Detection and Image Classification", addresses some existing knowledge gaps. It consists of eight peer-reviewed papers that cover a range of new object detection algorithms and applications.
Advanced Control and Operation of Microgrids and Power Distribution Systems
In recent years, power systems have shifted from centralized generation and one-way transmission toward distributed architectures that are centered on renewable energy, energy storage, and electric vehicle charging. This transition highlights the need for advanced control and operational strategies in microgrids and distribution networks that not only enhance efficiency but also secure stability, flexibility, and reliability. With growing variability and forecasting uncertainties in renewable generation and demand, sophisticated approaches are required to manage uncertainty and sustain system stability. This Special Issue presents nine contributions on control, operation, optimization, energy management systems, and AI-based approaches for microgrids and distribution networks. The papers span theoretical modeling, algorithm development, hardware implementation, and case studies. Highlights include a switched-capacitor inverter reducing common-mode voltage, an ANN-assisted energy management framework integrating load and weather forecasting with DC exchange and storage scheduling, flexible operating envelopes for reverse power flow grids, techno-economic studies of underground systems, seamless AC/DC hybrid microgrid control, deep learning for transformer fault detection, and voltage regulation for inverter-based UPS systems. Collectively, these works reflect the technological trajectory toward more advanced and sustainable power systems. This volume provides researchers and practitioners with insights into the state of the art and points to promising directions for future research and applications.
Advanced Technology for Solar Thermal Cooling, Heating, and Energy Storage
The Special Issue "Advanced Technology for Solar Thermal Cooling, Heating, and Energy Storage" highlights recent advances that expand the role of solar energy in meeting cooling, heating, and storage demands. Published contributions focus on innovative approaches to overcome the variability of solar resources while improving system efficiency and integration. The main topics include the development of advanced storage methods such as sorption, thermochemical, and phase change materials, which enable solar energy to be stored and released on demand. Several papers present hybrid configurations that combine thermal and electrical systems or integrate solar cooling with heating and power generation for multi-use applications. Other studies emphasize the optimization of heat transfer processes, the design of nanoparticle-enhanced materials, and the use of simulation tools and control strategies to improve system reliability. Case studies and experimental validations provide evidence of how these concepts perform under real conditions. Taken together, these studies highlight the advancing maturity of solar thermal technologies and their promise in delivering efficient, resilient, and sustainable energy systems of the future.
Exploration and Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas Resources
Fossil fuels continue to be fundamental to the global economies. Within this landscape, unconventional oil and gas resources are expected to play a larger and more strategic role in helping major economies meet their future energy needs. However, the efficient exploration and development of unconventional reservoirs present unique challenges that necessitate robust support from an integrated series of advanced geological and engineering studies. This multidisciplinary effort spans the entire project lifecycle, encompassing sophisticated exploration for identifying "sweet spots", comprehensive reservoir evaluation to quantify key properties, precision horizontal drilling to maximize reservoir contact, complex completion techniques to create permeable pathways, and optimized production management to ensure long-term recovery. The aim of this Special Issue is to introduce the latest scientific and technical progress in unconventional oil and gas geology and engineering. It will place emphasis on several critical frontiers, including advanced methods for reservoir characterization and evaluation, the analysis of key geological factors controlling enrichment, the development of predictive enrichment models to guide exploration, integrated approaches for accurately assessing ultra-low permeability, and fundamental mechanism analysis of fracture propagation and hydrocarbon flow.
Advanced Research in Shipping Informatics and Communications
The aim of this Special Issue is to provide the reader with an overview of the technological revolution the shipping industry is experiencing through the integration of informatics and digitalization. Shipping 4.0 is leading the industry ahead, embracing new technologies, and, at the same time, facing an evolving cyber security threat landscape.In this Special Issue a number of leading academic and industry experts are providing their insight through published research covering areas including maritime cyber security, additive manufacturing, e-navigation technologies, telecommunications, Artificial Intelligence, and autonomous maritime systems and robotics. The readers of this Special Issue will understand through published work that it is imperative for the shipping industry to improve safety, efficiency, resiliency, and sustainability through technological innovation in order to safeguard its continued crucial role in global trade.
