Systems Science

There is no shortage of democracy, at least in name, and yet it is in crisis everywhere we look. From a cabal of plutocrats in the White House to gerrymandering and dark-money campaign contributions, it is clear that the principle of government by and for the people is not living up to its promise. The problems lie deeper than any one election cycle. As Astra Taylor demonstrates, real democracy - fully inclusive and completely egalitarian - has in fact never existed. In a tone that is both philosophical and anecdotal, Taylor invites us to reexamine the term.

The Nazis did not really lose World War II. They made it appear that way in order to divert attention from the alliance between the Fourth Reich and the race of aliens known as the Reptilians - an ancient galactic civilization obsessed with conquest and domination. After the German surrender in 1945, the Nazi-Reptilian alliance infiltrated the US military-industrial complex.

This explosive finale to Star Trek, The Next Generation centers on the Q Continuum's decision to destroy humanity's existence in space and time, and Captain Jean-Luc Picard's chance to sacrifice everything and save mankind. Featuring a dramatic reading by Jonathan Frakes and enhanced with sound effects and an original score!

The food system is broken, but there is a revolution underway to fix it. Bite Back presents an urgent call to action and a vision for disrupting corporate power in the food system, a vision shared with countless organizers and advocates worldwide.

Is our sun behaving differently from other stars? When an amateur astronomer discovers something strange on telescopic solar pictures, an explanation must be found. Is it merely artifact? Or has he found something totally unexpected? An expert international crew is hastily assembled, a spaceship is speedily repurposed, and the foursome is sent on the ride of their lives. What challenges will they face on this spur-of-the-moment mission to our central star?

When it comes to choosing, using, and maintaining a database, understanding its internals is essential. But with so many distributed databases and tools available today, it's often difficult to understand what each one offers. With this practical guide, Alex Petrov guides developers through the concepts behind modern database and storage engine internals.

Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy: Exploring the Evolution of Economic Systems and the Future of Democracy by Joseph A. Schumpeter is a seminal work that examines the dynamics of economic systems and their societal impact. Published in 1942, this influential book introduces the concept of "creative destruction," illustrating how innovation disrupts established industries to drive progress. Schumpeter explores the strengths and vulnerabilities of capitalism, arguing that its success ironically paves the way for its decline through institutional shifts and bureaucratic expansion.

There is a huge, bold black streak in the sky. Branches appear out of nowhere over North America, Southern Europe, and Central Africa. People who live beneath The Rift can see it. But scientists worldwide are distressed - their equipment cannot pick up any type of signal from it. The rift appears to consist of nothing. Literally. Nothing. Nada. Niente. Most people are curious but not overly concerned. The phenomenon seems to pose no danger. It is just there. Then something jolts the most hardened naysayers, and surpasses the worst nightmares of the world's greatest scientists.

The System said: "everything the sun touches is yours!" Lord Leo's a simple guy, so he took the System's word for it. It's not for nothing that Major is running drills with the new recruits, Third is sharpening his trusty sapper shovel, and boar-riding Peter is digging the earth with a honed hoof.

Fight for survival. Build the future. Claim your destiny. In a world where humanity teeters on the brink of extinction, lone wanderer Kai Drayce discovers the Dominion—a long-dormant AI with the power to rebuild civilization or finish what the apocalypse started. Forced into a brutal game of survival, Kai must gather allies, master deadly technology, and unlock the secrets of a shattered world. But every step forward pits him against merciless raiders, mechanical horrors, and the Dominion’s unyielding grip. His only hope lies in the bonds he forges with a group of fierce, brilliant, and...

A soaring bridge is an obvious infrastructural feat, but so are the mostly hidden reservoirs, transformers, sewers, cables, and pipes that deliver water, energy, and information to wherever we need it. When these systems work well, they hide in plain sight. Engineer and materials scientist Deb Chachra takes listeners on a fascinating tour of these essential utilities, revealing how they work, what it takes to keep them running, just how much we rely on them—but also whom they work well for, and who pays the costs.

Preet Bharara has spent much of his life examining our legal system, pushing to make it better, and prosecuting those looking to subvert it. Bharara believes in our system and knows it must be protected, but to do so, he argues, we must also acknowledge and allow for flaws both in our justice system and in human nature. Bharara uses the many illustrative anecdotes and case histories from his storied, formidable career - the successes as well as the failures - to shed light on the realities of the legal system and the consequences of taking action.

Courtroom 302 is the fascinating story of one year in Chicago's Cook County Criminal Courthouse, the busiest felony courthouse in the country. Here we see the system through the eyes of the men and women who experience it, not only in the courtroom but in the lockup, the jury room, the judge's chambers, the spectators' gallery. From the daily grind of the court to the highest-profile case of the year, Steve Bogira's masterful investigation raises fundamental issues of race, civil rights, and justice in America.

Past and present collide and the fate of the universe hangs in the balance when, at long last, one story intertwines both crews of the Enterprise! Kirk and his crew must rescue a scientist before his evil captor can use him to conquer the galaxy, while 99 years away, Picard's crew is headed for a black hole that holds the key to the future of the Federation!

Dans cet ouvrage de synthèse, fruit de toute une vie de recherche aux confins de la psychologie et de l'économie, le prix Nobel Daniel Kahneman nous emmène à la rencontre des deux "personnages" qui se partagent notre esprit, régissant notre façon de penser et de prendre des décisions.

For the past 25 years, scientists have challenged conventional views of evolution and have developed revolutionary theories with profound implications. Fritjof Capra has been at the forefront of this revolution and now, in The Web of Life, he offers a brilliant synthesis of these exciting breakthroughs.

⚔️ Voidscale Origins: A LitRPG Prelude of Collapse and Survival ⚔️ When Dr. Elias Chen activated the Quantum Boundary, he didn’t just shatter scientific barriers—he broke the world. Now, thrust into a collapsing reality where survival means adapting to game-like rules, Chen must battle monsters, rival survivors, and the ticking clock of annihilation. In this high-stakes LitRPG adventure, you’ll encounter: ✅ Complex characters facing impossible odds ✅ Intense survival challenges and leveling systems ✅ A rich world blending sci-fi, RPG mechanics, and post-apocalyptic ...

Fire is rarely out of the headlines, from large natural wildfires raging across the Australian or Californian countrysides to the burning of buildings such as the disasters of Grenfell tower and Notre Dame. Fire on these scales can represent a serious risk to human life and property. But the advent of fire made and controlled by humans also represented a crucial point in our evolution, allowing us to cook our food, forge our weapons, and warm our homes.

Based on interviews with currently and formerly incarcerated artists, prison visits, and the author's own family experiences with the penal system, Marking Time shows how the imprisoned turn ordinary objects into elaborate works of art. Working with meager supplies and in the harshest conditions - including solitary confinement - these artists find ways to resist the brutality and depravity that prisons engender. The impact of their art, Fleetwood observes, can be felt far beyond prison walls.

Marc's Safe Zone, and his network of interconnected Safe Zones, has been upgraded to an Industrial Technology level. With the new tech level comes a number of items that they've desperately wanted to build. Now railways, lighter than air travel, primitive firearms, and more are available, once the requirements for their tech chains are satisfied.