Nov 23

I selfishly want this to exist. Do you?

I selfishly want this to exist. Do you?

Originally shared by Steven Saus

Alliteration Ink Presents: The Kickstarter for recompose, a new journal of literary speculative fiction (and a free first issue)

You’re a person who loves speculative fiction. Give you a blaster, a sword, a creature from the Outer Black any day. You’re also a person who loves literature. Works that take language seriously, that treat writing as art. What kind of magazine is this goin…

Nov 21

Steampunk that is actually well-written, with young female characters who are capable and competent.

Steampunk that is actually well-written, with young female characters who are capable and competent. If that appeals to you, run, do not walk, and get this book.

Originally shared by Steve Turnbull

Minimum self promotion … my steampunk action-adventure book Harry Takes Off featuring Harriet and Khuwelsa Edgbaston is free until Wednesday (and the second book is on 99c).

It’s set in East Africa, 1896. At this time Britain and Germany were the big colonial powers in Africa, while Harriet (Harry) is white, her adopted sister Khuwelsa (Sellie) is African.

This may be steampunk action-adventure but I don’t minimise the bad behaviour of either empire, or the racism. The books are “accurate” as far as the historical setting is concerned (only in quotes because my timeline does diverge from reality because it’s steampunk – but people’s attitudes don’t).

The reason “Harry” gets her name in the title (and will do up until book 5) is that the stories are partly inspired by the “Biggles” books by Capt W. E. Johns. And Biggles gets his name into almost all 100 titles in that series.

Finally, in case you think Sellie being the engineer is putting her at the back of the story (so to speak), here’s what one reviewer said “I especially liked the way Khuwelsa as the engineer for their ornithopter is essential to their eventual triumph—not because she is black or female, but because of her demonstrated engineering skill!”

Harry and Sellie are equal partners.

Anyway if you’re interested in taking a look http://bit.ly/pegasus-01-gp

Nov 21

Robotics and AI continue to progress.

Robotics and AI continue to progress.

Originally shared by Larry Panozzo

< >

Exciting times in quantum computing, robotics, and artificial intelligence! Check it all out in the links below!

Quantum Computing in Silicon

http://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/quantum-computer-coding-silicon-now-possible

Valkyrie Robot

http://phys.org/news/2015-11-nasa-mit-humanoid-robot-software.html

Watson Learns to Chat

http://phys.org/news/2015-11-team-watson-ai-chat-creativity.html

Robotic Salamander

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/12/us-science-robot-salamander-idUSKCN0T11F620151112

Reading Microexpressions

http://m.techxplore.com/news/2015-11-beware-poker-automatic-micro-expressions.html

Nanotechnology-aided Artificial Kidney

http://www.theengineer.co.uk/more-sectors/medical/news/nanotechnology-could-help-artificial-kidney-filter-blood/1021397.article

Multilingual Megaphone

http://gizmodo.com/magical-megaphone-instantly-translates-into-three-diffe-1743245079

Microsoft Quantum Computing Simulator

http://fortune.com/2015/11/13/microsoft-quantum-computing-simulator/

Like my posts? Add me for This Week In Tech, This Week In Science, This Month in The Singularity, and lots more each week. Or just follow my Collection New Tech !

#tech #technology

#robotics #quantumcomputing #nanotechnology #IBM #MIT

futurism.com

Nov 21

I read Jenni Wiltz’s book, and it was hilarious. The flatulent boxer alone is worth the price of admission.

I read Jenni Wiltz’s book, and it was hilarious. The flatulent boxer alone is worth the price of admission.

Also, the asskicking ex-librarian confronting the mob guy with a knife. And sending him away terrified.

Action, humour, romance. And beautifully well edited, to boot.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1444136338

Nov 20

Via Charlie Loyd’s newsletter.

Via Charlie Loyd’s newsletter. The shift away from pollution, like most other major shifts (whether political or personal), is coming not through convincing people of abstract principles, but through demonstrating the benefits of change and immediate, concrete downsides of staying the same. 

http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2015/05/inside-war-on-coal-000002