A selection of books from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
While the month passes in May, flowers start to bloom, seasonal diseases start to play hormones and aggravate, leading scientific institutes quietly and peacefully goes on scientific work and many interesting books are published. Here you can find practical manuals, professional forecasts, processed results of recent studies. And this is not a dry academic literature, but fascinating works that are intended for a wide audience. From simple to complex, on the example of banal things, complex topics are revealed. Since Habr and MIT have not yet met each other and love did not flare up at first sight between them, here is a selection of 14 books from different areas: from cybersecurity and AI to space exploration. The entire list is available here .
Josephine Wolff. Aftermath of Cybersecurity Breache
News about incidents in the information security is received regularly. Every major case: data theft of 145.5 million clients of the Equifax credit bureau, documents from the NSA or the US government, data breach from Sony Pictures - appears in the news, causes panic, lawsuits, and then is forgotten. The alternation of hysteria and amnesia continues with the next attack. In this book, cybersecurity expert Josephine Wolfe argues that we should not forget about incidents, but explore the entire cycle: from causes to redress and the cost of future security measures. So we can learn from them valuable experience.
Wolf describes a series of significant IS incidents from 2005 to 2015, the life cycle of each violation and identifies opportunities for protection. She offers three motives for these attacks: financial gain, espionage, and public humiliation of victims — they analyze the emergence of various types of attacks and give examples of each of them. The leak at TJX in 2006 became a pattern for a series of payment card fraud cases. From 2006 to 2014, Chinese hackers launched a series of attacks on American companies and caused controversy about the difference between economic and political espionage, and the theft of the Ashley Madison client base in 2014 was aimed at reputation, not money.
Jeremy Kepner, Hayden Jananthan. Mathematics of Big Data: Spreadsheets, Databases, Matrices, and Graphs.
In areas such as Internet search, healthcare, finance, social networks, wireless devices and cybersecurity, the amount and variety of data is growing every day. Moreover, they grow at a rate exceeding our ability to analyze them. Tools such as spreadsheets, databases, matrices, and graphs reflect the need to store and use data as whole sets, rather than as separate elements. This book presents the general mathematical foundations used in many applications and technologies. Associative arrays combine and simplify data, allowing you to see the differences between different tools and use their mathematical similarity to solve the most complex problems with big data.
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First, the concept of an associative array is introduced in a practical sense, it is a D4M (Dynamic Distributed Dimensional Data Model) system and describes the use of associative arrays for graph analysis and machine learning. It provides a mathematically rigorous definition of associative arrays and describes their properties that arise from this definition. Finally, the book shows how to extend the concept of linearity to cover associative arrays. The book can be used as a textbook or reference book for engineers, scientists, mathematicians, programmers who work with big data.
Thomas H. Davenport. Artificial Intelligence Revolution to Work
Thomas Davenport offers a guide to using cognitive technologies in business and describes how companies can use them. He speaks of the extra noise around AI, the heightened expectations from him and recommends not going on “flying to the moon” (cancer treatment or combining all investment knowledge), but looking for “low-hanging fruits” to make your company more efficient.
Davenport explains that the business value of an AI is in concrete results. AI will improve products and processes, make effective decisions in important background tasks. AI technologies do not replace people, but expand capabilities: smart machines must work together with smart people. AI can automate structured and repetitive work, provide extensive data analysis through machine learning, and interact with clients and employees through chatbots and intelligent agents.
Davenport describes the basic AI technologies, how they are used, gives examples of using AI in the work of such large companies as Amazon and Google, and offers strategies and steps to create a cognitive corporation.
Terrence J. Sejnowski. The Deep Learning Revolution
The revolution in deep learning has improved automatic translators, brought us unmanned vehicles, conversations with Siri and Alexa, as well as huge profits from automated trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Deep learning networks can play poker better than professional poker players and defeat the world champion of Go. In this book, the author explains how deep learning has evolved from a hidden academic direction to a technology that has turned the information economy.
Seinowski was one of those who, in the 1980s, challenged the existing version of AI based on logical and symbolic approaches. The new version of AI, which has become a deep learning, is learning from the data in the same way that children experience the world. Learning algorithms extract information from raw data, information is used to create knowledge, knowledge underlies understanding, understanding leads to wisdom. Someday the autopilot will drive better than a human, a network of deep learning will diagnose diseases, and a personal assistant will complement your imperfect intellect. It took millions of years for the human mind to develop; AI has been able to achieve this in decades.
David D. Clark. Designing an Internet
How was the Internet designed? How could he look if he was designed today from scratch? In this book, the author explains how the Internet was created, what requirements it had to meet, and why different design solutions create different networks. Analyzing the current state of affairs and alternative proposals on the structure of the Internet, the author makes general conclusions about the network architecture.
Clark talks about the history of the Internet and how conflicting demands on longevity, safety, accessibility, and economic viability shape its character. He examines both the technical aspects of the Internet and the social and economic role, describes the key requirements that a successful project must meet, and then presents how to create the future Internet from scratch. But the point is not that someone can do it, but that having planned a better future, we can bring it closer.
Nazli Choucri, David D. Clark. Cyberspace and International Relations: The Co-Evolution Dilemma.
In our digital world, data flows define the international landscape. How does the Internet shape international relations and how does international relations affect it? The authors offer an analysis of the joint evolution of cyberspace and international relations, considering the problems encountered by individuals, organizations and states.
The authors consider the spread of power and policy in the digital sphere and argue that the Internet is developing much faster than the tools for its regulation. This creates a new reality in which digital interactions have allowed weaker actors to influence or threaten strong players, including traditional state powers. The authors develop a new method of conflict resolution in the Internet era and apply it to various situations and major players: the USA,
Robert W. Gehl. Weaving the Dark Web: Legitimacy on Freenet, Tor, and I2P
The term “Dark Web” conjures up a market for drugs, unregulated arms sales and stolen credit cards. But Robert Gehl argues that for each of these illegal uses there are others: the anonymous New York Times information gathering system or the use of encryption by political dissidents. The author defines Dark Web as a collection of websites that can be accessed only through special routing software. He divides his application to “legitimate” and “criminal”, uses the concept of legality as a window in the Dark Web and describes the history of three systems: Freenet, Tor and I2P.
The book describes three types of rights: legitimate force or state monopoly on violence, the right to private property, and the inviolability of correspondence. He explores how Freenet, Tor and I2P encounter these concepts, and then describes each type in detail, studying markets, search engines and social networks in the Dark Web. He proves the value of anonymous political speech during the ubiquitous observation. He claims that by destroying the Dark Web, we will lose a valuable channel for dissent.
Adam Barr. The Problem With Software: Why Smart Engineers Write Bad Code
Why are there so many bugs and holes for viruses in software? Why are software products so often delayed and canceled? Is it really so difficult to develop software, or is it a problem with the qualifications of programmers? In this book, Adam Barr examines the spread of bad software, explains the causes of this phenomenon, and suggests how to improve the situation.
Higher education does not give programmers what they really need to know: how to work in a team and write code that works reliably and can be supported by someone other than the original authors. With the growth and complexity of commercial software, the gap between academic computer science and industry has widened. Barr, who has worked at Microsoft for more than twenty years, describes the development of the industry, from the era of mainframes and Fortran to today's cloud technologies.
He explains the causes and number of errors, vulnerability to malware. The author gives examples where good and bad software are distinguished by a single line of code, and the consequences of seemingly irrelevant choices. Barr writes that the most promising direction of software development is the transition to the cloud. When software is a service, not a product, companies will have more incentives to make it good, not “suitable for delivery”.
Tony Veale, Mike Cook. Twitterbots: Making Machines that Make Meaning
Twitter offers unique opportunities for creativity and the interests of both people and machines. Bots, autonomous software systems, send their messages to the tweeterosphere, where they are mixed with tweets from real people. Your next subscriber may not be human at all. And you yourself can easily follow the news of the bot. This book examines the world of bots, their place in the social media landscape.
Tony Vale and Mike Cook are exploring not only Twitter’s ability to create their own bots, but also the more sophisticated science and engineering task of writing bots, which themselves create short witty and provocative tweets. The authors describe some of the most famous Twitter bots: from the idle big_ben_clock who tweeted BONG every hour, and the amazing pentametron looking for and folding tweets with iambic pentameter, to the Microsoft @TayAndYou disaster that learned the conspiracy theory, racism and radical politics. They explain how to use Twitter's programming interfaces to create Java bots, but keep technical details to a minimum and focus on bots creative activity. Weil and Cook argue that each bot is a thought experiment with a digital form that personifies the hypothesis of the nature of creativity, which encourages readers to become consumers of works created automatically.
Cynthia Solomon, Xiao Xiao. Inventive Minds: Marvin Minsky on Education
Marvin Minsky was one of the first AI researchers, co-founder of the laboratory of computer science and artificial intelligence MIT. The basis of his work was not only the desire for technological progress, but also the desire to understand the work of the human mind. His understanding gives new perspectives in the field of education. This book first collects six Minsky essays about children, learning, and the potential of computers in school.
In these articles, Minsky discusses the shortcomings of regular education, especially in mathematics, and discusses alternative approaches. He describes the role of mentors, describes high-level strategies for interdisciplinary thinking; and offers projects for classes with children. Each essay is complemented by a commentary from a former colleague or student of Minsky, who identifies key ideas and links them with current research. Minsky once remarked that in traditional learning, "we are focused on preventing mistakes." Minsky’s ideas about how education, on the contrary, can contribute to the development of ingenuity are collected in these essays.
Robin R. Murphy. Through Robot Short Stories
This book presents six classic NF stories that illustrate and explain the key algorithms and principles of operation of artificial intelligence. All stories were published before 1973, but they help readers understand two questions: how intelligent robots are programmed and what are the limits of their autonomy.
Each story is preceded by an entry “when you read the story,” and then a discussion “after you read the story.” Along with the comments, the stories offer a non-technical introduction to robotics. Stories can also be viewed as a thought experiment that needs to be considered in conjunction with more serious research.
Contents: “Wanderer in Paradise”, “Round Dance”, “How to Catch a Rabbit” Isaac Asimov, “Long Range Scope” Vernor Vinge, “Supergirls last all summer” Brian Aldiss, “The Second Model” Philip K. Dick.
Clifford V. Johnson. The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe
Physicist Clifford Johnson believes that we need to talk more about science. It should be on our daily menu along with a discussion of politics, books, sports, or serials. Conversations about science should not be left to the experts. In Dialogues, Johnson offers us a series of nine conversations, written in the form of a graphic novel, "On the Nature of the Universe." Conversations take place all over the world, in museums, on the train, in restaurants, in what may or may not be Freud's favorite coffee house. The interviewees are men, women, children, experts and science lovers. Conversation topics range from cooking to the multiverse and String Theory. Graphic form is especially convenient for physics, as one figure can show something that requires many words to explain.
In the first conversation, the couple meets at a costume party and talk about scientists with superpowers who use them not to fight crime, but to develop science. They discuss “beautiful equations”, the conversation flows into another chapter (“Wait, you haven’t told me about the world yet”), and in the third chapter, they finally exchange phones. Another couple meets in a train and discusses immortality, time, black holes and religion. Two women sit in the courtyard and discuss multi-version, quantum gravity and anthropic principle. After reading these dialogues, we can start our own.
Michael J. Neufeld. Spaceflight: A Concise History
Space travel is one of the greatest achievements of mankind of the twentieth century. In 1957, the USSR launched the first satellite, and after twelve years, American astronauts had already walked across the moon. This book presents a brief history of space flight with a full list of actions in space.
The author explains that the “space program” should not be equated only with a human flight. Since the 1960s, unmanned military and commercial spacecraft have been rotating around the Earth, and space probes have sent stunning images of distant planets. Neufeld begins with the origins of ideas about space exploration and the discovery that rocket technology can be used for space flight.
He discusses Soviet-American relations and recalls that NASA resisted the participation of female astronauts even after Valentine Tereshkova flew into space. Analyzes two substantiations of the Apollo program: first of all, it was a matter of prestige and only then a research project. It describes the internationalization and privatization of space flights after the end of the Cold War, the cultural influence of science fiction, including Star Trek and Star Wars, space tourism for the super-rich, and the promotion of space exploration.
Paolo Ruffino. Future Gaming: Creative Interventions in Video Game Culture
This book is not about the future of video games. This is not an attempt to predict the market or changes in the behavior of gamers, friendliness or aggression in the gaming environment, but an analysis of the forecasting methods themselves. It describes ways of forming and refuting past, present and future opinions about the games of producers, journalists, gamers themselves, as well as how to look into tomorrow through them.
Exploring the culture of games, from gamification to self-education to sexism and hatred in Gamergate , the author offers an alternative, creative way to talk about the gaming environment: a complex, critical technique that blurs the boundaries between creation, study and life with video games. Through a series of stories, the author makes us think about our role in shaping the object of research and about our participation in the discussion of games as gamers or experts. For anyone who is looking for a new approach to learning or is simply interested in computer games, this book will allow them to see their future.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/358220/
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