Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Author P.W. Singer Coming Soon to the Reader's Garden


Working out details, but author PW Singer is coming soon to the Reader's Garden on Cybrary City 1.  Meanwhile, the date and place for his next appearance is shown below.  More information coming soon. 

Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century by P W Singer

Feb 13, 1:30 pm PST 
Space Studies Institute 130, 130, 30

DESCRIPTION
What happens when science fiction becomes battlefield reality?

An amazing revolution is taking place on the battlefield, starting to change not just how wars are fought, but also the politics, economics, laws, and ethics that surround war itself. This upheaval is already afoot -- remote-controlled drones take out terrorists in Afghanistan, while the number of unmanned systems on the ground in Iraq has gone from zero to 12,000 over the last five years.  But it is only the start. Military officers quietly acknowledge that new prototypes will soon make human fighter pilots obsolete, while the Pentagon researches tiny robots the size of flies to carry out reconnaissance work now handled by elite Special Forces troops.

Wired for War takes the reader on a journey to meet all the various players in this strange new world of war: odd-ball roboticists working in latter-day “skunk works” in the midst of suburbia; military pilots flying combat mission from their office cubicles outside Las Vegas; the Iraqi insurgents who are their targets; journalists trying to figure out just how to cover robots at war; and human rights activists wrestling with what is right and wrong in a world where our wars are increasingly being handed over to machines.  

Come meet the author and engage in a dialog about this topic.

SLURL to event: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Space%20Studies%20Institute/130/130/30


Book Website: http://wiredforwar.pwsinger.com/

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Nerding Up the Nursery: How to Prepare Your New Little Geek's Room

I found this fascinating quote today:



I think I need a vacation just to catch up on my reading.  What books have you shelved that you wish you were reading?Nerding Up the Nursery: How to Prepare Your New Little Geek's Room, Jan 2009



You should read the whole article.

If you are interested in presenting book discussions, poetry readings, or other literature-related events please contact Sonja Morgwain (IM me in-world in Second Life, or email pimelibrarian@gmail.com). It can be a one-time commitment, or a regularly scheduled event.

The Reader's Garden is also available for small group meetings. The patio seats 20, and all seats are within chat range. Please contact Sonja Morgwain to reserve the Garden.

Recommended Second Life Groups (contact Sonja Morgwain to have your group added to the list)

  • Book Discussion Circle
  • Infomaniacs
  • Librarians of Second Life