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The Algebraist
''The Algebraist'' is a science fiction novel by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks, published in print in 2004. It was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2005. It was his third science fiction novel not to be based or set in The Culture, the earlier two being '' Against a Dark Background'' and '' Feersum Endjinn''. Plot summary The novel takes place in 4034. With the assistance of other species, humans have spread across the galaxy, which is primarily ruled by the Mercatoria, a complex feudal hierarchy with a religious zeal to rid the galaxy of artificial intelligences, which were blamed for a previous war. The central character is the human Fassin Taak, a "Slow Seer" at the Court of the Nasqueron Dwellers. The Nasqueron's star system has been cut off from the rest of Mercatoria civilization because their portal (the only means of faster than light travel) was destroyed by the Beyonders. The Beyonders are a large fleet of space marauders originating from the gala ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iain M
Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, which is derived from the Hebrew given name (Yohanan, ') and corresponds to the English name John (given name), John. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename ''Iain''. This name is a popular name in Scotland, where it originated, as well as in other English-speaking world, English-speaking countries. The name has fallen out of the top 100 male baby names in the United Kingdom, having peaked in popularity as one of the top 10 names throughout the 1960s. In 1900, Ian ranked as the 180th most popular male baby name in England and Wales. , the name has been in the top 100 in the United States every year since 1982, peaking at 65 in 2003. Other Gaelic forms of the name "John" include "Seonaidh" ("Johnny" from Scots language, Lowland Scots), "Seon" (from English), "Seathan", and "Seán" and "Eoin" (from Irish language, Irish). The Welsh language, Welsh equivalent is Ioan (other), Ioan, the Cornish la ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Artificial Intelligences
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of research in computer science that develops and studies methods and software that enable machines to perceive their environment and use learning and intelligence to take actions that maximize their chances of achieving defined goals. High-profile applications of AI include advanced web search engines (e.g., Google Search); recommendation systems (used by YouTube, Amazon, and Netflix); virtual assistants (e.g., Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa); autonomous vehicles (e.g., Waymo); generative and creative tools (e.g., ChatGPT and AI art); and superhuman play and analysis in strategy games (e.g., chess and Go). However, many AI applications are not perceived as AI: "A lot of cutting edge AI has filtered into general applications, often without b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2004 Science Fiction Novels
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. Evolution of the Hindu-Arabic digit Brahmic numerals represented 1, 2, and 3 with as many lines. 4 was simplified by joining its four lines into a cross that looks like the modern plus sign. The Shunga would add a horizontal line on top of the digit, and the Kshatrapa and Pallava evolved the digit to a point where the speed of writing was a secondary concern. The Arabs' 4 still had the early concept of the cross, but for the sake of efficiency, was made in one stroke by connecting the "western" end to the "northern" end; the "eastern" end was finished off with a curve. The Europeans dropped the finishing curve and gradually made the digit less cursive, ending up with a digit very close to the original Brahmin cross. While the shape of the character f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Night Shade Books
Night Shade Books is an American, San Francisco–based imprint, formerly an independent publishing company, that specializes in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Among its publications have been the U.S. edition of Iain M. Banks' novel '' The Algebraist'', which was nominated for a Hugo Award, and Paolo Bacigalupi's novel '' The Windup Girl'', which won several awards. The company was started in 1997 by Jason Williams, with Jeremy Lassen coming on board as a partner shortly after the company's founding. Night Shade won the 2003 World Fantasy Award (Non-Professional). On July 9, 2010, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) placed Night Shade Books on probation after it admitted to, and apologized to authors for, contractual irregularities. On November 30, 2011, SFWA lifted the probation based on good behavior during the probationary period. However, an investigation was reopened when further complaints were submitted to SFWA the following year. Once Nig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Warlord
Warlords are individuals who exercise military, Economy, economic, and Politics, political control over a region, often one State collapse, without a strong central or national government, typically through informal control over Militia, local armed forces. Warlords have existed throughout much of history, albeit in a variety of different capacities within the political, economic, and social structure of State (polity), states or Anarchy, ungoverned territories. The term is often applied in the context of China around the end of the Qing dynasty, especially during the Warlord Era. The term may also be used for a General officer, supreme military leader. Historical origins and etymology The first appearance of the word "warlord" dates to 1856, when used by American philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson in a highly critical essay on the aristocracy in England, "Piracy and war gave place to trade, politics and letters; the war-lords'' to the law-lord; the privilege was kept, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Transformation (mathematics)
In mathematics, a transformation, transform, or self-map is a function ''f'', usually with some geometrical underpinning, that maps a set ''X'' to itself, i.e. . Examples include linear transformations of vector spaces and geometric transformations, which include projective transformations, affine transformations, and specific affine transformations, such as rotations, reflections and translations. Partial transformations While it is common to use the term transformation for any function of a set into itself (especially in terms like "transformation semigroup" and similar), there exists an alternative form of terminological convention in which the term "transformation" is reserved only for bijections. When such a narrow notion of transformation is generalized to partial functions, then a partial transformation is a function ''f'': ''A'' → ''B'', where both ''A'' and ''B'' are subsets of some set ''X''. Algebraic structures The set of all transformations on a given ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lagrange Point
In celestial mechanics, the Lagrange points (; also Lagrangian points or libration points) are points of equilibrium for small-mass objects under the gravitational influence of two massive orbiting bodies. Mathematically, this involves the solution of the restricted three-body problem. Normally, the two massive bodies exert an unbalanced gravitational force at a point, altering the orbit of whatever is at that point. At the Lagrange points, the gravitational forces of the two large bodies and the centrifugal force balance each other. This can make Lagrange points an excellent location for satellites, as orbit corrections, and hence fuel requirements, needed to maintain the desired orbit are kept at a minimum. For any combination of two orbital bodies, there are five Lagrange points, L1 to L5, all in the orbital plane of the two large bodies. There are five Lagrange points for the Sun–Earth system, and five ''different'' Lagrange points for the Earth–Moon system. L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gravitational Gradient
Gravity gradiometry is the study of variations ( ''anomalies'') in the Earth's gravity field via measurements of the spatial gradient of gravitational acceleration. The gravity gradient tensor is a 3x3 tensor; it is given in coordinates by the Jacobian matrix of the acceleration vector (g= _x g_y g_zT), totaling 9 scalar quantities: : G=\nabla g = \begin \partial/\partial & \partial/\partial & \partial/\partial\\ \partial/\partial & \partial/\partial & \partial/\partial\\ \partial/\partial & \partial/\partial & \partial/\partial \end It has dimension of square reciprocal time, in units of s−2 (or mm−1s−2). Gravity gradiometry is used by oil and mineral prospectors to measure the density of the subsurface, effectively by measuring the rate of change of gravitational acceleration due to underlying rock properties. From this information it is possible to build a picture of subsurface anomalies which can then be used to more accurately target oil, gas and mineral deposits. It ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Military Draft
Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day under various names. The modern system of near-universal national conscription for young men dates to the French Revolution in the 1790s, where it became the basis of a very large and powerful military. Most European nations later copied the system in peacetime, so that men at a certain age would serve 1 to 8 years on active duty and then transfer to the reserve force. Conscription is controversial for a range of reasons, including conscientious objection to military engagements on religious or philosophical grounds; political objection, for example to service for a disliked government or unpopular war; sexism, in that historically men have been subject to the draft in the most cases; and ideologic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. Historians periodization, periodize the histories of many states and civilizations, such as the Roman Empire (27 BC – AD 1453), History of Iran, Imperial Iran (678 BC – AD 1979), Ancient Egypt (3100–30 BC), and History of China#Ancient China, Ancient and Imperial China (2070 BC – AD 1912), using a framework of successive dynasties. As such, the term "dynasty" may be used to delimit the era during which a family reigned. Before the 18th century, most dynasties throughout the world were traditionally reckoned patrilineality, patrilineally, such as those that followed the Franks, Frankish Salic law. In polities where it was permitted, succession through a daughter usually established a new dynasty in her husband's family name. This has ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anarchic
Anarchy is a form of society without rulers. As a type of stateless society, it is commonly contrasted with states, which are centralized polities that claim a monopoly on violence over a permanent territory. Beyond a lack of government, it can more precisely refer to societies that lack any form of authority or hierarchy. While viewed positively by anarchists, the primary advocates of anarchy, it is viewed negatively by advocates of statism, who see it in terms of social disorder. The word "anarchy" was first defined by Ancient Greek philosophy, which understood it to be a corrupted form of direct democracy, where a majority of people exclusively pursue their own interests. This use of the word made its way into Latin during the Middle Ages, before the concepts of anarchy and democracy were disconnected from each other in the wake of the Atlantic Revolutions. During the Age of Enlightenment, philosophers began to look at anarchy in terms of the "state of nature", a thought expe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
