The MANIAC

John von Neumann was a titan of science. A Hungarian wunderkind who revolutionised every field he touched, his mathematical powers were so exceptional that Hans Bethe - a Nobel Prize-winning physicist - thought he might represent the next step in human evolution.

After seeking the foundations of mathematics during his youth in Germany, von Neumann emigrated to the United States, where he became entangled in the power games of the Cold War; he designed the world's first programmable computer, invented game theory, pioneered AI and digital life, and helped …

368 pages

Langue : English

Publié 9 juin 2023 par Penguin Publishing Group, Penguin Press.

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ISBN :
978-0-593-65447-7
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Critiques

a publié une critique de MANIAC par Benjamín Labatut

copio/pego desde o blog

orixe da recensión: xmgz.eu

A partir de biografías, citas atribuídas e documentación histórica, o autor tece un relato cos personaxes que na primeira metade do século XX estableceron as bases teóricas das matemáticas e a física (de partículas) que propiciaron os avances tecnolóxicos da segunda metade do século.

O relato susténtase nos testemuños narrados en primeira persoa (excepto o protagonista principal), como se estivesemos vendo un documental onde os protagonistas contan a cámara a súa versión, sen ter un narrador que nos guíe. Falan dun xeito directo e cru, case como se sentisen alivio por poder falar finalmente, como sendo conscientes que todos os pecados prescribiron.

Uns falan dos outros e sobre si mesmos fiando unha historia de influencias positivas, que alimentan o talento de outras persoas co seu propio, e tamén negativas, con relacións tóxicas, de dominación, de abuso, traicións, etc. Así, a figura central da …

The MANIAC - reflections on humanity, technology, and intelligence

Really enjoyed it. It covers the life of John von Neumann through the imagined voices of different people (family, friends, scientists) who know him through his life. It's ostensibly a true story but put through the fictional narration of diverse voices. But it's not simply a biography; it's more a reflection on what it means to be human, what is human intelligence, and the consequences of rapid technological change brought about by human intelligence, leading up to the creation of machine intelligence..