Is the Brexit vote successful big-data politics or the end of democracy? Why do airlines overbook, and why do banks get it wrong so often? How does big data enable Netflix to forecast a hit, CERN to find the Higgs boson, and medics to discover if red wine really is good for you? And how are companies using big data to benefit from smart meters, to use advertising to spy on you, and to develop the gig economy, where workers are managed by the whim of an algorithm? The volumes of data we now access can give unparalleled abilities to make predictions, respond to customer demand, and solve problems. But Big Brother’s shadow hovers over it. Although big data can set us free and enhance our lives, it has the potential to create an underclass and a totalitarian state. With big data ever present, you can’t afford to ignore it. In this book, acclaimed science writer Brian Clegg–a habitual early adopter of new technology (and the owner of the second-ever copy of Windows in the UK)–brings big data to life.

Brian Clegg was always fascinated by Isaac Asimov’s classic Foundation series of books, in which the future is predicted using sophisticated mathematical modelling of human psychology and behavior. Only much later did he realize that Asimov’s ‘psychohistory’ had a real-world equivalent: game theory. Originating in the study of probabilistic gambling games that depend on a random source–the throw of a dice or the toss of a coin–game theory soon came to be applied to human interactions: essentially, what was the best strategy to win whatever you were doing? Its mathematical techniques have been applied, with varying degrees of wisdom, to fields such as economics, evolution, and questions such as how to win a nuclear war. Clegg delves into game theory’s colorful history and significant findings and shows what we can all learn from this oft-misunderstood field of study.

On September 14, 2015, after fifty years of searching, gravitational waves were detected for the first time, and astronomy changed forever. Up until then, investigation of the universe had depended on electromagnetic radiation: visible light, radio, X-rays, and the rest. But gravitational waves–ripples in the fabric of space and time–are unrelenting, passing through barriers that stop light dead. At the two 2.5 mile long LIGO observatories in the US, scientists developed incredibly sensitive detectors, capable of spotting a movement 100 times smaller than the nucleus of an atom. In 2015, they spotted the ripples produced by two black holes spiraling into each other, setting spacetime quivering. This was the first time black holes had ever been directly detected–and it promises far more for the future of astronomy.

Entertaining and enlightening, this collection is an insightful guide to how computer science shapes and influences not just our day-to-day lives but also our future. Quantum Computing Computer technology has improved exponentially over the last fifty years, but the headroom for bigger and better electronic solutions is running out. Our best hope is to engage the power of quantum physics. In this approachable introduction, Brian Clegg explains algorithms and their quantum counterparts, explores the physical building blocks and quantum weirdness necessary to make a quantum computer, and uncovers the capabilities of the current generation of machines. Big Data The volumes of data we now access can give unparalleled abilities to make predictions, respond to customer demand, and solve problems, but Big Brother’s shadow hovers over it. Though big data can set us free and enhance our lives, it has the potential to create an underclass and a totalitarian state. With big data ever-present, you can’t afford to ignore it. Acclaimed science writer Brian Clegg brings big data to life. Artificial Intelligence AI expert Yorick Wilks takes a journey through the history of artificial intelligence up to the present day, examining its origins, controversies, and achievements, as well as looking into just how it works. He also considers the future, assessing whether these technologies could menace our way of life and how we are all likely to benefit from AI applications in the years to come.

Cammie Parker is ready for a fresh start. Just because she didn’t get her own happy ending, doesn’t mean she’s any less committed to helping other couples find theirs. And a new job with the event coordinator at a gorgeous mountain resort is the perfect way to do just that. It would be the perfect fresh start if not for her first assignment: helping her cheating jerk of an ex and his new fiancee plan their wedding. Cade Taylor needs to shake things up. There’s nothing wrong with loving what you do, but when your job becomes your whole life, something’s got to give. Cade knows he’s in a rut, but he just can’t seem to break out of it no matter what he does. When Cammie shows up in one of his equipment sheds looking like she needs a quick escape, Cade sees the perfect opportunity to put a little bit of excitement back into his life. What starts out as a way to avoid her ex soon turns into a crazy–and sexy–game of hide and seek. But you can only hide for so long, especially if you want a real shot at your own happy ever after.

In 2003, Russian physicists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov found a way to produce graphene–the thinnest substance in the world–by using sticky tape to separate an atom-thick layer from a block of graphite. Their efforts would win the 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics, and now the applications of graphene and other two-dimensional substances form a worldwide industry. Graphene is far stronger than steel, a far better conductor than any metal, and able to act as a molecular sieve to purify water. Electronic components made from graphene are a fraction the size of silicon microchips and can be both flexible and transparent, making it possible to build electronics into clothing, produce solar cells to fit any surface, or even create invisible temporary tattoos that monitor your health. Ultra-thin materials give us the next big step forward since the transistor revolutionized electronics. Get ready for the graphene revolution.