BIRG New Year Schedule

[Chris Boyd]

Happy New Year! Our first meeting of the year is at Kepler's on January 12.  Second meeting is at Le Boulanger on February 9.  Our third meeting is back at Kepler's on March 9. Jan 12, 4P at Kepler's==The Perfect Swarm: The Science of Complexity in Everyday Life by Len Fisher.   “Self-organization” reveals itself in the inanimate worlds of crystals and seashells, but as Len Fisher shows, it is also evident in living organisms, from fish to ants to human beings. 2Fisher shows how we can manage our complex social lives in an ever more chaotic world. His investigation encompasses topics ranging from “swarm intelligence” to the science of parties and the best ways to start a fad Feb 9, 3:30P at Le Boulanger--Paradox: The Nine Greatest Enigmas in Physics by Jim Al-Halili  How can a cat be both dead and alive at the same time?  Why will Achilles never beat a tortoise in a race, no matter how fast he runs?  And how can a person be ten years older than his twin?Al-Khalili narrates the enduring fascination of these classic paradoxes, he reveals their underlying logic.  In doing so, he brings to life a select group of the most exciting concepts in human knowledge.  Paradox is mind-expanding fun. Mar 9 4P at Kepler's--Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future: The Ingenious Ideas That Drive Today's Computers  by John MacCormick.  Using vivid examples, John MacCormick explains the fundamental "tricks" behind nine types of computer algorithms, including artificial intelligence (where we learn about the "nearest neighbor trick" and "twenty questions trick"), Google's famous PageRank algorithm (which uses the "random surfer trick"), data compression, error correction, and much more. Snacks and beverages are available for take out at Cafe Borrone next door to Kepler's.  All three of the books will be available at Kepler's at 15% discount at the January 12 meeting. All books with "nine" in the title are on the 9th of the month?! T Hope to see you at Kepler's, January 12. Chris Boyd