Download or read book Digital Souls written by Andy Siege and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2024-03-22 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book of short stories is thought provoking and sometimes wacky. You’ll meet aliens, digital cats, lesbian terrorists and genetically engineered bugs. The themes and genres in this anthology vary from cyberpunk to time travel, from romance to trash. With this collection Andy Siege explores the philosophical boundaries of what it means to be human in an unexplainable and vast universe. As time bends and worlds collide it becomes ever more clear that the true thesis of this book isn’t rooted in sci fi... but in reality.

Download or read book Digital Souls written by Patrick Stokes and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-01-14 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Social media is full of dead people. Nobody knows precisely how many Facebook profiles belong to dead users but in 2012 the figure was estimated at 30 million. What do we do with all these digital souls? Can we simply delete them, or do they have a right to persist? Philosophers have been almost entirely silent on the topic, despite their perennial focus on death as a unique dimension of human existence. Until now. Drawing on ongoing philosophical debates, Digital Souls claims that the digital dead are objects that should be treated with loving regard and that we have a moral duty towards. Modern technology helps them to persist in various ways, while also making them vulnerable to new forms of exploitation and abuse. This provocative book explores a range of questions about the nature of death, identity, grief, the moral status of digital remains and the threat posed by AI-driven avatars of dead people. In the digital era, it seems we must all re-learn how to live with the dead.

Download or read book Digital Soul written by Thomas Georges and published by Westview Press. This book was released on 2004-10-13 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An introduction to artificial intelligence explores the philosophical and scientific implications of building machines that can think and feel more deeply than humans. Reprint.

Download or read book The Digital Departed written by Timothy Recuber and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2023-09-12 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A sociologist examines the ways we die online, and the digital texts we leave behind-including blogs of the terminally ill, suicide notes, post-mortem messages, and hashtags about police brutality. The book argues that the Internet has reenchanted our notions of selfhood, but in ways that blind us to the inequalities underpinning our digital lives"--

Download or read book The Soul Online written by Graham Joseph Hill and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2021-12-30 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pandemics, conflicts, and crises have increased suffering, death, and loss worldwide. The growing phenomenon of online interactions by the bereaved with the online presence of their deceased loved ones has recently come to the attention of caring professionals. Many questions emerge. How do we understand and respond to digital memorialization? What do we make of digital identities and continuing bonds? How can we engage with digital bereavement communities? What is the future of digital death and bereavement rituals and practices? How have forms of technospirituality and cybergnosticism emerged? How do counselors and carers respond to advances in the digital afterlife? Graham Joseph Hill and Desiree Geldenhuys examine existing therapeutic responses to death and bereavement practices and evaluate the efficacy in meeting the needs of mourners in a digital context. Geldenhuys and Hill explore the rising interest in spirituality and the phenomenon of technospirituality, including interest in the afterlife. The authors outline new death and bereavement practices in the digital public sphere. Hill and Geldenhuys offer ways that therapeutic and care practitioners can meet these needs. Finally, the authors develop new proposals for counseling, pastoral, and spiritual carers to help them address the needs of the bereaved.

Download or read book The Soul of A New Machine written by Tracy Kidder and published by Back Bay Books. This book was released on 2011-08-23 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tracy Kidder's "riveting" (Washington Post) story of one company's efforts to bring a new microcomputer to market won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award and has become essential reading for understanding the history of the American tech industry. Computers have changed since 1981, when The Soul of a New Machine first examined the culture of the computer revolution. What has not changed is the feverish pace of the high-tech industry, the go-for-broke approach to business that has caused so many computer companies to win big (or go belly up), and the cult of pursuing mind-bending technological innovations. The Soul of a New Machine is an essential chapter in the history of the machine that revolutionized the world in the twentieth century. "Fascinating...A surprisingly gripping account of people at work." --Wall Street Journal

Download or read book Digital Afterlife and the Spiritual Realm written by Maggi Savin-Baden and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2021-12-09 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Few religious leaders have examined the potential for the positive impact of digital media and digital immortality creation in religious contexts. It is evident that there have been recent moves away from traditional funeral services focusing on the transition of the deceased into the future world beyond, towards a rise of memorial content within funerals and commemorative events. This has heralded shifts in afterlife beliefs by replacing them, to all intents and purposes, by attitudes to this life. Digital Afterlife and the Spiritual Realm explores the ways in which digital media and digital afterlife creation affects social and religious understandings of death and the afterlife. Features Understands the impact of digital media on those living and those working with the bereaved Explores the impact of digital memorialisation post death Examines the ways in which digital media may be changing conceptions and theologies of death For many people, digital afterlife and the spiritual realm largely remains an area that is both inchoate and confusing. This book will begin to unravel some of this bafflement.

Download or read book Digital Spiritualities written by Peter Ayoola Oderinde and published by LIT Verlag. This book was released on 2022-11-21 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Digital Spiritualities answers many of the questions of the Christian faithful and scholars of religion about the sustainability of Christian fellowship in an era of COVID-19. Its deft analysis of the creativity of Christians on issues of online lived Pentecostalism, viz, online evangelization, online liturgy and online network formation make this book an invaluable text for scholars of African Pentecostalism. The book is a critical contribution to, and in the vanguard of, an emerging scholarship on online Christian fellowship among the African diaspora." Olufunke Adeboye PhD, Professor of Social History & Dean of Arts, University of Lagos Peter Ayoola Oderinde graduated with a PhD degree in African Studies from the University of Basel. He is currently an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Religious and Inter-Cultural Studies, Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Download or read book The Creation and Inheritance of Digital Afterlives written by Debra J. Bassett and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-01-01 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores how social networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp ‘accidentally’ enable and nurture the creation of digital afterlives, and, importantly, the effect this digital inheritance has on the bereaved. Debra J. Bassett offers a holistic exploration of this phenomenon and presents qualitative data from three groups of participants: service providers, digital creators, and digital inheritors. For the bereaved, loss of data, lack of control, or digital obsolescence can lead to a second loss, and this book introduces the theory of ‘the fear of second loss’. Bassett argues that digital afterlives challenge and disrupt existing grief theories, suggesting how these theories might be expanded to accommodate digital inheritance. This interdisciplinary book will be of interest to sociologists, cyber psychologists, philosophers, death scholars, and grief counsellors. But Bassett’s book can also be seen as a canary in the coal mine for the ‘intentional’ Digital Afterlife Industry (DAI) and their race to monetise the dead. This book provides an understanding of the profound effects uncontrollable timed posthumous messages and the creation of thanabots could have on the bereaved, and Bassett’s conception of a Digital Do Not Reanimate (DDNR) order and a voluntary code of conduct could provide a useful addition to the DAI. Even in the digital societies of the West, we are far from immortal, but perhaps the question we really need to ask is: who wants to live forever?

Download or read book Soul Winning written by T. L. Osborn and published by Destiny Image Publishers. This book was released on 2020-05-19 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Church was born in a blaze of personal soul winning as the mission of Jesus Christ became the mission of every believer. Today, that mandate continues. Yet, when it comes to evangelism, many believers lack the passion or know-how to begin. Soul Winning will help! This must-read work by renowned evangelist T.L. Osborn will empower you to reach outside the walls of the church where Christians have hibernated too longout of touch with an unconverted world. Revised and updated for the 21st century by T.L.s daughter, Dr. LaDonna Osborn, this classic work will Inspire and equip you to reach the lost Help you break free from apathy and insecurity Share timeless truths, insights, and practical methods the Osborn family has used around the world Stir ideas in your heart of when, where, how to evangelize Impart the heartbeat of evangelism from someone who carries it Jesus needs you to become a soul winner. He can only show His love to the lost through Christians who believe in His love enough to tell about it. The whole world is waiting to see Jesus in action through believers like you!

Download or read book Aspects of Science Fiction Studies A Collection of Miscellaneous Articles on the Intersection of Posthumanism Transhumanism Anthropocene and Post Anthropocentrism in Some Select Contemporary Novels written by Dr. Indrajit Patra and published by Pen2Print. This book was released on 2021-06-14 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book intends to present a critique of some select, 21st Century, hard science fiction novels in order to explicate the various ways in which the elements of posthumanism, transhumanism, techno-singularity intersect and interact with other such ideas as monstrosity, animality, machinicity, post-anthropocentrism, and Anthropocene. The study divides its analysis into seven different chapters and attempts to present an elaborate study on various aspects of posthumanism, transhumanism, and singularity. The book despite being a collection of miscellaneous essays actually intends to show how a technologically mediated transhuman/posthuman culture will normally be defined by a total dissolution of binaries such as digital and real, animal and human, and machine and man. The book also wants to describe through its analysis of some select hard science fiction novels, that man-machine merger and creation of hyper-immersive virtual reality can function as two of the most effective agents for catalyzing a radically transformative, posthuman, post-scarcity, and techno-utopian culture. The analysis presented in the book is not totally oriented to the discussion of far-future implications of accelerated technological progress which is imperative for arriving at a transhuman or posthuman stage; rather, the book is equally concerned with the implications of rapid technological advancements in our present times, and so the study also posits that before ascending to the heights of posthuman status mankind has to cope with the good and bad aspects of the Anthropocene which is the next stage in our collective evolution and journey towards the trans-/posthuman state. The first chapter of this study attempts to bring to focus the phenomenon of a technologically-mediated dissolution of the binaries between man/animal, human/nonhuman, and subject/object which will be extremely important in the analysis of the emergence of a posthuman culture later in the study. Technological advancements can be seen here as either conducive towards creating a harmonious relationship between man and animal or through systematic denigration of the agency of the animal it can pave the way for the emergence of monstrosity. In Chapter 2 of the book, we shall delve deep into the analysis of horror as illustrated in the novels and video games of the Dead Space series. Here, through a multi-theoretical perspective, we shall find how horrors and monstrosity can manifest themselves in both written as well as digital, virtual media. In Chapter 3, we shall delve into the discussion of the power of simulation in the construction of an immersive and hyperreal post- /transhuman culture where the distinction between real and virtual and material and immaterial vanishes altogether. In Chapter 4 we dedicate the entire chapter to the study of Kim Stanley Robinson’s systems novel The Ministry for the Future (2020) to attempt a critique of the elements of good and bad Anthropocene. Though not directly and intimately related to the study of posthumanism and transhumanism, yet a discussion of the elements of the Anthropocene will be of immense contemporary relevance to us. The next Chapter, i.e., Chapter 5 will attempt to present an explication of the role of machines in the realization of posthuman culture. Chapter 6 is primarily concerned with an analysis of Stephen Baxter’s novels to see how posthuman culture is constructed around the agency of the autopoietic machines. The final chapter attempts to present a brief analysis of three of Iain M Banks’ Culture novels, namely Matter, Surface Detail, and Hydrogen Sonata to elaborate on the employment of posthuman/transhuman tropes in these works.

Download or read book Media Criticism in a Digital Age written by Peter B. Orlik and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-07-24 with total page 750 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Media Criticism in a Digital Age introduces readers to a variety of critical approaches to audio and video discourse on radio, television and the Internet. It is intended for those preparing for electronic media careers as well as for anyone seeking to enhance their media literacy. This book takes the unequivocal view that the material heard and seen over digital media is worthy of serious consideration. Media Criticism in a Digital Age applies key aesthetic, sociological, philosophical, psychological, structural and economic principles to arrive at a comprehensive evaluation of programming and advertising content. It offers a rich blend of insights from both industry and academic authorities. These insights range from the observations of Plato and Aristotle to the research that motivates twenty-first century marketing and advertising. Key features of the book are comprised of: multiple video examples including commercials, cartoons and custom graphics to illustrate core critical concepts; chapters reflecting today’s media world, including coverage of broadband and social media issues; fifty perceptive critiques penned by a variety of widely respected media observers and; a supplementary website for professors that provides suggested exercises to accompany each chapter (www.routledge .com/cw/orlik) Media Criticism in a Digital Age equips emerging media professionals as well as perceptive consumers with the evaluative tools to maximize their media understanding and enjoyment.

Download or read book Digital Disciple written by Adam Thomas and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2011-05-01 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This time in our society is unlike any other. People communicate daily without ever having to speak face to face, news breaks around the world in a matter of seconds, and favorite TV shows can be viewed at our convenience. We are, simultaneously, a people of connection and isolation. As Christians, how do we view our faith and personal ministry in this culture?Adam Thomas invites you to explore this question using his unique, personal, and often humorous insight. Thomas notes, "" The Internet] has added a new dimension to our lives; we are physical, emotional, spiritual, and now virtual people. But I believe that God continues to move through every facet of our existence, and that makes us new kinds of followers. We are digital disciples.""""I gain renewed hope for the future by looking at a new generation of emerging Christian leaders like Adam Thomas.""Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christianity""Digital Disciple is a new kind of pastor's sermon to a new kind of flock. Go ahead and tweet your friends: GOT 2 READ THIS."" Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, author, speaker and new monastic""Bright, innovative, perceptive, eloquent, and imaginative -- Adam Thomas is all that and more, as you will see in the pages of his dynamic book."" James W. Moore, author of How God Takes Our Little & Makes it Much

Download or read book The Digital Child written by Daniel Dervin and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-10-18 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nothing is more synonymous with the twenty-first century than the image of a child on his or her smart phone, tablet, video game console, television, and/or laptop. But with all this external stimulation, has childhood development been helped or hindered? Daniel Dervin is concerned that today's childhood has become unmoored from its Rousseauist-Wordsworthian anchors in nature. He considers childrens development to be inextricably linked with inwardness, a psychological concept referring to the awareness of ones self as derived from the world and the internalization of such reflections. Inwardness is the enabling space that allows ones thoughts, experiences, and emotions to be processed. It is an important adaptive marker of human evolution. In The Digital Child, Dervin traces the evolution of how we have perceived childhood in the West, and thus what we have meant by inwardness, from pre-history to today. He identifies six transformational stages: tribal, pedagogical, religious, humanist, rational, and citizen leading up to a new stage, the digital child. This stage has emerged from current unprecedented and pervasive technological culture. Dervin delves deeply into each stage that precedes today's, studying myths, literary texts, the visual arts, cultural histories, media reports, and the traditions of parenting, pediatrics, and pedagogy. Weaving together approaches from biology, culture, and psychology, Dervin revisits who we once were as a species in order to enable us to grasp who we are becoming, and where we might be heading, for better or worse.

Download or read book Content in the Digital Age written by Anita Joseph and published by TDW. This book was released on 2022-03-01 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Content in the Digital Age by Anita Joseph deals with various aspects of digital content creation and opportunities and challenges here for businesses, small enterprises and content creators/strategists/media professionals and freelancers etc. Digital content creation and marketing is an endeavour that requires specialised skills and extensive expertise. It is no longer ‘’just’’ an activity, but is the cornerstone of the growth and progress of any business venture. Not only does it require great skill and finesse, but it also requires a keen eye on the market, extensive research capabilities, a creative mindset and great agility. So, how does one begin? What are the content basics that anyone venturing into the digital space must know? What does it take to be a successful digital content creator/marketeer? This book answers these questions and opens a window into this limitless world full of potential and opportunity. It also features entrepreneurs who have used the digital/social media effectively to transform their businesses into thriving entities in today's competitive market.

Download or read book The Transgressive Iain Banks written by Martyn Colebrook and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2013-08-01 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of 12 new essays brings together prominent literary experts to explore the importance of Scottish writer Iain (M.) Banks, both his mainstream and science fiction work. It considers Banks as a habitual border crosser who makes things fresh and new by subversive and transgressive strategies. The essays are divided into four thematic areas--the Scottish context, the geographies of his writing, the impact of genre and a combined focus on gender, games and play--and will be of particular interest to scholars of contemporary literature, Scottish literature and science fiction.

Download or read book Neon Eden written by Jerry Ezra and published by Field Books. This book was released on with total page 309 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The air in Eden hummed with a constant energy, a symphony of data streams and electronic pulses that vibrated against the skin. The city, a sprawling labyrinth of neon-soaked towers and sleek chrome structures, pulsed with a vibrant, artificial life. It was a utopia of sorts, built on the promise of technological advancement, where cybernetic enhancements were the norm and human limitations seemed a distant memory. Yet, for those who chose to resist the allure of modification, for those who clung to the organic, the human, Eden presented a starkly different reality. The Naturals, as they were known, lived on the fringes of this technologically advanced world, their existence a constant reminder of the gap that separated them from the Technos. They were the forgotten ones, the dissenters, the reminders of what was lost in the pursuit of progress. Detective Sam Wolfe was a Natural in a world increasingly hostile to his kind. He was a man who had seen the darkness that lurked beneath the city's shiny exterior, the secrets that the Techno elite desperately tried to conceal. He had chosen to fight for justice, to protect the innocent, even when it meant navigating a world that often shunned him. When a string of bizarre murders began to target the city's elite Technos, Sam found himself thrust into a chilling investigation that would lead him down a rabbit hole of secrets, conspiracies, and the unsettling truth behind the alluring "Euphoria" implants. These devices, promising eternal bliss, carried a terrifying side effect—lethal brain overload. As Sam delved deeper, uncovering a network of power and corruption that extended far beyond the city's neon-lit streets, he realized that the forces guarding this utopia would stop at nothing to protect their vision. Faced with a choice between pursuing justice and safeguarding his own survival, Sam found himself on a path that would test the limits of his humanity and challenge his very definition of right and wrong. This is the story of a city built on the promise of progress, but ultimately, a story about the human condition—the struggle for identity, the search for truth, and the fight for a better tomorrow, even in the face of overwhelming odds.