Showing results by author "A. American"

It’s been a long hard ride for Morgan and everyone. Just when things were starting to look up, the park was attacked, and they lost Bobbie. Danny’s physical wounds were nothing like the emotional loss of Bobbie. It was hard on Mel as well, and the rest of the group also felt the loss. With the attacks on the community becoming a greater threat, they must be dealt with. These attacks must end. But what can the group do against an army with artillery?

The only possible thing that could make Morgan's world even more difficult happened. The Japanese fleet off the coast of California was wiped out. An even that Morgan and friends and family only knew about because of the radio broadcasts from the Radio Free Redoubt. So far removed from them it barely warranted notice. That is until the Chinese retaliated by launching a nuclear counter-strike against Mac Dill Air Force base. This, did warrant their attention and had the potential to profoundly impact their lives.

From the pages of Scientific American magazine: "The Science of Persuasion" reveals how sales people and politicians, as well as friends and family, get others to agree to what they want.

The city has become a warzone. Charlie and her companions must survive the gangs and corrupt government agents that are out to stake their claims on the nation’s riches. Should she try and flee to the countryside, with each neighborhood a potential trap and every house a threat? Or should she stay and fight the building tyranny? Dwindling food supplies and the daily risk of capture are taking their toll. Mistakes are fatal, and the exhaustion that comes with living under constant danger is wearing them down.

No electricity. No running water. No food. No end in sight. If life as you knew it changed in an instant, would you be prepared? In A. American's first novel, Going Home, listeners were introduced to Morgan Carter, the resourceful, tough-as-nails survivalist who embarks on a treacherous 250-mile journey across Florida following the collapse of the nation's power grid. Now reunited with his loving wife and daughters in this follow-up to Going Home, Morgan knows that their happiness is fleeting, as the worst is yet to come.

If society collapsed, could you survive?

When Morgan Carter's car breaks down 250 miles from his home, he figures his weekend plans are ruined. But things are about to get much, much worse: the country's power grid has collapsed. There is no electricity, no running water, no Internet, and no way to know when normalcy will be restored - if it ever will be.

Morgan has managed to get through a lot. Having made it back to his family and dealt with the issues of unscrupulous neighbors, he then had to deal with the presence of the federal government and their nefarious activities. But with the help of his close-knit group he prevailed. Life is settling into a familiar routine. And with the help of the US Army, they are starting to rebuild their community. But just when Morgan thinks things are assuming some kind of normal, another surprise lands in his lap.

"Naked Singularities": Gravitational singularity that may violate the known laws of physics. "Nanomedicine Targets Cancer": A "systems" approach to medicine is helping to reveal the causes of disease. "Sculpting the Brain": New findings could aid in the diagnosis and treatment of autism, schizophrenia and other disorders. "New Dawn for Electric Rockets": Efficient electric plasma engines are propelling the next generation of space probes to the outer solar system.

This month, we'll learn about genes that may extend human life and eliminate the diseases of old age, as well as about smart wireless devices, the dangers of rising acid levels in the Earth's oceans, and the limits of mathematical reason.

This month's edition of Scientific American looks at a new method of exploiting fundamental physics to allow tethers to provider power for space flight. Also in this issue: the future of cereals, virtual reality offers hope to patients living in pain, controversial nuclear bunker busters, and more.

In Avenging Home, we see how the long-running battle between Morgan's people and their number one nemesis plays out. While Morgan thinks this is the biggest threat they face, there are things on the horizon he cannot yet see that are going to dwarf these problems. Morgan has lived in a vacuum. He's had little information about the outside world. While he's used radios to listen to what he can, there's been precious little real information.

Scientists and public health officials are warning that a strain of bird flu known as H5N1 has the potential to cause a worldwide pandemic. In the worst-case scenario, an outbreak could kill millions upon millions of people. In addition, the World Health Organization warns that the global economic impact would be enormous. While all this is still just a possibility, what is known is that many countries, including the United States, are not prepared for a major pandemic.

There are five articles in this issue: "Are Aliens Among Us?", "Making Carbon Markets Work", "Diet Advice from DNA", "The Semantic Web in Action", and "The Many Worlds of Hugh Everett".

This edition includes four fascinating articles. First, the cover story, "Windows on the Mind": You'll learn how tiny flicks of the eyes may reveal subliminal thoughts. Then, the articles "Race in a Bottle", "Predicting Wildfires", and "The Physical Science Behind Climate Change".

"Follow the Bouncing Universe": Our universe may have started not with a big bang - but with a big bounce; "Lighting up the Brain": New methods used to control and study the brain activity in animals should lead to a better understanding of how the human brain functions; "Web Science Emerges": Studying the Web will reveal better ways to exploit information, prevent identity theft, revolutionize industry and manage our ever growing online lives.

"Traces of a Distant Past"; "The Neuroscience of Dance"; "Hands-On Computing"; "No-Till: The Quiet Revolution"; and "New Jobs for Ancient Chaperones"

In this February 2005 edition of Scientific American: The most startling anthropological discovery of the year, a dwarf species of hominid living on the Indonesian islands as recently as 13,000 years ago; the hunt for better world wide web searches; the science behind the process of remembering; tiny ultra-cold particles produced by microchips could revolutionize technology; and more.

The cover story this month uncovers the earliest evidence of human influence on the global climate. Also, take a look at how scientists are using computer-simulated social interactions to study the prevention of disease outbreaks. Then, clear up some of the biggest misconceptions about the Big Bang that even some astronomers themselves perpetuate. Plus, take an in-depth look at Nikola Tesla, inventor of the alternating current, and check up on the improving market viability of the hydrogen-powered car.

Neuromorphic chips aim to mimic the nervous system's wiring to create technology that could restore human vision; lightning continues to amaze researchers with its unexpected complexity; physical differences in the brains of men and women may merit sex-specific treatments for psychiatric disorders; a rarely-discussed disease can cause blindness and heart problems; and physicists seek to create black holes in the comfort of their own laboratories.

There are five articles in this issue: "A Need For New Warheads?", "The Great Roller Coaster Ride", "Cell Defenses and The Sunshine Victim", "Brilliant Displays", and "The Science of Doing Good".