"A leading philosopher takes a mind-bending journey through virtual worlds, illuminating the nature of reality and our place within it. Virtual reality is genuine reality. That's the central thesis of Reality+. In a highly original work of "technophilosophy," David J. Chalmers argues that virtual worlds generated by computers are not second-class worlds. We can live a meaningful life in virtual reality. We may even be living in a computer simulation...

In this groundbreaking philosophical work, Jean Baudrillard explores the nature of reality in a postmodern world. He argues that our society has replaced the real with simulations, models, and hyperreality, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. Baudrillard examines the implications of this shift, from the proliferation of images and information to the impact on our understanding of truth and reality.

Virtual reality is able to effectively blur the line between reality and illusion, pushing the limits of our imagination and granting us access to any experience imaginable. With well-crafted simulations, these experiences, which are so immersive that the brain believes they're real, are already widely available with a VR headset and will only become more accessible and commonplace. But how does this new medium affect its users, and does it have a...

"Lyla is in a bit of a rut. Her post-doctoral research has fizzled out, she's pretty sure they won't extend her contract, and things with her boyfriend, Nico, an aspiring actor, aren't going great. When the opportunity arises for Nico to join the cast of a new reality TV show, One Perfect Couple, she decides to try out with him. A whirlwind audition process later, Lyla find herself whisked off to a tropical paradise with Nico, boating through the...

Personified animals (snakes, wolves, sheep), natural things (a swamp, a lake, a rainbow, trees), mankind's creations (trucks, swords, zeroes) are all characters in The Teeth of the Comb. They aspire, they plot, they hope, they destroy, they fail, they love. These wonderful small stories animate new realities and make us see our reality anew. Reading Alomar's sly moral fables and sharp political allegories, the reader always sits up a little straighter,...

Drawing on the intersection of philosophy, politics, and memoir, an existential meditation on personal loss and the role of digital tech in how we find meaning in today's world illuminates the transition into self-defined but vulnerable intangible realities. --Publisher "In Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, Humbert Humbert offers a memorably brief account of his parents' death: 'picnic, lightning.' Picnic Comma Lightning, too, opens with death--that of...

This third version of the classic TV series ran for one season and includes 43 episodes, featuring high-profile guest stars. Several episodes are re-makes of stories from the original series.

The "Ask a Physicist" columnist for io9.com explains how space, time, and everything in between are shaped by hidden symmetries that have driven recent discoveries about the universe.

The author turns his attention to consciousness and the nature of reality, sharing with us his profound insights on the classical and quantum worlds, artificial intelligence, life, and the human mind --

"Reality and dream collide in Amy Bonnaffons's dazzling, darkly playful debut novel about a love affair between the living and the dead. For weeks, Rachel has been noticing the same golden-haired young man sitting at her Brooklyn bus stop, staring off with a melancholy air. When, one day, she finally musters the courage to introduce herself, the chemistry between them is undeniable: Thomas is wise, witty, handsome, mysterious, clearly a kindred spirit....