Making a robot that looks and behaves like a human being has been the subject of many popular science fiction movies and books. Although the development of such a robot facesmanychallenges, themakingofavirtualhumanhaslongbeenpotentiallypossible. With recent advances in various key technologies related to hardware and software, the making of humanlike robots is increasingly becoming an engineering reality. Development of the required hardware that can perform humanlike functions in a lifelike manner has benefitted greatly from development in such technologies as biologically inspired...

This book explores the growing list of non-tariff trade barriers raised by the US, EU and Japan and assesses the prospects for significant trade liberalization. The author examines the liability of global free trade through a review of the complaints that these three countries raised about each other over a five-year period. He concludes that free trade may be increasingly hampered as barriers are created more rapidly than can be resolved, and that the prospects for significantly strengthening safeguards are limited.

The electronic age has tethered children to keyboards and diminished active play, which is the corenerstone of healthy development. Flawed government policies and market-driven biases have ignored developmentally appropriate practices to the detriment of our childrens' physical, cognitive, social, and emotional health. It is time to change course, for the benefit of our children and our society.

How did the conduct of business come to be so different in different countries? Why are some less developed countries in the process of rapid industrialization while so many others remain poor? Analysts often point to national differences in the cultures of business to explain these patterns. What then, accounts for these differences in culture? We can gain some insights into these issues by considering the incentives that are likely to shape the behaviors of upwardly mobile sub-elites. Patterns of elite initiatives in the early years of industrialization have an enduring impact on the...

This fascinating book discusses the emergence of humanlike robots into our everyday world. It covers the trends, possibilities, and concerns we will all feel with their emergence. State-of-the-art photos and futuristic illustrations are included.