About this ebook
We live inside systems that correct us before we notice them. A thermostat steadies a room. A clock disciplines a city. A power grid balances every second. An aircraft survives by computation. A medical device listens to the body. A feed learns what holds the eye and quietly reshapes attention. Control - The Hidden Technology is a sweeping, story-driven journey through the feedback loops that made the modern world possible. Moving from ancient water clocks and lighthouse flames to steam governors, electrical grids, rockets, self-driving cars, smart buildings, medical automation, robots, and artificial intelligence, Anders Hansson reveals a hidden history of machines that sense, compare, decide, and act. This is not only a book about technology. It is a book about trust, judgment, power, comfort, safety, and responsibility. Why do stable systems fail? When should automation take over, and when must a human remain in command? What happens when the controlled variable is not speed or temperature, but attention, health, or human behavior itself? Written for curious readers, engineers, designers, researchers, and anyone trying to understand an automated age, this book shows that control is one of civilization's quietest inventions---and one of its most consequential. To understand control is to understand how the world holds together, how it breaks apart, and how we might design systems worthy of human trust. This is the first major popular work that treats control engineeringas a cultural, ethical, and civilizational force, not just a technical discipline.
We live inside systems that correct us before we notice them. A thermostat steadies a room. A clock disciplines a city. A power grid balances every second. An aircraft survives by computation. A medical device listens to the body. A feed learns what holds the eye and quietly reshapes attention. C...
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
