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The Cambridge Quintet: A Work of Scientific Speculation

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The Cambridge Quintet: A Work of Scientific SpeculationIn this narrative tour de force, gifted scientist and author John L. Casti contemplates an imaginary evening of intellectual inquiry a sort of "My Dinner with" not Andre, but five of the most brilliant thinkers of the twentieth century. Imagine, if you will, one stormy summer evening in 1949, as novelist and scientist C. P. Snow, Britain's distinguished wartime science advisor and author of The Two Cultures, invites four singular guests to a sumptuous

In this narrative tour de force, gifted scientist and author John L. Casti contemplates an imaginary evening of intellectual inquiry--a sort of "My Dinner with" not Andre, but five of the most brilliant thinkers of the twentieth century.Imagine, if you will, one stormy summer evening in 1949, as novelist and scientist C. P. Snow, Britain's distinguished wartime science advisor and author of The Two Cultures, invites four singular guests to a sumptuous seven-course dinner at his alma mater, Christ's College, Cambridge, to discuss one of the emerging scientific issues of the day: Can we build a machine that could duplicate human cognitive processes? The distinguished guest list for Snow's dinner consists of physicist Erwin Schrodinger, inventor of wave mechanics; Ludwig Wittgenstein, the famous twentieth-century philosopher of language, who posited two completely contradictory theories of human thought in his lifetime; population geneticist/science popularizer J.B.S. Haldane; and Alan Turing, the mathematician/codebreaker who formulated the computing scheme that foreshadowed the logical structure of all modern computers. Capturing not only their unique personalities but also their particular stands on this fascinating issue, Casti dramatically shows what each of these great men might have argued about artificial intelligence, had they actually gathered for dinner that midsummer evening.With Snow acting as referee, a lively intellectual debate unfolds. Philosopher Wittgenstein argues that in order to become conscious, a machine would have to have life experiences similar to those of human beings--such as pain, joy, grief, or pleasure. Biologist Haldane offers the idea that mind is a separate entity from matter, so that regardless of how sophisticated the machine, only flesh can bond with that mysterious force called intelligence. Both physicist Schrodinger and, of course, computer pioneer Turing maintain that it is not the substance, but rather the organization of that substance, that makes a mind conscious.With great verve and skill, Casti recreates a unique and thrilling moment of time in the grand history of scientific ideas. Even readers who have already formed an opinion on artificial intelligence will be forced to reopen their minds on the subject upon reading this absorbing narrative. After almost four decades, the solutions to the epic scientific and philosophical problems posed over this meal in C. P. Snow's old rooms at Christ's College remains tantalizingly just out of reach, making this adventure into scientific speculation as valid today as it was in 1949.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Basic Books
Published: 04/23/1999
ISBN: 9780738201382
Pages: 208
Weight: 0.71lbs
Size: 9.14h x 5.94w x 0.26d
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SKU: 84816396452

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Edgar L Harris
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 5
Use
Extremely easy to use
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Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2026
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li
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 5
Hides the cables
Size: 36", Size: 36"
Hides the cables. A little expensive but works well. When drilling the holes, be sure to be mindful of the overhang of the net compared to the brackets and the paper template.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2025
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Brett H.
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
Perfect for cable management
Size: 36", Size: 36"
I installed this on my uplift desk and didn’t have to drill any holes. I just used velcro ties on the support beams and it is holding steady. I have about 8 pounds in the mesh holder and the wire management for it is great. Easy to install and functions perfectly
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Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2025
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YznB
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
Durable, easy to install, and gets the job done!
Size: 36", Size: 36"
I picked this up since upgrading my desk setup, and was wanting a cleaner, more managed approach to the cables mounted under my desk. Starting with quality, the mesh net is quite strong and can handle putting all kinds of cables and power strips to you liking without worrying about any thing tearing-- it won't even come close, so don't worry. The kit has everything you need to get started: The mesh net, metal pipes to run along the sides, and two mounting brackets to hook those metal pipes onto. On top of that, the product page has a video demo, which is going to do a much better job showing/explaining than I will, so I'd take a look at that if you just picked this up for installation. The net really gets the job done, and I'm happy to give it a 5-star rating for its value, size, functionality, and doing everything it advertised on the page. However, I will add a caveat for those looking for exceptionally clean/low-profile cable management for their desk. The mounting kit was nice to come with a template for you to drill the hooks onto as intended by the manufacturer. However, at this particular width, the net will naturally hang down about 2-3 inches. When looking at a desk from the front, you will still be able to see the net hanging, unless you have a particularly deep desk, or something occluding it. That's not by any means a dealbreaker, but I'd recommend one of two things: - VIVO should consider adding a second mounting template that's wider and pulls the net closer to the table - You can use any drillable hook you might have lying around to add a wider mounting point for the net to be more flush with the desk. Either way, I'm still really happy with the product, and the suggestions above might let you get even more out of it if you're OCD about your cables like I am. All in all, it's a great looking solution for your desk!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2025
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Runsen Wu
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 4
Good hanger, could be taller for bigger gap
Size: 36"
Pretty good, wish it was taller
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Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2025

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