Automatic Noodle

Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz

In the San Francisco of the future, robots and humans live together in a not-quite peaceable manner. Many things, such as owning a restaurant, are reserved for humans. Some robots have been working at a restaurant when the owner disappears. They decide they would like to run the restaurant themselves. They manage to work through some technicalities to get "authentic noodle" set up. They rely on a review site to help customers find them. However, they are dependent on good ratings. Somebody later tries to review-bomb them to bring them down. This person is part of the anti-robot group. Eventually, they find them and restore their reputation. However, in the process they learn that they do not depend on the service and take pride in the "automatic noodle" name they have been given by their detractors. The book has a lighthearted approach to working together even with differences.

Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age

Çatalhöyük,Pompeii,Angkor and Cahokia were both significant cities in their time. They all disappeared for various reasons. 

Pompeii (in modern Italy) was destroyed by volcano a couple millenia ago. The environs were uninhabitable and the area was abonded. This was in important part of the Roman empire at the time and we have contemporary historical records of the time.

Angkor, in modern Cambodia was the base of Khmer empire. It was a vast city with extensive infrastructure. After hundreds of years of strength, the city began to fade until it was sacked a half millennium ago. However, the central area remained a religious shrine. A number of reasons for the decline were speculated, included repeated climatic hits that wore on the region as well as changes in religious practices that changed the power structure. 

Çatalhöyükin modern Turkey flourished around 7000 BC. Much less is understood about this city than others. Most of the understanding is speculated based on the architectural discoveries. These discoveries tend to be heavily influenced by the opinions of the discoverers. It appears very egalitarian with little monumental architecture. However, there could be a hierarchy we just don't understand. 

Cahokia lies near modern St Louis and reached its apex around a millennium ago. It appeared to be a fairly large city at the time. Some people believe it was primarily a religious, rather than a commercial center. The weather conditions may have led to the eventual abandonment. 

The author ends by comparing these cities to the many cities that have changed in society. Cities are often not instantly abandoned, but gradually fade away. There may be many ebbs and flows in the process. After the Dot com bust in 2000, San Francisco looked to be dead. However, it recovered with a vengeance over the next two decades. Perhaps the midwestern cities like Detroit are gradually on their way to nothingness. People have been changing their living conditions for thousands of years and will continue to do so.