The Algorithmic Beauty of Sea Shells (The Virtual Laboratory)

The compellingly beautiful patterns on the shells of tropical sea snails also record biological development. In this book, full of astonishing science and fascinating pictures, Hans Meinhardt has used computer processing power to recreate these patterns.

The patterns on the shells of tropical sea snails are not only compellingly beautiful but also tell a tale of biological development. The decorative patterns are records of their own genesis, which follows laws like those of dune formation or the spread of a flu epidemic. Hans Meinhardt has analyzed the dynamical processes that form these patterns and retraced them faithfully in computer simulations. His book is exciting not only for the astonishing scientific knowledge it reveals but also for its fascinating pictures.