Until recently, science has made progress by breaking large systems down into smaller and simpler parts, studying and explaining how these parts operate, and putting them back together again. Although this ”reductionist” approach works amazingly well when we study the atom or the function of a single gene, it hits a brick wall when it comes to vastly complex systems like the brain, or the weather, or the ecosphere. Such systems are just too complicated to yield their secrets to the reductionist approach.The new science of complexity, one of the twentieth centuries greatest contributions to our comprehension of nature, is concerned with treating vastly complicated systems, like the biosphere or the Internet, as holistic systems. Patterns in the Sand discusses this new scientific paradigm that treats life as a natural computation, and shows how this approach translates into ways of dealing with complexity in real life. It shows, for example, how key ideas, such as chaos, criticality, and emergent phenomena, helps us to understand how ants build their nests, how the brain works, why we enact simple routines like getting up in the morning and going to work, and why accidents happen.Using such everyday phenomena as illustrations, Bossomaier and Green take us from the most basic function of the simple Turing computer through the vast interrelationships of the earth's biota, right up to the search for life on other planets, while providing a new understanding of the complicated, complex, world around us.

About the Author

Terry Bossomaier and David Green are leading international researchers who have made important contributions to the science of complexity and have both published several technical books in the area. Professor Bossomaier's research focuses on neural computation and Professor Green's on environmental information. Terry Bossomaier and David Green are leading international researchers who have made important contributions to the science of complexity and have both published several technical books in the area. Professor Bossomaier's research focuses on neural computation and Professor Green's on environmental information.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Schwabe Books, Inc. DBA Books From California
51 W. Easy St., Simi Valley, CA, 93065, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

Refunds Offered Within 10 days of order.

Greg Schwabe
Books From California
51 W. Easy St
Simi Valley, CA. 93065

Fax # 805-582-9513
For questions, please email at
abesales@booksfromca.com

Shipping Terms

Shipping costs are based on books weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact you to let you know extra shipping is required.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	5 to 14 business days	3 to 6 business days
First item	US$ 4.99	US$ 6.95

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.