Emergence : The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software
An individual ant, like an individual neuron, is just about as dumb as can be. Connect enough of them together properly, though, and you get spontaneous intelligence. Web pundit Steven Johnson explains what we know about this phenomenon with a rare lucidity in
Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software
. Starting with the weird behavior of the semi-colonial organisms we call slime molds, Johnson details the development of increasingly complex and familiar behavior among simple components: cells, insects, and software developers all find their place in greater schemes.
Most game players, alas, live on something close to day-trader time, at least when they're in the middle of a game--thinking more about their next move than their next meal, and usually blissfully oblivious to the ten- or twenty-year trajectory of software development. No one wants to play with a toy that's going to be fun after a few decades of tinkering--the toys have to be engaging
now
, or kids will find other toys.
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cf0 Johnson has a knack for explaining complicated and counterintuitive ideas cleverly without stealing the scene. Though we're far from fully understanding how complex behavior manifests from simple units and rules, our awareness that such emergence is possible is guiding research across disciplines. Readers unfamiliar with the sciences of complexity will find
Emergence
an excellent starting point, while those who were chaotic before it was cool will appreciate its updates and wider scope.
--Rob Lightner
| uuid: |
035B8976-8B89-4F41-A294-3E883C3211B3 |
| upc: |
9780684868752 |
| title: |
Emergence : The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software |
| purchase date: |
14-12-2005 |
| publisher: |
Scribner |
| published: |
01-09-2001 |
| price: |
CDN$ 38.00 |
| pages: |
288 |
| net Rating: |
3.4 |
| last lookup time: |
156321312 |
| genre: |
Systems Analysis & Design
Urban
Chaos & Systems
System Theory |
| fullTitle: |
Emergence : The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software |
| currentValue: |
CDN$ 25.16 |
| created: |
156321312 |
| country: |
ca |
| author: |
Steven Johnson |
| aspect: |
Hardcover |
| asin: |
068486875X
|
|
