Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Synopsis
Chaos theory has captured scientific and popular attention. What began as the discovery of randomness in simple physical systems has become a widespread fascination with "chaotic" models of everything from business cycles to brainwaves to heart attacks. But what exactly does this explosion of new research into chaotic phenomena mean for our understanding of the world? In this timely book, Stephen Kellert takes the first sustained look at the broad intellectual and philosophical questions raised by recent advances in chaos theory—its implications for science as a source of knowledge and for the very meaning of that knowledge itself.
Booknews
What began with the discovery of randomness in simple physical systems--a curl of smoke, a dripping faucet--has exploded into a fascination with chaotic models for everything from brainwaves to business cycles. The author takes a look at the broad intellectual implications of chaos. He describes the challenge of chaos to traditional science, from its power to thwart the search for universal laws to its unsettling effect on such concepts as fact and event, cause and control. He points to the deep biases for order and control that kept the study of chaos in the background for years. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)