Exploration of new scientific fields

Author: Stuart Kauffman
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: The Santa Fe Institute (SFI), located near Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in New Mexico, USA, is renowned for its research on complex systems. The Santa Fe Institute is always filled with exciting discussions about the new scientific field of "complexity." The Institute boasts an international roster of scientists, including Philip Anderson, who won the 1977 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in condensed matter physics; Murray Gell-Mann, who won the 1969 Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering quarks, the fundamental constituents of particle physics; Kenneth Arrow, an economist who won the 1972 Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on the general equilibrium theory of economics; and George Cowan, the founder of the Santa Fe Institute and former director of research at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Others include Stuart Kauffman, the author of The Universe Is a Greenhouse and this book, a distinguished scientist from China.
For a long time, the physical sciences have profoundly influenced our modes of thinking, such as Newton's classical mechanics, Einstein's theory of relativity, and quantum mechanics developed by figures like Niels Bohr. Today, research on complex systems, especially in modern biology, is beginning to exert an even deeper influence on our thinking and is becoming an essential component of shaping our worldview.
In this book, Stuart Kauffman, with his broad knowledge and fresh, unique perspective, explores the holistic picture of the universe from the perspective of general biology and the pathways of life's diversity. He delves into a more universal natural view that transcends the non-equilibrium, nonlinear complex systems beyond Newton, Einstein, and Bohr. Every word in the book reflects his wisdom in tracing back to the roots. Readers not only gain rich knowledge about the new scientific field but are also inspired to explore the unknown world.