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Amazon.co.uk Review
First came James Gleick's Chaos, then Roger Lewin's Complexity, and now we have Mark Buchanan's fascinating new book Ubiquity. One of the most interesting discoveries made by complexity theorists is that some systems seem to exhibit rather curious but mathematically similar behaviours when poised in what has come to be known as the "critical state". A pile of sand in the moments before an avalanche occurs somewhere on its surface seems to be in such a state and the magnitudes of avalanches measured over a period of time can be described using a mathematical equation called a power function. A power function description in this particular context implies that the timing and magnitude of avalanches on the surface of the sand pile will be utterly unpredictable.
This key insight into the behaviour of certain types of system forms the basis for the rest of the book. What if, for instance, the Earth's crust is in something approximating a critical state and earthquakes timings and magnitudes similar in distribution to avalanches on a sand pile? This would imply that earthquake prediction is virtually impossible, an important conclusion given that huge amounts of money continue to be spent in numerous countries around the world for this very purpose.
And what if extinction in the fossil record, stock market fluctuations or tumultuous events in human history are also explicable in terms of critical state theory? If so, then we may be on the verge of "a new science of history". Are critical state theorists any nearer now to anything approaching a unification of knowledge? The jury is still out, but don't wait for a verdict that may be a long time coming--read the provocative Ubiquity and judge for yourself. --Chris Lavers --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
Scientists have recently discovered a new law of nature. Its footprints are virtually everywhere - in the spread of forest fires, mass extinctions, traffic jams, earthquakes, stock-market fluctuations, the rise and fall of nations, and even trends in fashion, music and art. Wherever we look, the world is modelled on a simple template: like a steep pile of sand, it is poised on the brink of instability, with avalanches - in events, ideas or whatever - following a universal pattern of change. This remarkable discovery heralds what Mark Buchanan calls the new science of 'ubiquity', a science whose secret lies in the stuff of the everyday world. Combining literary flair with scientific rigour, this book documents the coming revolution by telling the story of the researchers' exploration of the law, their ingenious work and unexpected insights. Mark Buchanan reveals how the principle of ubiquity will help us to manage, control and predict the future. This book, the world's first on the topic, will change how we think about the world and our place in it.
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First Sentence
It was 11 a.m. on a fine summer morning in Sarajevo, 28 June 1914, when the driver of an automobile carrying two passengers made a wrong turn. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
It was 11 a.m. on a fine summer morning in Sarajevo, 28 June 1914, when the driver of an automobile carrying two passengers made a wrong turn. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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47% buy the item featured on this page: Ubiquity: The New Science That is Changing the World |
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16% buy Why Most Things Fail: And How to Avoid It £5.70 |
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8% buy Ubiquity: Why Catastrophes Happen£9.76 |
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