Synopses & Reviews
This long-awaited work from one of the world's most respected scientists presents a series of dramatic discoveries never before made public. Starting from a collection of simple computer experiments illustrated in the book by striking computer graphics Wolfram shows how their unexpected results force a whole new way of looking at the operation of our universe.
Wolfram uses his approach to tackle a remarkable array of fundamental problems in science: from the origin of the Second Law of thermodynamics, to the development of complexity in biology, the computational limitations of mathematics, the possibility of a truly fundamental theory of physics, and the interplay between free will and determinism.
Written with exceptional clarity, and illustrated by more than a thousand original pictures, this seminal book allows scientists and non-scientists alike to participate in what promises to be a major intellectual revolution.
Review
"[Wolfram's] claims surpass the most extravagant speculation." The New York Times
Review
"At 1,280 pages, the book pushes the limit of what can be physically bound between two covers. Inside, it recognizes no boundaries, not only ranging through traditional fields of science but venturing into the realms of philosophy, theology, the social sciences, and even extraterrestrial policy. There are two sections, the larger being a main text of 12 chapters written in everyday English, with almost no equations, in order to reach an audience of nonspecialists." Wired
Review
"The book is written for a general audience. That's partially, Wolfram said, to make his ideas accessible to future scientists who may use them, partially because reducing his ideas to language anybody could understand helped him make sure he understood them." The News-Gazette
Review
"I'm sure you'll find every reaction, from people who are extremely skeptical, as they should be, to people who are really excited and jump on the bandwagon....But the reaction that you're going to get over the next couple of weeks will be totally irrelevant for answering the question of what impact it will have years up the road....It will take 10 years to determine whether what Stephen has done will have a major impact...or none at all." Dr. Sejnowski, neuroscientist at the Salk Institute
Review
"Having bypassed the peer review process and publication of extracts in scholarly journals that typically precede a major science book, A New Kind of Science has become Topic A on Internet chat sites for scientists, while drawing mixed reactions from critics. Most reviewers acknowledge the importance of Wolfram's thesis....But several prominent reviews have disputed his claim to being the sole discoverer." Publishers Weekly
Review
"He may not be the modern counterpart to Darwin or Newton, whose revolutionary visions transformed the entire landscape of science, but Wolfram does offer novel and important prognostications about the future direction of scientific research and the key role likely to be played by computer simulation in understanding a wide range of complex phenomena. That alone makes A New Kind of Science a worthwhile and interesting book." The Oregonian
Synopsis
Written with exceptional clarity, and illustrated by more than a thousand original pictures, this seminal book allows scientists and non-scientists alike to participate in what promises to be a major intellectual revolution.
About the Author
Stephen Wolfram was born in London and educated at Eton, Oxford, and Caltech. He received his PhD in theoretical physics in 1979 at the age of 20, and in the early 1980s made a series of discoveries which launched the field of complex systems research. Starting in 1986 he created Mathematica, the primary software system now used for technical computing worldwide, and the tool which made A New Kind of Science possible. Wolfram is the founder and CEO of Wolfram Research, Inc. the world's leading technical software company.
Table of Contents
PREFACE
THE KEY IDEAS OF A NEW KIND OF SCIENCE
1 The Foundations for a New Kind of Science
2 The Crucial Experiment
3 The World of Simple Programs
4 Systems Based on Numbers
5 Two Dimensions and Beyond
6 Starting from Randomness
7 Mechanisms in Programs and Nature
8 Implications for Everyday Systems
9 Fundamental Physics
10 Processes of Perception and Analysis
11 The Notion of Computation
12 The Principle of Computational Equivalence
NOTES ON ALL CHAPTERS
INDEX