![]() ![]() ![]() We see how this thinking can be applied to many different sciences and areas of study despite practitioners often being extremely weary of doing so. Much of this book seems determined to convince that what we often see as “chaos” is often behaviour that can be replicated using mathematics, and not necessarily complicated mathematics. After this the book continues on to talk about fractals, where a relatively simple formula can be used to generate infinite complexity (in the case of fractals exposed as stunning visuals such as those you see in the famous “Mandelbrot Set” that changes in unexpected ways as you zoom in). Many will be familiar with the “butterfly effect” which is along the lines of a butterfly flapping it's wings leading to an eventual tropical storm on the far side of the planet and it is this concept that begins the book, showing how minor changes to inputs to common processes can result in unpredictable or wildly variant behaviour. This nervousness was misplaced as Gleick has provided quite a readable book explaining the principles behind Chaos theory but at the same time the history of this new science. This book has sat for years on my shelf with my feeling nervous at taking it on. ![]() Chaos: Making a New Science by James Gleick ![]()
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