Complexity and the arrow of time

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Complexity and the arrow of time

edited by Charles H. Lineweaver, Paul C. W. Davies and Michael Ruse

Cambridge University Press, 2013

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Summary: "There is a widespread assumption that the universe in general, and life in particular, is "getting more complex with time". This book brings together a wide range of experts in science, philosophy, and theology and unveils their joint effort in exploring this idea. They confront essential problems behind the theory of complexity and the role of life within it: What is complexity? When does it increase, and why? Is the universe evolving towards states of ever greater complexity and diversity? If so, what is the source of this universal enrichment? This book addresses those difficult questions, and offers a unique cross-disciplinary perspective on some of the most profound issues at the heart of science and philosophy. Readers will gain insights in complexity that reach deep into key areas of physics, biology, complexity science, philosophy and religion"-- Provided by publisher

Includes bibliographical references and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

There is a widespread assumption that the universe in general, and life in particular, is 'getting more complex with time'. This book brings together a wide range of experts in science, philosophy and theology and unveils their joint effort in exploring this idea. They confront essential problems behind the theory of complexity and the role of life within it: what is complexity? When does it increase, and why? Is the universe evolving towards states of ever greater complexity and diversity? If so, what is the source of this universal enrichment? This book addresses those difficult questions, and offers a unique cross-disciplinary perspective on some of the most profound issues at the heart of science and philosophy. Readers will gain insights in complexity that reach deep into key areas of physics, biology, complexity science, philosophy and religion.

Table of Contents

  • 1. What is complexity? Is it increasing? Charles H. Lineweaver, Paul C. W. Davies and Michael Ruse
  • 2. Directionality principles from cancer to cosmology Paul C. W. Davies
  • 3. A simple treatment of complexity: cosmological entropic boundary conditions on increasing complexity Charles H. Lineweaver
  • 4. Using complexity science to search for unity in the natural sciences Eric J. Chaisson
  • 5. On the spontaneous generation of complexity in the universe Seth Lloyd
  • 6. Emergent spatiotemporal complexity in field theory Marcelo Gleiser
  • 7. Life: the final frontier for complexity? Simon Conway Morris
  • 8. Evolution beyond Newton, Darwin, and entailing law: the origin of complexity in the evolving biosphere Stuart A. Kauffman
  • 9. Emergent order in processes: the interplay of complexity, robustness, correlation, and hierarchy in the biosphere D. Eric Smith
  • 10. The inferential evolution of biological complexity: forgetting nature by learning to nurture David C. Krakauer
  • 11. Information width: a way for the second law to increase complexity David Wolpert
  • 12. Wrestling with biological complexity: from Darwin to Dawkins Michael Ruse
  • 13. The role of generative entrenchment and robustness in the evolution of complexity William C. Wimsatt
  • 14. On the plurality of complexity-producing mechanisms Philip Clayton
  • Index.

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