In my previous post, I mentioned about complexity theory. It is actually a branch of science which explores how simple instructions governing individual units of a system consisting of a large number of these units can give rise to complex behaviours without the need for a leader or intelligent being in control. Examples of complex systems include schools of fishes swimming in unison, flocks of birds flying in formation, the weather, formation of hurricanes, the human brain, the stock market, and even the behaviour of liquid water. Another thing about complex systems is that they possess properties that cannot be predicted from the individual properties of their constituent units, just like you cannot predict the properties of macroscopic water such its boiling point or density merely by studying the individual properties of the water molecules.
Check out the links below for more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_system
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3410/03.html
http://complexity.orconhosting.net.nz/intro.html
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Book Review: Climbing Mount Improbable - Richard Dawkins
Ever wondered how the theory of evolution could explain the existance of the dazzling array of complex biological creatures on Earth? If your anwer is yes, then you should read this book. Apart from explaining that, Richard Dawkins also tackled the favourite target of creationists - the eye.
Creationists believe that only an intelligent being could have created something as complex as the eye. The book goes to great length to explain how complex structures like eyes can be a product of the forces of mindless random mutations and natural selection, thereby removing the need for intelligent design. In fact, eyes evolved no less than 40 times independently and taking only around 500 thousand years in some cases, which is really just a 'blink of the eye' in terms of geological time. What most people fail to realize about the theory of evolution is that complex biological structures can be evolved through a series of gradual steps; they do not have to be evolved in a single huge step. Richard Dawkins used the analogy of climbing a mountain to explain this: when faced with an insurmountable clift, one can find another longer route which has gentler slopes and is easier to climb, just as evolution tends to seek these gentler slopes towards increasing complexity. Thus, seemingly impossible structures can arise in nature without the intervention of any intelligent being. Do read up on complexity theory if you wish to find out more about how complex systems can arise out of numerous simple interacting sub-units.
Even if you already believe in the theory of evolution, this book still has much to offer you. It provides deeper insights into how and why different creatures took on separate evolutionary paths and evolved different body structures to serve the same or different purposes. For instance, bats use echolocation for navigation whereas most other creatures rely on sight. It also explains why only some creatures evolved wings for flight but not others. It is actually due to the practicalities of the required wingspan, speed of flapping, stresses on the wing material, etc, that will be needed to lift the weight of the creature. Richard Dawkins also mentioned about the high level of complexity that exists in creatures with five-fold or higher symmetry such as the Radiolarian and starfish. There are plenty of other interesting stuff in the book, not to mention the numerous pictures in it.
Creationists believe that only an intelligent being could have created something as complex as the eye. The book goes to great length to explain how complex structures like eyes can be a product of the forces of mindless random mutations and natural selection, thereby removing the need for intelligent design. In fact, eyes evolved no less than 40 times independently and taking only around 500 thousand years in some cases, which is really just a 'blink of the eye' in terms of geological time. What most people fail to realize about the theory of evolution is that complex biological structures can be evolved through a series of gradual steps; they do not have to be evolved in a single huge step. Richard Dawkins used the analogy of climbing a mountain to explain this: when faced with an insurmountable clift, one can find another longer route which has gentler slopes and is easier to climb, just as evolution tends to seek these gentler slopes towards increasing complexity. Thus, seemingly impossible structures can arise in nature without the intervention of any intelligent being. Do read up on complexity theory if you wish to find out more about how complex systems can arise out of numerous simple interacting sub-units.
Even if you already believe in the theory of evolution, this book still has much to offer you. It provides deeper insights into how and why different creatures took on separate evolutionary paths and evolved different body structures to serve the same or different purposes. For instance, bats use echolocation for navigation whereas most other creatures rely on sight. It also explains why only some creatures evolved wings for flight but not others. It is actually due to the practicalities of the required wingspan, speed of flapping, stresses on the wing material, etc, that will be needed to lift the weight of the creature. Richard Dawkins also mentioned about the high level of complexity that exists in creatures with five-fold or higher symmetry such as the Radiolarian and starfish. There are plenty of other interesting stuff in the book, not to mention the numerous pictures in it.
Radiolarian Haeckel Polycyttaria (from Wikipedia)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)