Nature's Magic

Erscheinungsjahr 2016
ISBN: 978-0-521-82547-4
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 464 Seiten, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 857 g

Nature's Magic presents a bold new vision of the evolutionary process from the Big Bang to the 21st century. Synergy of various kinds is not only a ubiquitous aspect of the natural world but it has also been a wellspring of creativity and the 'driver' of the broad evolutionary trend toward increased complexity, in nature and human societies alike. But in contrast with the many theories of emergence or complexity that rely on some underlying force or 'law', the 'Synergism Hypothesis', as Peter Corning calls it, is in essence an economic theory of biological complexity; it is fully consistent with mainstream evolutionary biology. Corning refers to it as Holistic Darwinism. Among the many important insights that are provided by this new paradigm, Corning presents a scenario in which the human species invented itself; synergistic, behavioral and technological innovations were the 'pacemakers' of our biological evolution. Synergy has also been the key to the evolution of complex modern societies, he concludes. The final chapter addresses our current challenges and future prospects.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Corning, Peter

Fachgebiete

• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften Terrestrische Ökologie
• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften Naturschutzbiologie, Biodiversität
• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften Evolutionsbiologie
• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften Ökologie
• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften Meeres- und Süßwasserökologie
• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften: Allgemeines Populärwissenschaftliche Werke
• Geowissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Prologue: The new evolutionary paradigm; 2. The Enchanted Loom; 3. The Magic Castle; 4. Black Magic; 5. The Synergism Hypothesis; 6. The 'Sorcerer's Apprentice'; 7. Conjuring human evolution: the synergistic ape; 8. Conjuring history: does cultural evolution have an 'arrow'?; 9. The science of history; 10. Conjuring the future: what can we predict?; Afterword; Endnotes; Bibliography.

Über Autor(innen)

Corning, Peter
Peter Corning is the Director of the Institute for the Study of Complex Systems, Palo Alto, California.