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The Greek philosophers believed that the cosmos unfolds according
to a predetermined plan, or blueprint, like a developing organism. But a study
of the workings of nature reveals only blind and random forces. How can such forces
conspire to produce intricate and elaborate structures like galaxies, snowflakes
and living organizations? What is the secret of nature's prolific creative power
that bestows upon the universe an organized unity? In
this provocative new work, physicist Paul Davies investigates some remarkable
discoveries at the forefront of scientific research. He argues persuasively that
matter and energy have an uncanny ability to be 'self-organizing,' and that the
study of complexity wherever it is found -- in chemical reactions, fluid motion,
biological evolution, artificial intelligence -- reveals certain common holistic
principles. Professor Davies examines claims that there are definite 'organizing
principles' in nature which emerge at successive levels of complexity, and he
suggests that the universe as a whole possesses a tendency to develop towards
progressively higher levels of complex organization. Aimed
at scientist and layman alike, The Cosmic Blueprint is a sweeping challenge
to the currently fashionable world view of a dying universe, and to the reductionist
assertion that the physical world is nothing but a meaningless collection of particles.
Paul Davies is Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University
of Newcastle upon Tyne, where he runs a research group investigating black holes,
the origin of the universe and other topics in fundamental physics. He obtained
a doctorate from the University of London, and has held research and lecturing
appointments at Cambridge and King's College London. Professor
Davies has achieved an international reputation as a science popularizer who is
not afraid to tackle the most advanced concepts. He has written over a dozen books,
ranging from student textbooks to his much-acclaimed God
and the New Physics and Superforce.
He also writes widely for magazines and newspapers, lectures all over the world,
and is well known for his frequent TV appearances and radio documentaries. |
