Shapes: Nature's Patterns: a Tapestry in Three PartsOUP Oxford, 26 de maig 2011 - 308 pàgines Patterns are everywhere in nature - in the ranks of clouds in the sky, the stripes of an angelfish, the arrangement of petals in flowers. Where does this order and regularity come from? It creates itself. The patterns we see come from self-organization. Whether living or non-living, scientists have found that there is a pattern-forming tendency inherent in the basic structure and processes of nature, so that from a few simple themes, and the repetition of simple rules, endless beautiful variations can arise. Part of a trilogy of books exploring the science of patterns in nature, acclaimed science writer Philip Ball here looks at how shapes form. From soap bubbles to honeycombs, delicate shell patterns, and even the developing body parts of a complex animal like ourselves, he uncovers patterns in growth and form in all corners of the natural world, explains how these patterns are self-made, and why similar shapes and structures may be found in very different settings, orchestrated by nothing more than simple physical forces. This book will make you look at the world with fresh eyes, seeing order and form even in the places you'd least expect. |
Continguts
PATTERN AND FORM | 1 |
BUILDING WITH BUBBLES | 36 |
STRIPES IN A TEST TUBE | 107 |
HIDING WARNING AND MIMICKING | 156 |
CRYSTAL COMMUNITIES | 205 |
THE MATHEMATICS OF A DAISY | 231 |
THE FORMATION OF BODY PLANS | 261 |
Appendices | 291 |
299 | |
307 | |
Altres edicions - Mostra-ho tot
Shapes: Nature's patterns: a tapestry in three parts Philip Ball Previsualització no disponible - 2011 |
Shapes: Nature's patterns: a tapestry in three parts Philip Ball Previsualització no disponible - 2011 |
Frases i termes més freqüents
activator activator–inhibitor angle animal autocatalytic bands become biological biologists body butterfly BZ mixture BZ reaction called cells chemical waves coccolithophores colour complex concentration create curvature cycle D’Arcy Thompson deWne diffusion diVerent diVusing droplets embryo energy equilibrium Ernst Haeckel eVect evolutionary example Fibonacci numbers foam formation foxes fruit Xy genes genetic geometric golden angle grow Haeckel hexagonal honeycomb images Kelvin’s kind Liesegang liquid logarithmic spiral look Lotka malonic acid mathematical mechanism Meinhardt membranes meristem microscopic mineral minimal surfaces molecules morphogenesis morphogens nature nature’s numbers organisms oscillations parasitoids patches pheromone Photo phyllotaxis pigmentation plant population predators prey primordia produced protein rabbits radiolarians random reaction–diffusion reaction–diffusion system regular researchers scientists seems seen shape shell showed simple soap films solution space species spiral waves spontaneously spots stem stripes surface tension surfactants switches symmetry tissue travelling waves Turing structures Turing’s University wavefront wing Wrst zebra