John Casti

Todos sabemos o que significa ficar algumas horas sem Internet. Agora imagine os efeitos de uma falha à escala global. Se durasse um dia, seria o caos. Se durasse uma semana poderia provocar o colapso da nossa civilização. Uma catástrofe destas não só é possível, como assustadoramente provável, porque a Internet assenta num sistema tecnológico tão complexo como frágil. E basta um erro humano para perdermos o controlo das comunicações digitais. Quer queiramos quer não, a vida no século XXI depende de uma série de serviços que não controlamos, como a água, a eletricidade que consumimos, ou os combustíveis. O modo como todos estes bens nos chegam à mão assenta numa cadeia hiper-complexa de pessoas e tecnologias, e as probabilidades de rutura são muito maiores do que pensamos. Neste livro, John Casti desenha-nos 11 cenários possíveis para um colapso. De uma pandemia global à destruição do equilíbrio nuclear, passando pela derrocada dos mercados financeiros. São hipóteses muito mais prováveis do que julgamos e todas sustentadas por exemplos recentes de colapso eminente (evitados in extremis) e pela ciência das probabilidades. Acontecimentos Extremos é uma arrepiante visão da extrema vulnerabilidade em que se baseia o nosso modo de vida. Como veremos, num mundo cada vez mais complexo, basta uma carta abanar, para que todo o castelo comece a ruir.

Acontecimentos Extremos

In Five Golden Rules, John L. Casti serves as curator to a brilliant collection of 20th-century mathematical theories, leading us on a fascinating journey of discovery and insight. Probing the frontiers of modern mathematics, Casti examines the origins of some of the most important findings of this century. This is a tale of mystery and logic, elegance and reason; it is the story of five monumental mathematical breakthroughs and how they shape our lives. All those intrigued by the mathematical process, nonacademics and professionals alike, will find this an enlightening, eye-opening, and entertaining work. High school algebra or geometry - and enthusiasm - are the only prerequisites. From the theorem that provided the impetus for modern computers to the calculations that sent the first men to the Moon, these breakthroughs have transformed our lives. Casti illustrates each theorem with a dazzling array of real-world problems it has helped solve - how to calculate the shape of space, optimize investment returns, even chart the course of the development of organisms. Along the way, we meet the leading thinkers of the day: John von Neumann, L. E. J. Brouwer, Marston Morse, and Alan Turing, among others. And we come to understand the combination of circumstances that led each to such revolutionary discoveries as the Minimax Theorem, which spawned the exciting field of game theory, and the Simplex Method, which underpins the powerful tools of optimization theory.

Great Theories of 20th-Century Mathematics--and Why They Matter

Five Golden Rules

Anders Karlqvist

Sponsored by the Swedish Council for Planning and Coordination of Research, these internationally renowned scholars discussed and debated the complementary effects of individual self-interest and collective group interests. The twelve chapters in this volume, representing a wide range of perspectives, are the fruit of this meeting.

Cooperation and Conflict in General Evolutionary Processes

Werner DePauli

Werner DePauli-Schimanovich

Tells the life story of the contemporary and intellectual peer of Einstein, and describes his work which revolutionized mathematics, philosophy, linguistics, computer science, and cosmology.

A Life Of Logic, The Mind, And Mathematics

Godel

"Casti is one of the great science writers." -San Francisco Examiner "Casti's gift is to be able to let the nonmathematical reader share in his understanding of the beauty of a good theory." -Christian Science Monitor Following up the acclaimed Five Golden Rules, another quintet of gleaming math discoveries With Five More Golden Rules, readers are treated to another fascinating set of theoretical gems from acclaimed popular science author John Casti. Injecting all-new ingredients into his trademark recipe of real-world examples, historical anecdotes, and straightforward explanations, Casti once again brings math to thrilling life. All who enjoyed the unique pleasures of the original will love this follow-up survey highlighting the creme de la creme of math in the last century. Explores how knot theory informs the classic tale of Alexander the Great and the Gordian Knot * Considers how the Shannon Coding Theory applies to decoding the human genome John L. Casti, PhD (Santa Fe, NM), a resident member of the Santa Fe Institute, is a professor at the Technical University of Vienna and the author of Would-Be Worlds (Wiley) and Cambridge Quintet.

John Casti

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