Stephen Wolfram’s epic 1000+ page book, A New Kind of Science, is keeping me occupied at the moment. Certainly an interesting read and quite extraordinary in what it sets out to achieve. The opening gives you some idea: “Three centuries ago science was transformed by the dramatic new idea that rules based on mathematical equations could be used to describe the natural world. My purpose in this book is to initiate another such transformation, and to introduce a new kind of science that is based on the much more general types of rules that can be embodied in simple computer programs.”

What I find fascinating is Wolfram’s discussion of the way he wrote the book, which bubbles to the surface every now and then. There’s a good article in Wired magazine by Steven Levy called “the Man who cracked the code to everything…” which follows the story of the ten years that it’s taken Wolfram to write the book. He worked almost nocturnally, seldom straying into the “real” world, experimenting on “cellula automata” — essentially simple programs. Levy reports that one friend, described Wolfram thus, “He reminds me of the noblemen who worked in science during the 1800s — they did it for the love of it.”

Anyway, I won’t spoil the book for you, but take a look. I think it may be the most significant scientific book to have been published in my lifetime.

For Steven Levy’s Wired article click here
For Wolfram’s New Kind of Science site click here

Just come across ‘the official Jon Ronson site’ which is well worth a look. Jon Ronson is a journalist based in the UK who I first became a fan of through his ‘human zoo’ columns which used to feature in the Guardian’s Weekend Magazine. He’s now quite well known for his TV documentaries following some of the strangest individuals you’re ever likely to see — from Iain Paisley through to David Icke via Jonathon King. His book Them is deservedley a best seller and thoroughly recommended.

jonronson.com

Forbes.com has a special feature on the idea of obsolescence and why ideas themselves seem to survive. “Your computer seems outdated before you walk out of the electronics store. Your VCR is a dinosaur, and your record collection a fossil…”

Read on here

Here’s a piece written for Green Futures magazine on the questions we need to ask about the social and environmental impacts of nanotechnology.

“Think small, think very small. The science of the moment is nanotechnology; the manipulation of matter at a molecular scale. Derived from the greek for midget, the prefix ‘nano’ means 109 or a billionth part. So, your average human hair is a whopping 200,000 nanometers across, with an atom clocking in at just one-third of a nanometer.

What’s new is that scientists now know how to pick atoms up one by one and put them where they want. This has startling implications for all of us since, if you believe the hype, nanotechnology is the answer to our sustainability prayers. Just for starters, it will pull the economy out of the tech downturn, and go on to end pollution, illness and poverty…”

You can see the full article on the Green Futures website here (subscription required) or download the pdf here (120k).