A renowned scientist presents a brilliant exploration into the world of digital universes, which are real universes that grow, evolve, and contain brains and immune systems, plants and insects of a different kind, transforming our world and providing us with new information about our own natural environment. 25,000 first printing.

Product Description: Have you ever fallen victim to Murphy's law? Sometimes bad things just happen. In Why Sh*t Happens, esteemed British scientist Peter J. Bentley takes readers on an informative and amusing tour through the least lucky, most accident-prone day of their lives...read more

Product Description: Your laptop mysteriously crashes. There’s a fresh red wine stain on the carpet. An overhead bird targets your windshield. Sh*t, as they say, happens – to all of us. But have you ever thought about why such accidents occur? It’s not just bad luck...read more

The use of evolution for creative problem solving is one of the most exciting and potentially significant areas in computer science today. Evolutionary computation is a way of solving problems, or generating designs, using mechanisms derived from natural evolution. This book concentrates on applying important ideas in evolutionary computation to creative areas, such as art, music, architecture, and design. It shows how human interaction, new representations, and approaches such as open-ended evolution can extend the capabilities of evolutionary computation from optimization of existing solutions to innovation and the generation of entirely new and original solutions.This book takes a fresh look at creativity, exploring what it is and how the actions of evolution can resemble it. Examples of novel evolved solutions are presented in a variety of creative disciplines. The editors have compiled contributions by leading researchers in each discipline. If you are a savvy and curious computing professional, a computer-literate artist, musician or designer, or a specialist in evolutionary computation and its applications, you will find this a fascinating survey of the most interesting work being done in the area today. * Explores the use of evolutionary computation to generate novel creations including contemporary melodies, photo-realistic faces, jazz music in collaboration with a human composer, architectural designs, working electronic circuits, novel aircraft maneuvers, two- and three-dimensional art, and original proteins.* Presents resulting designs in black-and-white and color illustrations.* Includes a twin-format audio/CD-ROM with evolved music and hands-on activities for the reader, including evolved images, animations, and source-code related to the text.* Describes in full the methods used so that readers with sufficient skill and interest can replicate the work and extend it.* Is written for a general computer science audience, providing coherent and unified treatment across multiple disciplines.

Product Description: Unraveling the secrets of numbers, from the discovery of zero to infinity. In clear language, The Book of Numbers cuts through the mystery and fear surrounding numbers to reveal their fascinating nature and roles in architecture, quantum mechanics, computer technology, biology, commerce, philosophy, art, music, religion and more...read more

Product Description: "...snappy and informative; it's a must-buy and there's nothing near it on the market at the moment." Stephen Hart, University College London "I found it very informative and helpful. There was loads of useful detail that wasn't covered by the other PhD books I've been reading...read more

Product Description: Your immune system is unique. It is in many waysas complex as your brain,but itisnotcentredinonelocation,likethebrain.Itisnotasingleorgan-itconsists ofmanydi?erentcelltypes,diversemethods ofintercellularcommunication,and many di?erent organs...read more

Product Description: Arti?cial Immune Systems have come of age. They are no longer an obscure computersciencetechnique,workedonbyacoupleoffarsightedresearchgroups. Today, researchers across the globe are working on new computer algorithms inspired by the workings of the immune system...read more

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Product Description: In many ways, our immune systems are as complex as our brains. They learn, predict, remember and adapt, protecting us from the maelstrom of pathogens that infect us daily. Computer Science frequently takes inspiration from the seemingly endless capabilities of natural systems...read more

Product Description: From a review of the previous edition: "I strongly recommend it as an essential reading and reference book for younger and older workers alike". Nature (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: Some of the most startling achievements in the use of computers to automate design are being accomplished by the use of evolutionary search algorithms to evolve designs. Evolutionary Design By Computers provides a showcase of the best and most original work of the leading international experts in Evolutionary Computation, Engineering Design, Computer Art, and Artificial Life...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

The long-awaited third edition of this popular textbook, which has been unavailable for several years, is completely revised and updated. It retains the successful format of previous editions, dealing with the nature, actions and roles of hormones among vertebrate animals. Special emphasis is placed on the evolution and origins of hormones and their receptors; the role of hormones in the physiological coordination of vertebrates; and each endocrine process in the context of the organism's physiology, ecology, and evolution. Comparative Vertebrate Endocrinology discusses the intimate physiology of the endocrine system and the pivotal role of hormones in coordinating basic body processes such as nutrition, reproduction, calcium metabolism, and osmoregulation, as well as their contributions to animal coloration, molting, and development. The species included range from lower chordates to mammals, including marsupials. (view table of contents)

Book by Bentley, Peter J.