Rating – Three Stars
In Exploring Chaos, Hall has combined eighteen essays that explore the science of chaos in several disciplines: the stock market, quantum physics, the arrow of time, electronics, mathematics, fluids, chemistry, engineering, the solar systems, and so forth. The authors are prominent scientists, professors, and aerologists.
This book is not an easy read. It is geared to a sophisticated audience that understands science and mathematics. Nonetheless, there are gems of information scattered throughout the essays. For example:
- The theory of chaos touches all disciplines.
- Small changes lead to bigger changes later—the signature of chaos.
- Chaos is persistent instability.
- Feedback may morph into chaos.
- Chaos helps researchers understand evolving, complicated systems.
- Chaos is a dynamic phenomenon.
- Extreme sensitivity of initial conditions characterizes an evolving chaotic system.
- The language of chaos is topology.
- Frequently, chaotic motion follows simple, deterministic laws.
Lastly, I fault Nina Hall for not including an index—essential for all science books.
Read more by S. Martin Shelton!