The Parsimonious Universe: Shape and Form in the Natural World
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About this book
Why does nature prefer some shapes and not others? The variety of sizes shapes and irregularities in nature is endless. Skillfully integrating striking full-color illustrations the authors describe the efforts by scientists and mathematicians since the Renaissance to identify and describe the principles underlying the shape of natural forms. But can one set of laws account for both the symmetry and irregularity as well as the infinite variety of natures designs? A complete answer to this question is likely never to be discovered. Yet it is fascinating to see how the search for some simple universal laws down through the ages has increased our understanding of nature. The Parsimonious Universe looks at examples from the world around us at a non-mathematical non-technical level to show that nature achieves efficiency by being stingy with the energy it expends.
