How Nature Works: The Science of Self Organized Criticality

Abstract: A non-specialists' introduction to the phenomena of self-organized criticality, which offers considerable insight into a wide range of phenomena from earthquakes to traffic jams.

Keywords: book review, science, philosophy, self-organized criticality, earthquakes, chaos theory, complexity, critical complex phenomena, power laws, sandpile model, punctuated equilibria, Zipf's Law, physics.

Title: How Nature Works: The Science of Self Organized Criticality Author: Per Bak Publisher: Springer-Verlag Date Published: September 1996 ISBN: 0387947914 LOCN: QC173.4.C74B34 1996 Dewey: 003/.7 20 Pages: 212 Bibliography: 104 entries Figures: 47 Photos: 10

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Complexity and Criticality

Chapter 2: The Discovery of Self-Organized Criticality

Chapter 3: The Sandpile Paradigm

Chapter 4: Real Sandpiles and Landscape Formation

Chapter 5: Earthquakes, Starquakes, and Solar Flares

Chapter 6: The "Game of Life": Complexity is Criticality

Chapter 7: Is Life a Self-Organized Critical Phenomenon?

Chapter 8: Mass Extinctions and Punctuated Equilibria in a Simple Model of Evolution

Chapter 9: Theory of the Punctuated Equilibrium Model

Chapter 10: The Brain

Chapter 11: On Economies and Traffic Jams

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS DATA

Author:        Bak, P. (Per), 1947-
Title:         How nature works : the science of self-organized
                  criticality / Per Bak.
Published:     New York, NY, USA : Copernicus, c1996.
Description:   xiii, 212 p., [8] p. of plates : ill. (some col.)
                  ; 24 cm.
LC Call No.:   QC173.4.C74B34 1996
Dewey No.:     003/.7 20
ISBN:          0387947914 (hardcover : alk. paper)
Notes:         Includes bibliographical references (p.
                  [199]-205) and index.
Subjects:      Critical phenomena (Physics)
               Complexity (Philosophy)
               Physics -- Philosophy.
Control No.:   96016845 

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