Fire
in the Mind
Science, Faith, and the Search for Order
by George Johnson.
Brings a broader perspective to Santa Fe Science than does Waldrop.
Not a book about how the mind can be explained in terms of brain. Mostly
a self-conscious exercise in fretting over how little we know about how
to effectively study complex systems. Starts with particle physics, winds
through cosmology and finnally reaches Kauffman and the Santa Fe crew.
Best in presenting the idea of information as a tool for liberating physics
from the grip of any need for conscious minds to control quantum wave equation
collapse. The second best aspect of this easy reading book is Johnson's
confrontation of the role of platonic thinking in science. His method of
presenting a dualistic division between
1) scientists who want to find the "truth" about the nature of reality
and
2) non-scientists who have tried to view the scientific enterprise
through the hall of mirrors that is cultural relativity
is a bit heavy handed, but in the end it allows Johnson to suggest
the obvious middle-ground compromise.
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John William Schmidt