Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order

Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous OrderAt the heart of the universe is a steady, insistent beat, the sound of cycles in sync. Along the tidal rivers of Malaysia, thousands of fireflies congregate and flash in unison; the moon spins in perfect resonance with its orbit around the earth; our hearts depend on the synchronous firing of ten thousand pacemaker cells. While the forces that synchronize the flashing of fireflies may seem to have nothing to do with our heart cells, there is in fact a

At the heart of the universe is a steady, insistent beat, the sound of cycles in sync. Along the tidal rivers of Malaysia, thousands of fireflies congregate and flash in unison; the moon spins in perfect resonance with its orbit around the earth; our hearts depend on the synchronous firing of ten thousand pacemaker cells. While the forces that synchronize the flashing of fireflies may seem to have nothing to do with our heart cells, there is in fact a deep connection. Synchrony is a science in its infancy, and Strogatz is a pioneer in this new frontier in which mathematicians and physicists attempt to pinpoint just how spontaneous order emerges from chaos. From underground caves in Texas where a French scientist spent six months alone tracking his sleep-wake cycle, to the home of a Dutch physicist who in 1665 discovered two of his pendulum clocks swinging in perfect time, this fascinating book spans disciplines, continents, and centuries. Engagingly written for readers of books such as Chaos and The Elegant Universe, Sync is a tour-de-force of nonfiction writing.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Theia
Published: 03/05/2003
ISBN: 9780786868445
Pages: 352
Weight: 1.53lbs
Size: 9.22h x 6.27w x 1.17d

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 01/01/2003 pg. 48
Publishers Weekly 02/17/2003 pg. 66
Discover 04/01/2003 pg. 80
Booklist 03/15/2003 pg. 1255
Discover 01/01/2004 pg. 80