Who would sponsor a gathering of scientists and mathematicians to discuss a really trendy scientific topic? The Pope. The Emergence of Complexity in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology is the proceedings of the Pontifical Academy of Science’s 1992 session on complexity (in all its numerous forms). Though some lectures are in English and some in French, there’s plenty for the monolingual reader. The clerics analyse the “Galileo affair”, cryptographer Adi Shamir gets a Vatican medal, and the book ends with a solemn pontifical address. White smoke on this one. Published by Pontificia Academia Scientarum, distributed by Princeton University Press, £32.50/$39.50, ISBN 8877610557/0691012385.
More from New ÒÁÈ˾þÃ
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New ÒÁÈ˾þà articles
1
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
2
Mysterious ‘cold blob’ in the Atlantic suggests the AMOC is weakening
3
Why we should all take quantum physics extremely personally
4
Dinosaur-killing asteroid impact site stayed hot for millions of years
5
The last-ditch plan to save coral reefs from utter destruction
6
A nuclear war between India and Pakistan could destroy the ozone layer
7
Hundreds of new moons are revealing our solar system's violent history
8
Understanding anorexia’s grip on the brain could unlock new therapies
9
Explore the mind-bending and paradoxical art of M C. Escher
10
Why you need to future-proof your brain in middle age and how to start