How did life on Earth begin? Is artificial intelligence possible? How do children acquire language? does intelligent life exist elsewhere in the galaxy? Is reality simply based on individual perception? These are only a few of the questions science has grappled with for centuries. New evidence gives way to more questions, and new discoveries destroy old paradigms, yet definitive answers have yet to be reached. As we enter the next century of science, where do we stand with the Big Questions?
In the spirit of the previous book, which framed each Big Question as a mock jury trial with prosecution, defense, and verdict rendered, Paradigms Regained approaches the same questions in the form of an appeal and, in each case, decides whether or not the previous verdict still holds, based on the new evidence. The result is a unique compendium of current scientific theory, as well as a fascinating glimpse into future paradigms.
A brilliant, accessible, and illuminating survey, Paradigms Regained offers provocative insight into modern scientific thought.
The origins of life...extraterrestrials . . . our genetic destiny . . . the roots of language and learning . . . quantum physics and the shape of our universe . . . artificial intelligence. These are the mysteries of modern science and the unanswered questions that propel further exploration. In Paradigms Regained, John Casti engages in a lively debate of the "Big Questions" and presents a fascinating overview of current scientific theory on the cusp of the next century of discovery. Where
Paradigms Lost was a compelling amalgam of the science of this century,
Paradigms Regained offers a deeper examination of these issues in light of new evidence and points toward the future of science. A brilliant, accessible, and illuminating survey,
Paradigms Regained offers provocative insight into modern scientific thought.The origins of life . . . extraterrestrials . . . our genetic destiny . . . the roots of language and learning . . . quantum physics and the shape of our universe . . . artificial intelligence. These are the mysteries of modern science and the unanswered questions that propel further exploration. In Paradigms Regained, John Casti engages in a lively debate of the "Big Questions" and presents a fascinating overview of current scientific theory on the cusp of the next century of discovery. Where
Paradigms Lost was a compelling amalgam of the science of this century,
Paradigms Regained offers a deeper examination of these issues in light of new evidence and points toward the future of science. A brilliant, accessible, and illuminating survey,
Paradigms Regained offers provocative insight into modern scientific thought.
American complexity scientist and systems theoristJohn Casti, is cofounder of The X-Center, a Viennabasedresearch institute focusing on human-causedextreme events and how to anticipate them. Casti haspublished nearly twenty volumes of academic and popularscience and received his Ph.D. in mathematics from theUniversity of Southern California. He lives in Vienna,Austria.
