In the Wake of Chaos: Unpredictable Order in Dynamical Systems

By: Kellert, Stephen H.

Chaos theory has captured scientific and popular attention. What began as the discovery of randomness in simple physical systems has become a widespread fascination with "chaotic" models of everything from business cycles to brainwaves to heart attacks. But what exactly does this explosion of new research into chaotic phenomena mean for our understanding of the world? In this timely book, Stephen Kellert takes the first sustained look at the broad intellectual and philosophical questions raised by recent advances in chaos theory--its implications for science as a source of knowledge and for the very meaning of that knowledge itself.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0226429768
• ISBN13: 9780226429762
• Release Date: December 1994
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Length: 190 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Different view

Among the loads of literature on chaos theory, this one is definitely different and the one to chek up on.

Sanity confronts chaos theory

The author investigates the question: with all the research (and hype) in chaos theory, what has been the actual impact on our understanding of the world? I give the book 5 stars for completing it's stated mission, being readable and enjoyable, and for not pandering to a lcd.Kellert approaches this question from a philosophical, but down-to-earth, view. From the start, this is certainly not a "gee-whiz" hop-on-the-bandwagon...