The Self-Made Tapestry by Ball

The Self-Made Tapestry by Ball

Why do similar patterns and forms appear in nature in settings that seem to bear no relation to one another? The windblown ripples of desert sand follow a sinuous course that resembles the stripes of a zebra or a marine fish. In the trellis-like shells of microscopic sea creatures we see the same angles and intersections as for bubble walls in a foam. The forks of lightning mirror the branches of a river or a tree. This book explains why these are no coincidences. Nature commonly weaves its tapestry by self-organization, employing no master plan or blueprint but by simple, local interactions between its component parts - be they grains of sand, diffusing molecules or living cells. And the products of self- organization are typically universal patterns: spirals, spots, and stripes, branches, honeycombs. This book explains, in non-technical language, and with profuse illustrations, how nature's patterns are made.

"Philip Ball has produced a superb book about patterns in nature, The Self-Made TapestryFrom the ribbed desert sands to tree-form streaks of lightening, countless examples give rise to fascinating reflections on the astounding order that exists amid chaos. Lavishly illustrated, this is a stunning book." * The Sunday Times *

Philip Ball is an editor at Nature magazine.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780198502432
ISBN 10	0198502435
Title	The Self-Made Tapestry
Author	Ball
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Year published	2001-07-05
Number of pages	296
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.