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The Self-Made Tapestry: Pattern Formation in Nature

by Philip Ball
$9.90
Compare to estimated retail price: S$55.00  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

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The Self-Made Tapestry: Pattern Formation in Nature
The Self-Made Tapestry: Pattern Formation in Nature

Where science reveals nature's hidden design rules

This is a wonderful read if you've ever stared at shells, stripes, or webs and wondered how such beauty happens without a designer. Philip Ball makes big ideas from physics, biology, and mathematics feel surprisingly graceful and readable. It has the kind of eye-opening charm that leaves you looking at the natural world with much more awe than before.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

The Self-Made Tapestry: Pattern Formation in Nature

by Philip Ball
$9.90
Compare to estimated retail price: S$55.00  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

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ISBN: 9780198502449
Authors: Philip Ball
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Date of Publication: 1999-01-07
Format: Hardcover
Related Collections: Science, Nature, History, Art
Related Topics: Popular Science, Physics, Mathematics, Nature, Chemistry, Natural History, Biology
Goodreads rating: 4.4
(rated by 167 readers)

Description

For centuries, scientists have struggled to understand the origins of the patterns and forms found in nature—from the leopard's spots to the graceful spirals of a mollusc shell to the intricate designs on a butterfly's wing. Now, in this lucid and elegantly written book, Philip Ball applies state-of-the-art scientific understanding from biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and mathematics to these ancient mysteries, revealing how nature's seemingly complex patterns originate in simple physical laws. Ball traces the history of scientific thought about natural patterns, showing how common presumptions—for example, that complex form must be guided by some intelligence or that form always follows function—are erroneous and continue to mislead scientists today. He investigates specific patterns in depth, revealing that these designs are self-organized and that simple, local interactions between component parts produce motifs like spots, stripes, branches, and honeycombs. In the process, he examines the mysterious phenomenon of symmetry and why it appears—and breaks—in similar ways in different systems. Finally, he attempts to answer the profound question: why are some patterns universal? Illustrations throughout the text, many in full color, beautifully illuminate Ball's ideas. A fascination with nature's patterns is as old as civilization. With this spellbinding book, Ball dispels age-old conundrums while increasing the reader's wonder and appreciation for the beauty of the natural world. The Self-Made Tapestry will enlighten anyone who has ever marveled at the shape of a seashell or the brilliance of a spider's web.
 

Where science reveals nature's hidden design rules

This is a wonderful read if you've ever stared at shells, stripes, or webs and wondered how such beauty happens without a designer. Philip Ball makes big ideas from physics, biology, and mathematics feel surprisingly graceful and readable. It has the kind of eye-opening charm that leaves you looking at the natural world with much more awe than before.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.