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 51¶¯Âþ
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending 51¶¯Âþ articles
1
Mathematicians stunned by AI's biggest breakthrough in mathematics yet
2
The Selfish Gene at 50: Why Dawkins’s evolution classic still holds up
3
The distant world that is our best hope of finding alien life
4
How I used psychology to come back from the worst year of my life
5
Photos reveal unexpected details from the world's first atomic test
6
The ‘doomsday’ glacier’s giant ice shelf is about to break away
7
Mystery of the ancient giant stone jars of Laos may have been solved
8
Epic dreaming is leaving people exhausted and distressed
9
Women’s better memories may delay Alzheimer’s diagnosis by years
10
Colossal claims an artificial eggshell will help it bring back the moa
