Johnson Steven. Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software

Scribner , 2004. — 288 p. — ISBN 9780684868769, 0684868768.In the tradition of Being Digital and The Tipping Point, Steven Johnson, acclaimed as a «cultural critic with a poet's heart» (The Village Voice), takes readers on an eye-opening journey through emergence theory and its applications.Explaining why the whole is sometimes smarter than the sum of its parts, Johnson presents surprising examples of feedback, self-organization, and adaptive learning. How does a lively neighborhood evolve out of a disconnected group of shopkeepers, bartenders, and real estate developers? How does a media event take on a life of its own? How will new software programs create an intelligent World Wide Web?
In the coming years, the power of self-organization - coupled with the connective technology of the Internet - will usher in a revolution every bit as significant as the introduction of electricity. Provocative and engaging, «Emergence» puts you on the front lines of this exciting upheaval in science and thought.
New Foreword for the eBook Edition.
Introduction: Here Comes Everybody!
The Myth of the Ant Queen.
Street Level.
The Pattern Match.
Listening to Feedback.
Control Artist.
The Mind Readers.
See What Happens.