What a Coincidence!: On Unpredictability, Complexity and the Nature of Time

ISBN-13: 9783658406707 / Angielski / Miękka / 2023 / 235 str.

Bernhard Wessling

Opis

How does chance enter our world? And why is so much not predictable?

In an understandable, exciting and amusing narrative, the author takes us into the world of chemistry, quantum physics and biology. Touching on astronomy and philosophy, we witness a rewarding journey of discovery. In the process, he develops a completely new view of chance based on the laws of nature. Here, the omnipresent non-equilibrium plays an extremely decisive role, because it generates the complex structures in our world. Finally, on this basis, he presents an equally simple and captivating hypothesis on the nature of time.

This non-fiction book provides a deep insight into the fascination of research, the agonizing search for fundamental understanding, and the struggle for scientific knowledge.

Spis treści

Chance takes its course.- Chance is everywhere.- Creativity is chance in the brain.- "Balance is good, non-balance is bad" - is it true?- Almost despairing of science.- The birth of chance in complex systems.- What is there when time flows, and where does it flow to?- Our perception of time.

O autorze

Dr. Bernhard Weßling is a chemist and entrepreneur. His main occupation has been chemical product and process development, including basic innovations. In addition, he conducted basic research in colloid chemistry and physics as well as non-equilibrium thermodynamics. As a sideline, he is one of two managing partners of a large organic farm. For decades, he has been actively involved in environmental, nature and species protection on a voluntary basis and conducted behavioral research on wild cranes for many years.

Blurb

How do chance and coincidence enter our world? And why are so many things unpredictable?

Through an accessible, exciting and amusing narrative, the author takes us into the world of chemistry, quantum physics and biology. Touching on astronomy and philosophy, we witness a rewarding journey of discovery. In the process, he develops a completely new view on chance, coincidence and randomness based on the laws of nature. Here, the omnipresent non-equilibrium plays an extremely decisive role, because it generates the complex structures in our world. Finally, on this basis, he presents an equally simple and captivating hypothesis about the nature of time.

This nonfiction book provides deep insight into the fascination of research, the painful search for fundamental understanding, and the struggle for scientific knowledge.

The Author
Dr. Bernhard Wessling is a chemist and entrepreneur. His main occupation has been chemical product and process development, including basic innovations. In addition, he conducted basic research in colloid chemistry and physics, as well as non-equilibrium thermodynamics. As a sideline, he is one of two managing partners of a large organic farm. For decades, he has been actively involved in environmental, nature and species protection on a voluntary basis and has conducted behavioral research on wild cranes for many years.

The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence. The text has subsequently been revised further by the author to ensure content correctness and by a professional english native speaker copy editor, Marc Beschler, in order to refine the translation linguistically.