Ebook: Determinism, Holism, and Complexity

Determinism, holism and complexity: three epistemological attitudes that have easily identifiable historical origins and developments. Galileo believed that it was necessary to "prune the impediments" to extract the mathematical essence of physical phenomena, to identify the math­ ematical structures representing the underlying laws. This Galilean method was the key element in the development of Physics, with its extraordinary successes. Nevertheless the method was later criticized because it led to a view of nature as essentially "simple and orderly", and thus by choosing not to investigate several charac­ teristics considered as an "impediment", several essential aspects of the phenomenon under investigation might be left out. The Galilean point of view also contains an acknowledgement of the central role played by the causal nexus among phenomena. The mechanistic-deterministic de­ scription of reality - for instance, a la Laplace - although acknowledging that it is not possible to predict phenomena exactly owing to unavoid­ able measurement error, is based on the recognition of the their causal nature, even in an ontological sense. Consequently, deterministic predic­ tion became the methodological fulcrum of mathematical physics. But although mechanistic determinism has had and, in many cases, still has, considerable success in Physics, in other branches of science this situa­ tion is much less favourable.

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This volume is the proceedings of a workshop to discuss the recent work on complex systems in physics and biology, its epistemological and cultural implications, and its effect for the development of these two sciences. The workshop is geared towards physicists, biologists, and science historians.

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This volume is the proceedings of a workshop to discuss the recent work on complex systems in physics and biology, its epistemological and cultural implications, and its effect for the development of these two sciences. The workshop is geared towards physicists, biologists, and science historians.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xvii
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Complexity and Emergence of Meaning: The Fundamental Level of Neurophysics....Pages 3-26
A Geometric Optics Experiment to Simulate the Betatronic Motion....Pages 27-39
Some Remarks on the Arrow of Time and the Notion of Information....Pages 41-51
How Real is the Quantum World?....Pages 53-61
Decoherence and Classical Behaviour in Quantum Mechanics....Pages 63-76
Scaling Laws: Microscopic and Macroscopic Behavior....Pages 79-85
Measure of Diffusion Entropy of Weak Turbulence in Sample of Nematic Liquid Crystal....Pages 87-94
Complexity in Physics of an Adhesive Tape....Pages 95-104
Reflections about the Time Arrow....Pages 105-116
The Big Computer. Complexity and Computability in Physical Universe....Pages 117-123
On the Uniqueness or Multiplicity of Physical Theories: A Note on the Margin of the “Sokal Affair”....Pages 125-131
An Interplay between Determinism and One-Parameter Semigroups, and Applications....Pages 133-139
From Dynamical Systems to Complex Systems....Pages 141-150
Front Matter....Pages 151-151
Shape and Size in Biology and Medicine....Pages 153-169
Assessment of the Quality of Waters and the Environment by Means of Biological Indices (Macroinvertebrates, Diatoms, Fluvial Functionality): The River Frigido....Pages 171-179
Synchronization of Neocortical Interneurons....Pages 181-190
The Fractal Borderland between the Deterministic Order and the Unpredictable Chaos....Pages 191-198
Emergent Properties and Complexity for Biological Theories....Pages 199-210
Ignoring Complex Interactions in Natural Ecosystems: The Case of Terminator Technology....Pages 211-220
A Compression Algorithm as a Complexity Measure on DNA Sequences....Pages 221-229
Front Matter....Pages 151-151
Reductionism and History: The Biology Between Scylla and Charybdis....Pages 231-239
A Characterization for a Set of Trinucleotides to be a Circular Code....Pages 241-244
Deterministic and Random Components of over Time Evolution of Milk Production Analysed by Time Series Methodology....Pages 245-255
Toward Creating Life in a Test-Tube....Pages 257-272
Tubulin and the Complexity of Life....Pages 273-282
Phylogenies and the New Evolutionary Synthesis....Pages 283-292
Cell System Complexity and Biological Evolution....Pages 293-303
Self-Organization and Prebiotic Environment....Pages 305-309
Front Matter....Pages 311-311
James and Freud on Psychical Determinism....Pages 313-325
Probabilistic Aspects in George D. Birkhoff’s Work....Pages 327-337
The Metamorphosis of Holism....Pages 339-348
Early Approaches to the Management of Complexity in Engineering Systems....Pages 349-357
The Dignity of the Natural Sciences....Pages 359-378
Holism: Some Historical Aspects....Pages 379-386
Towards a History of Complexity....Pages 387-398
Back Matter....Pages 399-402

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This volume is the proceedings of a workshop to discuss the recent work on complex systems in physics and biology, its epistemological and cultural implications, and its effect for the development of these two sciences. The workshop is geared towards physicists, biologists, and science historians.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xvii
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Complexity and Emergence of Meaning: The Fundamental Level of Neurophysics....Pages 3-26
A Geometric Optics Experiment to Simulate the Betatronic Motion....Pages 27-39
Some Remarks on the Arrow of Time and the Notion of Information....Pages 41-51
How Real is the Quantum World?....Pages 53-61
Decoherence and Classical Behaviour in Quantum Mechanics....Pages 63-76
Scaling Laws: Microscopic and Macroscopic Behavior....Pages 79-85
Measure of Diffusion Entropy of Weak Turbulence in Sample of Nematic Liquid Crystal....Pages 87-94
Complexity in Physics of an Adhesive Tape....Pages 95-104
Reflections about the Time Arrow....Pages 105-116
The Big Computer. Complexity and Computability in Physical Universe....Pages 117-123
On the Uniqueness or Multiplicity of Physical Theories: A Note on the Margin of the “Sokal Affair”....Pages 125-131
An Interplay between Determinism and One-Parameter Semigroups, and Applications....Pages 133-139
From Dynamical Systems to Complex Systems....Pages 141-150
Front Matter....Pages 151-151
Shape and Size in Biology and Medicine....Pages 153-169
Assessment of the Quality of Waters and the Environment by Means of Biological Indices (Macroinvertebrates, Diatoms, Fluvial Functionality): The River Frigido....Pages 171-179
Synchronization of Neocortical Interneurons....Pages 181-190
The Fractal Borderland between the Deterministic Order and the Unpredictable Chaos....Pages 191-198
Emergent Properties and Complexity for Biological Theories....Pages 199-210
Ignoring Complex Interactions in Natural Ecosystems: The Case of Terminator Technology....Pages 211-220
A Compression Algorithm as a Complexity Measure on DNA Sequences....Pages 221-229
Front Matter....Pages 151-151
Reductionism and History: The Biology Between Scylla and Charybdis....Pages 231-239
A Characterization for a Set of Trinucleotides to be a Circular Code....Pages 241-244
Deterministic and Random Components of over Time Evolution of Milk Production Analysed by Time Series Methodology....Pages 245-255
Toward Creating Life in a Test-Tube....Pages 257-272
Tubulin and the Complexity of Life....Pages 273-282
Phylogenies and the New Evolutionary Synthesis....Pages 283-292
Cell System Complexity and Biological Evolution....Pages 293-303
Self-Organization and Prebiotic Environment....Pages 305-309
Front Matter....Pages 311-311
James and Freud on Psychical Determinism....Pages 313-325
Probabilistic Aspects in George D. Birkhoff’s Work....Pages 327-337
The Metamorphosis of Holism....Pages 339-348
Early Approaches to the Management of Complexity in Engineering Systems....Pages 349-357
The Dignity of the Natural Sciences....Pages 359-378
Holism: Some Historical Aspects....Pages 379-386
Towards a History of Complexity....Pages 387-398
Back Matter....Pages 399-402
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