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, 拢32.50/$39.50, ISBN 8877610557/0691012385.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
2
Remote-controlled cockroach swarm can now breathe underwater
3
If you aren't terrified by this heatwave, you should be
4
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science
5
We鈥檝e uncovered a master gene that switches on human development
6
Ancient human DNA found on cave art for the first time
7
You should turn off fans when it's too hot 鈥 but how hot is too hot?
8
Neuroscience can't tell us the way to govern people's brains
9
Screwworm could be the first species targeted by an 'extinction drive'
10
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
