Acknowledgements About the Editor Foreword List of Contributors 1 An Introduction to Evolutionary Design by Computers SECTION 1: Evolution and Design SECTION 2: Evolutionary Optimisation of Designs SECTION 3: Evolutionary Art SECTION 4: Evolutionary Artificial Life Forms SECTION 5: Creative Evolutionary Design Glossary Index
We present ideas about creating a next generation Intrusion Detection System based on the latest immunological theories. The central challenge with computer security is determining the difference between normal and potentially harmful activity. For half a century, developers have protected their systems by coding rules that identify and block specific events. However, the nature of current and future threats in conjunction with ever larger IT systems urgently requires the development of automated and adaptive defensive tools. A promising solution is emerging in the form of Artificial Immune Systems. The Human Immune System can detect and defend against harmful and previously unseen invaders, so can we not build a similar Intrusion Detection System for our computers.
Fugue is the result of a collaboration between artist, musician and computer scientists. The result is an on-going project which provides a new way of communicating complex scientific ideas to any audience. Immersive virtual reality and sound provide an interactive audiovisual interface to the dynamics of a complex system – for this work, an artificial immune system. Participants are able to see and interact with immune cells flowing through a lymphatic vessel and understand how the complex dynamics of the whole are produced by local interactions of viruses, B cells, antibodies, dendritic cells and clotting platelets.
Leading computer science expert Professor Peter J. Bentley breaks down the fast-moving world of computers in the time of automata into ten pivotal lessons.
Numbers are at the heart of the existence of the universe and everything that is in it, and yet most of us have very little everyday understanding of the fundamentals of mathematics, let alone their part in philosophy, art, music, architecture, quantum mechanics, physics, computer technology, literature, biology, commerce, religion, and the occult; indeed every discipline which has been and is the proper study of man.This beautifully illustrated book, using computer imagery, historical drawing, paintings and photography gives a synopsis of many of the most important mathematical discoveries in each of these categories and captures something of the spirit of the men and women who have contributed to unravelling the secrets of numbers. From the discovery of zero to infinity, The Book of Numbers is calculated to amaze and astound the reader and even encourage further in depth study in the subject.
Have you ever fallen victim to Murphy's law? Sometimes bad things just happen. In Why Sh*t Happens, esteemed British scientist Peter J. Bentley takes readers on an informative and amusing tour through the least lucky, most accident-prone day of their lives. From sleeping through the alarm clock and burning breakfast to getting caught in the rain and navigating a slippery road, Bentley brilliantly explores disaster and mishap on a molecular level. In the process, he explains the science behind each accident, arming readers with the knowledge to understand what went wrong and how they can steer clear of future harm. Science is respected, trusted, and according to Bentley, largely misunderstood. Why Sh*t Happens urges readers to arm themselves with the power of science in order to better understand the world around them. When a car engine is damaged by the wrong gasoline or a computer is attacked by a virus, science is not to blame, but rather can provide an explanation of what happened. In a text that exudes charm and wit, Bentley reveals the causes behind a wide spectrum of mishaps, including why that razor nick won't stop bleeding, why metal sparks in the microwave, what makes chewing gum stick in hair, and why milk tastes sour when it goes bad. Sh*t will always happen, but now readers will know exactly why. Enter, if you dare, the world of everyday disasters.
How Nature is Transforming Our Technology and Our Lives
A leading scientist's visionary work explains the next revolution in computers: following the principles of the biological universe, they will yield profound insights into the world of nature. "Digital Biology" takes readers on a groundbreaking and entertaining journey into a universe where nature is transforming technology, just on the other side of our computer screens.
The science of computers and how it shapes our world
Everyone uses computers today. But what do you really know about them? Using the voices of pioneers and leading experts, Peter J. Bentley tells the story of computer science; explaining how and why computers were invented, how they work, looking at real-world examples of computers in use, and considering what will happen in the future.
Randomness can be good and bad, from cancer to the creation of life—but let's not be scared of it. Peter argues randomness should be a solution rather than a problem: it is reality, it is life and we must embrace it.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Peter Bentley is a maverick computer scientist who investigates the boundaries between nature and computation. He and his group work with natural scientists of many disciplines to untangle and exploit the complexities of biological systems using novel computer technologies. An active scientist at UCL, he makes his living through writing -- he is author of eight books, including the popular science texts: 'Digital Biology', 'The Book of Numbers', 'The Undercover Scientist' and his most recent book, 'Digitized'. Peter also accidentally created a number one best selling iPhone app.
Talk: The sound of numbers crunching
Your brain is physical. Your thoughts are made from physical, embodied neurons. You are robust to damage and perfectly adapted to living in your environment. But what are the thoughts of your computer made from? Virtual software? Why is this artificial thinking machine so prone to failure? Why do all our technologies seem so badly adapted to their environments? In this talk, Peter explores the differences between biological systems and our man-made technologies. He illustrates how the technology of biology works using principles that are mind-twistingly weird to us. Using examples from his research lab, he also asks what our technology would look like if we learned from natural systems. Could we ever have everyday products that behaved like living systems? Would we have computers that could regrow their code if they were damaged? Would we have technologies that could design and build themselves? Could we create an embodied mathematics that uses reality to compute?