Everything evolves : why evolution explains more than we think, from proteins to politics / Mark Vellend.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Vellend, Mark, 1973- (author).

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Evolution.

Science--Philosophy.

Science.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Princeton : Princeton University Press, 2025.

Summary:

"How the science of evolution explains how everything came to be, from bacteria and blue whales to cell phones, cities, and artificial intelligenceEverything Evolves reveals how evolutionary dynamics shape the world as we know it and how we are harnessing the principles of evolution in pursuit of many goals, such as increasing the global food supply and creating artificial intelligence capable of evolving its own solutions to thorny problems.Taking readers on an astonishing journey, Mark Vellend describes how all observable phenomena in the universe can be understood through two sciences. The first is physics. The second is the science of evolvable systems. Vellend shows how this Second Science unifies biology and culture and how evolution gives rise to everything from viruses and giraffes to nation-states, technology, and us. He discusses how the idea of evolution had precedents in areas such as language and economics long before it was made famous by Darwin, and how only by freeing ourselves of the notion that the study of evolution must start with biology can we appreciate the true breadth of evolutionary processes. A sweeping tour of the natural and social sciences, Everything Evolves is an essential introduction to one of the two key pillars to the scientific enterprise and an indispensable guide to understanding some of the most difficult challenges of the Anthropocene." -- Publisher's description.

Contents:

Part I. Setting the stage for the second science. The evolution of evolutionary thinking ; Evolution at many levels

Part II. The second science. Where does new stuff come from, and how is it passed on through time? ; Selection, "Natural" and otherwise ; Randomness and movement

Part III. The second science in action. Harnessing and directing evolution

Tipping points and major transitions ; Diversity and globalization ; The future of the second science.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0691253439

9780691253435

0691253412

9780691253411

0691253404

9780691253404

OCLC:

1522806550