Out of Control
The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems, and the Economic World
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
Out of Control chronicles the dawn of a new era in which the machines and systems that drive our economy are so complex and autonomous as to be indistinguishable from living things.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this mind-expanding exploration of the synergistic intersection of computer science, biology, systems theory, cybernetics and artificial intelligence, Kelly investigates what he calls ``vivisystems''--lifelike, complex, engineered systems capable of growing in complexity. Among the objects and ideas that he scrutinizes are computer models that simulate ecosystems; the ``group mind'' of bee hives and ant colonies; virtual-reality worlds; robot prototypes; and Arizona's Biosphere 2. Former publisher and editor of Whole Earth Review , now executive editor of Wired , Kelly distills the unifying principles governing self-improving systems, which he labels ``the nine laws of god.'' Leaping from Antonio Gaudi's futuristic buildings in Barcelona to computerized ``smart'' houses to computer simulations that challenge Darwinian evolutionary theory, this sprawling odyssey will provoke and reward readers across many disciplines.
Customer Reviews
Nostalgia for Futures Past
Dense. Kinda scattered. Bizarre to read thoughts from the early 90’s and - from 2024’s hindsight- which ones seem overly optimistic/naive and which ones are amazingly prescient. Fun embryonic hints of ‘The Matrix’ (which Kelly was part of an early advisor group on) throughout.