Proceedings of the First Conference of the International Society for Hermeneutics and Science

The paradigm of deterministic chaos has influenced thinking in many fields of science. Chaotic systems show rich and surprising mathematical structures. In the applied sciences, deterministic chaos provides a striking explanation for irregular behaviour and anomalies in systems which do not seem to be inherently stochastic. The most direct link between chaos theory and the real world is the analysis of time series from real systems in terms of nonlinear dynamics. Experimental technique and data analysis have seen such dramatic progress that, by now, most fundamental properties of nonlinear dynamical systems have been observed in the laboratory. Great efforts are being made to exploit ideas from chaos theory wherever the data displays more structure than can be captured by traditional methods. Problems of this kind are typical in biology and physiology but also in geophysics, economics, and many other sciences.

The broad spectrum of topics covered in the nine symposia and four open-paper sessions of the Third Inter national Wildlife Disease Conference comprise a remarkable collection of ideas and current research information on diseases of wildlife. The term "wildlife" is broad in itself and is interpreted by the Conference sponsor, The Wildlife Disease Association, to mean all free-living vertebrate and invertebrate members of the animal kingdom. The Conference's invitational symposia brought to Munich an array of wildlife specialists from around the world who addressed major problems affecting the under standing and control of diseases of wildlife. The open paper sessions attracted many well-known scientists with detailed data from their specialized studies. Over 100 participants were present to hear 84 scientific papers. The Wildlife Disease Association and the Conference editors, through their publisher, are pleased to offer this compilation of presentations as a Conference Pro ceedings. This volume will be an important data source for the study of diseases of wildlife by students, specialists, and general biologists everywhere. WDA President W. G. Winkler expresses the Associa tion's gratitude to the Conference Chairman, Prof. Dr. H.