This wide-ranging and accessible book serves as a fascinating guide to the strategies and concepts that help us understand the boundaries between physics, on the one hand, and sociology, economics, and biology on the other. From cooperation and criticality to flock dynamics and fractals, the author addresses many of the topics belonging to the broad theme of complexity. He chooses excellent examples (requiring no prior mathematical knowledge) to illuminate these ideas and their implications. The lively style and clear description of the relevant models will appeal both to novices and those with an existing knowledge of the field.

James Kakalios explores the scientific plausibility of the powers and feats of the most famous superheroes — and discovers that in many cases the comic writers got their science surprisingly right. Along the way he provides an engaging and witty commentary while introducing the lay reader to both classic and cutting-edge concepts in physics, including: What Superman’s strength can tell us about the Newtonian physics of force, mass, and acceleration How Iceman’s and Storm’s powers illustrate the principles of thermal dynamics The physics behind the death of Spider-Man’s girlfriend Gwen Stacy Why physics professors gone bad are the most dangerous evil geniuses!

In The Quantum Society authors Danah Zohar and Ian Marshall offer a compelling vision for transforming society using the insights of quantum physics to illuminate their ideas. Diversity, they suggest, is the creative evolutionary force, and the more diverse the society, the greater the opportunity for transformation and growth. Their theory of cosmic and social evolution allows us to discover the meaning and purpose of society through an appreciation and understanding of pluralistic thinking. The result is an all-embracing social model that celebrates the dynamic unity that is possible when we work together to orchestrate and articulate our interdependence. The quantum society is flexible, evolving, and ambiguous. In short, it reflects the idea of society as a living system. The authors use the language of physics to provide the images and metaphors appropriate for understanding the principles that inform this system, bringing into focus our harmonious place within the natural world.

An Overview: Physics Through the 1990's is part of an eight-volume research assessment of the major fields of physics that reviews the developments that have taken place and highlights research opportunities. An Overview summarizes the findings of the panels discussed in the other seven volumes and addresses issues that broadly concern physics.

The concepts of statistical physics and big data play an important role in the evidence-based analysis and interpretation of macroeconomic principles. The techniques of complex networks, big data, and statistical physics are useful to understand theories of economic systems, and the authors have applied these to understand the intricacies of complex macroeconomic problems. Recent research work using tools and techniques of big data, statistical physics, complex networks, and statistical science is covered, and basic graph algorithms and statistical measures of complex networks are described. The application of big data and statistical physics tools to assess price dynamics, inflation, systemic risks, and productivity is discussed. Chapter-end summary and numerical problems are provided to reinforce understanding of concepts.