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Hermann Haken (born 1927) is one of the “fathers” of the quantum-mechanical laser theory, formulated between 1962 and 1966, in strong competition with American researchers. Later on, he created Synergetics, the science of cooperation in multicomponent systems. The book concentrates on the development of his scientific work during the first thirty-five years of his career. In 1970 he and his doctoral student Robert Graham were able to show that the laser is an example of a nonlinear system far from thermal equilibrium that shows a phase-transition like behavior. Subsequently, this insight opened the way for the formulation of Synergetics. Synergetics is able to explain, how very large systems show the phenomenon of self-organization that can be mathematically described by only very few order parameters. The results of Haken’s research were published in two seminal books Synergetics (1977) and Advanced Synergetics (1983). After the year 1985 Haken concentrated his research on the macroscopic foundation of Synergetics. This led him towards the application of synergetic principles in medicine, cognitive research and, finally, in psychology. A comprehensive bibliography of Hermann Haken’s publications (nearly 600 numbers) is included in the book.

This volume collects several in-depth articles giving lucid discussions on new developments in statistical and condensed matter physics. Many, though not all, contributors had been in touch with the late S-K Ma. Written by some of the world's experts and originators of new ideas in the field, this book is a must for all researchers in theoretical physics. Most of the articles should be accessible to diligent graduate students and experienced readers will gain from the wealth of materials contained herein.

On the Origin of Form presents a new account of evolution and the origin of life based on the premise that the body form of any species is encoded not in the DNA but in the patterned structure of the primordial germ plasm--the universal predecessor of the egg. Two hundred years after Johann von Goethe's Faustian quest for the Urform, the archetypal design underlying all living form, comes the recent discovery that organic forms are derived from a unique, self-organized, pre-embryonic structure. This explanation of evolution is an alternative to the now widely questioned Neo-Darwinist theory of natural selection of random mutations. This new model is based on known, relatively uncomplicated scientific principles and is easily accessible to the interested layman. Included are sixty-four pages of illustrations that support this new theory. For additional information, please visit www.ontheoriginofform.com.

Highlighted with individual contributions from eminent specialists, these multiauthored volumes combine authority, inspiration and state-of-the-art knowledge. Both informative and inspiring they are designed to appeal to scientists and interested laypeople alike. Volume 2 complements and extends the scope of the first, with the biological viewpoint being stressed. Following an introductory chapter on design as understood in biology, the various aspects of the biological information revolution are addressed. Areas discussed include molecular structure, the genome, development, and neural networks. A section on information theory provides a link with engineering, and the scope is also broadened to include the implications of motion in nature and engineering.