Where does the particular form or configuration of a pattern come from, and how is it propagated from pattern to pattern? Templets and the Explanation of Complex Patterns provides a natural language for analysing such questions. Using it, the organisational forces that underlie the fabrication of any pattern can be divided into two classes. First, there are the 'universal laws' of pattern assembly, the configurational rules and constraints inherent within the fabric of the pattern elements themselves. Second, there are the 'templets' - external, situational constraints imposed on the pattern elements. From the perspective of templeting, simple patterns can be directly contrasted with complex patterns: the former are completely determined by their universal laws, whereas the latter also require extensive templets. Natural patterns range along the entire spectrum from simple to complex, and the most complex of these include both random patterns and many biological patterns.
If God does exist, why is there so much evil in the world? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do we suffer so many trials and tribulations in our lives? These difficult questions that nonbelievers often use to deny God's existence are addressed in this book with the biblical and religious references and answers. Proof and evidence of God's existence surround us everywhere we go if we simply open our eyes and our minds to the truth. The miracles and incredible balance in nature, the wonder of the human body, the intricate structure of our eyes and ears, cellular complexity, molecular genetics, DNA, the wonders of the Earth and our universe all point to intelligent design. It is beyond belief and comprehension that all of these things could have simply evolved from some freak accident of "nature." The watchmaker's analogy for intelligent design is a good one and is certainly applicable to the creationism versus the evolution and randomness arguments discussed in this book.Jesus performed many miracles that were seen by a multitude of people and recorded by eyewitnesses. But there are also records of modern-day medical miracles that non-Christian doctors cannot explain. Additionally, thousands of people have chosen to share their near-death experiences with a research foundation, and virtually all of them reported that they came back with a profound understanding of God's love. In an interesting 1982 blind prayer study conducted by the San Francisco Medical Center, data suggests that the intercessory prayer to the Judeo-Christian God had a beneficial therapeutic effect in patients who were admitted to a critical care unit.Although there are many biblical and religious documents that recorded events in Jesus's life, there are well over ten independent accounts from outside the biblical record that identify over sixty life events and beliefs about Jesus's life. Finally, we must look to human nature itself for evidence of the existence of God and his son, Jesus Christ. Many Christians, including Jesus, and all but one of his disciples were persecuted, horribly tortured, and died excruciating deaths because of their belief in God. Many people throughout history have been willing to die for what they truly believed in, but no one willingly dies for what they know to be a lie.Finally, how do you approach a nonbeliever and talk with them about faith? This is difficult for most people, as they feel that they must have some specialized training in order to do so. One does not need a special gift to evangelize. The mandate to be a witness applies to every follower of Christ. This book can help you be a true witness!
Why do unrelated organisms sometimes appear almost identical in details of the anatomy, behavior, physiology, and ecology? Homoplasy assembles leaders in evolutionary biology to explore issues of parallelism, convergence, and reversals. This innovative book is certain to provoke discussion of homoplasy compelling evidence for particular theories of evolutionary change - The first book on this increasingly interesting subject - Includes authoritative treatments from leading experts expressing a variety of viewpoints
Photography of art has served as a basis for the reconstruction of works of art and as a vehicle for the dissemination and reinterpretation of art. This book provides the first definitive treatment of the subject, with essays from noted authorities in the fields of art history, architecture, and photography. The essays explore the many meanings of photography as documentation for the art historian, inspiration for the artist, and as a means of critical interpretation of works of art. Art History Through the Camera's Lens will be important reading for students, historians, librarians, and curators of the visual arts.
The aim of pattern theory is to create mathematical knowledge representations of complex systems, analyse the mathematical properties of the resulting regular structures, and to apply them to practically occuring patterns in nature and the man-made world. Starting from an algebraic formulation of such representations they are studied in terms of their topological, dynamical and probabilistic aspects. Patterns are expressed through their typical behaviour as well as through their variability around their typical form. Employing the representations (regular structures) algorithms are derived for the understanding, recognition, and restoration of observed patterns. The algorithms are investigated through computer experiments.
"Math and bio 2010 grew out of 'Meeting the Challenges: Education across the Biological, Mathematical and Computer Sciences,' a joint project of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), the National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education (NSF DUE), the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM)."--Foreword, p. vi
This text covers an array of methods needed for undertaking qualitative data collection & analysis. It includes 30 chapters, each focusing on a specific technique including chapters on traditional methods, analysis techniques, intervention methods & the latest developments in research methods.
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Third International Conference, TPNC 2014, held in Granada, Spain, in December 2014. The 22 revised full papers presented in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 47 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on nature-inspired models of computation; synthesizing nature by means of computation; nature-inspired materials; and information processing in nature.
