The Evolution of Biological Information : How Evolution Creates Complexity, from Viruses to Brains

Explaining how evolution can account for the complexity of life is a significant question in biology. Whether or not complexity increases, what the mechanisms are that fuel this growth, and indeed even how we define complexity are difficult questions. In this book Christoph Adami draws on two strands of research - experimental evolution and information theory - to forward a mathematical theory that accounts for the evolution of complexity. While accounting for complexity is his primary goal, Adami also argues that information theory can do more for biology than just provide for a measure of complexity. As he argues, everything in biology uses information in one form or another, be it for communication (between cells, or organisms) or for prediction (via molecular as well as neural circuits). As a consequence, we can think of information theory as the unifying framework that allows us to understand complex systems, with biological life being only the prime example--

Author: Christoph Adami

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Publication Date: Jan 16, 2024

Number of Pages: 584 pages

Language: English

Binding: Hardcover

ISBN-10: 0691241163

ISBN-13: 9780691241166