The Calculus of Life: Towards a Theory of Life (SpringerBriefs in Biology)

This Book Explores The Exciting World Of Theoretical Biology And Is Divided Into Three Sections. The First Section Examines The Roles Played By Renowned Scientists Such As Jacob, Monod, Rosen, Turing, Von Bertalanffy, Waddington And Woodger In Developing The Field Of Theoretical Biology. The Second Section, Aided With Numerous Examples, Supports The Idea That Logic And Computing Are Suitable Formal Languages To Describe And Understand Biological Phenomena. The Third And Final Section Is, Without Doubt, The Most Intellectually Challenging And Endeavors To Show The Possible Paths We Could Take To Compute A Cell - The Basic Unit Of Life - Or The Conditions Required For A Predictive Theory Of Biological Evolution; Ultimately, A Theory Of Life In The Light Of Modern Systems Biology. The Work Aims To Show That Modern Biology Is Closer Than Ever To Making Goethe's Dream Come True And That We Have Reached A Point Where Synthetic And Analytical Traditions Converge To Shed Light On The Living Being As A Whole. Theoretical Biology And Evolutionary Theory -- chance And Necessity -- tinkering And Evolution -- Concepts For A Theoretical Biology -- General Systems Theory And Systems Biology -- Logic, Computation And Biology -- Life -- Algorithmic Chemistry -- The Spaces Of Evolution -- Computing The Cell -- Gödel And The Blind Watchmaker -- In Conclusion: Goethe's Dream -- Subject Index. By Andrés Moya. Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Theoretical Biology and Evolutionary Theory....Pages 3-8 Chance and Necessity....Pages 9-12 Tinkering and Evolution....Pages 13-15 Concepts for a Theoretical Biology....Pages 17-23 General Systems Theory and Systems Biology....Pages 25-30 Front Matter....Pages 31-31 Logic, Computing and Biology....Pages 33-38 Life....Pages 39-48 Algorithmic Chemistry....Pages 49-56 Front Matter....Pages 57-57 The Spaces of Evolution....Pages 59-65 Computing the Cell....Pages 67-71 Gödel and the Blind Watchmaker....Pages 73-81 In Conclusion: Goethe’s Dream....Pages 83-89 Back Matter....Pages 91-95 6.1 Turing Machines and the Halting Problem6.2 Algorithmic Complexity and Randomness in Biology; References; 7 Life; Abstract ; 7.1 The Development of Complexity and Emergence; 7.2 Determinism and Closed Evolution; References; 8 Algorithmic Chemistry; Abstract ; 8.1 The Reactor and Experiments; 8.2 Contingency and Necessity; References; Part III The Cell and Evolution; 9 The Spaces of Evolution; Abstract ; 9.1 Laws Governing Organisms; 9.2 Treatable Phenotypes; References; 10 Computing the Cell; Abstract ; 10.1 Cell Theory Revisited; 10.2 Organic Memory; References 11 Gödel and the Blind WatchmakerAbstract ; 11.1 Gödel Incompleteness and Progressive Evolution; 11.2 Lessons for Synthetic Biology; References; 12 In Conclusion: Goethe's Dream; Abstract ; References; Index