The Rules of the Flock

Helmut Satz is Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Physics at the University of Bielefield in Germany, and has been with the university since 1971. From 1989-1996, he was Staff Member, European Center for Nuclear Research CERN, Geneva. During his career he has been the author of around 250 scientific papers and books, his most recent being Before Time Began: The Big Bang and the Emerging Universe.

• Preface Introduction 1: 2: The 8th Plague 3: The Onset of Connectivity 4: The Birds of Rome 5: Spins and Magnets 6: The Rules of the Flock 7: Complexity and Criticality 8: Fiery Clouds in the Jungle 9: The Audible Silence 10: Coupled Oscillators 11: Laser Beams 12: Ways to Go 13: How to Fly 14: Avian Aerodynamics 15: The Ant State 16: Kin Selection: My Sister's Keeper 17: Of Bees and Flowers 18: Communication and Language 19: Epilogue References and Literature Person Index

The Rules of the Flock covers an important topic that is now the focus of a great deal of basic and applied research and one that easily catches the imagination of the public. I expect that many people, like me, will read it in one sitting - it is quite difficult to put it down