The book contents
Short summary of “Bit Bang”
In this book you'll find a huge number of concepts, influential people, and important events from “digital philosophy”. Starting from the most basic philosophical question — whether the world is continuous or discrete — it describes the first real-world discoveries made possible by computer simulations. The computer's ability to analyze data and use algorithms to build simulations opens up deep philosophical questions, some of which have been answered, while others remain open.
Topics covered
- Conway's Game of Life and Gosper's glider gun
- Discoveries from the first Artificial Life Conference, 1987
- Digital evolutionism
- The discovery of the DNA double helix and the relationship between matter and information
What I learned
Reading this book feels like meeting a series of people, getting the chance to know those who helped shape a philosophy updated with the discoveries made possible by the advent of computers. It's a historical journey through the great events that, since the 1950s, have forever changed the way we work, live, think about ourselves, and understand the world. It's worth a look.
