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Dice World: Science and Life in a Random Universe
Brian Clegg
Icon Books, £12.99
Random. We hear the word every day. It's used to mean anything from "peculiar", as in "that is so random", to "I don't understand what's going on", as in, well . . . "that is so random". People like patterns; it's part of the human survival pack, helping us to put a shape on a world that can be big and scary and inexplicable. Chaos is not welcome, and this is where Clegg's book comes into its own. In defining the two types of randomness, classical and chaotic, Clegg draws from theories as diverse as quantum physics and earthquake prediction, going into the hard sums that make up the rules by which both operate, and coming out the other end with a book that is methodical, clear, entertaining and just a bit mind-boggling. As editor of the Popular Science website, Clegg knows how to talk to his audience, and deftly explains the tough bits in plain language that is nicely accessible and not remotely random.
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